Should I start seeds indoors?
It depends.
There are numerous pros and cons to starting seeds indoors or direct sewing (starting them outside in the garden). We’ll cover some of the primary factors to help you decide what’s right for you!
Pros to starting seeds indoors:
#1 (in my opinion) is that watching a tiny seed grow into a plant, is magical, incredible and fun!
Certain plants, such as tomatoes and peppers, take longer to produce, so sewing indoors will promote an earlier harvest
Plants such as celery, eggplant and broccoli take longer to establish a strong root system, therefore they can benefit from being started indoors
Flowering annuals, such as zinnias and marigolds, will bloom earlier in the season, when given an indoor head-start
Starting seeds indoors provides a bit more control over the growing conditions
Transplanting a seedling reduces the risk of forgetting where a seed was planted
Pros to starting seeds outside in the garden (direct sewing):
Most root vegetables (carrots, beets, potatoes) don’t do well with transplanting; there are also numerous flowering plants, such as sunflowers and snapdragons that don’t like their roots disturbed
It’s less work to sew directly in the garden, because you’re combining the seeding and transplanting steps. Plus, you don’t need to fuss with the supplies needed for indoor seed-starting
Plants sewn in warm soil germinate quickly, so in some instances there is nothing gained from starting seeds indoors, over sewing outdoors when the soil temperature is right
Outdoor sewing is the way nature intended it, which might be why seeds sewn outdoors typically grow healthier than transplants
You won’t need to go through the hardening off process (hardening off refers to the process of gradually acclimating indoor grown seedlings to the outdoor climate)
In many instances, it comes down to personal preference. When in doubt, my advice is to follow a decision tree of sorts.
Does the idea of watching a seedling emerge excite you (or a child/grandchild)?
Will the plant be harmed if transplanted? *Many seed packets will provide outdoor and indoor (if applicable) sewing instructions,.
If the answer to both questions is yes, then I say, go for it!