I'm in zone seven and I usually sow mine towards the end of winter. For me that's generally the end of February until the middle to third week of March. For zone six I'd go three weeks to a month later.

Micki, I don't know about your local weather, but for me here on LI this has been the winter that wasn't. I feel confident sowing my seeds right now, we're a bit warmer during the day but still going down to the low thirties at night. I doubt that Ma Nature is going to give a freak performance by giving us a freeze in the beginning of May when I usually transplant. Just the same, I will keep some old blankets in the garage to toss over the seedlings if a freak freeze should come by--the blanket will protect the seedlings from frost.

I have a bunch of WS tomatoes done - they haven't sprouted yet. I think the day length has a lot to do with it, yes? Tomatoes have never sprouted for me before the end of March, and usually more like mid-April.

On the other hand, linaria I sowed 6 days ago (2006 seed) is up like gangbusters. I know it can take a bit of cold, so I'm not worried.

I'm in zone 6 too, and I usually WSow tomatoes around the end of March. I take cues from the weather though so it varies from year to year. This was an exceptionally warm winter here too, but who knows what will happen as spring approaches. Last winter was cold, but spring was constant rain. That translates to no sun which isn't conducive to growing seeds and seedlings. We're still in a wet rainy pattern so I'm hoping this ends and we get some sunshine. I wish Mother Nature would send some of this rain to the southwest where they need it.

Our current 15 days forecast has lots of rain and lots of night time lows in the 20s, even the low 20s. I won't sow tomatoes or tender annuals until the forecast shows lows staying around 30 and above. Then if they sprout and we get a freeze, I cover the tender ones too. I've never lost hardy perennials or hardy annuals to frost, but I have lost tender ones.

Karen

Last year I sowed toms in December and March. The March ones came up first, early to mid April. Right when I thought the December ones wouldn't sprout, they did late April into May. They seemed stunted in growth until the summer hit in July. They caught up with the few I bought from a nursery, and produced more with less care. I had so many I planted them where ever I could find a spot. Kept going into the fall until I pulled them, I probably should have waited until a deep freeze to see how long they would go.

Soon I have chosen some cold hardy heirlooms I'm going to sow first, Glacier and Nova Scotia. I do have a Sub-Arctic Plenty that I'm going to try as well. Then once I get those sown, I'll concentrate on the others.

Thank you all for your responses.
Trudi, i did send out my sheet to WS.org to get my free tomatoe seeds. I can't wait to seed them.

From what I ascertain here I think it best to wait a little into March. Our winter didn't really come either, it's been warmer than usual here too.

thanks for all the information, there is plenty enough here to go on and I will pass it on to my DD,
Micki