When to Start Seeds Indoors in Zone 8
Your month-by-month seed-starting calendar, timed to a last frost around Late February – late March.
- Min Winter Temp
- 10 to 20 °F / -12 to -7 °C
- Last Spring Frost
- Late February – late March
- First Fall Frost
- Mid November – mid December
- Growing Season
- 225–270 days
- Annual Rainfall
- 20–65 in
Seed starting in Zone 8
Starting seeds indoors gives heat-loving crops the head start they need to ripen within Zone 8's season. Because everything is timed to your last spring frost — around Late February – late March in Zone 8 — the calendar below shows exactly which month to start each crop. Count back from your transplant date, sow under bright light, and harden seedlings off before they go outside.
Zone 8 seed-starting calendar
January
All January tasks →Start these indoors
Get a jump on the season under lights or on a sunny windowsill so transplants are ready when the weather warms.
Sow ⅛ in deep at 80°F on a heat mat. Slow to sprout (14–21 days) — start early.
Sow ¼ in deep at 80°F; needs steady warmth for 8 weeks indoors.
Sow ¼ in deep in trays; keep tops trimmed to 3 in for stocky transplants. Choose day-length type for your latitude.
Soak seed overnight; slow to germinate (3 weeks). Surface-sow under lights.
Sow ¼–½ in deep. Germinates in 5–10 days.
Sow ¼ in; transplant into deep holes. Germinates in 10–14 days.
Sow ¼ in deep; set transplants at nursery depth. Germinates in 10–21 days at 65–75°f.
Sow ¼ in deep. Germinates in 7–14 days.
Sow Surface sow — needs light. Germinates in 7–14 days.
Sow ¼ in deep. Germinates in 14–21 days.
Sow ¼ in deep. Germinates in 10–21 days.
Sow Surface-sow to ⅛ in — seeds need some light to germinate. Germinates in 10–21 days at 65–70°f.
Sow Surface sow — needs light to germinate. Germinates in 10–14 days.
Sow Surface sow — needs light. Germinates in 7–21 days.
Sow Surface sow — light aids germination. Germinates in 10–21 days (cold-stratify for best results).
Sow ¼ in deep or press lightly onto the surface. Germinates in 14–21 days at 60–70°f.
Sow Surface sow — seeds require light to germinate; press gently without covering. Germinates in 14–21 days at 65–70°f.
Sow Nick or soak seed for 24 hours before sowing to break the hard coat; sow ¼–½ in deep. Germinates in 14–21 days after scarification at 55–65°f.
February
All February tasks →Start these indoors
Get a jump on the season under lights or on a sunny windowsill so transplants are ready when the weather warms.
Sow ¼ in deep in cell trays; keep at 70–75°F. Germinates in 7–10 days.
Sow ¼ in deep at 70°F; treat like tomatoes.
Sow ¼ in deep; ready to transplant in 4–6 weeks at 4–5 in tall.
Sow ¼ in deep; harden off well before setting out.
Surface-sow under lights at 70°F; very frost-tender.
Sow ¼ in deep; quick and reliable from seed.
Sow 1 in deep. Germinates in 7–10 days in warm soil.
Sow 1 in deep. Germinates in 5–10 days in warm soil.
Sow ¼–½ in deep. Germinates in 5–10 days.
Sow 1/4–1/2 in deep. Germinates in 4–7 days.
Sow Surface-sow only — seeds need light to germinate. Germinates in 7–14 days.
Sow ¼–½ in deep. Germinates in 7–14 days.
Sow ½ in deep. Germinates in 7–14 days.
Sow ¼ in deep. Germinates in 5–14 days.
Sow 1/4 in deep. Germinates in 7–14 days.
Sow ¼–½ in deep. Germinates in 4–7 days.
Sow Surface sow — seeds need light; press gently without covering. Germinates in 7–14 days at 70–75°f.
Sow 1½–2 in deep. Germinates in 7–14 days.
Sow Surface-sow; needs light to germinate — press seed gently into moist soil without covering. Germinates in 7–14 days at 55–70°f.
September
All September tasks →Start these indoors
Get a jump on the season under lights or on a sunny windowsill so transplants are ready when the weather warms.
Sow ¼–½ in deep. Germinates in 5–10 days.
December
All December tasks →Start these indoors
Get a jump on the season under lights or on a sunny windowsill so transplants are ready when the weather warms.
Sow seed on the surface or barely covered. Germinates in 14–21 days (slow; needs light).
Sow Surface-sow — dust-fine seed needs light to germinate. Germinates in 7–14 days at 70–75°f.
Sow Surface-sow — dust-fine seed needs light to germinate. Germinates in 14–21 days at 70–75°f.
Sow seed on the surface (needs light); transplant at nursery depth. Germinates in 7–14 days at 70–75°f.
Sow Surface-sow seed (needs light); transplant at nursery depth. Germinates in 14–21 days at 70–75°f.
How to start seeds indoors
- 1
Count back from your last frost. Most warm-season crops start 6–8 weeks before; peppers and eggplant 8–10 weeks.
- 2
Sow into a clean seed-starting mix, at the depth on the packet, and keep it consistently warm (a heat mat speeds germination).
- 3
Give seedlings strong light as soon as they sprout — a sunny window is rarely enough; a shop light a few inches above works well.
- 4
Pot up if seedlings outgrow their cells before it’s warm enough to plant out.
- 5
Harden off over 7–10 days — gradually expose them to outdoor sun and wind — before transplanting after your last frost.
Seed starting in Zone 8: common questions
When should I start seeds indoors in Zone 8?＋
In Zone 8, the indoor-sowing months are January, February, September, and December, timed to a last spring frost around Late February – late March. Start the longest-season crops first and quicker crops closer to your transplant date.
What seeds can I start indoors in Zone 8?＋
Common crops to start indoors in Zone 8 include Peppers, Eggplant, Onions, Parsley, Cauliflower, Leeks, Artichoke, Ground Cherries. Warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers benefit most from an indoor head start.
How many weeks before the last frost should I start seeds in Zone 8?＋
It depends on the crop: peppers and eggplant want 8–10 weeks, tomatoes 6–8 weeks, and quicker crops like cucumbers or squash just 3–4 weeks before transplanting. Count back from Zone 8's last frost (around Late February – late March) to find each start date.
Zone 8 overview →
Frost dates, climate, and everything to grow here.
Monthly calendars →
What to sow, transplant, and harvest each month.
Plant growing guides →
Full care guides for every crop in the calendar.