Start your spring crops early
2025-07-29T18:05:50+10:00
Get your spring crops off to an early start by mimicking the growing conditions they’d usually expect in mid to late spring.
It may still be cold outside for many, but with a little planning and a few clever techniques, you can start your spring crops now and give your vegetable garden a serious head start. There’s no need to wait for the official start of spring!
Creating the right conditions
Getting your early spring crops off to a flying start is all about mimicking the growing conditions they’d usually expect in mid to late spring. That means providing adequate amounts of the following:
Warmth: most spring seeds germinate best at temperatures between 18–25°C.
Light: bright light is crucial for strong, healthy seedlings.
Moisture: keep soil just moist, never soggy.
Air circulation: reduces fungal problems such as damping off.
Equipment
You don’t need fancy equipment to create your own early seed-starting set-up. Here are a few options:
Sunny windowsill is ideal for a few trays of seeds. A north-facing window is best.
Mini greenhouses can be picked up at garden centres. They’re great for patios or small yards and normally have a vent to release excess heat. Put them out in the sun during the day and bring them inside at night.
Plastic storage containers make handy DIY mini greenhouses. Move the lid slightly ajar on warm days, and bring inside at night to keep seedlings warm and toasty.
Heat mats are powered by electricity and warm the soil from below, speeding up germination for heat-loving crops. You could also sit your seed trays on top of a hot water system to encourage germination.
Cold frames provide protection for seedlings outside. You can buy these or make them yourself. They are generally moveable and can be used in your propagation area or in garden beds after seedlings have been planted out.
Cloches are bell-shaped covers made of glass or rigid plastic to sit over individual seedlings in the patch. You could also reuse plastic bottles for the purpose.
Whatever set-up you’re using, make sure to ventilate on warm days so you don’t cook your seedlings.
Phil Dudman writes about giving your spring vegies a jump start in our Early Spring 2025 issue – you can get a copy of the issue (OG 159) here.
