Don’t just grab the first plant you see! Pick up your seedling and give it a thorough check with these tips on how to choose garden plants and veggies. Spoiler alert: avoid buying a plant that’s already flowering.
If I’m being honest, I can’t drive by the garden centre without stopping and taking a peek. Or I’ll stop in for a bag of coconut coir and somehow walk away with two tomato plants, some pansies, and a blueberry bush.
When I’m shopping for plants, I’ve reached a point where I can look at a seedling and instantly know whether it’s healthy.
But when you’re first starting out, thoroughly checking a plant to ensure it’s thriving before you bring it home is always a good idea.
After all, the last thing you want is to spend your money on a plant that will die two weeks later or produce few flowers or fruit compared to others in the batch.
So, let me tell you what I look for when buying a plant.
Healthy tomato seedling
How to Choose Plants For Your Garden
Here are my dos and my don’ts when it comes to knowing what plant to buy. It’s pretty easy to weed out the unhealthy plants when you know what to look for.
DO: Look at Foliage
The very first thing I do, especially when I’m buying vegetable plants, is ensure that all the leaves have a healthy colour. I want to avoid any with yellowing or brown spots.
This rule only applies to the “true leaves,” AKA the adult leaves. If the bottom layer of baby leaves, known as the cotyledon, is yellowing and falling off, that’s completely normal. Think of it like losing your baby teeth to make room for your adult teeth.
It’s even better if you see some new tiny growth emerging up top, as you know the plant is actively happy and growing.
DO: Check for Stem Damage
Like checking the foliage, you’ll also want to give the stem a quick check before buying a plant. Ensure there are no breaks and that the stem is sturdy. It should be able to handle the weight of all the growth on top and the potential fruit to come.
These cucumber and kale seedlings are a little small yet. Buy plants with at least two sets of true leaves (adult leaves).
DO: Analyze the Plant’s Shape
Compact and full plants are ideal. Of course, this depends on the plant’s natural growth. But just because it’s tall doesn’t make it better.
For instance, if I’m looking at a bunch of tomato plants, I will buy one that’s more compact. If it’s too tall and spread out, it didn’t receive enough light while growing and has gotten leggy. The compact growth will be stronger in the long run.
These tomato seedlings didn’t get enough light from the grow lights and became leggy.
DO: Check the Root Systems
If everything’s looking good on top, you’ll also want to take a peek at what lies below. First, you can lift up the pot and check for roots coming out of the bottom.
If you see lots, it means the plant is rootbound. This just means you’ll need to get it planted ASAP if you buy it. It also may be harder to break up the roots while planting.
I also like to hold the bottom of the stem and gently pull it from the plastic pot if I’m able so I can check the roots. This just allows me to make sure there are no brown or mushy roots, as some unhealthy plants can have root rot, and ensure that I can gently break up the roots when planting.
This basil plant was actually made of many small seedlings, and I could gently split them and their roots apart to make more basil plants.
DO: Look for Signs of Pests and Disease
The last thing you want to do is bring pests or diseases back to your healthy plants at home. With houseplants, fungus gnats are super easy to transfer between plants, so you want to ensure you see no little guys flying when you give your plant a gentle shake.
Otherwise, look under the leaves, at the leaf nodes, on the stem, and at the top of the soil for any suspicious pest or fungus activity.
DON’T Choose Plants That Are Already Flowering
This may sound counterintuitive, but you want to avoid already flowering plants and look for ones that don’t have fruit on them yet, specifically seedlings and young plants.
If a vegetable already has some fruit, it’s stressed out in the pot and trying to set out fruit and complete its life cycle.
We don’t want that.
We also don’t want to eat anything that grew on the plant before it gets to your house, as it could be coated in herbicides and pesticides from the nursery.
Of course, this rule does not apply to bedding plants or ornamental flowers. This is more so for fruits and vegetables and plants that only flower once per season.
Zucchini flower
If you have any more questions about buying plants or starting your garden, leave them in the comments below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m able.
So many people are picking up organic gardening (yay!), but finding organic plants can become tricky. Organic plants must undergo a rigorous certification process, making them harder to find. But here’s why you may not actually need to buy organic seedlings.
I’m a proud organic gardener, as well as a regenerative one. I’ve always shied away from adding harsh and synthetic chemicals to my garden, instead trying other maintenance methods to keep them out.
Recently, a friend of mine who is a beginner gardener asked me if he needed to buy organic seedlings.
Which is a great question! I immediately asked him why he wanted them to be organic, as your reasoning is a big factor. It’s harder to grow organically, and beginner gardeners will definitely struggle with pest, fungal, and growth issues at first.
