Starting Seeds Indoors vs Direct Sowing: Pros and Cons

When planning for the next gardening season, it is important to decide how you will be planting seeds. Will you sow seeds in pots or trays in a greenhouse or indoors with grow lights? Or will you sow the seeds directly into garden soil? If you are like many gardeners, you might be unsure as to which is the best method to use. This article will help you decide by discussing the pros and cons of each method, as well as providing a list of vegetable plants that are best for each type of seed sowing.

What is Indoor Seed Starting?

Indoor seed starting involves planting seeds in small pots or seed trays filled with a special seed starting mix and then placing them in a greenhouse or indoors under grow lights, which mimics the start of spring.

Pros of Indoor Seed Starting

Stronger Seedlings – Starting plants from seeds indoors often means healthier seedlings because you can control growing conditions like moisture, air and soil temperature, wind, pests, and diseases. This controlled environment helps improve germination rates and, once sprouted, helps seedlings develop stronger root systems by protecting them from the elements.

Strong seedlings increase the chance that the plant will reach maturity once it has been transplanted in the garden. Of course, it is important to harden off seeds before planting them outdoors.

Extends the Season – Another pro to starting seeds indoors is that it extends the growing season. Those who garden in colder climates will be able to extend the time for growing warm season crops, while those who garden in hotter climates are able to extend the season for cool crops. Extended seasons are possible because by the time the temperatures outdoors are ready to sow the next season’s seeds, you will have young plants ready to be transplanted outdoors.

Greater Harvest – A greater harvest is another reason why many choose to start seeds indoors. An extended growing season means your plants will begin to produce fruits and vegetables near the beginning of the season instead of mid-season if you had sowed them directly into the garden. More time to produce crops means greater potential for an abundant harvest.

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Cons of Starting Seeds Indoors

While there are definitely advantages to sowing seeds indoors, there are some disadvantages you will also want to consider.

Additional Equipment Needed – To successfully start seeds indoors, you will need additional equipment. A greenhouse can be a very helpful addition to a garden, but it can come at a considerable cost. If on the other hand, you are starting seeds indoors, in a laundry room or spare bedroom for example, you will still need additional equipment. Just as a greenhouse requires shelving, pots or seed trays, and potting medium, you will also need to use grow lights as they provide steady, continuous light for the specified hours needed each day.

A heating mat is also a helpful tool for seed starting because it helps maintain the proper soil temperature for seeds to germinate and plants to grow.

spinach sprouts under grow light — Sprouts under a grow light, Okra In My Garden

Requires More Time and Effort – Not only does starting seeds indoors require additional equipment, but it also requires additional time and effort. For example, you will spend more time and effort maintaining and monitoring growing conditions, including watering the seeds or seedlings and ensuring they are getting the right amount of light, air movement (a fan can help mimic gentle outdoor breezes), etc. You will also need to daily inspect seedlings for any diseases like fusarium wilt and pests like gnats.

Transplant Shock – Another issue you may have to deal with when starting seeds indoors is transplant shock. This phenomenon occurs when plants are moved from the controlled environment indoors to the unpredictability of the outdoors. The change in conditions can cause seedlings or plant starts to experience stress. The result can be yellowing or wilting leaves and stunted growth, from which some plants may not recover. To help prevent transplant shock, be sure to harden off the seedlings by gradually introducing them to the outdoors.

Limited Types of Plants – Another downside to planting seeds indoors is that not all seedlings can be transplanted successfully outdoors. Root crops like carrots, beets, and radishes will experience root disturbance when they are transplanted, causing the root (i.e., the vegetable) to grow deformed. It is best to sow these crops directly into the garden.

What is Direct Seed Sowing?

Direct sowing describes the process where you plant a seed directly into prepared garden soil. Other than possibly seed scarification, there are not any intermediary steps to take.

Pros of Direct Seed Sowing

No Additional Equipment Needed – One of the biggest pros to direct sowing seeds is that it does not require any additional equipment or supplies.

Undisturbed Roots – Another pro to outdoor seed sowing is there is no risk of root disturbance because the plants remain stationary and will not be moved or replanted like plants started indoors.

Cons of Direct Seed Sowing

Waiting for the Weather – One of the hardest things about direct sowing is that you have to wait for warmer (or cooler) weather. Seeds require a certain soil temperature before germination can take place. If you plant them too soon, they may spoil because of overly wet conditions or an unexpected cold snap. If you live in an area that has a short growing season, the waiting game takes up valuable time on an already abbreviated calendar.

Reduced Germination Rates – Seeds planted outside are exposed to the elements. Fluctuating weather conditions can cause environmental stress that can lead to a possible reduction in germination rates, especially compared to seeds started in a controlled environment.

Pressure From Pests – Seeds planted in the ground are always at risk of being eaten by pests. Birds, mice, rabbits, squirrels, and other wildlife enjoy eating seeds. If the seeds do avoid detection by wildlife and germinate, the young seedlings can be destroyed by insects like cutworms, snails, slugs, and flea beetle larvae.

Knowing which plants benefit from being started indoors vs being directly sown can help you determine which method is best for you.

Crops That Benefit From Starting Seeds Indoors