Choosing an action
Direct sowing and transplanting
A crop name alone does not describe a planting plan. You also need to know whether you are putting seed into its growing place, starting it elsewhere, or moving an established seedling. Choosing the action first helps the date calculation answer the right question.
Reviewed Oct 27, 2026
Name the work you intend to do
Direct sowing is a seed-sowing task in the intended growing location. Starting indoors is a separate sowing task before a possible move outside. Transplanting records that later move. A plan can contain two linked tasks for one crop without those tasks being duplicates.
Keep purchased seedlings in mind as well. If you are buying plants ready to set out, an indoor-sowing reminder may be unnecessary for your own plan. Removing that task does not change the meaning of the transplant advice; it changes which work you need to remember.
Use the method described by the source
Planting methods can have different conditions even for the same crop. Read the selected guide rather than assuming that every crop needs the same three events. University of Minnesota Extension, for example, recommends direct sowing carrots and discourages starting them in pots for later transplanting.
That is a statement about the method in that guide. It is different from a missing date value. SowWindow distinguishes an action the selected guidance does not recommend from an action for which a usable numeric window has not been recorded.
Follow the timing anchor
For an indoor-start and transplant pair, first identify what the nursery interval is measured from. If it is measured before setting out, the selected transplant date determines the sowing calculation. A later outdoor date may therefore imply a different indoor date.
For direct sowing, retain conditions such as soil readiness when the source uses them. A calendar can record the date you choose, but it cannot observe those conditions for you. Give a manual date a note so that it is clear whether it came from a source rule or your own decision.
Check your plan before saving it
Use the task list to inspect what will happen on each date. An action label should be specific enough that you know whether to prepare seed trays, take seed to the bed, or move plants outside.
- Remove tasks you do not intend to perform.
- Keep the crop, action, and date together when editing.
- Check linked sowing and transplant dates as a pair.
- Retain the source and conditions for the selected method.
- Use a manual task when you have a reasoned date but no supported automatic rule.
Leave a useful gap when information is missing
A calendar with fewer supported events is more useful than one filled with guessed reminders. If a method has no usable timing value, consult the original source, your variety information, or local guidance. Add a date when you have an assumption you can explain, and keep it visibly editable.