Starting Indoors

Johnny's Seed Starting Calculator 

CROP	# OF WEEKS TO START SEEDS BEFORE TRANSPLANT	When to start inside			Transplant date
		FROM	TO	SAFE TIME TO SET OUT PLANTS (RELATIVE TO FROST-FREE DATE)	FROM	TO
Artichoke	8	12-Feb		on frost-free date	9-Apr
Basil	6	5-Mar		1 week after	16-Apr
Beets*	4 to 6	12-Feb	26-Feb	2 weeks before	26-Mar
Broccoli	4 to 6	12-Feb	26-Feb	2 weeks before	26-Mar
Cabbage	4 to 6	29-Jan	12-Mar	4 weeks before	12-Mar	9-Apr
Cauliflower	4 to 6	12-Feb	12-Mar	2 weeks before	26-Mar	9-Apr
Celery & celeriac	10 to 12	22-Jan	5-Feb	1 week after	16-Apr
Collards	4 to 6	29-Jan	12-Feb	4 weeks before	12-Mar
Corn salad/mache	4 to 6	15-Jan	19-Feb	3 to 6 weeks before	26-Feb	19-Mar
Corn*	2 to 4	12-Mar	9-Apr	0 to 2 weeks after	9-Apr	23-Apr
Cucumber	3 to 4	19-Mar	2-Apr	1 to 2 weeks after	16-Apr	23-Apr
Eggplant	8 to 10	12-Feb	5-Mar	2 to 3 weeks after	23-Apr	30-Apr
Kale	4 to 6	29-Jan	12-Feb	4 weeks before	12-Mar
Kohlrabi*	4 to 6	29-Jan	12-Feb	4 weeks before	12-Mar
Leeks	8 to 10	15-Jan	29-Jan	2 weeks before	26-Mar
Lettuce	4 to 5	5-Feb	19-Feb	3 to 4 weeks before	12-Mar	19-Mar
Melons	3 to 4	26-Mar	2-Apr	2 weeks after	23-Apr
Mustard*	4 to 6	29-Jan	12-Feb	4 weeks before	12-Mar
Okra*	4 to 6	12-Mar	9-Apr	2 to 4 weeks after	23-Apr	7-May
Onions	8 to 10	1-Jan	15-Jan	4 weeks before	12-Mar
Parsley	9 to 10	8-Jan	22-Jan	2 to 3 weeks before	19-Mar	26-Mar
Peas*	3 to 4	15-Jan	5-Feb	6 to 8 weeks before	12-Feb	26-Feb
Peppers	8	26-Feb		2 weeks after	23-Apr
Pumpkins	3 to 4	26-Mar	2-Apr	2 weeks after	23-Apr
Spinach	4 to 6	15-Jan	19-Feb	3 to 6 weeks before	26-Feb	19-Mar
Squash	3 to 4	26-Mar	2-Apr	2 weeks after	23-Apr
Swiss chard	4 to 6	12-Feb	26-Feb	2 weeks before	26-Mar
Tomatoes	6 to 8	19-Feb	12-Mar	1 to 2 weeks after	16-Apr	23-Apr
Watermelon	3 to 4	26-Mar	2-Apr	2 weeks after	23-Apr
Ageratum	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Agrostemma (Corn Cockle)*	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Amaranthus	4 to 6	5-Mar	19-Mar	1 week after	16-Apr
Ammi (False Queen Anne's Lace)*	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Artemisia (Sweet Annie)	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Asclepias (Butterfly Weed)	10 to 12	15-Jan	29-Jan	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Aster, China	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Bells of Ireland**	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Calendula*	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Cardoon	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Carthamus (Safflower)*	4 to 6	26-Feb	12-Mar	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Castor Bean	6 to 8	19-Feb	5-Mar	1 week after	16-Apr
Celosia	6 to 8	19-Feb	5-Mar	1 week after	16-Apr
Centaurea (Bachelor's Button)*	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Chinese Lanterns	8 to 12	15-Jan	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Coleus	8	19-Feb		1 week after	16-Apr
Cosmos*	5 to 7	19-Feb	5-Mar	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Craspedia (Drumstick Flower)	8 to 10	29-Jan	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Datura (Angel's Trumpet)	8 to 12	29-Jan	5-Mar	2 to 3 weeks after	23-Apr	30-Apr
Delphinium	10 to 16	18-Dec	29-Jan	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Dianthus (Sweet William)	10 to 12	1-Jan	22-Jan	1 to 2 weeks before	26-Mar	2-Apr
