Planting In or Planting Out

Since it's time to start planting our seeds I thought this would be a good discussion. I suppose all depends on your zone - those in the south with long growing seasons have more lea way than northern gardeners. I guess I would be considered a mid-zone. I like to direct seed annuals outdoors when I can get away with it. The following list came from a book on annuals. I find it useful and thought others would too. A couple of items I'd disagree with & I added my 2¢ in the brackets. I also marked all the re-seeding annuals in my zone with an asterisk*. IMHO - anything that re-seeds could be direct seeded in early spring. I'm sure this list could be quadrupled with additional annuals & anyone that wants to add their 2¢ feel free.

Annuals to sow out before your last frost
Brassica species (flowering Kale, ornamental cabbage)
Bachelor’s buttons (centaurea)
*Wallflower (cherianthus)
Clarkia (godetia)
*Larkspur (consolida)
*Chinese forget-me-nots (cynoglossum)
*Digitalis - Foxglove (usually biennial & will bloom 2nd year)
*California poppy (eschscholzia)
Sweet pea
Lavatera
*Linaria – toadflax
*Sweet alyssum
Bells of Ireland
*Baby-blue-eyes – nemophelia
*Poppies
Phlox drummondii – (annual phlox)
*Violas & Pansies

Annuals to sow out after frost but before the ground warms
Arcotis – African daisies
*Cleome
*Coreopsis tinctoria (Calliopsis)
Cosmos
*Dianthus species (China pinks; Sweet Williams)
Euphorbia marginata (snow-on-the-mountain)
*Gaillardia (blanket flower)
Gomphrena
Gypsophila elegans (baby’s breath)
Helianthis species (sunflowers)
Helichrysum bracteatum (straw flowers)
*Iberis
*Impatiens balsaminia (Balsam)
*Ipomoea (Morning glory sp)
*Stock (matthiola)
Four O’clock (mirabilis)
*Myosostis (Forget-me-not)
Nemesia strumosa
*Nicotiana
Portulaca
Sanvantilia (creeping zinnia)
Scabiosa (pincushion flower)
Marigolds (tegetes sp)
Thunbergia
Tithonia (Mexican sunflowers)
Trachymene (Blue lace flower)
Nasturtium
Zinnia sp

Sow Out After the soil warms
Ageratum [In]
Amaranthus
Anchusa
Antirrhinum (Snap dragons) [In]
Celosia
Callistephus (China Asters)
Catharanthus (periwinkle) [In]
Convolvulus (dwarf morning glory)
*Rudbeckia

Sow indoors and Plant out after last frost (cool soil Ok)
*Hollyhock [Out]
Anchusa
Snapdragons
Begonia
Brachycome
*Calendula [Out – in cold soil]
China Aster
Canterbury Bells (campanula medium)
Bachelor’s Buttons
*Coreopsis tinctoria (Calliopsis) – [Out in cold soil]
*Cynoglossum (Chinese forget-me-not) – [Out]
Dahlia
*Dianthus
*Digitalis
Dimorpotheca (cape marigold)
Dyssodia (dahlberg daisy)
Euphorbia marginata [out]
Gaillardia
Gazania
Gypsophila
Helichrysum (strawflower)
*Iberis [Out]
*Balsam
*Morning glory
Sweet Pea [Out]
*Linaria (toadflax) [Out]
Lobelia (edging lobelia)
*Sweet alyssum
Stock
Mimulus (monkey flower)
Four o’clock
Bells of Ireland
*Myosostis
Nemesia
Nemophelia
*Nigella [Out]
*Poppy [Out]
Pelargonium
Petunia
Phlox drumondii
Portulaca
*Rudbeckia
Salpiglossis
*Salvia
Scabiosa
Schizanthus
Senecio (dusty miller)
Tegetes (marigolds)
Thunbergia
Tithonia (Mexican sunflower)
Torenia
Trachychome
Verbena
Viola
Zinnia

Sow indoors and plant out after soil warms
Ageratum
Amaranthus
Arcotis
Browallia
Catharanthus (periwinkle)
Celosia
*Cleome
Coleus
Convolvulus
Cosmos
Cuphea
Heliotrope
Niemgergia

Thanks for the great information Poppysue

Thanks Poppysue, that's really helpful. I'm going to print it out and keep it with my seeds!! :)
The way you've done it means we can apply it to our local conditions - great!

poppy, these aren't to sow in containers (first group) but to sow in situ, correct?

Thank you for imforamtion to let everyone to know.

Yes tiG, That would be sow out ...directly in the garden. They can handle some frost. You could also start most of those indoors if you wanted to.

I'm want to start some Zinnia, Cleome, Marigold, and Celosia inside......okay to do now?

"eyes"

Thanks for the info. I printed it out to keep! ;)

Poppysue: Lord, I've lived in Alaska so long that I'd forgotten things can be started outdoors! The only things I direct sow outdoors, and that's after the soil warms about June 1, are radishes, carrots, potatoes, etc. Everything else has been under lights or weeks or months! I even start my garden peas indoors and set them out!

Thanks for the timely list!
I was looking for just this!
Dee

*clicks print*

Poppysue,I went right out and tossed nemophilia and calendula seeds in some of my pots on the deck. Perfect timing and great info-thanks so much!

I just read this thread, and I wanted to say a big thank you!
I printed the lists out as well...this is really so helpful.
Thanks again,
Jackie

Hey, In Feb. I planted the seeds of snapdragons, pansies, sweet peas and oriental poppies inside but cool - about 56 to 58 degrees. I'm not sure when to plant the seedlings out. (Specifically, what temp., weather conditions etc.) I'm scared I'll lose them either way- inside or out. They are only about an inch tall with first set of leaves right now.

I've never done sweet peas inside before. And violas I've only done after the frost date (May 15). Usually we're warming up a tiny bit now, but not this year. I read these are all cool season plants so I thought maybe I could put the seedlings out early.

Weezingreens, you said you take seedlings outside early sometimes. Can you clarify if you see this?

Bumping this because it's such a helpful thread, and timely (or nearly so)... Thanks to poppysue.

Thanks, Zeppy-- great info to print out!

Wish I knew what book it was from?!

Very helpful, thanks Poppy Sue. I guess we all dream one day of having one place to go on the internet that we can just type in a plant name and get everything from where to buy it, planting info, germination tables, even grandmas tips and all made "zone appropriate." Dave's is about as close as it gets!

Works for me. Just yesterday I was trying to find my list of sow in place in fall, or early spring annuals [ it's around here somewhere]. And here tis.

Thanks Zeppy for the bump.
PoppySue thanks for the list.

I'll find my california poppies tomorrow, and maybe my red poppies. just can't think where I tucked them. /;-)~Blooms