When to Plants Seeds Indoors for Tomatoes & Peppers?

Tomatoes and peppers are both warm-weather vegetables. This means they cannot be planted outside when there is a risk of frost or else they will likely die. However, tomatoes and peppers both have a long growing season. Planting your seeds indoors is one way to get a head start.

Time Frame

• According to the University of Illinois, deciding when to plant seeds indoors depends on the vegetable. However, both tomatoes and peppers should be planted seven weeks before you plan to transfer them outside, or seven weeks before the estimated last frost.

Significance

• Planting seeds indoors allows for a higher level of germination because you are controlling the conditions so they are optimal for seed growth. Also, some special varieties of tomato and pepper seeds can be expensive.

Benefits

• According to the University of Illinois, vegetable plants grown indoors tend to mature more quickly than those grown directly from seed. For the best results, keep the indoor flats at 75 to 85 degrees F before you move them outside, says the University of Minnesota.