Digitalis (Foxglove)	10 to 12	15-Jan	29-Jan	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Eucalyptus	10 to 12	15-Jan	29-Jan	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Euphorbia (Snow-on-the-Mountain)*	4 to 6	26-Feb	12-Mar	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Flower Collections & Mixes*	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Forget-Me-Not	8 to 9	5-Feb	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)	8 to 10	29-Jan	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth)	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Helianthus maximillianii	8 to 10	29-Jan	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Hibiscus	8 to 10	5-Feb	19-Feb	1 week after	16-Apr
Hollyhock	8 to 10	29-Jan	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Hyacinth Bean	4 to 6	5-Mar	19-Mar	1 week after	16-Apr
Impatiens	8 to 10	5-Feb	19-Feb	1 week after	16-Apr
Kale, Ornamental	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Larkspur*	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Lisianthus	12 to 13	8-Jan	15-Jan	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Lupine	6 to 8	29-Jan	12-Feb	2 weeks before	26-Mar
Marigold	6 to 8	19-Feb	5-Mar	1 week after	16-Apr
Monarda (Bee Balm)	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Morning Glory	3 to 4	2-Apr	16-Apr	3 to 4 weeks after	30-Apr	7-May
Nigella*	4 to 6	26-Feb	12-Mar	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Phlox**	4	12-Feb		1 to 2 weeks before	26-Mar	2-Apr
Pepper, Ornamental	8	19-Feb		1 week after	16-Apr
Petunia	8 to 10	29-Jan	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Polygonum (Prince's Feather)	8 to 10	29-Jan	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
California Poppy*	2 to 3	19-Mar	26-Mar	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Corn Poppy*	2 to 3	19-Mar	26-Mar	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Iceland Poppy	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Ptilotus	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susan)	8 to 10	29-Jan	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Salpiglossis (Painted Tongue)	4 to 6	26-Feb	12-Mar	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Salvia	6 to 8	29-Jan	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Sanvitalia	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower)	4 to 6	26-Feb	12-Mar	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Scarlet Runner Bean	2 to 3			soil 60 degrees
Snapdragon	8 to 10	29-Jan	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Statice	8	12-Feb		on frost-free date	9-Apr
Stock	8 to 10	29-Jan	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Sunflowers*	3-4	12-Mar	19-Mar	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Strawflower	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Sweet Pea*	4 to 6	12-Feb	5-Mar	1 to 2 weeks before	26-Mar	2-Apr
Thunbergia (Black Eyed Susan Vine)	6 to 8	12-Feb	26-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower)*	6	5-Mar		1 week after	16-Apr
Verbena	8 to 12	15-Jan	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Viola (Pansy)	8 to 12	1-Jan	5-Feb	1 to 2 weeks before	26-Mar	2-Apr
Yarrow	8 to 12	29-Jan	12-Feb	on frost-free date	9-Apr
Zinnia	4	19-Mar		1 week after	16-Apr
* Usually direct-sown, but may be started indoors
** Specifically recommended for direct seeding outdoors
Note: Dates are the same from year to year, but this table requires a year for computation simplicity

