It's Almost Time

I'm sure a lot of people are getting excited that the spring is coming so everyone can start planting their seeds outside and probably won't have to do half as much work as inside growing requires. Just wondering. For people in the states who really experience TRUE seasons, like (COLD WINTERS), when would be the best time for someone to start their seedlings outside. I was thinking late March, early April. Wasn't sure if anyone does anything different. Any feedback would help. Never grown outside, so would like to give it a try this year. Thanks.

I live in Illinois we see the cold and my outdoors crop starts at the end of april or beginning of may and I cover them in august so they will be done by mid october.

i wonder if you would have a higher success ratio if you started the seed indoors mid march, and then transplanted the plant outside mid april, instead of planting a seed in the cold harsh crust of the earth.

I always move plants outdoors never just put a seed in the ground as chances are you will get squat.

lots of evil little critters living in natural soil also. i to would start indoors first if you have that option. if not in my neighborhood we start around end of march early april. i continue to start new plants up to july with good results.

Yeah i live on eh westside (U>S>A). I start my outdoor grows right now, the cold is out and the warmness is coming in.

Is there any advantage to getting them outdoors earlier if you have them under lights? I'm up in Canada, I've heard of people starting as early as the beginning of April around where I am. My frame of mind is that if I keep them growing under the lights through April and planted early May its just further assurance that the climate will be right? If I were to try to guess the answer to my own question, would it be just that the sun is much more efficient than any light?

up here in maine you gotta wait atleast till late april/may

There are two ways to move plants outdoors.

In containers: You can move outdoors very early... on nice days (mid 60's and above), and not have to worry about overnight freeze or frost. I also like to bring container plants inside for additional hours of supplemental HPS.

In the ground: In my area I wait 'till after last frost date. I like to start plants or take clones in March to put in ground in early May...I like to get them as big as possible before transplanting to in-ground plot... because the bigger the plant that goes in ground in May, the bigger the harvest of sticky buds in the fall!

Go to the old farmers almanac online and see when the last frost will be in your area. You could start them now and start the seedlings off inside so they will be strong enough for when you plant them outside.