When to Plant Seedlings in 2026: Lunar Calendar and Dates

Proper planning allows gardeners to avoid being left without seedlings, to remember important crops, and to avoid wasting effort. We are publishing a full list of when and what seedlings to plant in 2026. For convenience, we have also added information from the lunar calendar for gardeners.

When to plant seedlings in 2026

When sowing any seedlings, it is important to consider several nuances. First: the quality of the soil and planting material will determine what kind of seedlings you get. It is important that the soil is not acidic.

«It is important to remember that pots must have drainage. It is worth preventatively watering the soil with potassium permanganate for additional disinfection,» explained Lyudmila Shubina, an agronomist and candidate of agricultural sciences. «Each crop has its own age when seedlings should be transplanted to a permanent place. For cucumbers, for example, it is 30 days, for peppers 65–75 days, for tomatoes it can be 50 days.»

Both too young and overgrown seedlings will deprive the gardener of part of the harvest. Therefore, planting dates are very important to consider.

In the European part of the country and in the Urals, these dates shift by 1–2 weeks due to earlier planting, meaning sowing can be done earlier. One must be guided by the climate.

«In Siberia, the threat of late frosts remains until June 10, so there is no need to hurry either with planting seedlings or with sowing them,» the agronomist warned.

What to plant as seedlings in February

February is the month for sowing late-ripening varieties of peppers and eggplants for greenhouses; they should be sown from the middle of the month. For open ground, these crops are sown from the end of February until mid-March.

You can sow throughout February: celery, leeks, garden strawberries (alpine strawberries). Among flowers, you should sow: petunias, lobelias, violas.

According to the gardener«s lunar calendar, favorable days for sowing seedlings in February are: 1, 4, 8, 10, 11, 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. It is best not to handle seeds on February 16 and 17.

What to plant as seedlings in March

In March, the gardener«s sowing tasks increase: you need to have time to sow early-ripening varieties of peppers and eggplants for open ground by March 20.

Tomatoes for greenhouses are sown from March 15 to 25, so that the age of the seedlings at the time of transplanting to their permanent place is about 60 days. At the end of March, you can sow varieties of tomatoes for open ground, as well as marigolds and zinnias. Cucumbers should be sown only by those who have heated greenhouses.

According to the gardener«s lunar calendar, favorable days for sowing seedlings in March are: 3, 4, 8, 10, 12, 13, 17, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 31; unfavorable days are the 15th and 20th.

What to plant as seedlings in April

April is rich in seedling sowing tasks. By April 10, you need to finish sowing tomatoes for open ground. By the middle of the month — marigolds, asters, zinnias, basil.

From April 15 to 30, it«s time to work on seedlings of cucurbits: cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelons, melons, zucchini.

From April 15 to 25, early-ripening varieties of white cabbage are sown for salads; from April 25 to May 10 — late-ripening cabbage for pickling, broccoli, cauliflower.

According to the gardener«s lunar calendar, the most favorable days for sowing seedlings are April 22 and 23. Favorable days: 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 30. Unfavorable: 12, 13, 24, 25. It is best not to handle seeds at all on April 16 and 17.

What to plant as seedlings in May

In May, you can sow as seedlings all garden crops that should be about 30 days old at the time of planting: cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelons, melons, zucchini. By May 10, you need to sow seedlings of late-ripening cabbage.

According to the gardener«s lunar calendar, favorable days for sowing seedlings in May are: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. Unfavorable days: 9, 16, 23, and the most unfavorable day is May 15.

What else to read about the garden and vegetable plot

When to plant petunia seeds — timing and important rules.

How to use peat pellets for seedlings — pros and cons of sowing.

What must be sown for seedlings in January — an important calendar for gardeners.