Easy Seeds to Start Indoors – Food Forest & Green Living Engineers

Marigold

One of my all-time favorite flowers, marigolds are super easy seeds to grow indoors. They attract pollinators, and can help to deter pests from the garden too.

Castor Bean

Castor bean seeds can be a bit fussy, so it’s much easier to start them indoors. Once they sprout, the seedlings grow really fast.

Coleus

Coleus is definitely one of the best plants to grow indoors from seed because the seeds are tiny and could be washed away in the garden.

Plus they take long time to mature from seeds. Plant the seeds inside 8-10 weeks before they can be transplanted outside

Zinnia

Another must-have plant in my summer gardens are zinnias. They won’t tolerate the cold, so it’s best to start them indoors in early spring rather than planting the seeds outside.

Cauliflower

Since it can be slow to mature (depending on the variety), it’s best to sow cauliflower seeds indoors to give them jump on the gardening season.

Start the seeds 4-6 weeks before the average spring planting date in your area. You can’t go wrong with the early snowball.

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts take a long time to mature from seeds, so start them inside 4-6 weeks before transplanting to the garden.

The seedlings can be planted outside in early spring, but protect them from freezing.

Radicchio

Radicchio does best in cool weather, so be sure to get this one planted early.

Sow the seeds inside 4-6 weeks before your average last spring frost date to give them a head start.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the easiest seeds to start indoors (and probably the most popular too!). Sow them indoors about 6-8 weeks before average last frost

Watermelon

Since it takes them a really long time to mature, it’s best to sow watermelon seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your average last frost date.

Take care not to disturb the roots when transplanting the seedlings into the garden, or it could stunt their growth.

Okra

Another fun plant if you’ve never tried it is okra. Not only do they produce yummy food, the flowers are beautiful too! Plant the seeds 4-6 weeks before it’s safe to move them to the garden.

For better germination, soak the seeds in water for 12-24 hours before sowing.

Basil

Basil is fantastic, and it does well in both the ground or in containers.

Eggplant

Eggplant are easy-to-grow seeds, and the plants are great for containers or in the garden.

Plant them inside the house 8-12 weeks before your average planting date in the spring.

Tomatillo

If you’re looking for a vigorous and highly productive vegetable for your garden, then try tomatillos. They are fun and easy to grow from seeds indoors, and delicious in salsa and sauces.

Sow them indoors 6 weeks before the last spring frost.

Broccoli

If you’ve never tried broccoli before, you should definitely give it a try.

Kale

Kale is another cool season vegetable that you can harvest summer through late fall. They are a little slow to get going, so it’s best to give them a head start inside.