Jen
I know the feeling. I can't wait either, but I have made that mistake before. If you plant now you will end up with leggy, root bound, unhealthy plants that don't adjust well to the transplant. Hang in there, springs coming !!!!!

Last year I started, without lights, in the middle of February and that worked ok (the plants were a little small, but they did great outside). This year I'm gonna have a setup like yours and will start at the end of February. I live in MN too and know that I won't be able to take them outside until late May. That gives them around 12 weeks under the lights. With those chilly temps here in MN it's hard to believe it's ever getting spring.

Dennis

I like to start coleus seeds earlier than usual. Once they have several sets of leaves, you can pinch off the top growth and start more plants from these cuttings. This way, you'll have LOTS more plants come May ;-)

I would go with the T-8 Phillips 32 Watt 4100K Cool White Plus bulbs. I have tried mixing cool and warm bulbs but I haven't seen a noticable difference when growing seedlings.

Regards,

Rokal

I have started seeds already and will continue till March. I have an area in the house that gets plenty a sun to keep them growing till spring. I have a light setup in the basement to start my seeds but I start early in case some do not germinate

Thanks for your help! I guess I'll force myself to wait til at least mid-Feb :) And Rokal- thanks for the input on which bulbs to get! I think I'm going to follow you and stick with the Phillips cool lights. Can't beat 10 for $20!

I agree with rokal, and use the same 4100k bulbs. They are great for sprouting. I have my setup in the basement and use it like a greenhouse. I have not had a problem with my plants being leggy and have been planting since the first week of January.

I'm in MN too and I've gotten started, same type of set-up with the Phillips bulbs. I track when I start my various seeds each year and adjust according to when I want bloom time to begin. As you said it's a short season hear. My Angelonia are doing nicely - germinated a couple weeks ago. Hopefully this year the blooms will start by early June. I also started some flowering maple around Thanksgiving - I read those take about 24 weeks to first blooms. Most seeds though I start from late Feb through early April.

Good Luck!

I just started my watermelons but I need more time because of the sunlight and growing season. But I guess my questions is the same is it to early? I want to get them big as 6-8 pots I bought last year can I do that?

I'm in MN too. And it is probably not too early for you. I am always chomping at the bit to get going right after Christmas.
I have learned though that depending on what I am starting, it is possible to start too early :)
For perennials and some annuals that take a long time (i.e. geraniums, petunias) I've started them in January.
For shorter season things like veggies, I usually try to wait until later in Febuary at least. I started my tomato seeds in January one year and they were almost 4 feet tall before I could get them planted out. They did wonderfully, but they were a little unruly to deal with in the house/greenhouse.

One thing to keep in mind is to remember how much light space you have. You don't want to be using all your lighted space for germination trays. Then when you go to repot the seedlings into their own pots you will run out of lighted space for them (speaking from experience here! :)

Bobdole
I do not think starting watermelons now is good idea. It is one of those plants that usually started directly in the garden. They grow very fast when temps are high, hate transplanting. Once vine starts going is not unheard for it to grow a foot a day.

watermelon when started too early indoors come up looking good. But when they realize they have been fooled they die quickly despite care. Atleast in my experience.
I have not had good luck with transplanting.
Regina