Is It Possible To Start Seeds Indoors Too Early? What To Know

When the days start to get longer and the first green begins to pop up in gardens and parks, spring gardening excitement may kick in. You may spend mornings planning what you will plant in your yard this year, afternoons wandering around your garden envisioning it full of color and life, and late nights ordering seed packets of the coolest, most unique veggies and flowers you can grow. Cucamelons anyone?! But you may need to hold your horses and avoid starting seeds indoors before the timing is right. It is possible to sow seeds too early indoors and produce weak, low-quality seedlings. 

When starting plants from seed indoors, you need to look at when the seedlings can be safely transplanted outside and plan accordingly. Many plants need the threat of frost to have passed before going to their outdoor spots. After looking up the average last winter frost date in your region, you can refer to the seed packet for how far in advance to start the seeds indoors.

If you start seeds too early, you may find yourself with a bunch of seedlings ready to go outside — before the outside has the right environment for them. This means that you will need to keep them indoors for longer, which often makes them grow lanky and spindly, as the location is just not right for them at this stage of plant development. However, the effects of starting seeds too early are not just limited to what they look like as seedlings. Once you transplant the seedlings into your outdoor garden, these plants may produce lower-quality crops and flowers.

If you have transplants ready to go out but the weather and temperature outdoors are not right for them, there are a few things you can do to attempt to rescue them. However, you should first think about starting new seeds at the correct time as a backup. The plants you will get from your early starters just may not be strong enough to produce good crops or flowers, and you don't want to be disappointed this growing season! 

To keep your current seedlings happy, you will need to repot them when they outgrow their initial containers. Keeping them in small starter pots and trays can stunt their growth and cause more damage. You may also need to provide them with fertilizer if they are staying indoors for longer than expected, so research the plants you have and what feed suits them. Keeping an eye out for yellowing leaves and other signs of a nutrient deficiency can also help guide you when it comes to fertilizer. 

Have a think about light and airflow, too. Seedlings are prone to legginess in low light conditions, so installing grow lights above them can help them stay stocky and healthy as they wait to go outdoors. When seedlings become more established, airflow becomes more important, so you could also place a fan near your seedlings to ensure they become stronger as they get bigger. This also prevents leggy growth. By making these changes, you may just save your seedlings from demise and enjoy their produce this summer.