Those gardening in horticultural zones higher than 9 can ignore this advice, as the southernmost parts of the continental U.S., as well as Puerto Rico and Hawaii, are considered frost-free (there, it’s the heat of spring and summer that should be avoided.)

The rest of us will need to do some math. Seed packets typically advise that seeds be started a set number of weeks before the last frost. After calculating your start date, which will be unique for each seed type, it’s important to respect it. Start too soon, and plants likely will grow weak and struggle to thrive; start too late, and your harvest will be delayed, sometimes even inhibited from reaching its full potential.

While you’re waiting, obtain and prepare appropriate containers, which include multi-cell plug trays, individual biodegradable pots and recycled plastic yogurt containers. Each should have a drainage hole poked in its bottom. If planning to reuse last year’s vessels, be sure to disinfect them with a solution made by combining 9 parts water with 1 part chlorine bleach and rinse.

Fill each container or compartment with a sterile, moist, soilless seed-starting mix and, depending on seed size, sow one to four seeds per cell.

Place containers on a low-rimmed tray to which you’ve added no more than an inch of water, and monitor the soil’s moisture as it absorbs water through drainage holes. Replenish water as needed to keep the soil from drying out or becoming soggy. Bottom watering in this manner avoids accidentally washing away seeds, and reduces the occurrence of fungal diseases.

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Originally Appeared Here