Garden Articles - Benefits of Growing Plants From Seeds

Gardening has become one of the most popular hobbies in America today. Many people use gardening as a way to relax, relieve stress and enjoy the great outdoors. If you have been gardening for any length of time, you know how pricey the hobby can get. From an economical standpoint, growing plants from seed is by far the cheapest way to populate your plant community (unless a friend is sharing with you). A packet of seeds will cost about $1.50 to $2.00 depending on the variety. A flat of 36 plants can cost between 10 and 12 dollars. Planting seeds represent a significant monetary savings, not to mention it’s a lot of fun.

The more you learn about gardening, the more you realize how commercially grown plant selections can be very limiting. It is easy to go out and buy multiple flats of beautiful plants each spring, but you will probably have the same flowers as everyone else on the block. The need for immediate gratification is certainly satisfied, but it does not take long for a gardener to discover that growing plants from seed opens up a whole new world in terms of the wide selection of varieties that are available for your garden. Before you know it the “need for seed” is a driving force in your hobby.

Seeds make it possible to grow heirloom plants and rare, unusual annuals and perennials that are not commercially available. The seeds from these plants can be harvested every year and shared to ensure the continued survival of these plants. My 86-year-old grandmother gave me some poppy seeds that came from the plants that her mother (my great-grandmother) planted; these flowers have been faithfully reseeding and blooming on her property since the late 1940s. I truly feel like I have a link to our family history because I now grow the same flower. Thanks, Granny! If you are lucky enough to be the recipient of some treasured pass-along seeds, heed the advice of the giver concerning the seed's requirements because if they have seed to share, they have obviously done something right!

Growing plants from seeds at home can also give you more control over the plants health and longevity. Starting the seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the average date of the last killing frost (depending on variety and where you live, check the seed label) can extend the blooming or production time. It is also a certain cure for the seasonal cabin fever that afflicts gardeners about that time each year. When danger of frost has passed, harden off the plants over time to acclimate them to the outdoors and transplant them into the ground at the optimal time to avoid leggy or root bound specimens that you sometimes find at retail nurseries.