Direct Seeding Vegetable Crops
When considering how to establish your garden, you basically have two options.
The first is direct seeding and the second is using transplants.
In this post I will focus on the direct seeding method and what to consider before deciding.
Direct seeding, as the name implies, is simply planting your seeds directly into the soil.
All crops can be started in this manner but it is best to consider your growing season first.
The amount of time available to you to grow a crop from seed to harvest is limited by the climate in which you live.
For example, if you live in south Texas, Florida, or at a similar latitude, you will have a much longer growing season than someone living in the higher altitudes of Utah.
In this case, where the length of appropriate warm temperatures may span from February to late November, you may be able to start warm season crops such as tomatoes by direct seeding.
The climate I live in is very different.
Our growing season for tomatoes, late May to early October will not allow us enough time to plant tomatoes as seeds directly into the garden even with early maturing varieties.
However, we can safely plant and grow many other crops directly from seed.
So, what is the best way to make a decision on direct seeding? First, of course is to assess your growing season.
When in doubt, check with your local Agricultural Extension Office.
They can tell you the average frost free dates for the spring as well as the average time of the first frost in the fall.
If you live outside of the United States, consider a local garden center or similar governmental agency as good sources for this information.
Second, you should check the seed packet or catalog for your chosen crop.
Here you will find the time to maturity which is usually given in days.
With the growing season information as well as the specific maturity time, you should be able to determine if direct seeding is appropriate for your crops.
Keep in mind that some types of crops do not transplant well and are best grown from seed planted directly in the garden.
These types of plants are often injured easily by the transplanting process.
Crops of this type include most melons, cucumbers, and many root crops.
In addition, some crops have such short maturity times that they always make sense to use direct seeding.
These include radishes (often ready in 2-3 weeks) and many of the crops grown for their leaves such as lettuces and spinach.
Good luck with your garden this season!
The first is direct seeding and the second is using transplants.
In this post I will focus on the direct seeding method and what to consider before deciding.
Direct seeding, as the name implies, is simply planting your seeds directly into the soil.
All crops can be started in this manner but it is best to consider your growing season first.
The amount of time available to you to grow a crop from seed to harvest is limited by the climate in which you live.
For example, if you live in south Texas, Florida, or at a similar latitude, you will have a much longer growing season than someone living in the higher altitudes of Utah.
In this case, where the length of appropriate warm temperatures may span from February to late November, you may be able to start warm season crops such as tomatoes by direct seeding.
The climate I live in is very different.
Our growing season for tomatoes, late May to early October will not allow us enough time to plant tomatoes as seeds directly into the garden even with early maturing varieties.
However, we can safely plant and grow many other crops directly from seed.
So, what is the best way to make a decision on direct seeding? First, of course is to assess your growing season.
When in doubt, check with your local Agricultural Extension Office.
They can tell you the average frost free dates for the spring as well as the average time of the first frost in the fall.
If you live outside of the United States, consider a local garden center or similar governmental agency as good sources for this information.
Second, you should check the seed packet or catalog for your chosen crop.
Here you will find the time to maturity which is usually given in days.
With the growing season information as well as the specific maturity time, you should be able to determine if direct seeding is appropriate for your crops.
Keep in mind that some types of crops do not transplant well and are best grown from seed planted directly in the garden.
These types of plants are often injured easily by the transplanting process.
Crops of this type include most melons, cucumbers, and many root crops.
In addition, some crops have such short maturity times that they always make sense to use direct seeding.
These include radishes (often ready in 2-3 weeks) and many of the crops grown for their leaves such as lettuces and spinach.
Good luck with your garden this season!
