If you haven't done so already, now is the time to start your seeds indoors so that they are ready to plant outdoors at the end of April and beginning of May.  Seeds don't need sunlight to germinate, they actually need heat.  A sunny window helps but there are also seed warming or propagation mats, an electrical device that supplies bottom heat to the underside of the trays.   The mats can be purchased through some seed supply companies and on the Internet starting at around $20.00. 

Tomato seeds will start showing their tiny green heads in approximately one to one and a half weeks after sowing and melon, squash, pumpkin and cucumber seeds are fast-sprouting and are up in a week.  I direct sow a lot of these seeds during the summer at the appropriate time instead of bothering with starting them in flats in the winter.  I'm building a cold frame later this month and will use it in the future for seed starts.

Vegetable seeds are the easiest to grow while flower seeds started indoors prove a little more difficult.  Vegetables that can be started indoors this week are lettuce, early cabbage, kale, collards, broccoli, arugula, spring raab, parsley, onions, leeks, scallions, chives, celery and celeriac.  You can direct sow spinach, peas, arugula and spring/summer onions this week.

My friends at the Hudson Valley Seed Library have a very informative 6 part series on seed starting.  The links are provided here.

http://www.seedlibrary.org/wp/?p=1500

http://www.seedlibrary.org/wp/?cat=93