I Didn’t Know You Could Start Seeds Too Early. These 6 Should Wait, Gardeners Say

When seed catalogs land in my mailbox, it’s hard not to start planting everything right away. It feels productive. It feels hopeful. But I learned the hard way that starting seeds too early can actually set plants back instead of giving them a head start.

Here are six popular seeds that look tempting in winter but really do better if you wait.

1. Tomatoes

Tomatoes need warmth, light, and perfect timing. Started too early, they grow tall, weak, and stressed long before they can go outside. Most gardeners count back six to eight weeks from the last frost date. Anything earlier usually leads to leggy plants that struggle to recover.

2. Peppers and eggplants

These heat lovers take a long time to mature, which makes them feel like good early-start candidates. But they are extremely cold-sensitive. If they sit indoors too long, growth slows and transplant shock hits hard once they move outside.

3. Cucumbers, squash, and melons

Fast growers are the worst seeds to start early. Cucurbits shoot up quickly and outgrow their pots while outdoor soil is still cold. By the time planting season arrives, they are already stressed and root-bound.

4. Basil

I didn’t expect basil to make this list. It looks easy, but basil hates cold and low light. Started too early, it turns thin and floppy. Unless you have strong grow lights or a very bright window, basil is better started closer to spring.

5. Beans

Beans do not like being transplanted at all. They also need warm soil to germinate. Starting them indoors in winter wastes time and seeds. Direct sowing outdoors after soil warms works far better.

6. Heat-loving annual flowers

Zinnias, marigolds, and cosmos grow fast and resent early indoor life. Started too soon, they stretch and stall. Waiting until closer to the last frost gives stronger, more balanced plants.

What actually is worth starting early

Some seeds need cold to germinate, like native plants and certain perennials. Others, like hardy herbs, can handle a longer indoor start. The key difference is temperature tolerance and growth speed.