Where to Buy Seeds or Starts
Whether you decide to start your garden by planting seeds or buying plant starts (i.e., young plants), you have plenty of options on where you buy your supplies.
Places to Buy Seeds
If you opt to start your garden from seed, by starting seeds indoors or directly sowing into the garden, there are plenty of places to buy seed packets online and in retail stores. Both options have plenty of benefits. You need to weigh the drawbacks and decide what is best for your garden.
When it comes to buying online, there are many different options, depending on the specific plants you are interested in. There are reputable, well-known sites to purchase from and smaller sites that offer more specialized options.
If you choose to buy seeds online, there are some benefits:
- Online retailers offer a more comprehensive selection of seeds to choose from. The greater choice is advantageous if you’re looking for heirloom seeds or lesser-known varieties.
- Buying online saves time compared to going to different locations and looking for what you want.
- Shopping on the internet can be more economical than buying from retail stores. Their prices are often lower for individual seed packets.
But buying from local retail locations (big-box stores, home improvement stores, hardware stores, grocery stores, garden centers, nurseries, etc.) also has advantages:
- Some local stores, primarily family-owned garden centers and greenhouses, may offer seeds specially bred for your local climate, so they are known to thrive in your area.
- Buying seeds in person allows you to plant quicker than buying them online and waiting for products to ship.
However, the drawback to buying locally is that most places usually only carry the most popular, well-known varieties, so you are limited in options.
Buying Plant tarts Instead of Seeds
If you’re buying plants, it’s best to buy them locally.
Plant starts are available locally — typically, most of the places you can buy seeds, including big-box stores, local garden centers, and nurseries, even some hardware stores. Local farmers’ markets are another fantastic place for purchasing garden plants.
If you choose to buy starts locally, always inspect the plants thoroughly for insect pests and signs of disease problems.
Some retailers allow you to purchase live plants online, but they can tack on high shipping costs, and there’s no guarantee about the quality you’ll get. Plus, they may only ship at specific times of the year based on your growing zone and recommended planting dates, limiting when you can buy plants.
Special Considerations When Choosing Seeds or Starts
Keep in mind that certain vegetables don’t do well when started from seed and need to be started using particular pieces of the plant. When it comes to vegetables like potatoes, onions, shallots, garlic, and asparagus, you need to spend the money on specialized planting materials. You can’t purchase juvenile plants like you can with tomatoes or peppers.