Direct Seeding vs Starter Plants - Which Is Better?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

If you're just starting out gardening in 2023, please check out my Amazon Affiliate links below to get the right tools for the job! It doesn't cost you a cent, but this channel receives a small incentive for any items purchase through Amazon. Happy Gardening! Seedling Trays! Amazon Canada: amzn.to/3xiKAgi Amazon USA: amzn.to/3DWD2DR Amazon UK: amzn.to/3RRlrCQ pH/Water/Light Meter Amazon Canada: amzn.to/3yafmrV Amazon USA: amzn.to/3OKRW30 Amazon UK: amzn.to/3nvEIM4 Composting Tumbler! Amazon Canada: amzn.to/39CgtYw Amazon USA: amzn.to/39Dha49 Amazon UK: amzn.to/3yLsKVf Handy 12-piece Garden Tool Set!: Amazon Canada: amzn.to/3jsNIyk Amazon USA: amzn.to/2YZhFwx Amazon UK: amzn.to/3qapNql Hand Pruners: Amazon Canada: amzn.to/2YSIFxP Amazon USA: amzn.to/3q3Oftq Amazon UK: amzn.to/2YR3Xf8 Watering Can: Amazon Canada: amzn.to/39U4nIc Amazon USA: amzn.to/2YR3p94 Amazon UK: amzn.to/3oX7hAa Spray Gun: Amazon Canada: amzn.to/3aBxijm Amazon USA: amzn.to/3aL7UHS Amazon UK: amzn.to/3ruol1Z Gardening Gloves: Amazon Canada: amzn.to/2Lt6ZDx Amazon USA: amzn.to/3tzJ32t Amazon UK: amzn.to/3jpf1cU

[@Livingsamsara]

This was timely. I love your Pro/Con list. It may require a lot of thought (and notes, like I do) for new gardeners or newer crops but it's appreciated! This year is my first time attempting melons and thanks to my friend saying "Well they grow so fast, so I never start them early." We're in zone 8. [But yes, we all start our tomatoes & peppers early here.] Thanks again!

[@SpiceyKy]

Which is better? BOTH! Succession planting is life!!!

[@patricianelson8]

Did the same. Had a higher yield of Cucumbers, so I gave them away to coworkers.

[@amyk6028]

Agree 💯

[@kshahkshah]

Your content has been so consistently good over the years man. Kudos

[@donnakacz6460]

Hi Jeff. I'm late, better late than never. But so so glad I dropped what I was doing and checked out my notification. This video gee, I feel like you made it just for me!!! Lol. It's so helpful. Now I'm going to rewatch ( even though I saved it) and make my notes in my Jeff notebook. Thanks so much. Love and God bless.

[@elizaC3024]

You're right both works, depending upon crops.

[@johnlorenzo1413]

I watch and like every video you put out ☺ Very useful information. I have been watching all of your past videos and encourage everyone that wants a successful garder to do so. Thank you.

[@rebeccasterling6235]

Can't seem to get the "like" button to work on this one. I always love the information. 😊

[@lajoycestewart7528]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME--CAPS-EYESIGHT

[@MrScubacat]

Your presentation is outstanding. Makes a person want to grow things.thanks

[@sandyhayden-bristow1382]

I don't have room where I can do indoor starting, so by default I am a direct seeder. It's nice if you have an option but regardless seeing those first seeds sprout will always bring thrills.

[@elenanoumilelini3930]

thank you so much for your time and wonderful channel, I learned so much from every video, your work is priceless. ✊🏻🌱🙏

[@abemichau4706]

Morning Jeff. I was wondering if you could direct me to one of your videos that addresses seed table temperatures. You inspired me to build a propagation room in my grow tunnel. I utilized a old RV hot water tank that is circulating hot water through pipes encased in a concrete table. I’m maintaining 77f -26c degrees on the concrete but my ambient temperature can drop to around 55 F -12C ish. I’m seeing shoots now among the 604 seeds planted but wondering if I’ll need to provide warmer ambient temperatures for the veggies as the plants grow? Thanks for your videos and advice that’s really appreciated for a noob like me. Happy Thursday!

[@abemichau4706]

To be clear, I’d only be interested in information from Th Ripe TomatoFarm content. Advice from you has proven to be trustworthy and reliable, cheers

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Hey Abe, what's up! 75F to 85F is ideal...once true leaves hit, drop the temps to 60F to 70F

[@myrustygarden]

I think it depends on your needs as I only want 2 or 3 pepper plants I buy them as starters. I have for some reason terrible luck with brussel sprouts so I normally buy a 6 pack of starters and give sis in law 2. I tell people there is no shame in buying starters if your not ready or don’t know what you want 😂😂 plus I don’t need 300 broccoli plants. Have a great week Jeff, Ali Langley 🇨🇦

[@emylytle7149]

Morning Jeff, 👩‍🌾😊 that’s a good session of how to start seedling direct sow or indirect, but I tried both and if I fail one way the other then I will do that! Hey another great topic love it! My phone was malfunctioning 🤦🏻‍♀️ see you! 👍👍😊👩‍🌾

[@shieh.4743]

It should be noted that most plants don't start counting their time to maturity until planted outside. You can shave off a bit of time with germination and such, but you really can't grow a tomato plant for 50 days indoors and expect it to have mature fruit on it 25 days later. You'll still likely need to wait 55 days or so for ripening fruit.

