When should I sow tomatoes, chillies. sweet peppers and aubergines?

Late winter into early spring is the perfect moment to start tomatoes, chillies, aubergines and sweet peppers from seed. These are warmth-loving crops with a long growing season, so an early start gives them the time they need to grow steadily, flower well, and ripen a decent crop.

The key thing to remember is this: they’ll be nurtured indoors at first. That might be as simple as a few pots on a bright windowsill. You don’t need to turn your home into the tropics—too much warmth, especially with poor light, is the fastest route to thin, leggy seedlings.

Is it too early to sow tomatoes in February?

Not for these crops. Tomatoes, chillies, aubergines and sweet peppers all benefit from an early sowing because they’re slow to get going and they need months of warmth and light to reach cropping size.

That said, timing still depends on your setup:

• If you’ve got a bright windowsill and a warm room, late winter to early spring is ideal. You could sow in late January, but February is usually early enough.

• If your light levels are low (short days, gloomy weather, north-facing window), it can be better to wait a couple of weeks rather than rush and end up with stretched seedlings.

A good rule: sow when you can give seedlings plenty of light as soon as they emerge.

Do I need a heated propagator, or will a windowsill do?

Windowsills can work brilliantly for growing seeds, especially for tomatoes. The main requirement is light – a bright, sunny spot where seedlings won’t have to lean and stretch. A heated propagator is helpful (sometimes a game-changer) for chillies, aubergines and sweet peppers because they like higher germination temperatures. But it’s not essential if you can provide warmth another way.

Whatever you use, avoid the common mistake of too much warmth and not enough light. That combination produces soft, spindly growth. Once seeds have germinated, seedlings usually do better a little cooler than the germination temperature, provided they still have good light.

How warm does it need to be to germinate?

Aim for these germination temperatures:

• Tomatoes: 18–24°C

• Sweet peppers: 22–28°C

• Chillies: 22–30°C

• Aubergines: 24–30°C

Warmth speeds germination and improves success rates – particularly for chillies, peppers and aubergines.

Once seedlings are up, move them to a bright spot and aim to grow them on at roughly:

• Tomatoes: around 16–20°C

• Peppers/chillies/aubergines: around 18–22°C

This helps keep growth sturdy rather than stretched.

How deep do I sow the seed?

Most seed packets give a sowing depth, but a reliable rule of thumb is:

• Sow seed at a depth of about twice the seed’s thickness.

For these crops, that usually means sowing around 5mm deep.

How to do it:

• Fill pots or modules with compost and gently firm.

• Sow 1–2 seeds per pot/module.

• Cover lightly with compost (or fine vermiculite if you use it).

• Water gently so you don’t dislodge the seed.

Why are my seedlings long and floppy?

Long, floppy (leggy) seedlings are almost always caused by insufficient light, often made worse by too much warmth.

Common triggers are: growing on a dim windowsill (especially in late winter); setting seedlings too far back from the glass; having the room too warm or a radiator nearby; sowing too thickly so that the seedling are overcrowded and they end up shading each other.

To prevent the problem, set seedlings in the brightest spot you have (a south- or west-facing windowsill is ideal). Keep them close to the window and rotate pots so they grow straight. Don’t overheat them – once they’re up, cooler and brighter beats warmer and darker. Prick out and pot on promptly so they don’t compete for light.

If tomatoes do get a bit leggy, you can often rescue them by potting on and planting the stem of the seedlings deeper. Peppers, chillies and aubergines don’t respond quite as well to that trick, so it’s worth getting light and temperature right from the start.

Kit that makes indoor sowing simpler and more successful

Starting seeds indoors is one of those jobs where the right basics make everything smoother—and you’ll notice the difference in germination rates, seedling health, and general sanity.

Here’s why a few essentials from Norman & Vera Garden Emporium earn their keep.

Coir-based compost blocks

Coir blocks are brilliant for early sowing because they’re clean and convenient to store (no half-open bags of compost drying out in the shed). The compost is also quick to prepare – just add water and you’ve got a consistent growing medium.

The Coir Vital Grow Potting Compost Mix, available from Norman & Vera, is a peat-free, planet-friendly medium made from coconut husk fibres. A 650g block expands to around 10 litres when hydrated, creating a light, fluffy mix with great aeration, drainage and moisture retention for strong roots.

In the meantime, if you've had trouble growing in peat-free composts, this coir compost is great for seedling roots, giving an even texture that’s easy for fine roots to explore. And lastly, these coir blocks are especially handy indoors where you want less mess and more control.

Garden labels

When you’re sowing tomatoes, chillies, aubergines and sweet peppers, labels aren’t optional – they’re essential. Many varieties look identical at seedling stage, and it’s surprisingly easy to forget what’s what after a couple of weeks.

Good labels help you to track varieties and sowing dates, compare what germinated best (useful for next year) and avoid mix-ups when potting on. Use a pencil or indelible ink pen to write your initials, the date, the plant type (ie tomato) and the variety you are sowing. 

Norman & Vera stock a range of different plant labels, but for seed sowing we like these fun coloured Assorted Wooden Labels and Pencil packs. The pencil makes it easy to rub out what's written on the label so that it can be re-used. And being wooden these lables will eventually decompose once you're finished with them. 

Table brush and pan set

Indoor sowing is meant to be enjoyable – not a constant battle with compost crumbs across the kitchen. A table brush and pan set is one of those unglamorous tools that becomes a favourite fast because it keeps your sowing area tidy and makes quick clean-ups easy (so you’re more likely to sow little and often).

Here at Norman & Vera, we stock this Soft Grey Wooden Table Brush And Pan Set blends natural materials with practical design for everyday tidying. With wooden handles and soft, plant-based bristles, it’s gentle on surfaces yet brilliant at scooping up compost crumbs. The compact grey metal pan (with matching wooden grip) is ideal for tables, counters and potting benches, while the magnetic closure keeps everything neatly together.

Chilli growing kits

Chillies are the crop most likely to test your patience early in the season. They can be slow to germinate and they love warmth.

A chilli growing kit helps because it typically brings together the right pieces – container, growing medium, and suitable seeds. All you need to give them is a suitable environment to germinate in. 

Norman & Vera stock a number of different seed sowing kits and for an early start to the year, the Grow Your Own Red Hot Chilli Plants Eco Kit includes Red Habanero, Jalapeño and Orange Cayenne seeds, biodegradable pots, soil discs, wooden markers, a reusable eco tin planter and instructions – simple, sustainable, reliable germination.