Timing of Starting Seeds Indoors

I have ordered a variety of seeds and want to start them indoors so they are ready to go outside as soon as there is no danger of frost. Only one of the packages mentions how much time to allow for germination and none give me any indication of how long they should grow inside before they are strong enough to make the transition. If I start too soon, is there a danger of the plants being too leggy and weak because of the lower light levels indoors?

We wish that we would could put a lot more information on our seed packets. No doubt many of our customers would too. The reality is that most seed companies have little choice but to generalize the sowing information printed on the packets. Not only is space on the packets limited, there is also the problem of making the sowing instructions meaningful to a worldwide clientele. Growing herbs in Canada is very different from growing in Greece, or Australia, or Germany, just some of the countries where we have customers. Sometimes the instructions on the packet are so general that they become practically useless.
We are very aware of the problem. We are trying to work out ways to address the problem using the Internet. We hope to publish a database of cultural data on our website. This database has been in development for three years, and is nearing completion.
In the meantime, we would be happy to recommend starting dates for your seeds. Email your list to inquiry@richters.com .