Best source of seed starting dates

[ARgardener]

OK, so I've been really surprised at how much the information varies among different planting calendar's.

What do you think is the best resource to use as a gardening calendar?
Location specific farmers almanac calendars?
Other publications?

Please give me your sources!

[ABlindHog]

Johnny's selected seeds has a good calculator on their web site. Your local department of agriculture should know a lot about your individual local growing conditions. Finally if you don't mind being a little more specific about your location (use your own judgement) you may find a nearby tomatovillian with lots of local experience.

[Gardeneer]

Seed starting and planting out can vary. While plant out date is somewhere after your Last Frost date, seed starting can vary by as much as 3 weeks.
Mos common practice is to start tomato seeds 6 weeks before you can actually plant them out, weather permitting. Some gardeners start as early as 8 weeks. Some may do it as late as 5 weeks.
If you start as early as 8 weeks, be prepare to re pot them twice, or pot them into a bigger pot the first time around. Now doing so you have to have adequate space under growing lights. For example a 4" pot would take as much space as 4 2" pot/cell.
Tomato seeding really take off after 3 weeks from sowing.
Another factor is some like bigger plants (10" -12") and some prefer smaller ones ( 6" - 8")
Those are some of the reasons that starting tomato seedling can vary. BUT I THINK 6 -7 WEEKS IS A GOOD NUMBER.

[ARgardener]

Well, my local university-tied resources seem to vary a lot. And it's often quite vague.
I looked at the Johnnys calendar, but it doesn't seem geared for direct sowing??

Also, I'm just south of the capitol of Arkansas- Zone 7b

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by ARgardener

Well, my local university-tied resources seem to vary a lot. And it's often quite vague.
I looked at the Johnnys calendar, but it doesn't seem geared for direct sowing??

Also, I'm just south of the capitol of Arkansas- Zone 7b

Direct sowing tomato seeds ? That is not a common practice. It is sometime referred to as "Winter Sowing". With this method you can sow as early as you like. And then the seeds and mother nature will take over and decide.

[ARgardener]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Direct sowing tomato seeds ? That is not a common practice. It is sometime referred to as "Winter Sowing". With this method you can sow as early as you like. And then the seeds and mother nature will take over and decide.

I'm not being specific to tomatoes. I don't direct sow them... I'm talking about all the classic direct sow crops

[carolyn137]

No, direct seeding outside is not common, the only place I knew that it is done is in southern CA on large commercial tomato farms,but after Googling it looks like in other places as well

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...s+outside+CA&*

When I was a kid back on the old farm, tomato plants that went out first were raised in our greenhouses, but then my father direct seeded tomato seeds outside for plants to go out last. He had a special hand held planter that had different discs according to seed size.

Carolyn

[Jimbotomateo]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

No, direct seeding outside is not common, the only place I knew that it is done is in southern CA on large commercial tomato farms,but after Googling it looks like in other places as well

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...s+outside+CA&*

When I was a kid back on the old farm, tomato plants that went out first were raised in our greenhouses, but then my father direct seeded tomato seeds outside for plants to go out last. He had a special hand held planter that had different discs according to seed size.

Carolyn

I sowed direct in 15 gal. Containers last year with success, but I don't know if that counts.

[ABlindHog]

Vegetables that are direct sown should be planted by soil temperature not by the calender. The proper temperature for each variety will be different, Provider beans require 59 degrees F Dixie Butterpea beans require about 82. I would point you back to Johnny's, choose a vegetable variety & open the page to it, scroll down to a rectangle titled Germination Guide it contains a temperature scale that will guide you.

[Gardeneer]

Other vegetable also can be sown at different time and let the mother nature take care of .
For example I planted parsley and chives early January and they germinated early February.
I could've done it in shorter time by germinating inside or in the cold frame.
Many vegetables have a temperature range to germinate. But then there is an optimum temperature at which they will germinate much much faster.