Today, I’m answering his question and giving you the low down on what makes a plant organic…and why you may not actually need to buy organic seedlings.
Like this basil, it’s very important to me that all my edible plants are grown organically in my garden as I consume them.
What Makes a Plant Organic?
Many gardeners are leaning into organic gardening, trying to make their gardens healthier for their local ecosystem. Organic gardening naturally supports and maintains soil and plants without using synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.
Organic methods utilize other methods to help combat common issues that affect plants. For instance, to maintain good soil, you might rotate your crops, use compost and green manure, and allow certain weeds to grow.
For organic growers and nurseries, organic applies to more than just growing. It also involves how they handle, package, and transport their organic plants.
To be certified organic, growers must adhere to a strict set of standards that include using organic practices on their land for more than three years, detailed record keeping, regular inspections and audits, and more.
It’s a lot of work to be a certified organic grower!
If your plant is edible but not grown organically, you should consume only the new growth after it is planted in your garden.
The Reality of Organic Plants
If you want organic plants in your garden, they must be from a certified organic grower. It may be difficult to find an organic nursery near you.
Many steps along the way may prevent seedlings from being organic, such as the farm not being certified even if they didn’t use any synthetic products or the whole truck being sprayed with a fungicide in transport to ensure that nothing arrives at the garden centre with the disease.
It can even depend on what type of soil mix was used. These synthetic products can last a long time in the soil and can find their way into many potting mixes.
The seedlings at the West Coast Seeds were organic, as you can see below.
Do You Need to Buy Organic Plants as an Organic Gardener?
I’ll let you in on a little secret…I don’t always buy organic plants. While I love supporting organic growers whenever I can, I don’t make a big fuss about ensuring every plant I own is certified organic.
When you buy the little pot and seedlings from the garden centre, don’t worry too much about whether they are organic. As soon as you put it in your garden, the soil will act as an amazing biofilter. The non-organic elements will filter into the soil quite quickly.
I wait for a new growth cycle for vegetables, edible flowers, and herbs before I harvest anything. Once those initial leaves have fallen off and your plant grows new leaves and flowers, it will be pretty darn close to organic.
If you really want organic seedlings, I suggest you grow them from your own seeds. This is singlehandedly the best way to know exactly what goes into the production of your seedlings.
Soil is a powerful biofilter that does an amazing job of cycling out pesticides and herbicides from our plants.
Frequently Asked Questions About Growing Organically
What is the best organic fertilizer for plants?
Compost is garden gold, especially if you make it yourself. It does so many amazing things for the garden, including providing nutrients for your plants, building up organic matter in your soil, improving soil water retention, reducing erosion, moderating soil temperature, and more.
You can also create your own organic fertilizers, customizing them based on what your plants need. My book Garden Alchemy has a full chapter of recipes dedicated to fertilizers.
What organic fungicide for plants can I use?
I find that prevention is the best way to prevent fungal growth. Fungi thrive in moist, wet conditions. You want to ensure that you properly space out your plants so they have enough air circulation and don’t overwater them.
There are so many ways to tackle pests in the garden organically, and I find the best way to do it is to ask why they are there in the first place. Then, you’ll want to do everything you can to change the conditions so the pests don’t find your plants welcoming anymore. A couple of common pest control methods are companion planting and inviting beneficial insects.
If I could have every seed in the world, I would. But I know that when it comes to seeds, less is more. The key is knowing what you can actually grow, what you truly want to grow, and managing your expectations. Here are the nitty-gritty details about buying seeds for gardening.
Reading a seed packet can be like reading a whole other language when you first begin. Gardening has a TON of jargon and specialty terms that can make getting started a little daunting.
And I’ve been there! I didn’t grow up gardening, so it was a steep learning curve when I began my gardening journey.
We’re in the midst of seed starting season, and I wanted to go back to the basics. I’ve had people ask me things like how you pick what to plant (especially when you want to grow everything!) and what all the information on the back of a seed packet even means.
I’m going to explain it all, so sit back and let’s talk about what you need to know about buying seeds for gardening.
Rather than buying seeds for gardening, you can also save seeds from your existing garden to plant next year.
Today, I’m sharing some excerpts from my ebook Get Growing! Expert Seed Starting for the DIY Gardener. Be sure to check it out for the full guide and everything you need to know, from sowing to thinning to transplanting your seeds.
Choose Your Seeds
Combing through seed catalogues and seed websites can be a fun adventure if done properly, but if you don’t prepare, you may end up with more than your garden (and you) can handle.
It is important to first think about what kind of plants you want (Flowers? Herbs? Vegetables?). Is it warm enough to grow watermelons in your garden or cool enough to grow kale? Do you really have space for three varieties of squash, or will one do?
