Growing from Seed vs Buying a Young Plant

[bellahpereira]

Every year my father-in-law and I have this discussion. This year I thought I would outsource it to a group that understands gardening and can hopefully give me/us some insight into the advantages and disadvantages of growing your plant from a seed or buying it as a young plant. Some background: My father-in-law and I always grow tomatoes. I start mine from seed and transfer them into the garden and so on and so forth. He buys his as a young plant, usually from Costco and always gives me grief about how his method is faster and more effective. My plants usually don't grow as big as his (probably because they're non-gmo) but they give me delicious fruit, whereas his grow to be huge plants and give him sour tomatoes that sometimes cannot reach maturity because of falling off the plant and getting eaten by bugs. I know this debate is ridiculous but I'd like to see what you all think - maybe there is a difference I'm not seeing or maybe it depends on the type of tomato. Regardless, I look forward to reading your personal stories/opinions on the matter

 

[marlingardener]

We grow tomatoes and peppers from seed, and also buy starts. Our seed growing set-up is limited, so we order seeds that aren't available as commercial starts (San Marzano and several cherry tomato types, and red and chocolate peppers) but buy readily available types like Celebrity tomatoes and CalWonder peppers.
The size of the plant doesn't really matter (unless the plant is supposed to be 4' tall and is stunted at 12"), but the taste of the fruit does. If you are happy with your tomatoes, and your father-in-law is happy with his, just find some other gardening topic to discuss!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

It depends-------.on the plant---and the cost of the plant versus the seed and time.
Example: I was drawn to a plant called mountain rue to have in my garden. So found out it was $15.00 a plant, to me, back then, a large amount. So found the seeds from a good place, 50 seeds in the pack. Says has to be cold harden over before it sprouts. OK , got that. So in the fridge it goes. In the spring, got the best soil, little pots, placed the seeds in them, and in a wonderful perfect sunny, not too much location, watered as needed. At the end of the summer, 20 babies emerged. Ok --great, Now they are only 3 inches high, not, high enough to stand moving into the "adult" garden. So now, move them into nice pots with soil and tuck them away to winter harden in a protected area. Ok now spring, only 10 come back. So keeping them in the pots all summer, I decide, nope not adult enough for transfer to the "adult" garden. So now ---can you see the story unfold--- On the third year--- only 5 came back---, finally come mid summer they looked like they would be good in the "adult" garden. Transplant they did, and now I have 5 of them still continuing. MY summary, ---the time I spent was nuts, will never do this again, I want a plant, I am buying it. Takes to long.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

but for you veggie gardeners --which I am not--- I got my Amish at cheap rates. So I am good to go.

 

[RamblingChicken]

I don't think the difference between you and your father-in-law is about growing from seed versus buying plants, but about variety. It may also be about different gardening styles.

If he's buying from Costco, I'd guess that he'll be buying well-known varieties known to grow adequately anywhere in the country, but not particularly well in any specific place. They are likely to also be bred to tolerate harvesting early and to stand up to shipping (sturdy thick skins, and so on), rather than for being maximally delicious right out of the garden.

Odds are that if he grew the same varieties from seed, and you found a grower to sell you plants of the same varieties that you're growing from seed, each of your results would be pretty much what they are now.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I'd say neither is better or worse. I buy my tomato plants. I've never had any issues with them, and mine are GMO-Free. So much easier to just buy them and plant them than it is to start them early and look after them. Some grow a lot of tomato plants each year, so it's much cheaper for them to start them all rather than buy them all. I only need two each year, so it's well worth spending a few bucks on them to avoid starting them from seed.

 

[RamblingChicken]

By the way, it's unlikely--possibly impossible--that either of you are buying GMO plants. My understanding is that home gardeners cannot buy GMO seeds, period, and I don't think that they can buy GMO tomato plants either.

Home gardeners can certainly buy hybrid tomato plants and seeds, but hybrid and GMO are not at all the same thing. Hybrid plants are frowned on because they're usually proprietary and because saved seed from the hybrid plant won't reliably produce the same produce the next year.

But hybridization has been used forever in plant breeding. (Though if you go far enough back into "forever" the gardeners/farmers didn't necessarily understand the mechanism.) There's nothing inherently wrong with hybridization; the issue is in terms of policy, because hybridization generally takes power out of the hands of the home gardener.

 

[headfullofbees]

I grow everything I can from seed.
I know what is in there, I know how the plants are treated, I import as little disease as possible.

 

[Greenhorn]

I've done both. I enjoy starting from seed the best as it is the most satisfying for me, but time and opportunity do not always permit. This year I have purchased 2 4" pots, one is Early Girl and the other is a Roma. I purchased as I want to get something in the ground fairly quickly and due to various reasons I had not been able to get some seeds going. Last year I had Early Girl and Juliette that I started from seed. I'm still hoping to get a few started with seeds

I doubt the flavor difference you and you dad have are due to one being store bought and one being from seed, I would guess variety selected and cultural conditions most likely.

 

[headfullofbees]

I would bet that 90% of those who say there is no difference, buy plants, and that 90% of those who say there is a difference, grow ONLY from seed.

That is not to say which group is correct.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

back to my story above. I would have to say---it depends again. On a seed that will sprout, flower, and be successful with out lots of time and fuss then go for it with the seed. But for one that takes 4 years before it can be out planted, then the appreciation and my money will go to the green house and I will buy the plant outright in the pot.

In this thread there are two seed type discussions going on, one the veggie, and one the flowers.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I would bet that 90% of those who say there is no difference, buy plants, and that 90% of those who say there is a difference, grow ONLY from seed.

That is not to say which group is correct.

Depends if we talk about veggies or flowers/shrubs/trees.

I just realized this thread is in the Veggie section of this forum. Of which from now on I will pay attention to and avoid as I truly do not have interest in growing veggies.

 

[headfullofbees]

Depends if we talk about veggies or flowers/shrubs/trees.

I just realized this thread is in the Veggie section of this forum. Of which from now on I will pay attention to and avoid as I truly do not have interest in growing veggies.

I only grow flowers for the wife.

 

[marlingardener]

Oh, veggies and flowers can go together! We have borage, an herb that when young tastes like cucumbers; we grow lots of basil and rosemary, and let some of the plants blossom for the bees; and when our peas are blooming there are pollinators all over them!
We even have some edible flowers, like nasturtiums and chive blossoms.
We can buy starts of basil, chives, and rosemary, but not borage or peas or nasturtiums. We start what we can and what isn't readily available commercially, and enjoy shopping the nurseries for those that we can find in those adorable 4" pots!

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

Go organic and grow from seed, especially if you are interested in consuming any of it as food.