Google for "my last frost date" and then Google for a Dallas/Ft Worth Planting Guide. The guide will give you very good information about what to plant and when. If you are starting your own seeds (good for you!) you should count back 6 to 8 weeks from the planting date and sow your seeds then. As you are already learning, it's a very bad idea to start seeds too early. Cucumbers will do great (better than in pots) if you just sow them directly in the ground when your soil warms up. That is typically a couple weeks after your last frost date. Put your bare hand on the soil. If it feels cold, it's too soon. Honest. It's that simple. FYI, I live in east central MS, which is a fairly similar climate to yours. I have lettuce seeds up and growing in pots on my deck right now. Should have some to eat in mid to late April. I like to sow a few every two or three weeks so I have a steady supply for as long as the cooler temps hang around.In my raised beds, I have sugar snap peas (sowed in mid February), onions and garlic (planted last November), Kale and Collard's (seeds started last summer and plants put in ground in mid fall), and my second sowing of carrots. (first crop was sowed last fall. We finished them in early Feb.. I planted more in mid February). I'll be planting warm weather vegetables in mid April, weather permitting. That means I'll be able to look at a ten day forecast and see NO night temperatures below 55 degrees. And, the soil will feel warm to my hand. Hope this helps.

Sopamanda, I haven't checked the Tulsa weather, but this weekend OKC will get below freezing temps and possibly snow. Zinnias won't make it. You'll have to protect them. This is a great opportunity to share that Zones really serve only two purposes. First they bond you to others in the WS forum. Second, they tell you what your lowest average temperature should be at some point in the winter. What they DON'T tell is last frost date, highest temp, humidity, rainfall, etc. So those factors have to be taken into account separately. For example, token and I are both in Zone 7, but he's had sprouts much earlier than I, suggesting that his temps have been warmer earlier than mine. But my last frost date is April 15, where his is May 15.

The Sweet Peas I'm planting are the flower type. I just read that edible peas benefit from the inoculant but do flowering ones as well? I've always had beautiful flowering sweet peas. Thanks for your tip about the edible peas, I have some in a 6 pack waiting to be planted.

I have been researching myself, but for vegetables, tomatoes, pepper and squash seedlings that I am growing under light. The farmer almanac indicates that this year last frost for me (7a) is April 12th. That means, I can set those plants out right about now. I think I will be conservative to wait another week and set them out next weekend instead.