--- title: "Seed Starting Countdown & Calendar (.ics) | Civic Seedling" description: "Count back from your last frost date to when to sow seeds indoors, harden off and plant out each crop. Add every step to your calendar with an .ics file." url: https://civicseedling.sbs/seed-starting-countdown/ --- # Seed starting countdown Tick the crops you are growing. The countdown works back from your last frost date to tell you when to sow each one, when to start hardening off and when to plant out, and how many days are left. Next up Sow broccoli indoors Thu, Feb 11, 2027 1. Sow indoors ### Sow broccoli indoors Feb 11 Allow 4–6 weeks from sowing to planting out, so any day from Feb 4 – Feb 18 works. 2. Sow indoors ### Sow lettuce indoors Feb 11 Allow 4–5 weeks from sowing to planting out, so any day from Feb 11 – Feb 18 works. 3. Seedlings up ### Broccoli: seedlings should be up Feb 14 – Feb 21 Most seed comes up 3–10 days after sowing. 4. Seedlings up ### Lettuce: seedlings should be up Feb 15 – Feb 21 Most seed comes up 4–10 days after sowing. 5. Sow indoors ### Sow peppers indoors Feb 25 Allow 8–10 weeks from sowing to planting out, so any day from Feb 18 – Mar 4 works. 6. Sow indoors ### Sow tomatoes indoors Mar 4 Allow 6–8 weeks from sowing to planting out, so any day from Feb 25 – Mar 11 works. 7. Harden off ### Start hardening off broccoli Mar 4 Set the seedlings outside for a few hours in shade, out of the wind, and leave them out a little longer each day for two weeks. 8. Harden off ### Start hardening off lettuce Mar 4 Set the seedlings outside for a few hours in shade, out of the wind, and leave them out a little longer each day for two weeks. 9. Seedlings up ### Peppers: seedlings should be up Mar 7 – Mar 17 Most seed comes up 10–20 days after sowing. 10. Seedlings up ### Tomatoes: seedlings should be up Mar 10 – Mar 18 Most seed comes up 6–14 days after sowing. 11. Plant out ### Plant broccoli out Mar 18 Hardy enough to plant out before your last frost. Wait until the soil is at least 40 °F at 4 in (10 cm) deep in the morning. 12. Plant out ### Plant lettuce out Mar 18 Hardy enough to plant out before your last frost. Wait until the soil is at least 35 °F at 4 in (10 cm) deep in the morning. 13. Harden off ### Start hardening off tomatoes Apr 8 Set the seedlings outside for a few hours in shade, out of the wind, and leave them out a little longer each day for two weeks. 14. Harvest ### Lettuce: first harvest Apr 12 – Apr 22 About 25–35 days from planting out; varieties differ, so check the seed packet. 15. Harden off ### Start hardening off peppers Apr 15 Set the seedlings outside for a few hours in shade, out of the wind, and leave them out a little longer each day for two weeks. 16. Plant out ### Plant tomatoes out Apr 22 Frost-tender, so plant out only after your last frost. Wait until the soil is at least 50 °F at 4 in (10 cm) deep in the morning. 17. Plant out ### Plant peppers out Apr 29 Frost-tender, so plant out only after your last frost. Wait until the soil is at least 60 °F at 4 in (10 cm) deep in the morning. 18. Harvest ### Broccoli: first harvest May 17 – Jun 6 About 60–80 days from planting out; varieties differ, so check the seed packet. 19. Harvest ### Peppers: first harvest Jun 18 – Jul 13 About 50–75 days from planting out; varieties differ, so check the seed packet. 20. Harvest ### Tomatoes: first harvest Jul 1 About 70 days from planting out; varieties differ, so check the seed packet. ## How the dates are worked out For crops started indoors, the planting-out date comes first: University of New Hampshire Extension gives a safe week relative to the last frost and the weeks each crop needs from sowing to planting out, so the sowing date sits in the middle of that range. Hardening off starts two weeks before planting out, following University of Minnesota Extension: put seedlings outside in shade for a few hours, then a little longer and sunnier each day. Days to germination and the soil temperature to wait for come from Colorado State University Extension. Crops sown in place get a sowing window instead. ## Using the calendar file Add to calendar downloads an .ics file with one all-day event per step. Open it with Apple Calendar, Google Calendar or Outlook to import the reminders. Your frost dates and ticked crops are remembered in this browser and shared with the planting calendar. Buying seed from an online shop you have not used before? Look the shop's domain up with [WebTraceCheck's free DNS and domain lookup](https://webtracecheck.com/dns-lookup) first: a site registered only weeks ago deserves a second look before you pay. ## Sources - University of New Hampshire Extension. *Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden* [fact sheet]. [extension.unh.edu](https://extension.unh.edu/resource/growing-vegetables-when-plant-your-vegetable-garden-fact-sheet) - University of Minnesota Extension. *Starting seeds indoors*. [extension.umn.edu](https://extension.umn.edu/garden-and-home/yard-and-garden/gardening-in-minnesota/starting-seeds-indoors) - Whiting D, O’Meara C, Wilson C. *Vegetable Planting Guide*. Colorado State University Extension, GardenNotes #720, 2018, reviewed 2024. [extension.colostate.edu](https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/vegetable-planting-guide/) - Grandpre A. *Can I Grow That Here? Vegetable Seed and Transplant Schedules for Garden or Container*. Montana State University Extension MontGuide MT199308AG, revised 2018. [extension-store.montana.edu](https://extension-store.montana.edu/montguides/can-i-grow-that-here-vegetable-seed-and-transplant-schedules-for-garden-or-container) - Jadrnicek S, Hessler A. *Virginia’s Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant*. Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-331, 2025 (Table 5). [pubs.ext.vt.edu](https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-331/426-331.html) ## Questions **Why not sow as early as possible?** Seedlings kept indoors too long get tall, weak and root-bound. Sowing within the suggested range gives sturdy plants that are ready just as the weather is. **What if my seedlings are ready but it is still cold?** Wait. Frost-tender crops such as tomatoes and peppers can be harmed by frost, and an average last frost date still has about a 50% chance of a later frost. Pot the seedlings on into bigger containers if they need more room. **Does it work for crops I sow outside?** Yes. Tick carrots, beans or any crop without the indoors tag and you get its outdoor sowing window, when seedlings should appear and the first likely harvest.