Starting Seeds Indoors for an Ohio Spring: A Zone 6a Calendar

Starting your own seeds is one of the most rewarding — and money-saving — skills on the homestead. But timing is everything in Ohio's Zone 6a, where our last frost usually lands in early-to-mid May.

Count backward from your last frost

Most seed packets tell you to start "X weeks before last frost." For us, that means counting back from about May 10. Tomatoes and peppers want a 6–8 week head start, so we sow them indoors in mid-March. Cool-season crops like brassicas can go even earlier.

Keep seedlings from getting leggy

The number one beginner mistake is not enough light. A sunny window is rarely enough — a simple shop light hung an inch or two above the seedlings makes all the difference. Keep it close, keep it on 14–16 hours a day, and raise it as they grow.

A simple Zone 6a schedule

• Late February: onions, leeks, celery
• Early March: brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale)
• Mid March: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant
• Early April: squash, cucumbers (just a few weeks ahead)
• Direct sow after frost: beans, corn, melons

Label everything. You will not remember which tray is which by April.

Start small your first year. A single tray of tomatoes and peppers will teach you more than a whole greenhouse you can't keep up with.