There’s still a chill in the air, but warmer times are ahead! Sunsets are getting later and sunrises are getting earlier as the sun appears higher and higher in our sky. It’s time to start planning this year’s garden, deciding which plants, if any, to buy as transplants and which to start from seed. I started about 50% of my garden from seed last year and bought the rest as transplants from my local nursery last year. This year, I plan to start the overwhelming majority my plants from seeds. There are pros and cons to both methods.

Pros of Starting Seeds:

1. More Variety

I grow food for taste. Any garden-grown tomato, for example, whether started from seed or transplanted, will taste better than a grocery store tomato. However, the variety of flavors, colors, textures, and plant attributes of tomatoes in seed catalogs is much greater than you will ever find in a nursery. Nurseries start seeds that people are more likely to buy. In the case of tomatoes, that means mostly “normal” red tomatoes. I still grow some of these mostly hybrid varieties as they are often reliable producers. Yet, I encourage you to try some fun new seed varieties.

2. Cost Effectiveness

I’ve spent quite a bit of money on seeds this year, likely buying more seeds than I could ever plant in my space at once. However, I’ve spent a lot more on transplants in years past. There are at least 10 seeds in most seed packets, ranging from $2-7 on most websites. If they all germinate, 20-70 cents per plant, versus $4, $5, even $6+ per plant at nurseries. If kept in a cool, dry area, these seeds can last many years. Chances are I won’t plant all 100 of sun gold tomato seeds that I ordered yesterday this year. That’s one less transplant that I have to purchase in the future.

3. Sharing Seeds/Splitting the Tab

If you have friends or relatives who also like to garden, try seed shopping with them! The average home gardener will not need all 30 pepper seeds in a seed packet in 1 year. You take 5, and someone else can take the other 5, and so on and so forth. Best of all, the tab is split among 2, 3, 4…!

4. More Control

Even the best of gardeners will run into disease and pest issues. They are inevitable. Personally, I’ve been able to keep these issues at bay for longer by starting my own seeds. The majority of nurseries start seeds in a controlled greenhouse environment, initially lowering any risk of disease or pest problems. However, problems start as they sit on the shelf, especially in outdoor settings. It rains, the leaves get wet, the plants are all grouped together, and sometimes improperly “hardened off,” or acclimated to uncontrolled environments (outside). Especially in big box stores, plants may have been over or under watered, over or under fertilized, neglected, etc. Once you bring home an infected plant, everything else in the garden is at risk. I had a terrible cucumber year last year, stemming from a plant that I had purchased at a nursery quickly developed leaf spot. It spread to all other cucumbers and squash. This year, I’m starting all of my cucumbers and putting them in a different spot.

5. Gratification

Nothing beats the satisfaction of planting a seed, watching it grow, and eating the fruit from it. Yes, its great to eat fruit from a transplant as well. It just doesn’t feel the same.

6. Some Plants Prefer Direct Sowing

Some plants, like carrots, beets, beans, and peas do not like their roots disturbed. These crops perform best when you plant the seed in its permanent place, like a raised bed, container, or in the ground.

7. Succession Planting

If your season is long enough, starting seeds makes succession planting easier. As the first wave of cucumbers starts to brown and fade, rip it out and put in some more seeds. You can also space apart plantings for crops like determinate tomatoes so the harvest is not overwhelming.

Cons of Starting Seeds

1. Convenience

Growing from seed can be time consuming and take up some space. Many plants require attention for up to 10 weeks before moving into the garden. Germination may also take awhile if your conditions are less than ideal.

2. Extra Materials

To start seeds indoors, you will need soil. You will need a place to keep them. You will also need artificial light, containers, a fan, and more. None of that is necessary to pick up some transplants from the store.

3. Starting Seeds Requires More Planning

Here we are, February 10th, discussing the summer garden. Now is the right time to order the seeds and get them sprouting to grow a strong root system and give them the best chance. If you are too busy start seeds in a timely matter, transplants are the way to go.

4. Some Seeds are Tricky to Germinate

Some seeds, like parsley and carrots in my experience, are a royal pain to germinate. I have learned methods to combat this. I put carrot seeds in the freezer for 24 hours, yes the freezer, to germinate within 10 days, a process called cold stratification. Without this method, carrot seeds would require constant moisture over a 2-3 week+ period to germinate. If you don’t have the time or the patience, nursery transplants are for you.