Ellen, we are having a terribly early spring here but I did go ahead and set out about 6 containers of various peppers/chilis this very afternoon. Now I see it's gonna be in the 20s overnite so guess who has to go out in her nightie and fetch the containers in! Oh, well, with temps in the 60s & 70s during the day OUTSIDE - so I do not have to use a heat mat - or MY electricity = "priceless". So if you want to keep them warm inside at least @ night & have them outside in the daytime, I'd say go for it. Need seeds? I have a whole bunch of Orange Bell seeds, and some great jalapeno seeds, too. Let me know...

You should have good luck with the granex types in Atlanta which are what Vidalias are from just a bit south. Check your Georgia extension service for cultural information; they have been intimately involved with commercial development of that variety of onion. As I understand it, the process starts with thick early fall planting of seed for transplanting later in the autumn to a better spacing in production beds to winter over to a late spring or early summer harvest, but you should be able to get specifics from the extension service. Else you can almost certainly get bunches of started plants for spring planting from quite a number of sources. That's what I do up here in Minneapolis with good results for Copra and cipollinis, or you can grow your own sets from a late thickly planted bed of seed that matures mid to late summer for planting back the next spring. My parents did that for years back when I was growing up. My mother always got a good crop of onions off her sets.

I sowed mine in Late May, they sprouted but are still no more than 4-5 inches tall :-/ I will be transplanting them into a raised bed to see if they take off soon. I'll post before and after pics if anyone wants them. I am *hoping* they'll give a nice fall show being so late O.o

It depends upon how much time you have to care for seedlings before they are tranplanted into permanent spots in the garden. If you are growing garden annuals that you want blooming as soon as they go into the ground they need to be started indoors several weeks ahead of your planting date. Seed packets will offer germination information to guide you...keep in mind that the information on the back of the packet is based upon ideal circumstances. Most garden perennials do not bloom their first year from seed so they can be started anytime. Starting indoors will require care to prevent damp-off and repotting if felt necessary. Outdoor germination you will need to protect the soil from desiccation by wind and sun, the seedlings should also be protected from slugs or snails, if a hail storm is coming you can help protect young direct-sown seedlings by turning an old laundry basket over them for the duration of the storm. Direct-sown seedlings are often a tasty treat for birds and bunnies. A scarecrow and fencing can help protect the seedlings from critter damage, however a starving animal will ignore devices used to deter or scare them away. Vegetable packets offer a "days to maturity" guideline to suggest when to sow your seeds. Those days are generally based upon how long it takes to grow the first ripe produce after a seedling is about four inches high, those dates are not indicative of how many days needed to produce ripe fruit after germination. Germination requirements can vary from species to species, though some plant families may have similar requirements. If you have no seed packet to read for germination requirements then you can look up the information on the internet by typing in the plant name + germination. The information may also be found in books at the library. Winter Sowing, done outdoors, goes on all throughout winter. See the Winter Sowing Forum FAQs for information. There is also forum with FAQs for Starting Seeds Under Lights.