ccheek
Deeply Rooted
Needing advice: What seeds grow better when started in pots/seed starters and which grow better when they are sown directly in the garden? And does either really matter with some plants?
Seed Starters vs. Planting Directly in the Garden???
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Smart Red
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In my experience, most seeds do better when sown directly into the garden. My main purpose for starting in containers is to get an earlier start for veggies that take a bit more time from planting to harvest.
I have started plants inside and transplanted them into the garden only to have direct planted varieties outgrow them anyway. One benefit to planting seedlings is that they get a head start on weeds and are easier to spot when weeding.
The very warm weather plants like tomatoes and peppers do best started inside because cooler spring weather hinders their natural growth and getting outside as the summer heat starts means they will have time to fruit and have the fruit ripen before frost.
Root plants, however, are among the most difficult to transplant and I seldom start them inside -- the exception being onions which need a longer growing period. Most root plants around here have a relatively short growing season.
I can understand how in some growing zones, getting a head start on plants to beat the heat or starting tenders inside to avoid late frosts might be necessary, but here in zone 5 there are few veggies that need early starting if only I could learn patience and work with Nature rather than trying to get the upper hand.
Often I do start 'fall' veggies inside (or at least in a mini-nursery situation) so they can grow and avoid competition with weeds until the garden space is ready for them.
Annual flower seeds are another thing entirely. So many flowers come to us from long growing season areas that giving them an early start inside means we can enjoy their blossoms long before we would if starting them outside.
I have started plants inside and transplanted them into the garden only to have direct planted varieties outgrow them anyway. One benefit to planting seedlings is that they get a head start on weeds and are easier to spot when weeding.
The very warm weather plants like tomatoes and peppers do best started inside because cooler spring weather hinders their natural growth and getting outside as the summer heat starts means they will have time to fruit and have the fruit ripen before frost.
Root plants, however, are among the most difficult to transplant and I seldom start them inside -- the exception being onions which need a longer growing period. Most root plants around here have a relatively short growing season.
I can understand how in some growing zones, getting a head start on plants to beat the heat or starting tenders inside to avoid late frosts might be necessary, but here in zone 5 there are few veggies that need early starting if only I could learn patience and work with Nature rather than trying to get the upper hand.
Often I do start 'fall' veggies inside (or at least in a mini-nursery situation) so they can grow and avoid competition with weeds until the garden space is ready for them.
Annual flower seeds are another thing entirely. So many flowers come to us from long growing season areas that giving them an early start inside means we can enjoy their blossoms long before we would if starting them outside.
dickiebird
Garden Addicted
I've tried starting many different plants inside, corn, okra, melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and on and on.
About the only things I found that was really helped by starting inside were tomatoes and peppers.
All the rest were actually stunted compared to what I direct planted.
THANX RICH
About the only things I found that was really helped by starting inside were tomatoes and peppers.
All the rest were actually stunted compared to what I direct planted.
THANX RICH
Ridgerunner
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I don't know of anything that grows better when started in a pot and transplanted versus direct seed. I think it's more of a case of starting things early if you need to because of your growing season. Some people might argue about up-potting tomatoes being beneficial but I think that is more of a case of growing season than a real need for the tomato. Dad used to sew tomato seeds outside in a bed when the weather got warm and transplanted those directly into the garden with no up-potting.
Certain plants like tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers need a warm soil to germinate and require a certain growing season to produce so they are often transplanted, not direct seeded. Some cool weather crops like cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower need to be set out fairly early from transplants because from direct seeding they would not be able to produce before the weather got really hot.
If you have any specific plants in mind we may be able to tell you what we do, but you may get a few different opinions. We don't always do everything exactly alike, even if we are in similar growing climates.
Certain plants like tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers need a warm soil to germinate and require a certain growing season to produce so they are often transplanted, not direct seeded. Some cool weather crops like cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower need to be set out fairly early from transplants because from direct seeding they would not be able to produce before the weather got really hot.
If you have any specific plants in mind we may be able to tell you what we do, but you may get a few different opinions. We don't always do everything exactly alike, even if we are in similar growing climates.
digitS'
Garden Master
There is some advantage in days-to-maturity, @ccheek . It doesn't seem to be quite 1 to 1, however. Starting a plant indoors 8 weeks before setting out doesn't seem to mean that it matures a crop 8 weeks early.
Maybe it would with something like Iceberg lettuce, those plants would already be nearly mature before setting out. But, a volunteer cherry tomato seed that sprouts in the garden on May 1st will probably be only about 4 weeks behind an 8 week old cherry tomato plant transplanted to the garden on May 1st. Something like that ...
