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Table of Contents
Garden: Seed-Starting (2026 Plan)
This page documents your full 2026 seed-starting and planting schedule for Sanford, NC (Zone 7b/8a), including all tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and all timing we planned.
Overview
Location: Sanford, NC — Zone 7b/8a Indoor Starts: Tomatoes & peppers Direct Sown: Cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash Main Beds:
Tomatoes → 2 beds (4×8 each)
Peppers → 1 bed (4×8)
Cucumbers → Edges of 2 beds on ramp trellis
Squash → 1 bed (4×8)
Week-by-Week Seed Starting Schedule
February 1–15 — Start Peppers Indoors
Sweet Bells
Jalafuego
King Arthur
Red Knight
Big Bertha
Sweet Banana
Seed Details
Depth: ¼“
Germination: 7–14 days
Heat Mat: Yes (80–85°F)
February 15 – March 1 — Start Tomatoes Indoors
Tomatoes (Indeterminate + Determinate mix)
Tropic
Amelia
Mountain Rouge
Mountain Merit
Celebrity
Roma VF
Mountain Magic (fence-row)
Seed Details
Depth: ¼”
Germination: 5–10 days
Heat Mat: Recommended (75–80°F)
March 10–20 — Potting Up (Indoors)
Pot tomatoes & peppers up into 4“ pots
Tomatoes: bury stems deep
Peppers: do not bury stems deeper
April 5–15 — Harden Off Tomatoes
Start with 1–2 hours shade
Slowly increase sun exposure
Protect from wind and cold nights
April 10–20 — Harden Off Peppers
Same process — slower because peppers are heat-sensitive
April 15–25 — Transplant Tomatoes Outdoors
Requires night temps ≥ 50°F
Install trellises before planting
April 25 – May 5 — Transplant Peppers Outdoors
Requires night temps ≥ 55°F
Install stakes immediately (bells get heavy)
April 20 – May 10 — Direct Sow Cucumbers (Round 1)
Varieties:
Diva
County Fair Improved
Depth: ½–¾” Location: Base of the ramp trellis
May 1–15 — Direct Sow Zucchini & Yellow Squash
Varieties:
Dunja Zucchini
Multipik Yellow Squash
Depth: 1“ Spacing: 36–40” Training: Vertical once 12–18“ tall
July 10–20 — Replant Cucumbers (Round 2)
Varieties:
Replant Diva
Replant County Fair Improved
Extends harvest into fall
Quick Timeline Overview
Month Tasks February Start peppers (1–15), start tomatoes (15–Mar 1) March Pot up seedlings (10–20) April Harden off (5–20), transplant tomatoes (15–25), transplant peppers (25–May 5), sow cucumbers (20–May 10) May Direct sow zucchini & squash (1–15) July Replant cucumbers (10–20)
Final 2026 Pepper List (4×8 Bed)
Total Plants: 12
Sweet Bells (10 plants total)
2 × Red Knight (F1)
2 × King Arthur (F1)
2 × California Wonder 300
2 × Big Bertha (F1)
2 × Sweet Banana
Jalapeños (2 plants total)
2 × Jalafuego (F1)
Spacing
18” between plants
24“ between rows
Bed fits 2 rows × 6 plants
Support
Stakes or cages
Bells load up heavy, support early
Tomato Bed Layouts (Two 4×8 Beds)
BED A (4×8) — Indeterminate / Vertical Rope System
Goal: Steady picking, best disease resistance, strong vertical growth.
Recommended Layout (8 plants)
Row of 4 (front)
2 × Mountain Magic
2 × Tropic
Row of 4 (back)
4 × Roma VF
Even though Roma is technically determinate, it climbs fine with pruning.
Spacing
24” between plants
18“ between rows
Full 8-ft trellis
Trellis Setup
One top bar across the long side of the bed
One string per plant
Weekly “figure-8” wrapping
Remove suckers only from indeterminates (Tropic, Mountain Magic)
Very light sucker removal on Roma
BED B (4×8) — Determinate Slicers (NC Winners)
Goal: Big, reliable slicers with excellent disease resistance.
