<p>I am eagerly waiting for the slightest sign of a warmth so I can plant vegetable seeds for my 2013 container garden. I think I’ll use peat pots this year as seed-starters. Am I taking too much of a risk by starting indoors by March 1?</p>
<p>My compost box has been ready for quite a while (red wriggler worms did a great job too) but I’m curious about trying one of those organic fertilizers, especially the ones that contain guano.</p>
<p>The big challenge this year is to grow tomatoes from seed. I’ve always purchased juvenile tomato plants in the past.</p>
<p>Nothing in the works yet here in Ohio, but must say I ADORE seeing the subject of gardens come up again - spring, COME ON!!!</p>
<p>I have given some thought to starting a couple small pots of herbs on my sun porch from seed. I actually still have some parsley and chives going from summer out there. It’s a little weak but helps in a pinch for a dish or two a week!</p>
<p>Abasket, I finally brought my Rosemary plant indoors last night. It’s survived well throughout the cool fall and cold winter thus far. Since November I’ve hardly ever watered it.</p>
<p>LW - 4-6 weeks for vegetable germination. When is the last frost in your region? I would count 6 weeks back wards from the last frost to start seedlings. I am waiting for mid-march to put in seeds. Nothing wrong to start sooner and have bigger seedlings to transplant if they take transplanting well and pots are big.</p>
<p>We have beehive holly that have never grown how we expected, so I’m contemplating pulling those out, plus a flower bed. Veggie-wise, we have to add another asparagus bed and I’m hoping to do rhubarb!! I love this time of year. It’s all good intentions and no effort :)</p>
<p>Igloo, here in metro NYC we could get frost or snow well into March. Last year the warm weather in January, February and March was nearly miraculous, but likely won’t happen again so soon. I plan to start the seeds in peat pots on top of either the radiator or the refrigerator. That is an idea I read about wherein folks said they didn’t need a lamp to get the seeds growing indoors in February, just warm soil in the pots.</p>
<p>LW- One is supposed to plant seedlings after the last frost which may be around the second week of May. It takes 2-3 weeks for vegetable seeds to sprout. Flower seeds about 8 weeks. They don’t need to be in the sun until they sprout. After they get leaves, they can’t be too cold or in dense shade. I have done both, left them outside in the cold in one season and kept them in the basement too long in another. Have fun!</p>