Do you have a good farmers' market? That is where I get my transplants, and I had great success the last two summers. I was also surprised at the good variety offered, especially for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. I was under the impression that cukes should be direct sown.
I'd also start hanging out at that nursery and question employees about what kind of selection they get.
Finally, some suppliers sell transplants--I am thinking of Burpee, so that might be worth the risk.

Well everything I planted last year was from Lowes/HD and they did very well. This year I've started seeds, but also plan on buying transplants from HD/Lowes again as well.

I second the farmers' market suggestion.

Cukes are fine with direct sowing.

Also, consider winter sowing for your tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. I have found that winter sown tomatoes put out fruit at the same time as the ones I started indoors and pampered for weeks under the lights. I'm going to do all my tomatoes that way this year. No lights, no fuss, no hardening off!

The peppers and eggplant were slower by the winter sown method than the indoor ones, but they were still better than the transplants I saw in the big box stores, and I could sow the varieties I wanted.

Check out the winter sow forum. They give you the basics even though it is mostly about flowers.

Well, IMO, mainly the price. Plant quality can be a secondary issue, but that varies from species to species. Some things can survive dramatic abuse and snap back. Others are ruined if they are mishandled just a little bit (like cauliflower that "buttons" right in the pack).

Quality and price, and of course selection. When you grow your own, you get to choose the varieties, and you might not find them at the store. I lost some plants to a freak frost last year and HD had the same varieties that I planted.

Another vote for the farmers market. We sell at one, and I can tell you that between what we grow and the other vendors, there are easily over 60 varieties of tomatoes, and a wide variety of other plants - peppers, eggplant, cukes, etc. Go to Localharvest.org and punch in your zip code to find a market near you.

Thank you so much everyone. I do have access to some farmers markets plus local farms that sell plants. I had totally forgotten about them being a source.

I got a good laugh out of the #1 response for downside - 'price'. That NEVER ocurred to me because my last venture in gardening cost me a small fortune in seeds. I remember poring over the seed catalogs and thinking to myself, "this is so cheap" "why doesn't everyone plant from seed". I'l try this one, and that one, and that one... I ordered 34 different seed packets that year (probably a small # to some of you seasoned gardeners), but that was my first attempt at germinating seeds. Hence my hesitation to do this again on my first re-attempt.

Which brings to mind another question, I have tons of that seed left over (7+ years old), but it was not stored in ideal conditions (extreme heat/extreme cold). Would it even be worth trying to see if the seed was still good or should I just trash it? I've been hesitant to throw it away. Makes me kinda sad.

Take a look through the Seed Savers Exchange or Baker Creek catalog and you might be tempted to try starting seeds again. The selection available from seed companies like those is vast, and vastly more interesting than what you can generally buy as transplants.

That said, do whatever works for you. If transplants are all you have time for and you don't mind paying a few bucks extra, then don't hang your head - it's all good!

As for leftover seed, some of it (cukes for example) will mostly be OK, but some others (carrots for example) will probably all be dead. I wouldn't throw anything out just yet. For seeds that are typically direct-sown, do a germination test with a damp paper towel. For seeds that are transplanted, simply sow them together in groups in larger containers (plastic butter tubs for example). Some will germinate and some won't. After they have their first true leaves, you can gently transplant the ones that germinated into their own pots.

-Diggity

Here is a link that might be useful: Average seed longevity

Potterhead, do you winter sow in the ground under cover (hoop houses) or in a clear plastic box on your deck as per the Gardenweb FAQ? How far have you pushed the technique? Have you done eggplants for example?

To the OP: had you kept your seeds in a ziploc in the freezer, they would be all good. As it is, it depends on the seed. Parsnip or parsley certainly not, but maybe some tomatoes will germinate.
Google "vegetable seeds life" and click on the first link.

Squash and cukes should be direct sown.

The entire cucurbit family -- squash, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, ... -- are quick sprouters that transplant badly. So the downside of buying transplants for these is that the plants are very likely to do worse than if they'd been direct-seeded.

