Seeds That Must Be Started Indoors Before February 1st

Indoor seed-starting is one of the secrets to growing a dream garden in North Texas. Not only does starting your own seeds save you a ton of money, but it also allows you to grow unique varieties you can’t find in nurseries. Plus, starting seeds indoors means you’ll have transplants ready for planting at the perfect time, which is critical here in North Texas.

Take advantage of all these benefits and more by getting certain seeds started before February 1st. If you wait, you’ll miss the ideal planting window.

Why planting at the right time is so important

In our challenging climate, planting at the right time makes all the difference. It’s so important, in fact, that I created the North Texas Garden Planner to keep you on track, 365 days a year.

When gardeners in North Texas follow timing advice from generic gardening sites, they end up planting too late. Plants don’t have enough time to grow and produce before triple-digit heat sets in. That’s why you barely get any tomatoes if you wait until May to plant them.

The benefits of starting early

There are many important benefits to starting your seeds indoors during the winter months when you are a gardener in North Texas.

Robust plants ready at planting time

Spring and fall are the best seasons for growing vegetables and cut flowers in North Texas. By starting seeds indoors in January and February, you’ll have large, healthy seedlings ready to plant out at the perfect time. This gives plants plenty of time to grow and produce as expected.

Cool season crops need to be planted earlier

Vegetables that thrive in cooler temperatures like lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale need to be planted between February 1 and March 15. That way, they grow in the ideal conditions of early spring. To have transplants ready for planting during this window, seeds must be started indoors between January 1 and February 1.

Some plants need more time to grow

Most perennials take a longer time to grow from seed into viable transplants than annual plants. Echinacea, milkweed, gaillardia, and veronica are examples of perennials that should be started as soon as possible in January. This ensures robust transplants are ready for planting in late March and early April, the ideal spring planting window for perennials in North Texas.

Plants that need to be started indoors before February 1st

To help you fill you dream garden with beautiful, healthy plants, here are the plants that you absolutely must start by seed indoors before the end of January.

1. Tomatoes
   Tomatoes are extremely sensitive to high heat. Once daytime temperatures rise above 95 degrees, tomato pollen loses viability and fruiting stops.
   
2. Perennials
   As mentioned, perennials are very slow-growing seedlings. In order to have healthy transplants ready by late March, perennials that can be started by seed (not all can) should be started as early as possible.
   
3. Brassicas like cauliflower, broccoli, kale and cabbage
   These vegetables grow best in the cool conditions of early spring. In order to have tranplants ready for planting in February, seeds must be started indoors before the end of January.
   
4. Lettuce
   Lettuce can be direct-sown into the garden in February and early March, but it’s better to start lettuce transplants indoors for faster germination.
   
5. Hardy Greens
   Greens like escarole, collards, mustard, and mizuna can be grown and harvested in North Texas from October through March. If you didn’t start them in the fall, start before the end of January for a February planting.
   
6. Scallions and Chives
   Essential ingredients for any home cook, scallions and chives grow best between October and May here in North Texas. Establishing them early ensures a long harvest.
   
7. Cool-Season Herbs
   Despite being available year-round at the grocery, herbs such as cilantro, dill, parsley, chervil, and fennel can only be grown here during the coolest months of the year. Starting early maximizes the harvest window.

Want to start seeds indoors but don’t know where to begin?

Indoor seed-starting is so important in North Texas that I have developed one of the best indoor seed-starting courses in the entire country. I teach it live online several times throughout the year, and it is available to stream on-demand any time of the year for enrolled students.

To get you started, we’ve created a seed-starting supplies checklist. Having the right supplies on-hand is essential for successful indoor seed-starting.