Did I start too early?

[flyboy718]

I started indoors (6) of each last week: Tomato (Marglobe), Tomato (Beefsteak), cauliflower, brocolii, bell pepper and lettuce. I live in zone 8a, north Louisiana. What is the best time to start each type indoors?

 

[wsmoak]

Johnny's has a nice calendar that tells you when to start seeds. Enter your last frost date and it will recalculate all the dates for you. (Let us know if you need help finding that date.)

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/e-PDGSeedStart.aspx

You're probably a little early on the tomatoes and peppers, but as mild as this winter has been, you may get away with it!

-Wendy

 

[Ridgerunner]

That's kind of hard for me to say. I once lived in the New Orleans suburbs, but that climate is a different than yours. The south side of Lake Pontchartrain is about 5 degrees warmer in the winter and 5 degrees cooler in the summer than the north shore and you are a long way from the north shore. And I'm quite a bit bit further north than you now. I'll give an opinion, but take it for what little it is worth. I'm not in your area or zone.

I'd think the pepper and tomatoes are probably about right. I don't think they are at all early. If anything, you might want to start them a bit earlier next year. Keep records of when you started and see if you need to adjust.

Cauliflower and broccoli are cool weather plants. I have never started them from seeds, I just buy the started plant, but you may find you are a bit late for them. But I don't know. Maybe not. I don't know how fast they grow. I certainly don't think you are too early.

I start lettuce directly outside. It is another cool weather plant. With your climate you might benefit from starting it early in the house and getting it outside as soon as you can, after the danger of frost is passed. I just don't have a good feel for starting lettuce inside. I'm not even going to guess on it.

 

[flyboy718]

Thanks guys! I did the link to Johnny's and that is pretty neat, I used 3/30/12 as my last frost date. It's all trial and error in the end I guess, because you are dealing with something that is not set in stone and doesn't happen the same way every year...so it is fun.

 

[vfem]

I rather start to early then to start too late, and I think you did good as I started mine the second week of Feb last year in zone 7b... and I was actually too late!

 

[Southern Gardener]

I started indoors (6) of each last week: Tomato (Marglobe), Tomato (Beefsteak), cauliflower, brocolii, bell pepper and lettuce. I live in zone 8a, north Louisiana. What is the best time to start each type indoors?

I also live iin North Louisiana. The tomato and peppers are fine. I started mine today and will plant the first week of April. I don't plant cool weather plants in the spring because it warms up very fast and IMO you have a better chance for broccoli and other cool weather plants in the fall. I still have broccoli growing in the garden now.

Here is a link you may find helpful http://www.lsuagcenter.com/

Good luck!

 

[flyboy718]

I started indoors (6) of each last week: Tomato (Marglobe), Tomato (Beefsteak), cauliflower, brocolii, bell pepper and lettuce. I live in zone 8a, north Louisiana. What is the best time to start each type indoors?

I also live iin North Louisiana. The tomato and peppers are fine. I started mine today and will plant the first week of April. I don't plant cool weather plants in the spring because it warms up very fast and IMO you have a better chance for broccoli and other cool weather plants in the fall. I still have broccoli growing in the garden now.

Here is a link you may find helpful http://www.lsuagcenter.com/

Good luck!

Thanks! I have the lsu ag center pdf and look at it pretty often. I plan on planting most everything I usually plant on 4/1/12. I may have to scrap the brocolii and cauliflower till this fall then, it's my first time growing those and I don't know much about them, other than I like to eat 'em.