When to start tomato seed in colder climates?
 

Asking for a good friend in Nuremberg Germany who is trying to start pepper and tomato seeds for the first time. Should she wait until March to start germinating? Any advice is appreciated :D

From what I could find, the last frost date for Nuremberg is between April 30 and May 10. That is much like our USA zone 5B. I assume she is starting seeds indoors for planting outside?

Seed starting the first of March should be ready about May 1 for 8 week old seedlings. Right now would be a good time for peppers for 10 week seedlings. My peppers get started about two weeks before tomatoes just because they seem to take longer. I prefer tomatoes to be ten weeks old at plant-out time, so mine will be started this week.

Two months before plant-out date, which is when you can be sure there's no more frost. Transplant young seedlings from small cells to larger pots one month before plant-out. Don't forget hardening off.

Steve

Yes she is starting seeds indoors for planting outside. Will let her know to get them started now

I garden in a very cool climate (3a) and I do it without a greenhouse. I sow my tomato seeds indoors 8 weeks before my plant out date, and peppers 12 weeks before. If I don't go that early with peppers then I find I don't get any crop. This year, peppers go 11-Mar & tomatoes 08-Apr for a possible 03-Jun plant out date. If we have a cold spring and planting is delayed, since the tomatoes are only 8 weeks old at that point they can stay in their pots for a week or 2 more without them becoming overgrown/rootbound.

Unconventionally, i started my peppers two weeks age. Some were very slow to come up. Two varieties did not at all. So i've started those again.

Started leeks, cumin, fennel, artichoke and a few others last weekend.

First tray of toms this weekend. Then a couple more times over the next month.
I do it for insurance for many reasons...a bum soil starting mix, a dropped tray, etc.
Seeds are cheap and some packets are quite healthy in the amounts.
(a tiny mouse can take out a full tray in no time)
-A few years ago a seed starting mix turned to cement...probably the bottom of the barrel from the supplier. (?)

I encourage new at seed starting to start early and just get used to the experience.
Even if just a small six cell. If something goes wrong lots of time to start over. Learn about what went wrong.

I also have a cool seed starting room so i get slow growing. Heat mat for those that need it. I also need to spread out the time management because of work.

If planting just a few, sowing a couple of special "pets" ahead of your main group in a pot that can be taken under cover in cold weather. Nothing to lose but a couple of seeds. The pay off is the earliest tomatoes in the block. Not sure why more folks don't do this :)
Oakley has some good advice for beginners above.
KarenO

[QUOTE=sfoeyl;619365]Asking for a good friend in Nuremberg Germany who is trying to start pepper and tomato seeds for the first time. Should she wait until March to start germinating? Any advice is appreciated :D[/QUOTE]

Nuremberg is in the south of Germany in the area of Bavaria, and about the same temps as I have here.

Normally I would start my tomato seeds indoors in late April,early May, then harden off before setting out the transplants in early June,if the weather allowed for that and in many seasons it didn't allow for that.

If transplants are set out before the temps warm up the soil, they just sit there and pout in my experience.

Pepper seeds I would sow seeds for about two weeks before the tomatoes, also eggplant, but if hot peppers even a week before the so called coldpeppers.

So just assume about a zone 5 a or b as it would be designated here in the US.

Carolyn

For Nuremberg - start your peppers indoors this weekend. Start tomatoes indoors 2 weeks after. This will allow for healthy plants for transplanting outside on the 2nd week of May, although might want to hold the pepper plants inside an additional week to let the ground warm up just a little more.

While Carolyn seems to be one zone colder than them, I am in 6a, one zone warmer. I usually start my tomato seeds in Mid March. The reason I do that, though, is partially because I am not as good and experienced as her, and partially because I like to put out slightly larger plants. I have had an occasional variety that takes longer to germinate or just has very poor germination and needs to be replanted with new seeds, and that can put you a week behind. So while some would rather err on the side of not starting too early, others want extra time in case they need it and would rather err on the side of larger plants or being ready to plant out early if the weather forecast allows it. So even neighbors in the same town might differ by as much as a couple of weeks or more when they sow their seeds.

The conventional time to start tomato seeds is 6 to 8 weeks before plant out ( or roughly LFD).
Add 2 weeks for peppers, and eggplants.
Anything sooner will require re potting and more floor space under light.
I, myself, have started (sowed) 10 weeks ahead (of conventional) but I have plan and intention to get them out sooner. The reason for this is to beat the heat down south. Come July/August , it will be sizzling.

For many years in Zone 3 North of Edmonton Canada I sowed my tomato seeds aroynd the first day of spring.
Large blooming seedlings well hardened and transplanted outdoors in the last week of May. Ripe fruit in the garden beginning in mid-late July and through to first frost which is typically mid September.

KarenO