Starting Vegetable Gardens from Seed

When planting vegetable gardens, many gardeners buy “starter” plants. But you can also start your garden from seed.

Starting from seed saves money and allows you to select from a wide variety of vegetables that come in a range of tastes and colors and are suited for your area. In fact, some vegetables must be grown from seed, such as beans, squash, and okra.

You can direct-seed them or plant them in small containers until they’re large enough to transplant.

Different vegetables should be planted at different times of the year. Order fresh seed well in advance of planting or buy from local sources right before planting.

Sow more than you think you’ll need, and thin out the weaker plants. Consider starting seeds throughout the season for a continuous vegetable harvest.

UF/IFAS Sites

• Seeds & Propagation

UF/IFAS Publications

• Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide
• Seed Production and Seed Sources of Organic Vegetables
• Seeding the Garden
• Starting Seeds (PDF)
• Vegetables A - Z

Also on Gardening in a Minute

• Fall Vegetable Gardening
• Fertilizing Your Vegetable Garden
• Hardening Off Seedlings
• Maintaining the Vegetable Garden
• Spring Vegetable Gardens
• Storing Seeds
• Vegetable Gardening: Introduction
• Vegetable Gardening with Raised Beds

Other Sites

• A Beginner's Guide to Vegetable Seed Gardening--You Grow Girl Gardening Blog
• Seed Starting--U.S. Department of Agriculture Community Gardening Guide (PDF)
• Starting Plants from Seed--North Carolina Cooperative Extension
• Starting Plants from Seed--University of Missouri Extension
• Starting Seeds Indoors--Clemson (SC) Cooperative Extension