Did I wait too long to start my seeds indoors?

I'm new to gardening and my seeds just came in today, March 2nd. However, all of the packets say to start the seeds indoors in flats 6-8 weeks before the last frost date, then harden them outside, and finally transplant. I didn't think to prepare for that :{ I live in northeast Texas and my last frost date is March 10th. Can I still start them and plant them late? thanks!

Seems to me like a great time to be starting transplants. One benefit of starting transplants, is that they are bigger plants when they go into the ground, so less likely to succumb to bugs, birds, mice, etc...

I second Joseph's thinking, there is no time like now to be starting transplants, you will have plenty of time for them to grow so that when you do plant them out they are strong and will perform better for you.

Redhawk

What seeds? I'd think anything but tomatos and peppers i would plant in the ground. Im in central texas and tomatos have already sprouted from seed in the ground. These are from tomatos i left on the ground from last season. Your frost date will be gone before they sprout.

I just think of everything that can set them back with transplants. Low light that makes them stringy and transplant shock are 2 that come to mind. Add the pots drying out for a third.

Maybe do some in trays and some in ground.

Let me add one more thing about tomatos and texas. The ones i grow in ground, by letting some tomatos lay on ground, rarely give me a spring/summer crop. When heat comes they quit producing flowers.  Last year the spring sprouts didnt produce till fall, but they produced til the last frost. Getting a head start is very important if you want a harvest prior to summer.  

I started some heirloom transplants 3 weeks ago and they are no bigger than whats in the ground. I will have to buy them this year.

You people and your warm climates! :-)

Granted we won't see thawed ground for many weeks, I still have disagreements with my wife on the start time for tomato/pepper transplants.  I prefer no sooner than April 15th to start seeds indoors....as wayne f. alluded to, we've had many stressful months of May where the plants were gangly and unthrifty and yet it was well too soon to put them in the ground.  Seems if they've gotten a good start by May 1st and then some good growth up to June 1st, they can get transplanted anytime before June 15th for a decent crop.  I suspect those in central Canada just to the north may use a similar schedule, but with landraces adapted for seed-to-finish, one may be able to skip transplanting altogether.

The reason gardeners grow seedlings is to get a head start on planting their crops so that over the season they'll have time to produce. In your case in a week or so you can just plant in the ground. Here in Pa I don't really grow many seedlings, variety wise. I need to grow tomatoes, peppers and that's about it. I could grow cantelopes as seedlings or lima beans, or sweet potatoes. But we don't grow them here, they don't do well. Maybe I should take a new look at them.

In your case you could just plant all of the above in the ground. The problem you have is will your plants produce before it gets too hot. I'd just plant out the seeds you bought and again when it begins to cool plant some again for the fall.