National Gardening Association 

For the Spring:
Your planting strategy:
Cole crops like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage can be direct seeded into your garden around February 18, assuming the ground can be worked, but it's better to start them indoors around January 21 and then transplant them into the garden around March 11. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.Plant onion starts and potatoes around January 31. Sow the seeds of peas (sugar snap and english) at the same time. If the ground is still frozen, then plant these as soon as the ground thaws. Do you want to grow tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants? Start these indoors around January 21. Then, around March 27 you should start watching the weather forecast and, as soon as no frost is forecast, go ahead and transplant those into the ground. Now, for all the summer vegetables like beans, cowpeas, corn, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, gourds and sunflowers, you should plant those seeds directly into the ground around March 31, or if your soil is still very cold, once the soil is near 60° F in temperature.
Crop	Sow seeds indoors	Transplant seedlings	Direct sow seeds
Asparagus	n/a	Feb 15 - Mar 1	n/a
Beans	n/a	n/a	Mar 31 - Apr 28
Beets	n/a	n/a	Feb 4 - Feb 18
Broccoli	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Mar 3 - Mar 17	n/a
Brussel Sprouts	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Mar 3 - Mar 17	n/a
Cabbage	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Mar 3 - Mar 17	n/a
Cantaloupe	n/a	n/a	Mar 17 - Mar 31
Carrots	n/a	n/a	Feb 18 - Mar 17
Cauliflower	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Mar 3 - Mar 17	n/a
Chard	n/a	n/a	Feb 18 - Mar 3
Collards	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Mar 3 - Mar 17	n/a
Corn	n/a	n/a	Mar 31 - Apr 14
Cucumbers	n/a	n/a	Mar 31 - Apr 14
Eggplants	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Mar 31 - Apr 14	n/a
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins	n/a	n/a	Mar 31 - Apr 14
Kale	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Mar 3 - Mar 17	n/a
Kohlrabi	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Mar 3 - Mar 17	n/a
Lettuce	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Feb 18 - Mar 17	Feb 18 - Mar 17
Mustard	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Mar 3 - Mar 17	n/a
Okra	n/a	n/a	Mar 31 - Apr 14
Onions	Jan 14 - Jan 21	Jan 31 - Mar 1	n/a
Peas (English)	n/a	n/a	Jan 31 - Mar 1
Peas (Southern)	n/a	n/a	Mar 31 - Apr 28
Peas (Sugar Snap)	n/a	n/a	Jan 31 - Mar 1
Peppers	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Mar 31 - Apr 14	n/a
Potatoes	n/a	n/a	Jan 31 - Mar 1
Radishes	n/a	n/a	Feb 15 - Apr 14
Spinach	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Mar 3 - Mar 17	Feb 15 - Mar 17
Sweet Potatoes	n/a	Mar 31 - Apr 21	n/a
Tomatoes	Jan 21 - Feb 4	Mar 31 - Apr 14	n/a
Watermelon	n/a	n/a	Mar 31 - Apr 14
For the Fall:
Your fall planting strategy:
Gardening in the fall can be much more challenging than spring planting, because you are in a race to get your crops mature and harvested before the winter frosts begin, around November 8. This means you need to consider how much time each variety needs between planting and picking. Those numbers vary widely between different varieties of the same kinds of plants! Usually the "Days to Harvest" are present on the seed packet.Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around July 31. Anyway, it's important to remember that the numbers in this fall planting guide are only a starting point for you! Good luck and good gardening to you.
Okay, now here are the cold, hard numbers, along with specific plants:
Crop	Sow seeds indoors	Transplant seedlings into the garden	Direct sow seeds
Beans	n/a	n/a	Jul 26 - Aug 25
Beets	n/a	n/a	Aug 25 - Oct 9
Broccoli	Jun 14 - Jul 29	Jul 26 - Sep 9	n/a
Brussel Sprouts	Jun 14 - Jul 29	Jul 26 - Sep 9	n/a
Cabbage	Jun 14 - Jul 29	Jul 26 - Sep 9	n/a
Cantaloupe	n/a	n/a	Jul 11 - Jul 26
Carrots	n/a	n/a	Aug 10 - Oct 9
Cauliflower	Jun 14 - Jul 29	Jul 26 - Sep 9	n/a
Chard	n/a	n/a	Jul 26 - Oct 9
Collards	Jul 11 - Aug 25	Aug 10 - Sep 24	n/a
Corn	n/a	n/a	Jul 26 - Aug 10
Cucumbers	n/a	n/a	Jul 26 - Aug 10
Eggplants	May 30 - Jun 14	Jul 11 - Jul 26	n/a
Garlic	n/a	n/a	Aug 25 - Oct 9
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins	n/a	n/a	Jun 26 - Jul 26
Kale	Jun 14 - Jul 29	Jul 26 - Sep 9	n/a
Kohlrabi	Jun 14 - Jul 29	Jul 26 - Sep 9	n/a
Lettuce	Aug 10 - Sep 9	Sep 9 - Oct 9	Sep 9 - Oct 9
Mustard	n/a	n/a	Sep 9 - Oct 9
Okra	n/a	n/a	Jun 26 - Jul 26
Onions	n/a	n/a	Oct 9 - Oct 19
Parsley	Jun 26 - Aug 10	Aug 10 - Sep 24	n/a
Peas (English)	n/a	n/a	Aug 10 - Sep 9
Peas (Southern)	n/a	n/a	Jun 26 - Jul 26
Peas (Sugar Snap)	n/a	n/a	Aug 10 - Sep 9
Peppers	Jun 4 - Jun 19	Jul 16 - Jul 31	n/a
Potatoes	n/a	n/a	Aug 10 - Sep 9
Radishes	n/a	n/a	Sep 9 - Oct 9
Spinach	Jul 26 - Sep 9	Aug 25 - Oct 9	Aug 25 - Oct 9
Tomatoes	Jun 4 - Jun 19	Jul 16 - Jul 31	n/a
Turnips	n/a	n/a	Sep 24 - Oct 24
Watermelon	n/a	n/a	Jun 26 - Jul 26