Other than that headstart, what I like about setting out plants is that once cultivation is complete, transplanting commences and ~ boom! Instant Garden!
Not quite that but you know those germination ratings on seed packets? It says 90% or something. Well, what do you do about leaving 10% of your garden unpopulated with plants? You go back and scratch in more carrot seed, or something.
It might be okay to have 10% of your carrots 2 weeks later than the others. Or, sow extra seed and spend all that time on your knees thinning. Setting out tomato or pepper plants, you shouldn't have to do anything like that. Boom!
The head start is real important for me. Often, there will only been a 3 week season for vine-ripened, beefsteak tomatoes, even with quick-maturing varieties. Imagine if I don't have that 4 week head start ...
Steve
who has heard that cabbage won't head properly without being transplanted but doesn't know.
Maybe it would with something like Iceberg lettuce, those plants would already be nearly mature before setting out. But, a volunteer cherry tomato seed that sprouts in the garden on May 1st will probably be only about 4 weeks behind an 8 week old cherry tomato plant transplanted to the garden on May 1st. Something like that ...
Other than that headstart, what I like about setting out plants is that once cultivation is complete, transplanting commences and ~ boom! Instant Garden!
Not quite that but you know those germination ratings on seed packets? It says 90% or something. Well, what do you do about leaving 10% of your garden unpopulated with plants? You go back and scratch in more carrot seed, or something.
It might be okay to have 10% of your carrots 2 weeks later than the others. Or, sow extra seed and spend all that time on your knees thinning. Setting out tomato or pepper plants, you shouldn't have to do anything like that. Boom!
The head start is real important for me. Often, there will only been a 3 week season for vine-ripened, beefsteak tomatoes, even with quick-maturing varieties. Imagine if I don't have that 4 week head start ...
Steve
who has heard that cabbage won't head properly without being transplanted but doesn't know.
Smart Red
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Red
who has planted cabbage directly in the spring garden and harvested cabbage heads. A few late cabbages as well were direct sown rather than transplanted and did well.
digitS'
Garden Master
I have sown cabbage seed in the garden.
Then, the young plants were transplanted out where they grew through the summer.
That worked fine for both Jersey Wakefield and Copenhagen Market, early and mid-season types.
Goldie (not really, but that was Grandmother's nickname
)
Then, the young plants were transplanted out where they grew through the summer.
That worked fine for both Jersey Wakefield and Copenhagen Market, early and mid-season types.
Goldie (not really, but that was Grandmother's nickname
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ccheek
Deeply Rooted
Thank you, everyone, for all the great advice. My grandfather always planted all of his seeds directly in the garden, and he always had beautiful plants full of veggies. But I have a 12 year old son and a 7 year old daughter who were interested in helping in our garden this year so I started a couple of everything we have (sunflowers, marigolds, watermelon, cucumbers, cantaloupe, tomatoes, lettuce, jalepenos, bell peppers, squash, pumpkins, onions, corn, okra, beans.... lots and lots) so they could watch the different plants sprout up. They have been really excited to check the progress every morning, afternoon, and evening. So we will have a mixture of potted starters and seeds planted directly in the garden but I wasn't sure if some would have problems since they were transplanted. We shall see!
so lucky
Garden Master
Gardening with kids is really fun, and gets them much more excited about actually eating the vegetables they grow. So, good for you!
Practically speaking, crops like cucumbers, squash, corn and beans come up so quickly in the garden when the soil is warm enough to plant them, that planting indoors, then transplanting outside is a bit of a waste of time, even if it doesn't stunt the plant.
For all the reasons the others have mentioned, there are some veggies that you will be glad you started early indoors, provided you have enough light to promote sturdy growth.
With a few years of gardening under your belt, you will quickly figure out which works best for you, in your zone and garden location. It is a rewarding (sometimes frustrating) experiment!
Practically speaking, crops like cucumbers, squash, corn and beans come up so quickly in the garden when the soil is warm enough to plant them, that planting indoors, then transplanting outside is a bit of a waste of time, even if it doesn't stunt the plant.
For all the reasons the others have mentioned, there are some veggies that you will be glad you started early indoors, provided you have enough light to promote sturdy growth.
With a few years of gardening under your belt, you will quickly figure out which works best for you, in your zone and garden location. It is a rewarding (sometimes frustrating) experiment!
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ccheek
Deeply Rooted
I agree! The kids are having a blast, which makes it that much more enjoyable for me. They haven't really been interested in the past, but this year they aren't playing any summer sports so I actually had time to till a garden instead of just doing a few containers of my favorites. My husband and I took them with us to a garden show a couple of weeks ago and something just hit and they wanted to start helping.