I've had uneven results from buying plants when I was unable to start seed. Often the varieties available are generic, but they are also often tried and true. Boring, perhaps, but reliable under a wide range of conditions.

With careful shopping I've gotten excellent, healthy plants. I also got caught by the Bonnie blight a couple years ago.

Probably, over the years, I've had more good luck than bad -- as long as I was careful to buy healthy plants that had not outgrown their containers and which showed no signs of stress from uneven watering.

"The downside of purchasing transplants"

What downside is there? It all depends on what you want.

A huge downside around here is "big box" stores no longer carrying 4-6 plant cell packs and only selling single plants for way too much.

The day I pay $3-$5 for a single plant of any annual veggie is the day I've lost my mind.

nc-crn: While I hear you, I can't help but think about how much I spend on groceries each week. A good portion of my food bill can be attributed to fresh food, and produce (veg, herbs & fruit) is a big part of that. $3-$5 for a plant that produces a generous amount is nothing compared to broccoli ON SALE at $.99/pound.

I'll check my seed. I'd be thrilled to learn that anything has survived. It sounds like I shouldn't beat myself up over my strategy for this year (thanks Diggity). I hope to get my groove back following this coming growing season and will probably try seed again next year.

Potterhead2 - I will check out the winter sow forum. Thanks for the advice.

Finally, sorry I got the cukes wrong. I'll be sure to direct sow them, along with other cucurbit relatives :)

Mom Heather,

What nc-crn was alluding too was the fact that most 'IN SEASON" VEGGIES, will not cost .99 lb during the season.
and even if they were, if you purchased a lettuce start, you probably wouldn't get 5 lbs of lettuce from it (before it bolted),most things are very inexpensive during "the season", so the likelihood of you getting 5 lbs of anything from a 5.00 start is unlikely, and since most things are .33 lb around that time, you would need 15 lbs of produce from that 5.00 start.

Starting from seeds is doable and can save you a fortune ;-)

For an example, look at some of my pics here, could you imagine paying 5.00 a piece, that would cost a fortune, what a rip-off

{{gwi:8599}}

{{gwi:12770}}

{{gwi:17440}}

{{gwi:15175}}

{{gwi:11399}}

I am in only me second year of gardening and I started seeds indoors both times. I did pick up some small plants at a sale last year and those turned out great at only a couple of bucks. I agree that the $5 is just too much for one plant. Now I have the issue of too many seedlings and I've only lost 2 or 3 but there is never too much food.

@johnhughes I love your raised beds from bricks and that you are growing in the open cavity of the ones on the edge. I tried lettuce last year but it was just too hot for them. They are in a shadier spot this year and doing great.

I personally have no problem with cuke and melon x-plants. I've been doing it since my grandfather taught us when i was only knee high. As for broccoli, it is safe to use x-plants also as long as they have not started to head up because of being stressed.
I refuse to buy my x-plants from Lowes or H.D. I use a local farm stand. Around here there are a few, they have numerous varieties, pleasant and knowledgable folks to ask advice from and some even sell the same varities they use themselves. I also like to support the "little guy." Hope this helps...
Dan

Vegetables for $.33/lb in season?

I haven't seen prices that low on anything but the brown-spotted, "red band" bananas for years.

iam3killerbs Same here. Most in season is at least $1.00 per LB. at the market.

Most of the major online transplant sellers have good reputations some not so good. Always check The Garden Watchdog to see their reputation before you buy. My local Home Depot has a problem though. I grow most of my transplant from seed. I purchased a few plants from HD this season and was rewarded with insect infestations each time. It really stinks to have a bunch of beautiful transplants growing indoors only to find insects crawling all over them 2-3 days after buying some transplants from your local home and garden store.