A Way to Garden

CROP NAME	WEEKS INDOORS BEFORE TRANSPLANT	TRANSPLANT (OR SOW) DATE, RELATIVE TO FINAL FROST	SOW INDOORS FROM-TO	TRANSPLANT (OR SOW)
VEGETABLES
arugula	direct sow only	4 weeks before	-	12-Mar
beans (bush or pole)	direct sow only	at frost date	-	9-Apr
beets*	5 to 6	2 weeks before	12-Feb to 19-Feb	26-Mar
broccoli	4 to 6	2 weeks before	12-Feb to 26-Feb	26-Mar
cabbage	4 to 6	2 to 4 weeks before	29-Jan to 26-Feb	12-Mar to 26-Mar
carrot	direct sow only	2 to 3 weeks before	-	19-Mar to 26-Mar
cauliflower	4 to 6	2 weeks before	12-Feb to 26-Feb	26-Mar
chard*	4	2 weeks before	26-Feb	26-Mar
celery, celeriac	10 to 12	1 week after	22-Jan to 5-Feb	16-Apr
corn*	2 to 4	0 to 2 weeks after	12-Mar to 9-Apr	9-Apr to 23-Apr
cucumber*	3 to 4	1 to 2 weeks after	19-Mar to 2-Apr	16-Apr to 23-Apr
eggplant	6 to 8	2 weeks after	26-Feb to 12-Mar	23-Apr
kale*, collards*	4 to 6	2 to 4 weeks before	29-Jan to 26-Feb	12-Mar to 26-Mar
kohlrabi*	4 to 6	2 to 4 weeks before	29-Jan to 26-Feb	12-Mar to 26-Mar
leeks	8 to 10	2 weeks before	15-Jan to 29-Jan	26-Mar
lettuce*	4	2 to 4 weeks before	12-Feb to 26-Feb	12-Mar to 26-Mar
melons (muskmelons)*	3 to 4	1 to 2 weeks after	19-Mar to 2-Apr	16-Apr to 23-Apr
melons (watermelons)*	3 to 4	1 to 2 weeks after	19-Mar to 2-Apr	16-Apr to 23-Apr
mustard*	4	2 to 4 weeks before	12-Feb to 26-Feb	12-Mar to 26-Mar
onions	8 to 10	3 to 4 weeks before	1-Jan to 22-Jan	12-Mar to 19-Mar
pak choi	4	2 weeks before	26-Feb	26-Mar
parsnip	direct sow only	3 to 4 weeks before	-	12-Mar to 19-Mar
peas	direct sow only	6 weeks before	-	26-Feb
peppers	6 to 8	1 to 2 weeks after	19-Feb to 12-Mar	16-Apr to 23-Apr
radish	direct sow only	3 to 4 weeks before	-	12-Mar to 19-Mar
spinach	direct sow only	4 to 6 weeks before	-	26-Feb to 12-Mar
squash (summer)*	3 to 4	1 to 2 weeks after	19-Mar to 2-Apr	16-Apr to 23-Apr
squash (winter)*	3 to 4	1 to 2 weeks after	19-Mar to 2-Apr	16-Apr to 23-Apr
tomatoes	6 to 8	1 to 2 weeks after	19-Feb to 12-Mar	16-Apr to 23-Apr
turnip	direct sow only	2 to 3 weeks before	-	19-Mar to 26-Mar
HERBS
basil*	4 to 6	1 week after	5-Mar to 19-Mar	16-Apr
cilantro	direct sow only	0 to 3 weeks before	-	19-Mar to 9-Apr
dill	direct sow only	0 to 3 weeks before	-	19-Mar to 9-Apr
parsley	8 to 10	2 weeks before	15-Jan to 29-Jan	26-Mar
ANNUAL FLOWERS
calendula*	6	1 week before	19-Feb	2-Apr
cosmos*	6	at frost date	26-Feb	9-Apr
hyacinth bean*	4 to 6	0 to 1 weeks after	26-Feb to 19-Mar	9-Apr to 16-Apr
impatiens	8 to 10	1 week after	5-Feb to 19-Feb	16-Apr
marigold*	6	1 week after	5-Mar	16-Apr
morning glory, moonflower	4	2 weeks after	26-Mar	23-Apr
sunflower*	3 to 4	at frost date	12-Mar to 19-Mar	9-Apr
sweet peas	4 to 6	1 to 2 weeks before	12-Feb to 5-Mar	26-Mar to 2-Apr
viola, pansies	8 to 10	2 weeks before	15-Jan to 29-Jan	26-Mar
zinnia*	4	1 week after	19-Mar	16-Apr