[@cristinabondar933]

Thank you!

[@waynesell3681]

Hello hello I'm in Michigan zone 5 b. Will be starting seeds under both florescent and LED lights.. really enjoying this video! Thanks

[@pagebypaget]

This year I started peas, some outside and some indoors. The one outdoors started nicely and quickly, but the rats came to eat. They didn't eat the leaves. But rather the remaining part of the seed in the ground. When I set out the indoor starters, the rats were more focused on the cabbage and spinach. I need advice on keeping rats out of the garden. Traps, but they never stop coming. Sound buzzing and other tactics don't seem to have effect.

[@LittleKikuyu]

Any chance of you adopting a cat? ☺️ That’s THE traditional method and for me works super well 🐈

[@rg-mi5hh]

Last year we took old pots that had flowers and used that soil, compost, a little leftover potting mix and out it all together. Much cheaper to use.

[@samuelc.5063]

Thanks for your excellent video. Is it possible to buy some starter plants from you? Please advise if you sell broccoli plants?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks so much Samuel! I don't currently have any staters for sale.... Try local as much as possible, road stands are great!

[@joepeduzzi8834]

The biggest downside to starts is that a plant determines how much it is going to produce within the first couple of weeks by how far it can spread its roots out. When you start in a pot or plug a plant's roots hit the side of the pot the plant will determine it will not reach its genetic potential due to lack of space for the roots. Direct sowing will always produce higher-yielding plants but the success rate is obviously lower so just over sow and then thin out to make enough space between the plants. I've planted starts right next to the same exact plant that I direct sowed and the direct sowed out produced the start by double every time

[@cristinabondar933]

Thank you so much for this comment. I’ve been scouring the internet to see if anyone has done this side by side comparison! Now I am confident that I can do the same. I plan on covering outdoor seeded things with a milk gallon for the first few weeks. This year I will learn the varieties grow best seeded outside for me in zone 6

[@user-dq9rr9mv3f]

I was wondering as well, I’m about to direct sow some roma tomatoes in a 5 gallon bucket, I will add soil as it grows so the roots get established; but it’s already July, no time to plant starts indoors

[@wormulous]

All I can pull out of this is.... I need more space ie... a greenhouse, but it's still too cold here for that to give me the timings that I would ultimately be looking for. That's it I need a bigger garden a heated insulated large greenhouse... Wait, I just might need to move 😂. My starts just feel like they aren't doing all of that well in the cold garage, but I still have high hopes for them.

[@patriciatinkey2677]

Heat pads & grow lights.. Good Luck!

[@wormulous]

@@patriciatinkey2677 only two heat mats and two grow lights as of right now. Those numbers are gonna need to grow.

[@He4vyD]

Hey Jeff, just wondering if you started your pepper plants yet. Also, do you remember my pepper planting experiment recommendation for this year?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Hey Heavy, I have indeed! Going super simply with just 24 red bell peppers and 6 or 8 jalapenos! Time is a huge crunch this year unfortunately...

[@FrozEnbyWolf150]

I can't direct seed anything due to all the pest pressure around here, which forces me to transplant everything, including carrots and corn. This is why I use cardboard tubes to start them, as those can be transplanted without causing damage to the roots.

[@charmainemrtnz]

Will a fig tree acclimate to a climate after a few years.

[@covahsmusicvault8953]

Hello Emma & Jeff. The dogs are just so darn helpful...in watching us work! (; I'm glad you post the biodegradable cups because it's been a possible "mad scientist experiment" on my mind. Our growing season's terribly short & with the constant snow since Dec. on the ground, I'm worked even the starters I ordered for my zone which will ship May 21st... might be too soon. I ordered some plants I've yet to grow including 2 Siberian tomatoes which are said to fruit down to 38F. That bully zucchini I planted is a strong one & has true leaves already. *Will the cotyledons drop or do I remove them??* Since my Mammoth Suns & Tithonia Torches did amazing last year sown straight into the ground, I'm going to start them in cups so I can just drop them in the ground once the weather gets warmer. I talked another Canadian gardener into planting the "torches"...even told her I'd send some of my parent plant seeds. The ONLY pause I'm having this year is *What would be the best sacrificial plants??* In hopes of deterring pests, esp. flea beetles, I'm planting an area for all things ornery. Thanks in advance Jeff, you are my green-thumb guru. Take care, ~ Covah

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Oh shoot, when is the defined last frost date for you guys??

[@covahsmusicvault8953]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms "Supposedly" May 16th ish. Could you answer my Qs, please/thank you. ??

[@covahsmusicvault8953]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms OMG! So I just checked my area & it says May 19th today. Last year's plants were all grown in Helena and oddly their date is June 2nd. Makes me wonder how they did so well here because I'm in a desert compared to our capital.

