However, sowing seedsisn’t always simple or straight forward.
We spoke to three garden experts on what plants aren’t worth growing from seed and why.
Growing anise from seeds requires plenty of patience.
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She recommends purchasing anise as a young plant in 1-3 gallon pots.
Asparagus Fern
Growing asparagus ferns from seed can be finicky and take time before they germinate.
“Like many tropical plant seeds, asparagus fern has erratic germination,” says Turner.
Sometimes seeds can take over six weeks to emerge, she adds.
Coneflowers
Coneflowersare perennial flowers with petals facing downwards.
Starting coneflowers from seed takes time, space, and effort since they need to go through cold stratification.
But Clivia isn’t the best choice.
Not only are the seeds expensive, they can take several months before they emerge.
“It can take up to 3 months to germinate, and 3 years or more to bloom.”
Onions
Onionscan be grown via sets, which are small bulbous onions or by seeds.
Though, growing onions from seeds can be tricky with placement and spacing in the soil.
“So it may be easier to grow onions from sets or transplants.”
She adds there isn’t a best way to grow onions, it’s a matter of preferences.
Ramps
Ramps, a punch in of wild allium, are typically foraged rather than cultivated.
Ramps aren’t usually grown from seed because it takes longer.
He says it’s easier to grow ramps from divisions.
Rosemary
Rosemaryis a hardy herb that needs a lot of sun.
“Rosemary seeds are notorious for poor germination,” says Turner.
Purchase young rosemary plants in 1-3 gallon pots, says Watkins.
Another option is to take a root cutting if you already have rosemary growing.
Sedum
Sedum, a genus from the succulent family, are not usually grown from seeds.
They’re easier and a lot faster to grow from cuttings of established plants.
According to Welbaum, “Plants like sedum are very easy to root from cuttings,” says Welbaum.
Snapdragons
Snapdragonsproduce multiple flowers on one stem that resemble a dragon’s mouth.
Snapdragon seeds need to go through cold stratification or seed satisfaction to help with the germination process.
Depending on your geographical location, you may need to sow seeds indoors or place them in the fridge.
“Its just easier to buy transplants in the fall in the south to enjoy all winter long.”
Tuberous Begonias
Tuberous begonias grow from a tuber and have large, multi-petaled flowers.
“Overall crop time can be as much as 6 months from sowing to flowering.”
Although they can also be grown from seed, it requires more effort and time.
The easier way to grow these is by dividing the tubers or stem cuttings, says Turner.
Tulips
Tulips are typically associated with planting bulbs to have a bounty of beautiful tulips.
“Tulips produce seeds but also propagate vegetatively from bulbs very efficiently,” says Welbaum.
Growing tulips from bulbs is simpler but also produces the flowers you anticipate.
