Garden Sown Vegetables

Some gardeners love the idea of direct sowing seeds. This simply means the seeds don't need to start indoors to be transplanted later. You place them straight into the soil outside (following detailed planting instructions, of course)! Some of the first vegetables that you can directly sow in the garden are considered cool-weather crops, like peas and greens. The have early harvests, and you'll benefit from their great nutrition and fresh, homegrown taste. Additional vegetables that can be garden sown include carrots, beets, asparagus, and broccoli. If you're trying to simplify the planting process this year, consider any of these wonderful vegetables.

• Choose from hundreds of garden sown varieties
• No special indoor lighting is required
• Some of the most go-to vegetables for meals are direct sown
• Direct sowing in your garden is as easy as it gets

Direct sown seeds are a godsend for the gardener with little time and without seed starting equipment. Starting seeds indoors, while it does give the grower an impressive headstart on the season, doesn’t work for everyone—and that’s okay!

Direct sowing, or direct planting, is a method of seeding that doesn’t use seed trays or grow lights. All you have to do is wait for the appropriate time to plant, and plant the seeds directly in the ground.

Sees are significantly cheaper than transplants—and while you might sow more seeds outside than you would in seed trays, you’ll still save money in the long run. Yes, you’ll spend a little more time thinning your rows, but at least you’re not spending weeks and months watering and potting up indoor seedlings.

There are hundreds of vegetable varieties that can be direct sown in the garden—ultimately saving you time, money, and space. Even those growers that have greenhouses and seed starting equipment might be tempted to start most of their seeds outdoors this season.

Heat-loving annuals like cucumbers and tropical vegetables like peppers thrive in direct-seeded situations. Seeds from these plants won’t germinate until the soil temperature has warmed up until at least 70°F—so wait a couple of weeks after your area’s last frost before directly planting these seeds.

Root crops like carrots, beets, and radishes actually prefer to be directly planted since these plants develop delicate taproots that can suffer from transplanting. These hardy plants can withstand wintry weather, so don’t hesitate to direct sow these seeds almost as soon as the soil can be worked in early spring.

Quick-growing leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, and kale are yet another excellent candidate for direct-sown gardens. Due to their fast growth, leafy greens are often direct-seeded and succession planted for multiple harvests all season long. Most leafy greens are frost tolerant, so start these seeds outdoors about a month before the average last frost date. If you’re worried about deep freezes, use a set of hoops and frost cloth or a sheet to create a protective caterpillar tunnel for your leafy greens on the coldest nights.

Direct-sowing vegetable seeds can be as simple as pushing the seeds into the ground with your hands, or you can use technology for faster, more even seedings. Many gardeners use walk-behind seeders with specialized settings for different vegetables, but seeders aren’t necessary.

For smaller seeds like carrot seeds, you might choose to mix the seeds with a tablespoon of sand or cornmeal to make handling such small seeds easier, and either medium has the added benefit or marking your completed rows. Learn everything about planting and caring for vegetables in our Vegetable Seeds Planting Guide.

Direct-sown vegetable seeds are the way to go. Save yourself time and money, and leave most indoor seed-starting to the pros. Spring is here and summer is around the corner, so order your direct-sown vegetable seeds today before these varieties sell out and before you run out of time to get them sown!