Is it practical to start seeds in a "sunny" window?

[Kolesar]

Where I live, the lake freezes, the clouds disappear, and winter starts to get sunny by March 1. Is it practical to start vegetable seeds on an eastern or southern window sill? The reason I ask is that I am loathe to waste electricity in a fluorescent lamp. However, since we keep our house at 67 degrees (and colder at night), I would expect that I would need a 100 Watt heating pad, anyway. A window sill is one of the coldest places in the house, even with "modern" gas filled double paned windows.

I think that I would like to use an east window to start broccoli seeds in June (we don't get any direct sun into the south window during the summer because the sun is overhead). Those "cole crop" plants would do better if they were transplanted in late July because they don't thrive in hot summer weather. The garden centers around here start to sell those plants in May and run out by mid June. I would expect better success with germination when the house was near 80 degrees as opposed to a March day.

[hippywife]

1. I thought seeds were supposed to be started

in the dark or at least in a less sunny location until they sprout. :hi:

[Kolesar]

2. Ok. What I meant was "to grow seedlings" for several weeks

[Gormy Cuss]

3. In a sunny window, yes.

They need sun + heat to take off. Better still is to start them in a mini greenhouse. I start mine in deep clam shell containers,covering them at night and leaving the lids open during the day.

[FedUpWithIt All]

4. You don't need much light for the seeds. The issue is once they sprout.

I am pretty near you (lake county) and we are using lights. We are starting the seed in the cellar with lights. Our frost is too late and the plants would be pretty well established and needing more than out limited winter light by plant time.

Good luck.