A Timetable for Starting Tomatoes & Peppers Indoors

Determining Date of Last Frost

• Seed packets will tell you to start your seeds indoors some number of weeks before the last frost, but determining when that is can be tricky. Any predicted frost date is an estimate, and it is wise to prepare to keep your seedlings under cover for a few weeks until you are certain that cold temperatures have indeed gone. For example, the California Interactive Last Frost Map lists any time from the end of January to the end of March as a last frost date for the Bay Area. The actual date of the last frost is influenced by many factors, such as elevation, weather patterns and microclimates.

Keep a Journal

• The best way to figure out when the last frost is likely to occur is to keep a garden journal. Record actual frost dates and refer back to it to create a timetable for starting plants. New to gardening? Ask other gardeners in your neighborhood when they start seeds, or contact your local master gardener group through your state's agricultural extension service.

When to Start Peppers and Tomatoes

• When you have a rough idea of the last frost date for your area, count backward from that date to determine when to start your seeds. Pepper seeds are slow germinators, so they need to be planted eight to 10 weeks before the last frost, while tomatoes can be started six to eight weeks from that time. Because the frost date is an estimation, it is a good idea to be prepared to protect your plants until you are sure it is safe to set them out.

Frost Protection

• Before planting pepper and tomato plants in the garden, move them to a hardening-off area outdoors. Create a sheltered spot and cover the plants with plastic or recycled windows to protect them from wind and cool temperatures. Remove the covering for a few hours a day for a week or two to help the plants get used to outdoor conditions. If a late frost does threaten, plants will be protected in the hardening-off area. If you've already planted your seedlings, you can protect them with newspapers or old sheets covered with plastic.