I started my toms and peppers yesterday and use lights....I normally start them January 15th for plant out March 15th but given the warm winter I moved it up a bit. Most literature says start them 8 weeks before which is fine for the slower growing peppers but 6 weeks is enough for the tomatoes.

I live in DeLand and started tomatoes, peppers and eggplants Jan 3. I'll transplant to the garden sometime after Feb 15 but will have cloches on standby if nighttime forecasts are 40 or below. I use one gallon milk jugs with bottoms cut off for cloches and will cover them with blankets if a hard freeze is forecast.

Peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes I start earlier because they take a long time to get to transplant size. Beans, cucumbers, melons, etc... I direct seed because they are fast growers.

I'm Zone 10A with virtually no frost, I start tomato/pepper seed indoors 12/1, move outside after 3 weeks and transplant 1/15. Everything else gets direct sown 1/15.

Tom

Ok, I think I better get on it. Gonna try some shorter duration tomatoes this time around.

Wondering if I can use strait sphagnum peat moss for a starter for tomatoes and such. Or should I buy more of the Burpee Seed starting stuff which seems to be just peat moss?

Thanks!

Cammunizm

Sphagnum is hard to get wet and keep wet for me. It is pricey. I used Miracle Gro seed starter and that seemed like glorified peat moss with a sprinkle of fertilizer. But, I got it on sale.

Seed starting stuff from Burpee is what i've had most of my success with, and it's about $3.5. I was only asking as I have a lot of leftover peat moss from when I made Al's mix. I will, in a few weeks, stock back up on another 50lbs of peat moss (only $9.00) and 4cuft of Perlite ($16 at Home Depot).

But want to get some stuff started now, especially longer maturing Tomatoes. :) I usually pre-soak the peat moss before potting.