Check Craigslist or the PennySaver or Recycler or whatever your local source of free ads is. Many home gardeners grow extra plants and sell them, and many times they are better than what you can buy in a home center or nursery or mail order or online as the gardener is also growing them for them self and usually puts a lot of TLC into them. Also the varieties they sell are usually ones they have grown them self in their own garden and know they do well in the local area.

Agree with homertherat, the downside of purchasing transplants "can be" quality, price & selection.

I have to share my excitement with all of you! Thanks to the suggestions about Farmer's Markets, I decided to stop in at a local farm that sells fresh eggs. It's about 1/2 mile from my house (I live in a very rural area). Great little place. Plus, in addition to selling fresh eggs, they run a CSA - this will be their 2nd year. I explained my situation to the girl that runs it and she offered to sell me transplants of anything they grow. I have a friend that belonged to the CSA last year and she said they had a great selection, with a good amount of heirloom varieties too. The farmer even said she'd email as each transplant was ready and THEY were about to plant. So, not only am I getting an awesome variety of transplants, she'll be taking all the guess work out of 'when' I should plant.

jonhughes - Very nice looking veggies! I aspire to have such beautiful a harvest :)

As for fresh produce prices, I agree with a few others, I can't remember the last time I saw produce prices that low, even 'in season'. Grocery sticker shock has hit me hard and I can't wait to be more sustainable. Now I can even get local fresh eggs, chicken and dairy from this farm (albeit more expensive). It's been a good day!

Heather; Ever hear the one about the gal that fell into a pile of poo and came out smelling like a rose. Ya baby that's you. I supply friends with starts too. I always start too many. Seeds are so small, plants are so big and I love starting them.

Curt

"I haven't seen prices that low on anything but the brown-spotted, "red band" bananas for years."

Yeah, amazingly (or not considering how much produce comes from CA/AZ/Mex) produce prices in NC aren't really that cheap...unless you count cigarettes as produce.

I'm amazed how cheap produce is out west from Colorado-on.

We generally only get nice deals when things are at the very peak of season.

I'm not going to comment on the downsides of buying transplants, but I'll comment on the downsides of straw bale gardening.

I bought 100 straw bales to start a garden 2 years ago, and the slugs really loved 'em. They lived underneath in the daytime. Then slimed their way up the sides when it got dark out. I left about 70 bales in bale form, and mainly planted tomatoes in them. But the slugs got most of 'em. It was a cold, damp year, so that probably had a lot to do with it. But I think the bales were also a big factor. And I probably would have been able to save some, if I had known enough to pick them when the color first started breaking. But I didn't. I broke up the other 30 bales, and layered them with compost. I think that was a better idea, since the bales went farther. And the plants were closer to the soil, so they could get their roots in there, where all the nutrients were. Someone on here mentioned before that everything they grew in straw bales tasted bland. I think it was because of the lack of nutrients. But I don't know if it's true, because the slugs didn't leave much for me. I think it's a lot like container gardening, where you have to add most of your own nutrients, because the straw only supplies so much.

But last year, I broke up the bales (and unfortunately disturbed some snakes and wasps that decided they were great for nesting in), and found some really nice soil underneath. And the beds I layered with compost were even better.

So, if you're going to use straw bales, I'd suggest breaking them up, and possibly layering them with other stuff, like a lasagne garden. They typically break off in about 3-4" slabs if you just untie them. So it's pretty easy. Also, you'll get lots of unusual looking fungii. I think they're pretty harmless, but they take a bit of getting used to.

I'll agree re breaking up straw bales and using them in a layer 6 to 12 inches thick to suppress weeds and keep the soil cool. This works significantly better in my experience than trying to grow plants in the bales. A concern is if you are using hay that is full of grass seed. The grass will be with you from now on. That is not necessarily bad, just buy more straw each year and apply liberally to the garden. One other problem you may have is that straw absorbs nitrogen as it decays. This can leave the soil depleted which prevents your veggies from growing. So just a suggestion that some added nitrogen would be worth considering.

