Freighter View Farms | Chris Izworski

A question I get from gardeners in the Great Lakes region more than any other: when exactly should I start my tomatoes indoors? The answer depends on your last frost date, your variety’s days to maturity, and how much hardening-off time you want to build in. I wrote out the full logic in a Zone 6a Michigan planting schedule that covers 40+ crops from alliums to zucchini — when to start indoors, when to direct sow, and when to transplant out.

The short answer for Bay City and the Thumb: tomato seeds go under lights around March 10–15. Peppers, which are slower, need to be in by late February — which means right now, if you have not already. The interactive planting calendar will do the math for you based on your specific zone.

For anyone new to saving seeds from the plants you start: the beginner’s guide to seed saving walks through isolation distances, fermentation for tomatoes, and dry processing for beans and flowers. It is what I wish I had had in my first seed-saving season here on the bay.

The onion trays went in last week. Leeks the week before. The rhythm of the heat mat is one of the better things about February.

More from Chris Izworski:
Izworski Blog ·
GitHub Pages ·
Save Our Shoreline ·
About.me