I was planning on asking something like this myself tonight. I am in zone9. My cukes and tomatoes are done. I pulled up my cucumbers yesterday and one row of my maters today. I still have 2 rows of tomatoes to pull up, maybe tomorrow if I can get through the heat. This is my first big veggie garden, so I'm on a trial & error run myself. I went ahead and planted a row of peas which I think will do OK, I also put down a row of okra, which my dad planted his a few weeks ago and they are doing great, so I think these will too. I still have several rows to fill if I can and produce a nice fall crop in time before time to plant my winter crop. I think tomorrow I will get down some corn and a heirloom variety of pole bean I bought on a whim. Like I said, a lot will be trial & error till I see what does good at what point. I'll save my carrots, greens, turnips and such for winter crop. I am interested to see what else might work this time of year!! Thanks for the thread!

This is a very good question and I'd like to see if somebody more knowledgeable can help us both out. My assumptions are ... 1) That you can sow tropical seeds any time of the year as the equatorial sun shines at about the same brilliance all year round. However, I have reservations that overall, there are changes due to changes in trade winds caused by more temperate zone temp shifts caused by seasonality that might even affect tropicals. 2) That you might be able to fake seeds out by growing them indoors at spring-like temps and having perhaps kick-started them with Giberellic Acid. What do I know for sure? Well there are some seeds like Gingko Biloba that need to experience a successive temperature shift, from cold and gradually to warm. If you plant them in warm, forget it; they are not going to germinate. But you can still fake them out by using your refrigerator to keep them cold for 3 to 4 weeks. That's what they say. I tried it and my Gingko seeds still haven't germinated. Stratification? I'm not sure how important layering the seeds between deposits of mulch which replicate fallen leaves can be. I think it's more to do with the temp cycle. But anyway, if your seeds aren't tropical and germinate at any time of the year, there appear to be ways to fake any seed out and coax them into germination. What happens after that, depends on how good your indoor environment provides for what they need which I suspect doesn't have to be much more than room temps and appropriate soil and water requirements. Finally, some seeds, even in their native soil and locale, can be sleepers, taking months or years to germinate. I suppose even the experts don't have a clue how to motivate these. But yes, if someone wants to chime in with some suggestions beyond my assumptions, please do. I'm sure Missti would be as grateful as I.

You still have time to start from seed (close, don't delay), but it might make the most sense to pick early varieties, cherry types, etc. But that sounds like what you are pretty much going for anyway. You can start them outside if need be, but I really do prefer to grow them inside under lights for the first month, even (and sometimes especially) for fall crop. The reason why is that cooler temps promote root development, and hot/warm temps promote top growth. Of course, this does mean you have to harden them off rather carefully, but I find the end result far outweighs the trouble. You need a good root system, especially when setting plants out when it is still somewhat hot. I'm not saying this is the only way to do it, just telling you what I do/prefer. If you start outside, don't put them out in all day blazing sun - 5-6 hours of good morning sun would probably be best for now. Or some shadecloth.

You can sow seeds at ANY TIME OF THE YEAR. I sow something just about every month. Using the most basic logic, seeds are dropping from the mother plant with prolific enthusiasm, right now...but they have their own innate timing, so providing we avoid mucking about with bizarre chemicals, setting up complex lighting schedules or broiling them on heat pads, the seeds know what to do as long as they are in a sympathetic situation...ie, as close as possible to their normal environment...and experience conditions, including a winter chilling and cycles of warm and cool which they would expect in a natural state...and here lies the rub because we don't just want plants which grow in our climate or soil type...no no no - we want tricky divas which need coddling and protecting. Plants which turn up their toes with a hint of frost...although essentially, the same rules apply - to replicate the cycle and conditions of the plant's native range. I have absolutely zero intention of faffing with seeds to raise difficult plants. The germination is the first testing for plants under my neglectful regimen - which is... sow outside when I get around to it, water once and leave them to get on with it...or not. Attrition and winnowing really sorts out the feebs and fusspots, so preventing mucho disappointment further down the line after time and effort has been invested with watering and potting on (the actual sowing couldn't be simpler or faster). Sow shedloads and you will be grateful for the fails when the awful realisation of dealing with hundreds of seedlings finally dawns (sometime around late May...just as the season hits fever pitch with maximum demands on the exhausted gardener.