Some veggies grow low and don't do very well in straw culture. Carrots, Radishes, Beets, Lettuce, etc. are varieties that I would suggest putting into a raised bed.

DarJones

gardningscmplicated & fusion_power - I feel so deflated now! I thought that straw-bale gardening was the perfect solution to my dilemna. Now, I'm questioning whether or not I should try it. I'm not planning anything nearly to the scale you tried. I want to start small, producing only enough veggies for me and possibly my parents. I was going to do 3-4 'gardens' or 12-16 bales.

I'll do a search, but perhaps you can answer another question. Can I make another form of 'temporary' raised bed? I need a landscaping plan and this will not be the year for it. So, I was planning on having my veg garden serve a dual task - veggie production and soil amendment post-growing season. Another thing I'll consider is using the straw in a lasagne type bed. Finally, for the "grow low" veggies, I was planning to fill the middle of the bale garden with pure soil/compost and that would be the location for those. So they wouldn't have to deal with the straw.

I've seen people buy a bag of soil, cut holes in the bag, and plant directly in the bag as a quick makeshift garden.

Personally though, if you've gone that far, unless it has to stay portable or it's on concrete, it's not that much extra work to just dump the soil on the ground and plant in it.

In Canada, the biggest downside to purchasing transplants is that they are never available at the proper time. To avoid stretching their resources, nurseries stock all their transplants in May, feeding the misconception that everything must be planted around Victoria Day weekend (third weekend in May). It's a vicious cycle - new gardeners think this *must* be the right way and garden centers are unwilling to take risks. Brassicas can and should be planted well before this date, so I start them myself. Tomatoes and peppers I buy from the nursery. Eggplant and okra, I start myself because no one here has heard of okra and eggplant varieties are limited.

Also, I've never seen fall transplants for sale but fall is a good season here to grow kale or spinach, particularly if some protection is given.

mom - I read about people using gblack's suggestion of planting in bags of soil. And if you need something temporary that you can move, I think that would have more nutrients than a straw bale. If you're not worried about moving it, I think either breaking up the straw (it's really easy), so it's about 6" deep. Or dumping bags of soil would work. You don't need any borders or framing. You just don't want your lawn--assuming you're doing this on your lawn--to compete with your veges too much for nutrients. So you need something on top your lawn, that will smother it. It will also end up amending your soil, after it stops growing (although the process of decomposing it might use up some stuff at first).

mom - One more thing. I probably sounded like I thought straw bales was a bad idea. But I was just giving you the downside (nothing's perfect). I'm happy I tried it. And if I did it again, without breaking them up like a lasagne garden, I'd just add more stuff to feed the plants. For example, if you're planting a tomato, dig out some of the straw where you're going to set in your transplant. Then dump in some good soil/compost. The straw is just like a big compostable container. I liked working with them. And they really brightened up the yard when they were new. You'd still be left with the slug problem. But when I did it, it was a cold, damp year. So I'm sure that had a lot to do with the number of slugs I had.

The cost factor is my reason for using seeds .For instance a 6 pak of broccoli is $ 2.79 + tax,So let's round it off to .50 cents per plant. Currently broccoli is .65 cents a bunch at the grocery store.Not much of a savings but the home grown tastes alot better.
A packet of seeds cost's around 3 dollars and you get 80% germination and approximatly 1000 seeds per pak.The viability of the seed is good for 2-3 years.Where I live starting in january I plant a 6 pak avery 3 weeks so I can have a continuous harvest till early summer and I have plenty of seed left for the fall crop and next year.
I do this with everything.This year onion transplants where 5 dollars a 100.That's ridiculous!! Every year a few onions will flower in the garden and I save the seed head for the following planting season.
You can save alot of your own seeds for the next years garden and save alot of money.
Also I see plants left on the shelf at the nursery to long and some newbe gardeners think they can plant it and get a crop off of it and they don't,It bolts.This is a big ripoff at the stores that should be monitored better.PJ