[@potagermalo]

Superbe vidéo bravo

[@marilynmitchell2712]

Potting soil is expensive. And I started tomatoes and peppers on Jan. 7 to be planted outside in May. That is how long it takes.Also less than 50 percent of the seeds resulted in actual plants.

[@ginninadances]

Good stuff :)

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks, !! :-)

[@metasamsara]

I wonder do you grow any perennials? How about tomatoes can you overwinter them? If I ever get a garden, I will get to growing my own artichokes, I love them but they're supper hard to find fresh, healthy and bug free where I live.

[@covahsmusicvault8953]

I'm in N.E., MT & overwintered my eggplant, 5 pepper plants, & 2 tomatoes. I didn't know artichokes were biennials when I bought it last year as a starter plant. Oddly, I couldn't find anybody local to provide me an answer on whether to leave it in the ground or bring it inside...even though it was grown a few hours away. So, w/the help of Jeff & 2 bags of Maple leaves...it's been covered since Oct. 28th. It was so healthy in color & foliage which is why I kept it in the ground. At the moment, all I can see is the tomato cage I barricaded it with. Hopefully it's warm enough & will produce a few dozen babes in its lifetime. I wish you luck on your future garden. Take care, ~ Covah

[@metasamsara]

@@covahsmusicvault8953 thanks :) as far as I know, artichokes do not mind cold winters and can even resist strong frost as long as the soil provides them with enough calcium. I believe mlgardener has a good video on taking care of artichokes if you need some tips. i wonder how overwintering tomatoes would affect future harvests as it's a pretty capricious crop and similar to cannabis where most people do not bother overwintering it since it grows fast and yields well from the first year, but i've personally ran into a case of overwintering them outdoors in soil in the middle of mountains in high altitude and they thrived, lol. good luck with your plants :) I wish it was warm enough here to grow my own peppers!

[@covahsmusicvault8953]

@@metasamsara Have you tried varieties for colder climates? For tomatoes, I'm ordering 2 starters called Siberian that mature in 55/60 days, are an heirloom, & best of all...will set fruit at 38F. There has to be some peppers that'll be comparable. All the plants I've kept inside are still alive & only our rare sunny days as ready for the outdoors as myself and senior dogs. My eggplant that was at Death's Door when I purchased it in late June is actually the healthiest one indoors. Even outside, it produced 13 healthy purple babes. Had frost held off till November's end, another 6 would've been large enough to eat as it actually grew a secondary crop. I really didn't want it because having been chained/married to a Sicilian for over 20 yrs...he expected eggplant at almost every meal. The kids & I took a 5 yr. break from even looking at eggplant after the divorce. So upon seeing this crispy sprout and telepathically hearing its cry like a puppy in a kennel...I had NO clue why I took it home. The ONLY thing I'm certain of is that much of my extras went to struggling families in my community that unlike my struggling self do NOT have a massive fenced backyard which sees over 14 hrs. of sunlight during our Summer months. I had a neck injury last year & felt too sick to eat, so I didn't get to enjoy that eggplant because everybody kept taking them. This year, my neck's still damaged but I'll be trying one of those for sure. If I hear of some peppers that fair well in cold regions, I'll let ya know. Take care, ~ Covah

[@gsdmomb530]

I'm in Ontario Canada and our weather is screwey. So I use starter plants, my mother in law has a greenhouse and uses seeds.😁

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

I hear you.... Starter pants are just bullet proof sometimes!

[@gsdmomb530]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms True. And plus we don't ( atleast I don't) plant veggies till our May 24 weekend 😜😁

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@gsdmomb530 short season! Means you gotta be on your game!!

[@anarchisttutor7423]

Would it be possible to start a row of radishes or carrots on a half paper towel tube and put the whole thing in the ground since the cardboard is biodegradeable?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Oh yes, that would work. Beets too.

[@lurklingX]

finding myself wondering (1m in) if seedlings indoors vs a small greenhouse style area makes more sense. it almost seems silly to buy grow lights and do an indoor setup if an outdoor shelf plus draped plastic will get you there. --this is aside from frost dates. just general starting of plants at any time.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

100%;.....if you live in a climate where you can use a greenhouse like that, its way more economical than grow ight setups indoors.

[@elizaC3024]

Need to start in the north, or no time to get harvest.

[@GrandmomZoo]

😊

[@FatcatandFriends]

I couldn’t believe e it when I saw that they’re selling carrot starters at my local nursery.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

I try to grow everything from seed! but if it doesnt work then I will by starts! thats the rule by thumb goes! lol

[@marilynmitchell2712]

It takes 7 months to grow tomatoes in this cool climate (hot here is 75 degrees).

[@covahsmusicvault8953]

We had it -47F w/a wind chill of -70F in late December yet on the same token our summers can be over 110F. My veggies produced brilliantly!

[@lgarden7086]

Those onions are super healthy … what’s your secret?

[@1951Roy]

[@cj77733]

Thank you have great tips and you explain well. 🙌🍅🥬🍉

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks so much CJx2! Cheers!