![]() Contact the county Rutgers Cooperative Extension office (listed under county government in the phonebook) for the last frost date in the area. In New Jersey, this will range from April 20 in extreme southern New Jersey to June 1 in the colder northwest. ![]() Warm season crops cannot be transplanted into the garden until all danger of frost is past. That would mean seeding 5 to 6 weeks before that date, or roughly early to mid-March.Ĭrops are also listed as being warm or cold season. If the crop to be planted were a cool season crop like lettuce, planting in the garden would occur in mid-April. Because tomatoes take about 6 to 8 weeks from seeding to transplant, seeding indoors should take place between mid-March and April 1. Assume May 15 is the last frost date for the garden. Table 3 indicates that tomatoes are a warm season crop, which means they cannot be planted until after the last frost. This period varies widely by crop, ranging from 2 to 12 weeks. Table 3 lists how many weeks pass between seeding indoors and transplants are ready for planting in your garden. The goal is to produce a stocky, moderately sized plant that will recover quickly when it is planted outdoors. Plants that are started too early become elongated, pale green, and weak. A lack of drainage can cause the soil to become saturated and can encourage root rot diseases in the transplants.īefore doing any planting, one word of caution: DON'T START PLANTS TOO EARLY. When choosing a container to start your seedlings (Table 2), the most important factor is that the bottom have drainage holes. Getting StartedĬontainers, pots, flats, etc., are another essential component for starting transplants. Heated soil gives off a strong smell, so consider doing it outdoors. The mix must then be pasteurized to eliminate pests by heating to 180oF for 30 minutes. A teaspoon of ground limestone per quart of mix should also be added to obtain the proper pH. ![]() If garden soil is to be used, combine it with equal parts of sand and peat moss to improve drainage and structure. ![]() Using soil directly from the garden is not recommended, because it may contain insects, weed seeds, or disease organisms that could damage or kill the young transplants. Soilless mixes are sterile and reduce the risk of losing seedlings to damping off, a fatal soilborne disease. These are specially formulated for starting seeds indoors. The most convenient type to use is one of the commercial soilless mixes (Jiffy-Mix, Pro-Mix, Redi-Earth, etc.) that contain peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, and usually some fertilizer (see Table 1 for a mix recipe). Potting SoilĬhoosing the right potting soil is a very important part of starting seedlings indoors. If a few simple guidelines are followed, transplants can be grown with a minimum of problems. Transplanting hardier young seedlings started indoors (transplants) allows an earlier start in the garden, which results in earlier yields of certain crops and makes better use of limited garden space. In addition, newly emerged seedlings are very tender and easily killed by insects and disease or shaded by quicker growing weeds. If seeded directly in the garden at that time, tomatoes and peppers require more than 100 days to produce the first fruit. For example, tomatoes and peppers cannot be planted until after the last frost and after the soil has warmed. Unfortunately, direct seeding is not practical for some crops. The easiest way to start any vegetable garden is direct seeding-wait until the weather warms and plant the seeds directly in the garden.
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