Make sure to label your seedlings so you know what is what!
Perennial vs Annual Seeds
Starting seeds early in the season is a great way to save money on annuals like flowers, herbs, and vegetables that will flower or fruit in the first year. For beginners, annuals are typically the best garden seeds to buy.
More advanced gardeners could also start perennials from seed in many cases, but it is a more difficult and time-consuming process as perennials may need many months or even years to reach the size of a nursery plant.
Some perennials are easier to grow from seed than others, so if you want to try your hand at starting perennials from seed, be sure to read up on which ones are your best bet in this post.
It’s important to keep in mind that some plants do better than others from seed. This does not mean that what you sow has to be severely limited. There are plenty of flowers, vegetables, annuals, and perennials that will grow easily from seed and thrive. With so many options, you might even have a hard time choosing what to plant.
Of course, your unique location will have its own limits in terms of climate, so be sure to check the seed packet before you buy to see if your area fulfills the seeds’ requirements to succeed.
Only Buy Your Favourites
When buying seeds for gardening, it can be easy to buy every colourful, enticing seed packet you see. But try to stop and think about how much you will use.
The best garden seeds will be different for each person, depending on what you like to grow and where you live.
Make a list of your absolute favourites, and only sow the amount of veggies you will eat or the flowers you need to fill the beds.
This will make the growing process simpler and more fun, and you won’t find yourself overwhelmed by crops you can’t keep up with later in the season.
Herbs are one of my favourites to grow, so that’s what I prioritize in the garden.
Heirloom vs Hybrid vs GMO Seeds
These are terms that can get confusing for new gardeners. And they can easily get mixed up with one another! Learning the difference between the terms heirloom, hybrid, and GMO is key. This will help you in your seed selection process and ensure you buy the best garden seeds for your preference.
I have a whole post on the difference between these types of seeds and all of their pros and cons. Check that post out here.
How to Read a Seed Packet
I can’t stress this enough. Following the instructions on the seed packet will give you the best possible start. Unless, of course, the growing directions read like the radicchio I once started, “Sow seeds a few days after a moonless night.” There is a long history of growing plants with the cycles of the moon, which you can read about in this post. But for this post, we’ll stick to using the last frost dates and the Gregorian calendar.
The majority of seed instructions will list everything you need to start seeds, like when and where to sow, planting depth and spacing, special watering requirements and the number of days to germination.
Some will list special information like germination temperatures, repeat sowing, transplanting, and thinning. Following the instructions gives you the best chance of success, so those map-hating, instruction-scoffing types out there best pack away their stubbornness for seed packets.
A good seed packet will give you all the information you need to begin growing the plant.
Key Seed Packet Terms
Here are some terms you might encounter on your seed packet and what they mean.
Germination rate: the likelihood of a seed germinating, represented as a percentage.
Plant type: answers whether the seed is a perennial, annual, or biennial.
Seed spacing: how far apart you should ideally place each seed from one another.
Plant spacing/spacing after thinning: how far apart the plant should be from other plants.
Height: the height the plant will be upon maturity.
Days to maturity: how many days from planting until the plant is ready for harvest/blooms.
Planting depth: how deep to plant the seed.
Days to germination/sprout: how many days you can expect to pass before the seed begins to grow.
Bloom period: when the plant will be flowering.
Read the packet and the growing instructions before buying the seeds.
Determining Your Growing Conditions
Before you can plant or even buy your seeds, you should have a fair grasp of your growing conditions. Each plant has specific needs to germinate and grow, so you need to make sure your garden can meet those needs if you want to grow a specific plant.
Timing
On the seed packet, it will usually tell you when to plant your seeds based on frost dates. Finding your average frost date for your area is crucial. To do this, you can use the calculator from the Farmer’s Almanac.
You can then use this date to count forwards or backwards or know when to begin certain seeds indoors.
I also encourage you to try and implement succession planting. By carefully timing when to start seeds, you can extend your harvest and space it out.
Avoid having all your vegetables ready for harvest at the same time.
Lighting
All plants will have specific lighting requirements, which are listed on the seed packet. These are usually described as full sun, partial sun, partial shade, or shade. Before buying seeds for gardening, ensure your garden has the right amount of sunlight (check out this post for how to measure the sunlight in your backyard).
Seeds will also need a specific amount of light when germinating. Seeds with a low planting depth that only have a thin layer of soil overtop will require lots of light to germinate. Likewise, those planted deeper in the soil will require less light.
Sunny windowsills or grow lights are a must for starting seeds indoors.
