Seed Starting and Sowing
When you hear someone say (or read it on this website) “starting seeds” they typically mean that they are going to plant a seed in a seed starting mix, usually indoors or in a greenhouse.
If they say they are “sowing seeds,” this usually means they are direct sowing…which means they are planting the seed outside in the garden where it will germinate and live until it is harvested or until it has completed its life cycle.
Why Start Seeds Indoors?
Seeds are typically started indoors for a number of very good reasons:
- To get a head start on the growing season. This is particularly important for those who live in zones that have shorter growing seasons. This gives the plant a head start.
- To control the environment. When your baby seedlings are tucked into their little beds indoors, you aren’t as concerned about those 129 mile an hour wind gusts with a mix of sleet and torrential rain in the blazing hot desert…well, not about your seedlings anyway. (Yes, Jeremy does want to turn the water hose on me from time to time.)
- When you control the environment where your seeds germinate and start out their lives, you are also controlling the ultimate quality and health of that plant, assuming that it receives the proper care once it leaves your indoor care.
- Starting seeds indoors allows those of us who just can’t hardly wait for our season to begin to go ahead and get our hands in the dirt…or at least in the seed starting mix – which is even more satisfying when you make your own seed starting mix.
Direct Sowing Seeds
Not all plants are happy being transplanted. In fact, many of these types of plants will die after being transplanted, and it is best to direct sow them directly into the garden – outside. These plants include:
- Beans (all kinds)
- Peas (all kinds)
- Corn
- Carrots
- Radishes
- Beets
- Pumpkins
- Melons
- Squash
- Cucumber
- Potatoes
Direct sowing seeds isn’t as easy as starting them indoors, as it is more physical work. Otherwise, the planting of the seed is typically the same as when you start the seed.
You usually plant at the same depth, and often the same spacing, although you will probably be doing some thinning out at some point. You should follow the same moisture requirements for seeds that are sown indoors and seeds that are direct sown.
Why Not Just Buy Already Started Plants?
Because the rest of us are gonna look at you sideways! I’m just kidding…kinda.
- Buying a packet of seeds is waayyy cheaper than buying a started plant, also known as a “plant start.” Money matters even follow you to the garden and the grave.
- To grow varieties that are hard to find as a plant start. If you want to grow Purple Cherokee Tomatoes, you probably will not find a plant start of that variety anywhere near where you live.
- When you start your own seeds, you can start as many as you want, instead of just being limited to one or two plant starts. Most seed packets (not all) contain at least 100 seeds or more, and if you don’t use them all, they will keep until next year if stored properly…and maybe even a few years after that. Real gardeners like to believe that expiration dates on seeds are for “other people.”
- Really, the only reasons to buy plant starts is if you truly have no place indoors to start seeds, such as an apartment. Getting set up to start seeds doesn’t cost nearly as much as that plant start. Another reason to buy a plant start is if the plant is known to be difficult to start (I’m looking at you Celery!) or would take too long to germinate and be ready for transplant (such as if you got a late start in the season).
Up Next: Seeds Based on Difficulty