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Centennial Colorado

Hi all,
I am wondering when I should start my early seeds. I will be stagger planting for a few weeks, but am wondering when my first seeds should be started? This year I started my serious seeds March 27th and am wondering if there would be a potential benefit to starting March 20th.
Thanks,
Leif

12/27/2020 2:37:13 PM

North Of The Border

I don't know your climate zone, but I am a zone 5. I started my seeds March 14th, and by April 14th they were rootbound, so I had to take the chance and put them out 2 weeks before what is recommended for my area.
If you a re going to start really early have a backup plan. Start a second batch of seeds around april 1st, to 15th, and make sure you can plant those if needed.
Starting early can have advantages, but backups save seasons.

12/27/2020 3:06:39 PM

Thomas wv

Just remember if your soil temp is not up to temp plant will stall out unless you can keep the temperature up no reason to risk it i believe if you have a plant that stays on a growth curve will be a better plant in long term remember roots have a shelf life so every day a plant dont grow your still loosing shelf life pleas correct me if im wrong anyone more advanced

12/27/2020 3:21:25 PM

Thomas wv

My opinion if i was to start plants to early and i had a stretch of days that where just to cold to keep my soil temp up. Say 10 days that temp was to low that plant is 10 days behind now i had a plant that i kept up to temp for thoes extra 10 days i believe that root zone would feed a extra 10 days to fruit and plant now the 1 10 days behind roots have exhausted out 10 days early. I could be wrong hope someone chimes in that has better knowledge

12/27/2020 3:28:15 PM

North Of The Border

Forgot to mention, but thought it was pretty obvious, late frosts are real mean to young plants.

12/27/2020 3:31:09 PM

Eugene,OR

If you have a really big hot-house you can get away with starting earlier. The bigger your hot-house is, the larger an area will heat up, and the warmer your hot-house will stay overnight. I usually plant back-to-back (so I have a double hot-house. The plastic I use comes in 20’x100’ rolls & will last about 10 weeks in the sun before it starts to fall apart from the UV & wind. I make 3 hot houses from rack 100’ roll. If I put it up a week before I want to put my plants in it. In the 9 weeks the plant is in it they are outgrowing the hot-house just as it starts falling apart.

12/27/2020 3:39:27 PM

Centennial Colorado

Just so you know I have heating cables and a 10' by 10' greenhouse with a mini green house inside. It has withstood 1 foot of snow and 80 mph winds. I also have 300 watts of ceramic bulbs in each greenhouse. What I want to do is optimize sunlight. I grow in a north facing patch, so sunlight matters. If you think about it the longest day of the year is June 20th, which means the most sunlight. In a normal year my plant is only 1/4-1/2 filled in. What if it could get maximum light and be more filled in?

12/27/2020 3:46:49 PM

Rapid City, SD

to many start to early these days

12/27/2020 4:51:00 PM

Cincinnati,OH

For what It's worth I was recently pondering why over lo these many years I have only gone 4 digits twice. On those 2 years it was unusually warm so I started a couple weeks earlier.
And that is the only difference I found. So is it worth all the extra effort if mother nature isn't cooperating ? I guess you have to ask yourself " how bad do I want it?"

12/27/2020 6:40:19 PM

Syracuse, NY

I am in Zone 5 as well, always have started my seeds April 25th and this past year, April 21st or so. With older seeds I have had forever and backup ones of my own sprouting just fine, I STILL didn't get them out in the patch for real until Memorial Day due to fear of tractor-stuckage if soil soft while-tillage, lol---so, Monday, May 25th in CNY---I have read that the soil biology doesn't kick in until the mid-70s and up, so, I don't recall ever checking to see what mine was, lol, since i stopped trying to beat the EARLY clock many years ago. *Plants KNOW what time of year it is and grow and orient to adjust;* Biggest leaves I've ever had were on my 301.5 from '05 and were in partial shade this year, case in-point;

https://weatherspark.com/y/17160/Average-Weather-in-Bristol-Tennessee-United-States-Year-Round

type in YOUR city name @ top right and you'll maybe hafta SELECT the one for you;

a lotta nice graphs and charts to make it easy to say 'You Are Here!' - just not loudly. in summation, don't start too early and get a red light - Pretty sure Eddy Z had said to get the plant as fully-grown as possible by pollination time and (end quote) that is WHY the regimen used to be high-Nitrogen ferts and then high-Phosphorous ferts and then a balanced fert and then high-Potassium ferts to end it all.
ok, auction time! later---eric g

12/27/2020 7:18:13 PM

Syracuse, NY

So, I guess looking at a weather PREDICTION website and acting accordingly just before one's usual starting dates, weather (lol) to be sooner or later, and acting accordingly - play it by (can't help it) ...year. eg

12/27/2020 7:30:33 PM

Syracuse, NY

Thanks, Ron. eg

12/27/2020 7:31:42 PM

Muddy Waters

You can start to early.I think you need to watch the 30 day forecast each season & decide.Will it be a warm spring or a cold one? In Michigan if May is cold cloudy & wet?.You better have some really good lights & soil cables to get a plant kick started.If you have the equipment you can start whenever you like.

12/27/2020 8:13:01 PM

Muddy Waters

Thanks for the seeds Leif Nice GROW!I will share them with growers

12/27/2020 8:13:47 PM

Pittsburgh, PA

I also believe plant space has something to do with when you start. For a smaller plant I think starting a little later can have some benefits. My small spot plant fruit are usually done growing a month before weighoffs because I just can’t keep the plant healthy for that long when they’re small and have limited growth.

12/27/2020 9:46:04 PM

Deer Park WA

Hey Lief, like most folks said it depends on your local weather, ability to warm the soil above 50 degrees, and when is your targeted weighoff date. All your soil buddies are directly effected by temperature if its too cold everything in the soil heiarchy goes dormant proportinate to temperature.

Great post,

Gerry

12/28/2020 1:47:43 AM

South Dakota

I start my AG seeds on my wifes b-day on April 14 and try to get them out into the cloche with heat lamps and soil heat cables about 10 days after emergence. I preheat everything so I have soil temps in the 60's before putting them out. I try to keep the night temps in the cloche above 65.

12/28/2020 8:03:53 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

I started April 1 this year and broke my PB with 2 pumpkins both by over 200 pounds and also a third that was bigger than any pumpkin I grew I a long time. We have a warmer weather climate than our New England friends and for us it’s all about getting out ahead of the disease that hits from mid August on. Starting early lets us get the biggest weights put on before all he’ll Berks loose. Plus maximum day length and maximum sun angle.

12/28/2020 7:09:20 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

...All hell breaks loose...

12/28/2020 7:10:57 PM

Grittyville, WA

I dont think there is anything wrong with starting early. It doesnt guarantee a large pumpkin but some of the largest ones grown have been on the vine for 100+ days. I've had them healthy on the vine 140 days. Maybe part of getting the max potential is giving them a good size window to grow. How to give your plant the best window will be different for everyone.

12/28/2020 9:24:34 PM

Grittyville, WA

It depends when your weigh off is. I doubt it's necessary to start quite that early. For a late weigh off April should be ok.

12/28/2020 9:28:28 PM

Colorado

I started my first season in mid march.That was 1997 with a 8 x 8 cloche and soil heating cables.Now early april with 4 x 5 cloche.

12/29/2020 2:10:46 PM

Centennial Colorado

I got lucky last year with weather. Thanks for all of the help. Looks like late March and early April for me.

12/29/2020 5:06:19 PM

Muddy Waters

April 10th is the earliest I ever started my seeds

12/29/2020 6:56:50 PM