Seeds vs Seedlings

This is probably the most common question beginner gardeners have. Should they buy seeds or should they buy seedlings.
Both have their pros and cons.
At a very high level, seeds have more variety and they cost less but are they are also riskier as it can be harder to grow. It can also be discouraging for beginners like myself when germination rate is low.
Seedlings on the other hand can cost $2-$5 per seedling depending on the plant, but if you transplant them carefully, they're almost guarantee to grow.

Honestly, for first year gardening, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something I wasn't sure about. So this is how I went about getting seeds for cheap or for free!

1. Buy off season!
Urban Harvest has a pop up store from April until late June. Last year, I found them and went their last week when they were having a closing sale. I got seeds at half price! So pay attention to off season nursery sales or the weekly sales.
2. Asking family and friends - I got 2 Chayote plants from my aunt in law, my brother in law gave me some random seeds, my mom's friend is giving me a string bean plant. This is a great kick start to my little garden
3. Trading at Seedy Saturday/Sunday events - Google the words Seedy Saturday or Seedy Sunday and your location. You may find some local seed trading events where you can potentially buy home grown seeds for a cheaper price if you don't have anything to trade yet.
4. Seed Libraries!
I'm very grateful to the Markham's Seed Library and the Toronto Seed Library.

I first learned about Seed Libraries when I saw a weird display at the Milliken Mills Library several years ago. They were just starting out and only had 4 different types of seeds. I was wondering what they were doing so I searched it up and it turns out this initiative is part of Markham's sustainability plan. The idea is that everyone should have access to fresh food.
The Toronto Seed Library was founded before Markham's but their vision is also around food sustainability. The Toronto one is not run by the Toronto Public Library so there's no need for a library card to sign out seeds.

I loved the idea of borrowing, growing and giving back into the library.
I also found this to be a great way to try out new food (if it grows properly) relatively risk free. If I had to buy everything I wanted to try to grow, I would never try anything new.

The Markham seed collection has really grown this year. There's a lot more choices but they still run out very fast so you have to be really on the look out every week to see what they have.
I found that the 2 locations in Toronto I visited had a wide variety of choices and had more items on hand then the Markham ones.

If you're in Markham, definitely check out Milliken Mills Library or Cornell Library for the seed library.
Toronto has 20 active locations which all carries slightly different items, so be sure to check out the latest place near you.

Really excited to try these different seeds.
I'm so surprised to learn that Tatsoi is an Asian veggie and it looks so much like a Bak Choy but I've never had it before O_O
I hope it grows well so I can try it :)
I plan on planting that in late summer for fall/winter harvest since it seems to do well in the cold.

Categories: Gardening