I live in Zone 6 SE NY. The last fros around here is aroun April 30th. That being said the Safe transplant date when DANGER of frost has past and the soil is warm enough is aroun May 15th. I would assume you would be somewhat close to that.

Normaly I would plant seed on March 10th, but the past couple years I've had problems with slow germination. I'm going to go ahead and plant this week. I'll save some of my seeds to plant later, and hopefuly I'll get tomatoes around July 4th.

If you have a good light system I wouldn't worry, If your a little lacking in that area wait.

I am in Zone 5 in Kansas and I have already planted and potted up, I will be ready to plant out into our high tunnels around the 20-25th of March. Probably, 30-40 days earlier than if they were grown outside.

Jay

Well, I found a neat site that lets you enlarge the hardiness zone map until you can see actual street names. I wondered why I was getting varying results about whether I was in zone 5b or 6a. Turns out the line on the map runs right through my town. Not only that, but I live within a mile of the line. I think technically I am in zone 5b but down the street is zone 6a. I live on a bit of a hill, not sure how that effects it, but I like to be optimistic so I am going to keep to 6a, lol. Anyway, yes late May is when they recommend setting them out, when all danger of frost is past. But I watch the forecast and take into account what recent past temps have been. When warm weather comes early there is sometimes still a day or two of frost danger but unless it is an extended cold snap it doesn't set things back too much. I just make sure I protect them with covers. The opposite also applies, and if it has been unusually cool, a couple of warm days doesn't necessarily make up for it or mean its time to plant.

According to the "Zone Finder", I'm in zone 6 (Rockland Cty, NY). Don't know exactly where you are in CT. I have been planting from seed since 2006 and I'm still trying to find the right date to put my plants in the garden. I have been using May 10th thru 15th as the earliest date, but have been finding that there are still cold nites and possible frost warnings around those dates. Last year I really got burned and lost most of my plants, even though I covered them with 5 gallon pails. So, my notes tell me to wait at least another week this year! That means that I should start my seeds later, otherwise I get spindly plants too big to keep under lights. The plants won't grow if it is still cool out, they will just sit there! This year, I will start my Peppers on 3/1 (they take forever), Tomatoes on 3/15, Basil on 3/24, Cucumbers on 4/1 and Zucchini on 4/7. Hope this helps! You're probably anxious, but don't rush it!!! It takes a lot of work, to lose it all to cold weather! Paul

zone lines are reference points and not an exact line plus each season varies the weather may be the same on both sides of the street or did you post this as a joke ?

Gardening zone 5 most years. Last average frost date is May 15th but I never planted out until around the 1 st of June since frosts can and do occur after that date and I used to plant out hundreds of plants with no way to protect them.

Sow seeds around April and plan to have them outside and hardened off by about June 1.

Look at the weather forecast and plant out if it looks warm enough.

Absolutely nothing is gained by planting out earlier, IMO, since late May/early June has very unsettled weather and the plants will just sit there and sulk. Cold nights the plants can turn purple, warmer weather and the purple disappears and the plants turn green.

Carolyn

Sue - Dr. Carolyn's advise is the best. I live in southern CT, 12 miles north of the south shore. I usually start seeds the first week in April, start to harden off 2nd week in May, and keep my eye on the weather to plant around Memorial Day or a week before that. All of mine go in the garden - not pots.
John A

Sue,
I started mine in my garage 2 weeks ago. Way too early but I just had to do it. I have an unheated hoop house I can use to moderate the temperature when I decide to bring them outside in mid/late April. By that time they will be in half-gallon or gallon containers and have blossoms or maybe even small fruit. I will plant some in the ground in the hoop house and leave some in big pots to get planted out in May.

It's fun to brave the weather but you have to be willing to put in a lot of extra effort. And if you don't have any season extenders you should follow everyone's advice and wait another month before starting.

Bob B. - Shelton, CT

Ohhhhhh, OK. I did not post that info about my zone as a joke it really is the truth! My point was more that a rather arbitrary "line" has to be drawn somewhere and it just so happens to go right through my town. So that is why I use the weather forecast. Some years might be more zone 5ish and others more zone 6ish. I just thought I could set out slightly larger plants by starting a little earlier. Frustrating to have a day off on say, May 15th or 20th, and the 10 day forecast says unseasonably warm, but you planned for cooler weather and plants are not ready to set out for another 2 weeks, lol. I was trying to be "ready to go" as soons the weather seemed cooperative but I do want nice healthy plants, so I guess I should wait a while. :) Thanks, everyone!

