Do you want to grow rutabaga seeds in Illinois, but don’t know when to start them?
Whether growing indoors or in a garden, starting rutabaga seeds is not as easy as it seems.
Here’s why:
- Rutabaga Seeds must be consistently watered, receive at least 8 hours of sunlight a day, & be kept at room temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
So if you don’t consistently water them they won’t germinate. If they aren’t in a room that is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit they won’t sprout. And if it receives 8 hours of sunlight the plant itself won’t grow.
- Because Illinois’s growing season is not long enough, rutabaga seeds cannot be sowed outside and should only be started indoors.
Because of this, I’m going to teach you the ideal time to start rutabaga seeds indoors in Illinois:
- To Learn More About HOW to Grow Rutabaga, Check Out This GUIDE!
When to Start Rutabaga Seeds Indoors
Depending on the type of rutabaga, it takes roughly 40-60 days (6 to 8 weeks) to grow rutabaga from seed indoors before you can transplant them into your garden.
The approximate date of when you should start your rutabaga seeds indoors can be found by:
- Finding the last average frost date HERE
- And then subtract 60 days from it
You can also find the average last frost date for most major cities in the below chart that I have created:
To help ensure the greatest success of your rutabaga seeds germinating you should:
- Use a heat mat to ensure the gardening pot remains at 70 degrees Fahrenheit
- Use a grow light to control how much light your rutabaga seeds receive
- Water your seeds with a spray bottle to ensure your seeds are not overwatered
Once your seedlings are ready, you can read how to transplant your plant HERE.
- Related: Here is the BEST Time to Plant Rutabaga in a Garden in Illinois
- Related: Here is the BEST Time to Fertilize Rutabaga in Illinois
- Related: Here is the BEST Time to Harvest Rutabaga in Illinois
It should also be noted that you will not want to introduce your rutabaga plants into your garden until 2 weeks after your last frost or else your plant will potentially die or not bear vegetables.
If you want to learn WHEN to start ANY Vegetable Seed in Illinois, head over to HERE and just type in the vegetable you want to grow.
