Transplant Guide for Soil Blocking

This is a guide for the lead time for starting the flowers and vegetables that we have had experience with. Young stocky, healthy transplants perform better than more mature, overgrown transplants. Resisting the urge to start your seeds too soon will pay off over and over in the coming season.

Use this as a general guide. Count back from your target planting date and you will have the perfect seed starting time. The variation in recommended timing is allowing for the differences in
environments such as heat and light.

Flower Seeds

1. Ageratum – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in garden. Plant transplants in the garden after last danger of frost and through mid-summer. Repeat planting extends harvest, quality and quantity. Use small blocker. Benefits from support netting.
2. Agrostemma – Plant seeds directly in garden in fall. Benefits from support netting.
3. Ammi Majus – Queen of Africa– Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant transplants in fall and early spring. Repeat planting extends harvest. Use small blocker.
   Benefits from support netting. Queen Anne’s Lace Hybrid.
4. Ammi Visnaga – Green Mist – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden or seeds may be planted directly in the garden. Plant in fall and early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Use small blocker. Repeat planting extends planting and harvest. Will reseed in the garden.
5. Basil, Mrs. Burn’s Lemon and Cinnamon – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden or seeds may be planted directly in the garden. Plant transplants in the garden after last danger of frost and through mid-summer. Use small blocker. Repeat planting extends harvest, quality and quantity.
6. Bupleurum – Plant seeds directly in garden in fall. Will reseed in the garden.
7. Calendula – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden or plant seeds directly in the garden. Plant fall, winter and/or spring. Fall and winter plantings will be hardier, ready to harvest earlier and produce more. Spring plantings extend the planting time and harvest by beginning to perform later when the fall plantings start to slow down. Use larger blocker.
8. Celosia – Cockscombs and Plumes – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden or plant seeds directly in the garden. Plant in the garden after last danger of frost and through mid-summer. Repeat planting extends harvest, quality and quantity. Use the small blocker. Benefits from support netting.
9. Cosmos – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden or plant seeds directly in the garden. Plant in the garden after last danger of frost and through mid-summer. Use small blocker Repeat planting extends harvest, quality and quantity.
10. Delphinium, “Oriental Blue,” – plant seeds directly in garden in fall. Benefits from support netting.
11. Dianthus – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant mid to late summer for plants to have cold period necessary for blooming the following spring and
    summer. Use small blocker. Benefits from support netting.
12. Digitalis – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant fall and early winter. Use small blocker. Tall varieties benefit from support netting. Most will reseed in garden.
13. Dill Bouquet – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden or plant seeds directly in the garden. Plant fall, winter and/or spring. Fall and winter plantings will be hardier, ready to harvest earlier and produce more. Spring plantings extend the planting time and harvest by beginning to perform later when the fall plantings start to slow down.
14. Feverfew – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant fall, winter and/or spring. Fall and winter plantings will be hardier, ready to harvest earlier and produce
    more. Spring plantings extend the planting time and harvest by beginning to perform later when the fall plantings start to slow down. Use small blocker. Benefits from support netting.
15. Gomphren – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant transplants in the garden after last danger of frost and through mid-summer. Repeat planting extends harvest, quality and quantity. Use small blocker.
16. Hesperis – Plant seeds directly in garden in fall. Will reseed in the garden.
17. Larkspur – Plant seeds directly in garden in fall. Will reseed in the garden.
18. Millet – Purple Majesty – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant transplants in the garden after last danger of frost and through mid-summer. Repeat planting extends harvest, quality and quantity. Use small blocker.
19. Monarda “Lambada”– Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden or direct seed directly in the garden. Plant fall, winter and/or spring. Fall and winter plantings will be hardier, ready to harvest earlier and produce more. Spring plantings extend the planting time and harvest by beginning to perform later when the fall plantings start to slow down. Use small blocker. Benefits from support netting.
20. Nigella – Plant seeds directly in garden in fall. Will reseed in the garden.
21. Poppies “Champagne Bubbles”– Plant seeds directly in garden in fall. Will reseed in the garden.
22. Rudbeckia – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden or plant seeds directly in the garden. Plant fall, winter and/or spring. Fall and winter plantings will be hardier, ready to harvest earlier and produce more. Spring plantings extend the planting time and harvest by beginning to perform later when the fall plantings start to slow down. Use small blocker.
23. Salvia – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant fall, winter and/or spring. Fall and winter plantings will be hardier, ready to harvest earlier and produce more. Spring plantings extend the planting time and harvest by beginning to perform later when the fall plantings start to slow down. Use small blocker.
24. Snapdragons – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant fall and late winter. Repeat planting extends planting and harvest. Use small blocker. Benefits from support netting.
25. Sunflower – Single Stem and Branching – Start seeds 2-3 weeks before planting out in the garden or plant seeds directly in the garden. Plant in the garden after last danger of frost and through mid-summer. Repeat planting extends harvest, quality and quantity. Use large blocker.
26. Sweet Peas – Start seeds 2-3 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant fall and late winter. Benefits from vertical trellis. Use large blocker.
27. Veronica – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant fall, winter and/or spring. Fall and winter plantings will be hardier, ready to harvest earlier and produce more. Spring plantings extend the planting time and harvest by beginning to perform later when the fall plantings start to slow down. Use small blocker.
28. Zinnia – Start seeds 2-3 weeks before planting out in the garden or plant seeds straight in the garden. Plant transplants in the garden after last danger of frost and through midsummer. Repeat planting extends harvest, quality and quantity. Use small blocker. Benefits from support netting.
29. Yarrow – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant fall, winter and/or spring. Fall and winter plantings will be hardier, ready to harvest earlier and produce more. Spring plantings extend the planting time and harvest by beginning to perform later when the fall plantings start to slow down. Use small blocker. Benefits from support netting.

Vegetables

1. Tomatoes – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant transplants in the garden after last danger of frost and ground has warmed. Repeat planting through midsummer will extend harvest, quality and quantity. Use small blocker.
2. Peppers – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant transplants in the garden after last danger of frost and ground has warmed. Use small blocker.
3. Salad greens – Start seeds 2-3 weeks before planting out in the garden or plant directly in the garden. Plant early spring and again in fall when temperatures cool. Use small blocker.
4. Squash / Zucchini – Start seeds 2-3 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant transplants in the garden after last danger of frost and through mid-summer. Repeat planting extends  harvest, quality and quantity. Use large blocker.
5. Cucumber – Start seeds 4-7 weeks before planting out in the garden. Plant transplants in the garden after last danger of frost and through mid-summer. Repeat planting extends harvest, quality and quantity. Use large blocker.

Click here for a printable version of the Transplant Guide for Soil Blocking.