All About The Garden

Starting your own vegetable seeds at home instead of buying them from the store can be a highly beneficial and rewarding experience. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Cost-Effective: Starting your own vegetable seeds is much more cost-effective than buying seedlings or mature plants from a nursery or garden center. A packet of seeds can contain dozens or even hundreds of seeds, which can yield a significant amount of produce for a fraction of the cost of buying plants. I just bought a packet of seeds for the same price that it would cost me to buy one plant.
2. Customization: Starting your own vegetable seeds allows you to choose from a wide variety of seed varieties and cultivars, so you can select the ones that are best suited to your growing conditions and preferences. This also allows you to grow unique and heirloom varieties that may not be available at your local nursery or garden center. Last year I planted some banana melon that would have never been sold at the store.
3. Control over Growing Conditions: Starting your own vegetable seeds allows you to control the growing conditions from the very beginning, which can greatly increase the success rate of your plants. You can choose the right soil, provide the correct amount of light and water, and monitor the temperature and humidity to ensure optimal growth. Sometimes this seems daunting for a beginner gardener but I can assure you that it is much more simple than you think!
4. Sense of Accomplishment: Starting your own vegetable seeds can be a fun and rewarding experience. There’s a sense of satisfaction that comes with watching the seeds germinate and grow into healthy plants, and then harvesting your own fresh produce. I am personally addicted to this feeling of accomplishment. Maybe it is because I’ve been raising kiddos and my life is messy and chaotic. Starting seeds is something that I can control and makes me have a bit of peace.
5. Timing: Starting your own vegetable seeds allows you to time your planting according to your climate and your schedule. This can help you to get a head start on the growing season, or to extend the growing season by starting seeds indoors and transplanting them outside later. Sometimes the deliveries of plants to the stores are late and have you starting your veggies at the incorrect time. Their focus is not necessarily what is best for your garden but what is best for their pocket books.
6. Environmental Impact: Starting your own vegetable seeds can reduce your carbon footprint by reducing the amount of energy required to transport and store the plants. Plus who wants all those plastic pots?

Overall, starting your own vegetable seeds can be a cost-effective, rewarding, and environmentally-friendly way to grow your own fresh produce. It allows you to have control over the growing conditions, timing, variety, and it can also be a fun activity that can be enjoyed by the whole family.