Beginner Gardening: Seed Starting vs Transplanting - What's Best?

As a beginner gardener, you may be wondering, "Which is better to start with, a transplant or seed?".

The truth is that this question is more about understanding ourselves and our reality than an overall transplant win or seed win.

Though I am not a beginner gardener, I still have times I need to decide on seed starting or transplanting for new plant variations I'm introducing to the garden. So I created a list of questions to help me decide if I'd like to start from a seed or buy a transplant and thought maybe they would be of help in the pursuit of your question.

*Just a note that I differentiate both transplants and seed-starting from sowing seeds in the ground. These questions are about whether to buy a transplant or start your seeds at home.

 

1. Which is more cost-efficient? Do I even care about the cost?

2. Is the plant an annual that I need to replant every year or will it come back every year as a perennial in our area?  (There are also biennial plants and high-viable self-seeding plants to think about.)

3. How many years does it take to produce fruit or come to a growth that I can harvest? How long am I willing to wait?

4. When do these plants need to be in the ground? Do I have enough time to grow and care for the seedlings?

5. How many of these plants do I want?

6. Have I struggled to grow these in the past?  (Perhaps I would want to try a different method this time.)

7. Is there a variety I’d like to grow that cannot be found in local nurseries or with friends?

8. Is this better direct sown?

I prefer to grow from seed as much as possible – especially annuals that I want to grow a lot of year after year. If I’ve had trouble growing something from seed over and over or if I want fruit from something that may take several years to produce, I might invest in the plant. I also might buy a plant I find fun or interesting that I would not normally buy seeds for. If I only want one or two plants, I might buy the plant instead of the seed. Some years I've had to buy all my pepper or tomato plants because they were destroyed. Celery has been extremely taxing to grow from seed, so for the last few years I bought some from a local nursery. Do you see how your decision will depend on your unique personality, situation, and season of life?

An honest consideration is realizing that the plant is starting with a seed either way. It's more a matter of WHO is starting it and able to care for it until it's ready to be placed in the ground. So perhaps that is the best question to ask. Am I able to care for this seed and give it what it needs until planting?

However, there is another option: starting in the ground.

 

One advantage to growing a perennial in the ground from seed is that it will develop a strong root system that is very adaptable to its soil and weather. As opposed to rooting something into a new environment that it has not yet learned to withstand come what may.

 

Have you ever seen a volunteer tomato stand up against frosts? They can! I think that’s incredible! Perhaps the natural way they would grow each year without our interference.

It's true, some things can be harder to grow from seed, like lavender, lemongrass, and rosemary for example. However, I've found that I am very capable of growing these same plants with the right kind of care. I’ve also grown them easily by starting their seeds in the garden and letting nature take its course. Regardless, it comes down to preference and willingness to work with failure to try again.