UNM Extension says:

Weeks of indoor growth	Flower	Vegetable
16-17	lisianthus
14-15	geraniums, pansies/violas, wax begonias	leeks, onions
12-13	browallia, clarkia*, dusty miller, fountain grass, impatiens, larkspur, lobelia, nemesia*, stocks, torenia	celery
10-11	ageratum, coleus, dahlia, gazania, heliotrope, lavatera*, petunias, rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan), scabiosia, schizanthus, snapdragons, verbena, vinca/periwinkle	broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, head lettuce
9	bells of Ireland, candytuft, cleome, dianthus/pinks, hollyhock, marigold (African), melampodium, mimulus, nicotiana, nirembergia, ornamental pepper, annual phlox, salpiglosis, scarlet sage/salvia, statice, strawflower, sweet alyssum, tithomia, trachymene	peppers, eggplant
5-6	amaranthus, aster, baby's breath, bachelor buttons, balsam, calendula, celosia, cornflower,four o'clock, marigold (French and gem), morning glory, nasturtium, ornamental basil, ornamental kale, portulaca, strawflower	tomatoes
3-4	cosmos, sweet peas, thunbergia, zinnia
1-2	harden off

According to Gardner's Supply Company

When to start	What to start
11 weeks	heliotrope, candytuft, primula, leek, early greens (to be planted out in the cold frame or greenhouse beds), viola, snapdragon
10 weeks	delphinium, matricaria, onion, parsley, Greek oregano, impatiens, rudbeckia, early broccoli
9 weeks	pepper, coleus, shallot, eggplant, cherry tomato
8 weeks	tomato, alyssum, cleome, salvia horminum
7 weeks	ageratum, zinnia, more lettuce, radicchio
6 weeks	bachelor's buttons, agastache, aster, basil, marigold, sweet pea, calendula
5 weeks	sanvitalia, cabbage, convolvulus, nicotiana, lavatera, nigella, phlox, phacelia
4 weeks	morning glory, nasturtium, melon, cucumber, squash

 Atlantic Avenue Orchard and Garden in Raleigh NC for the following dates:

Seeds to Start for Early Spring Planting

Type	Seed Starting Dates
Beets	Feb. 15th – April 1st
Broccoli	Dec. 1st – Mar. 15th
Cabbage	Dec. 1st – Mar. 15th
Carrot	Feb. 1st – Mar. 1st
Cauliflower	Feb. 1st – Mar. 1st
Endive	Feb. 1st – Mar. 15th
Kale	Feb. 15th – April 1st
Kohlrabi	Feb. 15th – April 15th
Lettuces	Feb. 15th – April 1st
Mustards	Feb. 1st  – April 1st
Garden Peas	Feb. 1st – Mar. 1st
Radish	Feb. 1st  – April 15th
Rutabaga	Feb. 1st – April 1st
Spinach	Feb. 1st – Mar. 15th
Turnip	Feb. 1st – April 15th

Cucumbers	Mar. 22nd- April 15th
Eggplant	Mar. 1st- April 15th
Melons	Mar. 22nd- April 15th
Peppers	Mar. 1st- April 15th
Squash	Mar. 1st- April 15th
Tomatoes	Mar. 1st- April 15th

Seeds to Start for Fall Planting

Type	Seed Starting Dates
Beets	7/1-9/15
Broccoli	7/1-8/15
Brussles Sprouts	7/15-8/15
Cabbage	7/1-8/15
Collards	7/15-8/15
Cauliflower	7/1-8/15
Endive	8/15-9/15
Kale	8/15-9/15
Kohlrabi	8/1-9/15
Lettuces	8/15-9/15
Mustards	8/1-9/15
Radish	8/1-9/15
Rutabaga	8/1-8/15
Spinach	8/1-9/1
Turnip	8/1-9/15