sow indoors vs. direct sow
To sow or not to sow…To know what seeds you’ll need to get growing, you’ll first have to figure out which seeds will fare better sown directly into the ground, and which seeds are better suited to be transplanted. A very basic breakdown is to sow indoors tender and heat-loving plants, and to sow outside root crops and cold-hardy plants. Seeds that germinate quickly, like radishes and beans, are also ideal candidates for direct sowing. Also, direct sow plants that are not fans of being transplanted, like peas, beets, squash, spinach, nasturtiums and snapdragons. If you do need to get a head start on these crops, then start indoors in peat pots or fabric bags where they whole bag can be transplanted as to not disturb their roots.
DIRECT SEED:
vegetables — beans, beets, carrots, chard, cilantro, corn, cucumber, lettuce, peas, pumpkins, radish, spinach, squash, turnips
herbs — calendula, dill
flowers — Bells of Ireland, Larkspur, Love-in-a-Mist, sunflowers, zinnias
START INDOORS:
vegetables — Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, kale, leeks, onions, peppers, tomatoes
herbs — basil, lavender, rosemary
flowers — asters, cosmos, marigolds, pansies, violets
Start indoors in peat or fabric bags to not disturb roots: celery, chard, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, spinach, squash
Once you’ve plotted out which seeds you’re going to sow indoors or out, the next step is to figure out when. Check out our list of sowing dates and how to find out your first and last frost dates.
Because I’m a Northern gardener (zone 5), I often start most of my seeds inside because of our short season, but I’ve down side-by-side comparisons of plants sown indoors vs those direct sown. Whenever possible, the direct sown plants proved to be overall larger, and more vibrant than their transplanted peers. The exceptions I sometimes make for this is when it comes to sowing certain flowers. Because of our shorter season, starting some flowers inside are necessary to be able to enjoy their blooms in time before Jack Frost comes to nip them away.
Visit my FAVORITE VARIETIES to grow to see what’s growing on in my garden this year.
Up next in SEED STARTING 101, When to Start Sowing.