Advantage of planting seeds?

[sunnychooks]

I've been reading the posts about seed catalogs and I've ordered a few. When I decided to try gardening I assumed I would buy started plants from a nursery. I never considered seeds. What is the advantage? Must they be started indoors before the weather turns mild?

 

[Reinbeau]

That depends entirely on what you're planning on planting. It's always economical to start with seeds, especially for a veggie garden, but if you're planting a perennial border you can plant from seed, but most tend to purchase nursery stock for their gardens. I grow all kinds of things from seed every year, mainly veggies and annual flowers.

 

[digitS']

Give us an idea of what you were thinking of planting, Sunny.

S'

 

[poppycat]

Also some plants, like corn, do much better if they are planted directly in the ground.

Also you can usually get some more interesting varieties from seed cataloges.

 

[Mothergoat]

Starting tomatoes, peppers, and annual flowers from seed is sort of like hatching my own chicks at home. It's cheaper so I can do more, and more, and more! (addiction) And... I just like watching the whole process of life starting out new and going full cycle. It's personally satisfying.
-Linda

 

[henrietta23]

For me, it's mostly about having more varieties to choose from!

 

[silkiechicken]

For me it is cheaper. 100 tomato starts with one $8 bag of seed free potting soil, a years worth of yoghurt cups, and three packets of seeds for a whopping total of like 15 bucks. I suppose I do run a fan and keep them under light 24/7 for 8-10 weeks inside though... much less than buying 80x cost of a tomato start.

 

[digitS']

We never got Sunnychooks back to explain what she was interested in growing . . .

I have started plants from seeds indoors for many years. I agree with everything that's been said it favor of this process - greater variety, economy, personal satisfaction, etc.

The key to success in starting plants indoors is having the right environment. Plants have few needs but one cannot be substituted for another. And, even if something is good for them, too much of even a good thing can be bad. Moderate, moderate, moderate, just as you would in a nursery for any babies.

Plants need light. You can set up your own lights but I've always found a suitable place indoors without supplemental lighting. A south-facing window is probably necessary.

Plants need heat. This is the 1st place where you can get in trouble with too much of a good thing. We like our houses at around 70F. Here's the problem with that: The glass in a south window, just by itself, cuts out some of the sunlight. Probably, the low angle of the sun and outdoor trees, etc. cut down some of the hours of sunlight. Moreover, a shelf in a south window can get down-right hot and rise above room temperature.

Most plants will grow just fine at 70F but without sufficient light they may stretch and stretch trying to find that sun. Silkiechicken runs a fan to help control that stretching but I've found rooms in my house that are cooler than elsewhere and grown my plant starts there.

One room was a bedroom, another a stairway, and probably the best location was a utility room. I was able to keep the temperature down - if there's less light, then less warmth = studier plants. They may not grow as quickly but I can just start the seeds a week earlier.

Plants need moisture. Another place where too much isn't a good thing. For most plants, the surface of the soil should not stay continuously wet. Fungi and such may become unwelcome neighbors for your plants if the soil is soaked for long periods of time.

Don't wait until the plant wilts, however. Get the tip of your finger down in the dirt so that you will know when the potting soil is beginning to dry out. With a little experience, you'll know how moist the soil is by the weight. Use a scale, if you need to, and weight the container and potting soil BEFORE you add water - then weigh it again AFTER it has soaked up all it will hold. You won't need to be moving the pots on and off the scale very long - you'll soon be able to gauge the weight just by picking them up. "Uh-oh, that one's drying out."

Plants need nutrients. But, they need very little during those first few weeks of growth. It's likely that your potting soil has sufficient plant food for the seedling for the first month, or so. Most of the growth is being "fed" by good old photosynthesis - water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide in the air. Magic! (Miracle-gro should be used sparingly and I prefer something organic, anyway

Here's one thing that some folks do that I don't - turn the plants. It's part of the effort to deal with stretching but I've had bad experiences. Keep in mind that a plant in the ground outdoors doesn't turn - it's the sun that moves across the sky and if your plant is in a south window, the sun is still moving across the sky.

I have absolutely tied plants into knots by turning. I will, however, move them closer or farther from the window as they become stacked a little too deep.

"Okay, it's your turn in the window seat, little guy. Grow!":dance

Steve

 

[Mothergoat]

Good ideas from everyone. Before I got a REAL coldframe, I used home-made disposable ones...I took a sturdy cardboard box, cut/folded down the front and folded down the two adjoining sides at a slant from the high back to the lower front of the box, and then cut and fitted a piece of clear 4 mil plastic sheeting with duct tape to make a cover for the box. When I needed to access the plants (or couldn't stop myself from peeking "just one more time"), I could lift the plastic off the top of the box. They grew very nicely next to my house on the south facing deck. The dark siding on the house soaked up lots of heat, even when there didn't seem to be much sun. On REALLY cold nights (for us that would be under 30 degrees F) I brought the box inside. On that rare sunny day, I had to be sure to pull up a corner of the plastic to vent the hot air out of the box. Silkiechicken, I also like those little yoghurt cartons -- they work really well! I also get a little thrill from putting my "trash" to good use.
Happy growing to you all. :tools

 

[silkiechicken]

70 deg! That's toasty for heating! Central air kept at 65 up here. Thermometer says my downstairs room is 63...

Picking up to feel the weight of the container is the way to go. I found that to get tomato seeds started well, I have to take a spray botttle and mist the top of the soil once a day till they sprout, then let them do the dry out and water regime.