Is it better to start tomatoes from seed or buy started plants?
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It depends on how much time you want to spend on them and if you prefer a variety of choices. When buying plants from a local nursery, you will only have a couple of varieties to choose from. The great thing about seeds is that there are dozens upon dozens of different varieties to drool over. Red carrots, purple potatoes, black tomatoes… so many fun new options!
By far, seeds are way cheaper than plants. You can buy a pack of seeds for less than $2 and have over 100 seeds in the pack, as opposed to paying about $.50 per plant from the nursery.
Easy ...throw your rotten tomatoes in the garden and nature will take its cause
How much time do you have and how patient are you? Typically I start seeds in February (cause I can't wait to see things grow!😉), and fill in with a few well chosen started plants. Since I live in So CA my growing season is much longer. If you have a short growing season, I would start with plants - with the fewest days to maturity. If you have time and patience, try from seed. Both will give you lovely tomatoes!
it depends on what you mean by "better". It is certainly easier to buy started plants and simply put them in the ground. It is also more expensive. If you have a place to start seeds inside, and have time to tend them into plants, it is a very inexpensive way to get tomato plants for outside. The other advantage of buying plants is that is easy to select a variety of different types of tomato.
it also depends on your skill level, your soil quality and weather in your area! here in Arkansas, I can plant seeds but gotta watch for those late frosts... plants from local nurseries (Lowes etc.) are from native growers and should do well for you - you can plant later if you go with plants.
I like to start my own seeds....that way I know what variety is growing. I have gone to stores for plants and the tags had been switched...what was labeled a Roma turned out to be a slicing tomato, not a paste tomato.