Here is a link that might be useful: Zone map I referred to

That's an interesting map, Sue. It shows most of the valley areas are 6a and the higher areas are 5b. I bookmarked it for myself.
Thanks, John A

Hi Sue,

Your falling behind there kiddo! LOL Just kidding. My target for picking my first ripe fruit is sometime in the first two weeks of May this year. Trying for a full two weeks earlier than last year.

I started my extra early varieties on Jan 20th and started all the rest of them Feb 28th and finished up seeding today 3/2/11. Some from todays seeding should be ripening in the second week in June and beyond for the mid-season types. Most of these are sales plants. I'm not going to sell something that anyone can purchase at walmart you know. Whats the point. I want them to experience some early picking and come running back year after year.

Don't forget about the little micro-climate around the south side of your house or a fence or wall. All perfect places for a coldfame or portable low-tunnel.

With the use of a low-tunnel next to the house then later on moving the low-tunnel down the hill to the inside of the high-tunnel I'll be ready to plant in the ground by mid to late April. So with this unheated system I'll have to again prove to myself it can be done with no ill effects to overall production and all the negative comments of the nay sayers just roll out one ear to the other. The proof is in the pudding I always say.

Without my current system Memorial Day weekend was the traditional planting date which meant for ripe fruit towards the end of July into August (if memory serves me correctly) and that was using Early Girls. Some years were down right terrible.

Bob, Your a full zone warmer than me and have a hoop house for gosh sake. There is no reason for all sweating! Make yourself a low tunnel on wheels made of 2x4's and cheapo plastic and wheel the sucker in and out of the garage!

I am in zone 5 and I started tomatoes and peppers last week and other cold veggies this week. I usually wait until later in March, but it seems like I have been planting out tiny little plants the past few years. I probably over corrected :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Seedling pictures and setup (blog)

I will be starting mine in about 3 more weeks. Then setting out around Memorial weekend. Or the weekend after. Depends on how crazy the weather is.
Edie

April for me. The end of May is outside planting time for my area. So, April is seed starting time for Toms and Peppers here. Can't wait! Growing more greens this year too.

I will have mine started by 3/15. I used to do 'em a couple weeks earlier but have shaved some transplant labor by doing it this way. I will be depending on the use of a "makeshift" coldframe to give the seedlings their best light advantage and wind protection during most of April, but if the weather is rough they will be on the enclosed porch where it is warmer but not as bright. Some years, like last year, I was able to put trays full of very young seedlings right out in the light and open air on the back patio and the top of the picnic table because it was so warm on so many April days with no wind issue. So to answer your question, I do it mid-March and hope it will work out!

I'm probably going to regret it, but I started my peppers about 3 weeks ago.

I hope to plant out around May 15th, with starting hardening off around May 1st.

Peppers they say take 10... I've found them happier around 12 weeks.... 3 weeks ago would have been about 13 weeks before May 15th... hopefully I wont' run into an issue!

Started Parsley / Hot Peppers two weeks ago.

Started Lettuce last week (for plant out around April 1 as they can take temps down to 20 deg or so).

Started Tomatoes today (I should have but I did!). Hopefully I don't run into a huge problem with moving the plants into / out of cover too much when I run out of room under the lights!

the only plants that I've had issues with starting too early are oxheart tomatoes. after about 5 or 6 weeks they start to die. otherwise I've not had any problems starting anything early other than the space issue. that being said I do wait and I don't plant until about 8 weeks
before the last frost date. I started my pepper plants yesterday... some of those buggers are pretty slow to grow.

Sue, that zone map is...odd. I compared my zip (47331) in southeastern indiana to my childhood zip (where my parents live) 48423 near Flint, MI. I can plant out my tomatoes (conservatively) Mother's Day, while they must plant out on Memorial Day. Likewise, we see a 3 week frost difference (at least) at the end of the season. Yet, that map says they are zone 6 and I am zone 5. Whenever we talk, we tend to compare weather, and it's always significantly (I'd say 5-10 degrees) colder there.