I grew up with the light of grow lights seeping out around our basement door every spring. My father took such pleasure in going through the seed catalogs, ordering his seeds, and getting a jumpstart  in the basement with his seed starter setup.

Anyone can start seeds early under grow lights or outdoors in cold frames, no matter how far north. My father also used outdoor cold frames, and would make them using old windows positioned over a simple rectangular frame that was higher on one side so that the window cold slant towards the sun.

Once you have the seeds and light source, how to start seeds?

Seed Starting Mix
Note that you want seed starter and not potting soil. Potting soil can cake, making it hard for new seedling shoots to break through. Simple peat moss without any added nutrients will do. When the seedlings have sprouted, transplant.

Here is a soil-less seedling mix adapted from Four-Season Harvest, by Eliot Coleman.

Ingredients
Three 8-quart buckets each peat moss and compost
2 cups organic fertilizer
one 8-quart bucket perlite

Combine in a big garbage can, and thoroughly blend.

Germinating Seeds

Soak seeds for a few hours in warm water before planting.
Try to maintain the soil at a temperature of 70F

–Adapted from Better Basics for the Home, by Annie B. Bond (Three Rivers Press, 1999).