Recommended Layout (8 plants)
Row of 4 (front)
2 × Mountain Fresh Plus
2 × Amelia F1
Row of 4 (back)
4 × Mountain Merit
Spacing
20–24” between plants
18“ between front/back rows
Trellis Support for Determinates
Grow 4–5 ft tall → use shorter strings
Add 3–4 levels of horizontal twine as they bulk
Must support plants — they load up with fruit fast
Notes & Best Practices
Use fans indoors for strong stems
Water seedlings from the bottom
Mulch all outdoor beds heavily
Stake peppers immediately
Start trellising tomatoes & cucumbers early
Keep frost cloth on hand for surprise cold snaps
Plant basil in tomato beds and marigolds around all beds (your practice)
2026 Seed List (Complete)
Tomatoes
Tropic
Amelia F1
Mountain Rouge
Mountain Merit
Celebrity
Roma VF
Mountain Magic
Peppers
Red Knight (F1)
King Arthur (F1)
Big Bertha (F1)
California Wonder 300
Sweet Banana
Jalafuego (F1)
Cucumbers
Diva
County Fair Improved
Squash
Dunja Zucchini
Multipik Yellow Squash
Tomato Beds (4×8) — 2026 Layout
Below are ASCII diagrams that render perfectly in DokuWiki using <code> blocks. They include front/back rows, spacing, and clearly labeled varieties.
BED A — Indeterminate / Rope-Grown (Mountain Magic, Tropic, Roma VF)
BED A — 4×8 — Indeterminate / Vertical Rope System
← North (Back Row)
+------------------------- 8 ft -------------------------+ | | | [Roma VF] [Roma VF] [Roma VF] [Roma VF] | | | |---------------------------------------------------------| | | | [Mountain Magic] [Mountain Magic] | | [Tropic] [Tropic] | | | +---------------------------------------------------------+
Spacing: - 24” between plants (left → right) - 18“ between rows (front ↔ back)
Trellis: - Full-length 8 ft top bar - 1 string per plant (vertical) - Weekly figure-8 wrap - Light pruning for Roma; normal pruning for indeterminates
BED B — Determinates (Mountain Fresh Plus, Amelia, Mountain Merit)
BED B — 4×8 — Determinate Slicers (NC Winners)
← North (Back Row)
+------------------------- 8 ft -------------------------+ | | | [Mountain Merit] [Mountain Merit] | | [Mountain Merit] [Mountain Merit] | | | |---------------------------------------------------------| | | | [Mountain Fresh+] [Mountain Fresh+] | | [Amelia F1] [Amelia F1] | | | +---------------------------------------------------------+
Spacing: - 20–24” between plants - 18“ between rows
Support: - 3–4 levels of horizontal twine - Shorter vertical strings - Determinates get heavy → support early
Pepper Bed (4×8) — 2026 Layout
Final pepper layout: 12 plants (2 rows × 6 plants).
PEPPER BED — 4×8 — Sweet Bells & Jalapeños (12 plants)
← North (Back Row)
+------------------------- 8 ft -------------------------+ | | | [Red Knight] [Red Knight] [King Arthur] | | [King Arthur] [Big Bertha] [Big Bertha] | | | |---------------------------------------------------------| | | | [Sweet Banana] [Sweet Banana] [Cal. Wonder 300] | | [Cal. Wonder] [Jalafuego] [Jalafuego] | | | +---------------------------------------------------------+
Spacing: - 18” between plants - 24“ between rows
Notes: - Stake all peppers immediately - Sweet Banana & Big Bertha grow large → heavy support
Squash Bed (4×8) — 2026 Layout
ZUCCHINI & YELLOW SQUASH — 4×8 BED
+------------------------- 8 ft -------------------------+ | | | [Dunja Zucchini] [Dunja Zucchini] | | | |---------------------------------------------------------| | | | [Multipik Yellow] [Multipik Yellow] | | | +---------------------------------------------------------+
Spacing: - 36–40” between plants Training: - Vertical once 12–18“ tall using rope/twine
Cucumber Trellis Layout (Bed Edges)
CUCUMBERS — Ramp Trellis (2 Bed Edges)
April 20 – May 10 (Round 1)
- Diva × 2
- County Fair Improved × 2
July 10 – 20 (Round 2)
- Replant Diva × 2
- Replant County Fair × 2
Planting Notes: - Depth: ½–¾” - Train up the ramp trellis immediately - Keep lower 8–10“ of vines pruned for airflow