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BULLETIN

A fast-growing newspaper curated by the online community.

Is Starting from Seed Always Best?

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  • Tip Bones

There's a certain amount of personal satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment from growing a plant entirely from seed. You control the use of pesticides, the environment, and ultimately the quality of the mature plant. But not everybody can-- or should-- start all of their plants from seeds. If you're like me and like to plant seeds over established plants, check out a few reasons why your garden might be more suited to mature plants.


1. Some Plants Don't Use Seeds


Don't get me wrong, every plant begins someplace, and most common plants will do fine starting from seed. However, there are some that require a different method of rooting. Roses, for instance, can technically start from a properly matured rose hip, but the more common way to replant is to grow from cuttings. In fact, a lot of bushes and trees are like this: two giant salt cedars in my backyard began from just cuttings. If your desired plant needs special care to begin it, you might be better off to just get a good quality plant from a nursery.


2. You Can't Care for Seedlings


Growing seedlings is hard work! It usually requires a set of pods, housed in a grow kit or tiny greenhouse. Essentially, they need to be protected, possibly for a month or so, from bugs, disease, and weather. Not to mention, you'll need to plant several seeds to cull them later, choosing the strongest for your garden. That is, if any of them sprout at all! If there's any doubt that you can care for tiny, delicate plants, pass on the seeds.


3. Your Growing Season is Short


Sometimes, you need to grow quickly. Not everywhere enjoys a long growing season for every plant, and seedlings can take months, or even years, to fully mature. In this case, to maximize the yield from all your plants, produce and flower alike, you might want the groundwork laid for you with a mature plant.


Photo: Pixabay

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