Q+A: Seeds Indoors

SUSAN AND CLIFF ASKED: We want to get lights for growing tomatoes and other veggies from seeds. Which are the best veggies to grow from seed, and when should we start planting them?

Response: The best veggies to start indoors? I think the most rewarding are those crops that are difficult to find at the store.

Common crops that are easy to find as ready-grown transplants: It can still be worthwhile growing your own from seed. Grow varieties you won’t find at the store. Don’t limit yourself to red and round tomatoes: go for a variety with a unique shape or colour or taste.
Less common crops that are difficult to find as transplants: It can be difficult to find transplants for crops such as okra—and for even more unusual fare, such as the Mexican gherkins I grew last year.

You can also start transplants for crops such as leeks and celery, though in my opinion, the difference between varieties is often less obvious than with tomatoes. I grow these because I like the satisfaction of knowing I started the plants from seed.

Here are a few crops I start 10 weeks before the last spring frost:

celery
eggplant
leeks
pepper

Steven Biggs
Gardener, Garden Writer, Garden Coach, Horticulturist

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