[Zeedman]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Many will tell you beans should always be direct sown. If you're careful, it is possible to successfully grow beans from transplants. All of mine are started in pots indoors (or outdoors if we're having a mild spring) a few weeks before plant out.

Provided that you are not growing for dry seed, or if your season is long enough for seed to mature, then beans are better off if direct seeded. It is good practice to start old seed as transplants, though; you have better control over germination conditions, no seedling is wasted by thinning, and you get a better stand. In my climate, unpredictable Spring weather often delays planting - sometimes for weeks (as it did last year). If I am unable to direct seed on time, I start beans intended for seed indoors, so less time is lost waiting for good weather. Long-season beans like limas and yardlongs would be very unreliable if I did not use transplants, so I always start those indoors.

Where the advice for old seeds seems to require starter cells, maybe someone can chime in on how long after germination can they be safely moved out to the garden.

Bean seedlings will quickly get leggy under most artificial lighting, so I move the transplants into direct sunlight immediately after germination. Weather permitting, they go into the ground when the first true leaf has begun to grow, which is approximately 10-14 days after planting. If transplanting is delayed (or if the intent is to start them earlier) you can wait up to 3-4 weeks, but there may be some stunting.

As for the timing of starting your other seeds, it's how I start mine. My peppers and eggplants are all started about 12-14 weeks before plant out. They are very slow growers in my 60-65 degree basement and if I don't start them that early, they end up going out in late May as tiny little plants. With a shorter growing season, it means they won't produce much before the cooler temps arrive. The tomatoes grow a bit faster, so they get started 8-10 weeks before plant out.

I start my transplants in a similar sequence, but under warmer conditions, growth is a little faster. Squash peppers first (about -12 weeks before transplant) since they are slow growing; then C. annuum peppers and eggplant at -8 weeks, tomatoes at -6/-7, and tomatillos at -5. When those go outside to harden off, I start cucurbits (at about -2 weeks), and beans as soon as those have germinated.