Some seeds are very expensive, and I start them inside for that reason alone.

I'm losing hope now on other seeds that I direct sowed. It's been more than 12 days and I have not seen any sprouts yet except the calendulas. Not sure if I should put peat moss on top of all my plain dirt to preserve moisture.

sunslight, some of the vegetables usually thought best direct sown are carrots, beets, radishes (the edible root types) - among flowers I direct sow in my cool summer, slow to mature climate are nigella, poppies, larkspur, nasturtium.

v1 - No, don't top dress your seeded areas with straight peat, it will have the opposite effect you are looking for. Once peat has been allowed to dry, it will shed water just like plastic. Water will bead on the surface of dry peat and roll off, to moisten peat dried by wind or sun you almost have to knead the water into it - use it only for applications where you can use it as an amendment mixed into other organic materials.

v1: Sow times on seeds can be way off at times. If they haven't sprouted by 30 days, I might give up, but certainly not at 12. If your worried, start some more in another type of medium, as backups.

Don't talk yourself out of certain plants as transplants until you have tried and failed either. I've had exceptionally good beets grown in flats and transplanted and have had some great success with poppies and melons too. Cucumbers are the one plant that seems to grow better when I direct sow, but my germination rates go way down because they need such warm soil.

Have to agree with Morz8 about peat's water repelling tendencies.

thanks everyone.

Johnny's has a list of veggies that can be directly sown and those that are usually transplanted, with some plants being on both lists.

What I hoped to find was a similar list for flowers.

--I have plenty of peat pots/jiffy 7 that I can use for those plants that don't like root disturbance.

I would think there is a list somewhere of flowers that do better with not transplanting.

I realize that it's quite possible to if careful, to successfully transplant even those that say sow in place, do not disturb roots. All my plants are "transplants," but those which don't like root disturbance will be started in peat pots.

I appreciate your comments. I suppose what I'm going to have to do is go through several seed catalogs and note what they say for the growing of each flower. (ugh)

Bob

Have you considered winter sowing? I've found I can start my seeds outside in January or February and they are really ready to go much earlier than if I direct sowed them. I never had much luck with inside sowing, plus I couldn't plant as many seeds.