22 Vegetable Seeds to Direct Sow in Spring

Prepare your garden beds and start sowing ahead of the last frost in spring by choosing from a variety of cold-tolerant vegetable seeds. Follow these tips to ensure a successful early start to your spring garden.

For more tips on other spring planting, also see Spring Gardening: Is It Safe To Plant Outdoors Yet?

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Direct Sowing Seeds In Spring

While cold-sensitive, slow-growing seeds like tomatoes or peppers benefit from indoor sowing at home or in a heated greenhouse in early spring, there are plenty of seeds we can sow directly outdoors in the weeks leading up to our anticipated last frost date.

Follow these tips to know what to sow in the weeks before the summer growing season begins.

Contents

• Getting Started
• Tips For Success
• Seed List & Sowing Schedule
• Resources

Getting Started

What is direct sowing?

To direct sow or direct seed means to sow the seed directly outdoors in soil or a container where the plant will live out its days. This is different from indoor sowing where we sow and grow the plants in our homes or greenhouses until it is time to transplant them outdoors.

Direct sowing is not suitable for everything we may want to grow but, for many of us in cold climates (e.g. hardiness zones 4 to 8), there are quite a number of plants, specifically cold-tolerant vegetable crops and some hardy flowering plants, which do nicely when sown outdoors in the weeks before last frost.

I’ve listed lots of possibilities in the Seed List & Sowing Schedule section.

When To Direct Sow

The sowing schedule below gives a basic overview of what can be sown when.

The best timing for direct sowing depends entirely on what you are sowing. Always check your seed packet for specific recommendations.

If the seed packet suggests a range of possible sowing times—ahead of and after last frost—always go with whatever allows enough time for the plant to reach maturity (noted as days to maturity on the packet) unless it’s a crop like leaf lettuces that can be eaten any time.

It is also important to note that average last frost dates are just that—averages. In any given year, your last frost may be days or weeks ahead of or after the official date for your area. This article on knowing when it’s safe to plant in spring explains why frost date alone is not enough to go by.

Tips For Success

Before you do anything, read your seed packet in case you need lead time for the soil or seed preparations prior to sowing.

1Soil Preparation

Ideal Time: Fall before spring sowing

Second Best: Whenever you can

Often we find ourselves with the seed packet in hand eager to sow in spring but the actual garden bed is not ready.

Do your future self a favor and always prep your vegetable beds in fall, including enriching the soil with compost, so they are ready to sow in spring when the soil is workable (you can get a shovel in). There’s also the option to grow winter cover crops to protect and improve the soil.

If you’re growing in containers, you can sow right away using organic potting mix made for food crops.

Both containers and in-ground beds need to be level with adequate drainage. This shows how to test whether your soil is well-draining.

TIP: If there is room, use a wide, long board to stand on while working in the garden. This will distribute your weight over a larger area to avoid crushing emerging plants or compacting the soil.

2Seed Preparation

Timing: Depends on type of seed—preparation may be days, weeks, or months prior to sowing—if required at all.

Check your seed packet for instructions.

Some seed preparations are quick and can be done a day ahead, others may take weeks or months. Some seeds need a combination of things.

Here are a few examples.

Germination Test

• If you’re unsure whether the seeds are viable and don’t want to risk disappointment, use these instructions to do a germination test first.

Presoaking

Some seeds sprout more readily if moistened prior to sowing to soften the seed coat.

• Sweet peas germinate best when presoaked (placed between moist paper towel) for a day prior to sowing.

Scarification

One way to scarify is to nick or remove some of the seed coat which allows water and oxygen to reach the embryo inside. This explains scarification methods.

• Tough-coated seeds like nasturtium and lupine may benefit from scarification. I do this by gently rubbing the seeds with sandpaper.

Stratification

To stratify, we expose seeds to cold and moisture to mimic winter conditions the plant has evolved with.

• Seeds like milkweed and delphiniums are good candidates for cold stratification. You can do this using your fridge or freezer. This describes the stratification method I use.
• This has more tips on ways to cold-moist stratify seeds.

