To Start Seeds Inside or Direct Sow?

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

What is your preffered method of propogation? Start inside or direct sow?

Are there any plants that need to be started inside?

 

[wifezilla]

I LIKE to direct sow. I HAVE to start indoors if I actually want a harvest!

 

[Ridgerunner]

It depends on your climate, what you want to grow from seed, how much you want to grow, and a whole lot more. For example, there is no way I can grow cabbage here from direct sown seed. My cool weather growing season just goes away before they mature. However, I buy started plants at a garden center so I don't have to grow them from seed. If I wanted a lot more cabbage than I use I would possibly change my approach since those started cabbage plants can get expensive if you buy a lot of them, but for half a dozen or so, its not too bad.

About the only things I start from seed are things that I cannot be successful direct sowing where I am and I cannot be assured I can get the started plants or plant varieties at the time I need them. For example, I've started certain tomato varieties since I want specific varieties of tomatoes and cannot get what I want around here when I want them.

I direct sow my carrots, radishes, lettuce, corn, beans, okra, and many others since I have plenty of time for harvest and I want more plants than I would want to take up the time, space, and bother to start from seed. I have no reason to go to the extra inconvenience of starting them inside.

I personally start very few things from seed inside. I direct sow all I can. I buy most of my started plants at the University of Arkansas Horticultural Club and the local Botany Garden's plant sales, then go to a local garden store for what I want that I could not get from those sales. The convenience is worth the expense for me. Starting from seeds can be a lot cheaper than buying started plants unless you spend a lot of money getting set up, especially if you save you own seeds.

You can spend a lot of money getting set up buying grow lights, containers, heaters, stands, whatever (imagine building a greenhouse to start plants just to demonstrate an extreme) or you can get by with very little money. My only expense this year, other than buying a couple of packets of hybrid seeds I wanted, is the electricity to run the heater and grow light. Everything else I cobbled together from stuff I had laying around. It's not pretty but it pretty much works.

I think you'll find a lot of us do different things for different reasons. Like many things on this forum, it depends on your goals, your set-up, your growning methods, your climate, the number of plants you are growing, the varieties you want, the cost, the space, and who knows how many other variables to come up with the right answer for each of us.

I know it is a looooong answer but hopefully I've kinda addresed your question.

 

[lesa]

When you look at a seed packet, you will always see a number for "days to harvest". You know how long your growing season is, and plan accordingly. In my zone, direct planting a tomato seed would be pure folly. If I don't start indoors, I must buy transplants. Some seed packets will also advise transplanting or not. Most root veggies do not transplant well. (carrots, beets, etc.) You might also enjoy starting seeds in a cold frame arrangement. This avoids the hardening off and leggy issues that are so common in starting indoors.... Seeds are pretty cheap- do a little experimenting. Try both and see what works best for you. Happy gardening!

 

[HiDelight]

my rule is

1. tiny seeds get started pots and start life under lights .. so I can make sure I know where they are!

2. big seeds direct sow because I know where they are

3. also any seed that requires a longer season of sunshine than we actually have here gets started in the house under lights to make sure it has a chance to bloom or fruit or both

4. I start seeds in the house to "play garden" and cheer myself up all the time ..even if I loose the plant ..the cost of a seed in a pot vs the cost of the loss of my sanity ..well you can see why I would choose the seed in a pot right?


this is all very scientific

 

[wifezilla]

I start seeds in the house to "play garden" and cheer myself up all the time ..even if I loose the plant ..the cost of a seed in a pot vs the cost of the loss of my sanity ..well you can see why I would choose the seed in a pot right?


this is all very scientific

EXACTLY!!!

My husband is alive today because I have starter plants to distract me from my winter yucks! LOL

 

[patandchickens]

The advantage of direct sowing is mainly that you never set the plants' growth back by transplanting. Also, to a lesser extent, it requires less fiddling and equipment.

The disadvantage is that you can set their growth back just as much, or easily kill them outright, if you are not careful about maintaining constant soil moisture (which is easier indoors than out); and the main thing for many of us is that one's growing season may not be long enough TO start a lot of things outdoors.

Like, I *have* to start some things indoors (tomatoes, peppers) or I would get zero crop; and other things, like lettuce and spinach, I can have very much earlier in the year if I start them outdoors.

So it just depends on your situation.

Pat

 

[vfem]

If a plant prefers direct sowing (beans, peas, lettuce, root veggies) I am all for it... I expect a stronger plant for it.

Pepper and long season veggies... I always start inside to get a jump on the season. Hate waiting on those tomatoes... and I've read because of soil temps peppers and tomatoes are moody and hard to germinate (not meaning they won't, I just like better chances my way).

A lot of seed packets have suggests for whether to start early inside or to direct sow.

Seed Savers Exchange sent me a copy of a chart they have with the veggie or fruit types and whether to start inside or outside and when (with expected harvest times). Good chart to have handy!!!

 

[digitS']

. . . a chart they have with the veggie or fruit types and whether to start inside or outside and when (with expected harvest times). Good chart to have handy!!!

And, you will be posting a copy of that chart on your blog, V?

Steve's digits

 

[vfem]

. . . a chart they have with the veggie or fruit types and whether to start inside or outside and when (with expected harvest times). Good chart to have handy!!!

And, you will be posting a copy of that chart on your blog, V?

Steve's digits

LOL.... makes me wish I had a scanner... but alas... I do not