Warm season annuals know what time it is. Although it is still too early for many to move directly into gardens, a few already are.
A few can start from seed, either in greenhouses or directly in their gardens. Eventually, as the weather warms, they all can live outside for the summer.
Warm season vegetables, or summer vegetables, are in the same situation.
After all, almost all warm season vegetables perform as annuals. The weather is still too cool for seedlings to go out into their gardens. However, it is time to start some vegetable plants from seed.
Some should start inside or in a greenhouse. Others might start directly in their gardens. The weather should be warm enough for them by the time they develop.
Seed for most root vegetables can go directly into their gardens now. Root vegetables do not recover from transplanting easily, so prefer direct sowing.
Transplanted seedlings are susceptible to root disfigurement. Corn, squash and beans prefer direct sowing also, but should wait for warmer weather. Seedlings grow faster than the weather becomes warm.
Tomato and pepper plants prefer to go into the garden later as seedlings or small plants. Such small plants will become available from nurseries as they become more seasonal.
Alternatively, they can start to grow from seed inside or in a greenhouse now. Their fresh seedlings should be ready for their garden as the weather warms.
The advantages to seed are that it is less expensive and more diverse than small plants. Packets of seed cost about as much as six packs of small plants, but contain many seed. Nurseries stock only a few varieties of each type of vegetable plant.
However, they stock a few more varieties of seed for the same type of vegetables.
Many are available online.
Cucumber, eggplant and melon can grow either from small plants or directly sown seed.
A single small plant may be more practical for melon because only one plant is sufficient. However, if several cucumber plants are preferable, seed may be more practical.
If seed are preferable, they can start soon. Small plants might wait a bit longer after the last frost.
Tomato
Like most warm season vegetables, tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum, are actually fruits. They contain seed, whereas actual vegetables are vegetative plant parts that lack seed.
Although mostly red, some are orange, yellow, green, pink, brown, purple or pallid white. Some are smaller than small grapes, while ‘Beefsteak’ may grow wider than five inches.
For home gardens, the most popular varieties of tomato are indeterminate. They produce their fruit sporadically throughout their season, on lanky irregular stems.
They are neater with the support of tomato cages or stakes. Determinate varieties are shrubbier and more productive, but only for a brief season. They are quite conducive to succession planting.
It is still a bit too early for small tomato plants to go into their gardens. However, seed can start inside or in a greenhouse now. It is possible to sow seed directly into a garden later, but they are vulnerable to mollusks.
Nurseries can stock several varieties of tomatoes as small plants. Countless more varieties are available from mail order or online purchases. Many heirloom varieties truly are strange and unique.
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