The Seed Starter's Dilemma: Inside or Outside?

Have you been dreaming of picking fresh tomatoes, homegrown carrots, and bouquets of flowers from your backyard? Starting a garden will let you eat delicious food in season and save money from your grocery bill. And the good news is—you don’t need to have a green thumb or a fancy setup to get going. All you need to know is a few basics.

This is the first in a monthly series on gardening basics, where I’ll walk you through some of the foundational steps to help you grow with confidence. Let’s begin with one of the most important questions to consider when choosing what you will grow.

Should you start your seeds indoors or plant them directly in the ground?

Why It Matters

Some crops prefer to bedirect seeded(planted right in your garden soil). Other crops do best whenstarted indoors and thentransplanted once they’ve grown strong enough to thrive outside. Choosing the right method can make a big difference in how well your garden grows. 

To make it easier, we have a helpful filter on our desktop website. When you browse one of our seed collections (such as ourOrganic Vegetable Seeds collection), you can go to “Where to Sow?” in the sidebar on the left of the page and choose indoors or outdoors to see what crops can be sown each of these ways.

Seeds To Start Outdoors (Direct Seeding)

These are the easiest crops to start with—especially for new gardeners.

Pros:

• No special tools or equipment required—just sow your seeds directly into the soil.

• It’s incredibly satisfying to plant seeds and watch them emerge.

• Rain often takes care of watering for you.
  
  

Cons:

• Germination takes time, so mark where you’ve planted.

• Weeds may sprout faster than your crops. Regular hand-weeding is key.
  
  

Great Crops for Direct Seeding:

• Leafy Greens: Arugula, Brassica greens (tatsoi, mizuna, Tokyo bekana), baby leaf lettuce

• Root Crops: Carrots, beets, radishes

• Beans and peas

• Herbs: Cilantro, dill

Seeds To Start Indoors (Transplanting)

If you’re up for a little more planning, this method is incredibly satisfying.

Pros:

• Seedlings are larger than weeds when planted, giving your crops a head start.

• You’ll get an “instant garden” effect once you transplant your seedlings.

• You get the joy of nurturing your seedlings—your “plant babies”—indoors.

• Essential for crops with longer growing seasons like tomatoes and peppers.
  
  

Cons:

• Requires equipment like grow lights or a greenhouse (a sunny windowsill often isn't enough).

• Watering needs to be carefully managed—both too much and too little can cause issues.

• You’ll need to make arrangements if you're away—seedlings need daily attention.

• Starting seeds too early can lead to leggy weak plants.
  
  

Great Crops for Transplanting:

• Fruiting Crops: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants

• Celery

• Herbs:Thyme, Oregano, Sage, Parsley

• Flowers: Zinnias, strawflowers

Crops That Can Be Direct Seededor Transplanted

Some plants are versatile and can be grown successfully either way.

Examples:

• Cucurbits: Squash, melons, cucumbers—can be direct seeded, or started indoors for a head start.
  
  

• Flowers: Sunflowers, calendula, poppies, nigella—transplanting often gives earlier blooms.
  
  

• Leafy Crops: Kale, chard, lettuce—some gardeners prefer to direct seed and thin later, others like transplanting for better spacing control.
  
  

So, What ShouldYou Do?

If you’re just getting started, I recommend beginning with a few direct-seeded crops—they’re simple and low-maintenance. Once you’re comfortable, try starting one or two crops indoors to see how it feels. You can always get seedlings from a local nursery or farmers’ market.

Good luck with your seed starting. May your plants grow tall and beautiful!

Daniel Brisebois