Annual Seed Start Dates

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Note: The dates listed on the chart for recommended transplant out dates are just a guideline. The Spring here can sometimes throw a curveball your way. Make sure to check the weather and ensure the varieties you are growing can handle excessively cold conditions.

Most plants started indoors need hardening off, even hardy ones. They are used to the controlled conditions indoors and need to be acclimatized to the conditions outdoors.

Hardening Off:

As the weather gets nicer start putting the plants outside during the day and bringing them in at night.
After about 2 weeks the plants should be hardened off, start this process about 2 weeks before the plant out times, weather permitting of course.
Some young plants are tender to frost and near frost conditions and need to be brought in at night, sometimes this weather will last into June.

Common Name	Botanical Name	Indoor Start Date	Germination Time	Transplant Outside
African Daisy	Dimorphotheca sinuata	mid May	3-4 weeks	early June
Ageratum	Ageratum houstonianum	late February	1-2 weeks	early June
Allysum	Lobularia maritima	mid-late March	1 week	mid-late May
Amaranthus	Amaranthus	late February	1-2 weeks	after last frost
Angel's Trumpet	Datura metal	mid March	3-8 weeks	mid May
Aster	Callistephus	early March	1-2 weeks	early June
Baby Blue Eyes	Nemophila menziesii	early May	1-2 weeks	mid May
Baby's Breath	Gypsophila elegans	early May	1-2 weeks	mid May
Bachelor's Button	Centaurea cyanus	early May	1-2 weeks	mid May
Begonia	Begonia	mid January	3-5 weeks	after last frost
Black Eyed Susan Vine	Thunbergia alata	early February	2 weeks	after last frost
Blanket Flower	Gaillardia	early March	2-3 weeks	early June
Brachyscome	Brachyscome	mid-late March	2-3 weeks	mid June
Butterfly Flower	Schizanthus pinnatus	early March	2-3 weeks	early June
Canterbury Bells	Campanula	outside mid-late May	2 weeks	seed outside
Calendula	Calendula officinalis	mid-late March	1-2 weeks	mid May
California Poppy	Eschscholzia californica	outside early May or inside mid April	1-3 weeks	seed outside or mid-late May
Candytuft	Iberis umbellata	early April	1-2 weeks	mid May
Canary Bird Vine	Tropaeolum peregrinum	early May	1-2 weeks	early June
Carnation	Dianthus	early-mid March	1-2 weeks	late May-early June
Celosia	Celosia crista	mid March	1-2 weeks	late May
Chinese Lantern	Abutilon	mid February	3-4 weeks	late May
Clarkia	Clarkia unguiulata	outside mid May	1-2 weeks	seed outside
Coleus	Coleus	mid March	1-2 weeks	early June
Columbine	Aquilegia	early March	3-4 weeks	after last frost
Cosmos	Cosmos bipinnatus	mid April	1-2 weeks	early June
Dahlia	Dahlia	mid March	1-2 weeks	late May
Dusty Miller	Centaurea cineraria	mid-late March	1-2 weeks	early June
Common Name	Botanical Name	Indoor Start Date	Germination Time	Transplant Outside
Evening Scented Stock	Matthiola longipetala	early-mid April	1-2 weeks	early June
Four O'Clock	Mirabilis jalapa	early-mid April	1-2 weeks	early June
Foxglove	Digitalis purpurea	early March	1-2 weeks	early June
Fushia	Fushia	early February	2-3 weeks	mid June
Gazania	Gazania	mid February	2-3 weeks	after last frost
Geranium	Pelargonium x hortorum	early February	2-3 weeks	early June
Globe Amaranth	Gomphrena	early-mid April	2-3 weeks	early June
Godetia	Clarkia amoena	early-mid April	1-2 weeks	mid May
Gourd	Lagenaria	early April	1 week	late May-early June
Heliotrope	Heliotropium arborescens	early-mid February	1-2 weeks	mid June
Hollyhock	Alcea rosea	early May	2-3 weeks	late May-early June
Impatiens	Impatiens wallerana	early-mid March	2-3 weeks	early June
Kenilworth Ivy	Cymbalaria muralis	early-mid April	1-2 weeks	early June
Lavatera	Lavatera trimestris	early-mid April	2-3 weeks	mid May
Livingstone Daisy	Mesembryanthemum	mid March	2-3 weeks	early June
Lobelia	Lobelia erinus	mid February	2-3 weeks	early June
Marigold	Tagetes	early-mid April	1 week	mid May
Morning Glory	Ipomoea	mid-late April	1-2 weeks	early June
Nasturium	Tropaeolum majus	mid April	1-2 weeks	mid May
Nemesia	Nemesia	mid March	1-2 weeks	mid June
Nicotiana	Nicotiana alata	mid March-early April	2-3 weeks	early June
Ornamental Kale	Brassica oleracea acephala	mid Jan-mid March	1-2 weeks	mid May
Common Name	Botanical Name	Indoor Start Date	Germination Time	Transplant Outside
Pansy	Viola x wittrockiana	mid-early March	2-3 weeks	mid May
Petunia	Petunia	mid March	1-2 weeks	early June
Phlox (annual)	Phlox drummondii	mid-late April	1-2 weeks	early June
Poppy	Papaver somniferum	mid March-early April	1 week	early June
Portulaca	Portulaca grandiflora	mid March	1-2 weeks	early June
Potato Vine	Solanum jasminoides	early May	1 week	early June
Salpiglossis	Salpiglossis sinuata	mid March	2-3 weeks	mid June
Salvia	Salvia splendens	early March	1-2 weeks	early June
Scabiosa	Scabiosa	mid March	1-2 weeks	mid May
Shasta Daisy	Leucanthemum x superbum	early-mid March	2-3 weeks	early June
Snapdragon	Antirrhinum majus	mid February-early March	1-2 weeks	mid May
Statice	Limonium sinuatum	mid-late March	2-3 weeks	early June
Stock		early March	1-2 weeks	mid June
Strawflower	Helichrysum bractaetum	early-mid March	1-2 weeks	early June
Sunflower	Helianthus annuus	mid-late April	1-2 weeks	early June
Swan River Daisy	Brachyscome iberidifolia	mid-late April	2-3 weeks	early June
Sweet pea	Lathyrus odoratus	mid-late April	2-3 weeks	mid May
Verbena	Verbena	mid-late February	2-3 weeks	early June
Viola	Viola	mid-late March	1-2 weeks	mid May
Zinnia	Zinnia elegans	early May	1-2 weeks	mid May

Remember this is just a guidline, seeds may take longer to germinate or grow and this can vary based on what kind of conditions each seed is grown in. See us in store and we will do our best to answer all of your questions.

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Annual Seed Start Dates

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