Pacific Northwest Gardening: Help with when to start seeds for Willamette Valley area, 0 by kosk0025

kosk0025 wrote:
I ignore the frost date things with flowers: both perennials and annuals. After all, when you buy those nice big coneflowers in the nursery in 3 and 1/2 inch pots, they certainly were not started "6-8 weeks before last frost date". I follow the rules, however, for vegetables, tomatoes. The sooner you start the perennials, especially, the better chance that they will bloom for you the first summer. I always start my seeds in seedling mix. Once 3-4 true leaves form, I move them into 3 and 1/2 inch square pots with potting soil. As long as you keep them indoors with good light and water, you can use your house as a green house.

Of your above list, I direct sow Zinnias and morning glory and sunflowers in June.

Poppies are a whole different category---depends on type. Some can be started indoors. Others would do better direct seeded outside now, when the weather is cold, actually.

Love in a mist I've never grown.

Start marigolds indoors in April.

The remainder of your list can/should be started now, provided you don't put them outside until after the frost date and you transplant them into potting soil when they develop those leaves so that they can continue to grow.

Included is a pic of my set up. I also use heat mats until they sprout, when I then move them under lights. I am getting a second cart, b/c I am out of space and only 10% finished.

I tend to prefer to start things indoors---you get results. When you sprinkle outside---sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. (except for those I listed above---those always work)