3Right Time To Sow

The right time to sow depends on:

• When the seed packet says to sow (in relation to last frost).
• The weather (don’t sow during extreme weather events).
• The soil is workable (not frozen).
• Bonus: soil temperature is consistently within the desired range. Each crop has a sweet spot for germination. This temperature (or range) may be listed on the seed packet. Use a thermometer several times a day at sowing depth for several days to get a measure.
  
  If the soil temperature is a bit low, seeds (if moist) will sprout when it warms up.

Digital thermometer with probe | Amazon

Also see:

• Optimum soil temperatures for sowing vegetables seeds
• Optimum soil temperatures for sowing flower seeds

4 Sowing Depth & Seed Spacing

Follow seed packet instructions for best sowing depth and spacing for those particular seeds.

If you prefer to broadcast seeds, be prepared to thin out the seedlings later.

TIP: Water the soil first, then sow. Cover seeds with soil as instructed and water (gently) again. Sowing in moist soil helps keep seeds where you want them.

You can also make seed tapes for tiny seeds like carrots.

Mark your sowing area with plant tags or markers and note what you did (when, where, how much) in your garden notes or journal.

See more:

• 25 Creative DIY Plant Markers & Tags
• Outdoor Plant Tags & Markers That Last a Lifetime

5Care & Monitoring

If you’re sowing before or around your average last frost date, be on alert.

Your seeds and seedlings may need protection from animals, temperature swings, wild weather, and frosts.

Protect From Animals & Cold Temperatures

There are all sorts of ways to shelter or protect seeds and young plants either temporarily or ongoing.

Some use season extenders like cold frames, mini poly tunnels, or hoop houses.

I like wire mesh cloches (really a dollar store waste basket) like these ones to stop birds and mice.

If the forecast is cold or frosty, I use frost cloths (floating row covers) and/or mulch like straw to keep everything warm and snug.

For raised beds, I use these homemade squirrel screens. They keep animals from the seeds and seedlings, and the whole thing can be covered with a blanket on cold nights.

Water As Needed

Germinating seeds must never dry out. Once germination is underway, you want consistent exposure to moisture without waterlogging the seed.

Depending on the weather, you may or may not need to water your seedlings.

As the plants grow, you’ll want to thin out the seedlings (if you sowed thickly), weed (remove unwanted competing plants), and feed the soil—but only if needed.

Seed List & Sowing Schedule

Recommended sowing times vary not only by species but by variety, so consider this list a general guideline only.

I’ve mostly listed vegetable seeds but there are many flowers to sow at this time of year as well.

As always, check your seed packets for specific recommendations.

Planting Dates in Relation to Average Last Frost

Average Last Frost Date	12 Weeks Before	8 Weeks Before	6 Weeks Before	3 Weeks After
March 15	Dec. 21	Jan. 18	Feb. 1	April 5
March 30	Jan. 5	Feb. 2	Feb. 16	April 20
April 15	Jan. 21	Feb. 18	Mar. 4	May 6
April 30	Feb. 5	Mar. 5	Mar. 19	May 21
May 15	Feb. 20	Mar. 20	Apr. 3	June 5
May 30	Mar. 7	April 4	April 18	June 20
June 15	Mar. 23	April 20	May 4	July 6
June 30	April 7	May 5	May 19	July 21

6-8 Weeks Before Last Frost (When Soil is Workable)

Shop here: frost-tolerant vegetable seeds | Botanical Interests (US Shipping)

Have frost cloths handy in case temperatures dip below 30°F (-1°C).

4 Weeks Before Last Frost

Shop here: frost-tolerant vegetable seeds | Botanical Interests (US Shipping)

Most of these ones like the soil temperature 50°F (10°C) or a bit warmer.

2 Weeks Before Last Frost

Shop here: frost-tolerant vegetable seeds | Botanical Interests (US Shipping)

• Beets
• Green beans
• Pumpkin
• Watermelon

After Risk of Frost Has Passed

Check your seed packets for specific sowing instructions.

At this point you want to be sure you have adequate time to grow the plant and that conditions will not be too warm for those that need cooler conditions.

Are you in Canada? West Coast Seeds is a Canadian seed shop.

Resources

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~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