Temperature
Some seeds require certain soil temperatures to germinate. A heating mat can help achieve this supplemental heat indoors for certain plants like peppers or tomatoes. Others, like carrots or radishes, prefer the temperature of the outdoor soil.
Most plants prefer well-draining soil, but not all do! Your seed packet may provide some information on the type of soil or location the plants prefer. If not, do a little research beforehand for the plant’s soil needs.
For seed starting, you want potting soil with sterile ingredients that won’t promote fungal or bacterial growth. You can find my go-to seed-starting potting soil recipe here.
Moisture
Some plants are considered drought tolerant and do better in areas that won’t receive supplemental watering or hot climates. Others prefer lots of water, doing best in places close to the house where they will receive extra water or areas that receive enough rainfall.
When selecting your seeds, consider your garden’s moisture conditions and how much extra watering you want to do.
This olla watering system slowly waters plants in my raised bed.
Best Places to Buy Seeds
If you’re like me, you get giddy when the seed catalogues arrive in the mail. It feels like Christmas is coming, and you can’t help but circle all the best garden seeds you want.
But for most people getting started, the first step is finding a reputable sources for buying seeds online. My favourites for Canada include West Coast Seeds and Richters.
Avoid buying seeds online from across borders or anything that could be invasive to your area. When in doubt, don’t buy the seeds. The local garden centre will always carry good-quality and safe seeds.
Also, see if there is a little seed library in your neighbourhood! Some libraries even offer seeds as well. Because who could say no to free seeds?
FAQ About Buying Seeds for Gardening
Is it better to buy seeds online or in person?
Either is a fine option. When buying seeds online, you get a wider range of seeds available. You can find many varieties and rare plants that you couldn’t get at the garden centre. You do have to double-check and perhaps do some extra research to ensure the seeds will germinate and grow in your area.
How do I choose the right kind of seeds?
The most important factor when buying seeds for gardening is ensuring your garden has the right growing requirements for the plant. Look at the seed packet for its sunlight, water, soil, and space requirements. If your garden matches, then the seeds are good to go.
The other main aspect you want to look at is gardening zones. This will give you a quick indicator of whether or not the plant can handle the temperatures in your gardening zone.
What’s the best way to store seeds?
Seeds should be stored in airtight packaging and then labelled with the plant name and variety, where you grew it, and the date. This information will be very helpful when you decide where to plant it the following year.
Keep the seeds in an area where they won’t get damp and at a relatively stable temperature. They should be in a cool, dry place. Most seeds are good for two years. After, their germination rate decreases with every additional year in storage.
Coriander seeds.
More Seed-Starting Resources
This is just the beginning of all the seed-starting info I have to share. Check out these posts for more information about the next steps in growing plants from seed.
Using cinnamon for plants as an antifungal is an old wives’ tale I’ve heard about for years. Like magic fairy dust, gardeners sprinkle cinnamon in their potting soil to help their seedlings. I wanted to know just how much truth there was to this claim, so I did some digging. Here’s what I found out about using cinnamon for plants.
Based on scent alone, cinnamon holds a special place in my heart. But it also has plenty of robust health and cleaning properties.
It’s a proven fact that cinnamon has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Many studies have shown cinnamon as a powerhouse spice for human health, but how much does it help plants?
Many gardeners have used cinnamon as a natural fungicide for plants. There’s lots of anecdotal evidence to suggest that cinnamon for plants is a great antifungal agent, but let’s dig a little deeper into the effects of cinnamon in the garden.
This post will cover…
What Does Cinnamon Do for Plants? The Myths in Question
When it comes to cinnamon, there are a handful of claims about its benefits for the garden.
Perhaps the biggest is that cinnamon is a natural fungicide for plants. You can use it as a spray to help prevent fungal disease, especially for damping off. When planting seedlings, people will sprinkle cinnamon in their potting soil.
Another common way to use cinnamon for plants is as a rooting hormone. People will use it alongside honey when they take clippings to encourage root growth. They roll the ends of the plants in cinnamon powder.
Finally, people also use cinnamon as an ant repellent.They will sprinkle it in the garden or as a border to stop them from entering the home.
Now, let’s see how true all of these cinnamon claims are!
What is Cinnamon?
It may seem like a simple question, but there’s more to the cinnamon you find at the grocery store than you might think.
Cinnamon is a spice that comes from the inner bark of Cinnamomum trees. There are over 300 species in the Cinnamomum genus, and a handful of them are used to make cinnamon.
To gather cinnamon, they cut stems and branches from the tree and then extract the inner bark into strips. Once dried, it curls and rolls and turns into the cinnamon sticks we find at the store. Then, those sticks can be ground into powder.
Cinnamon powder comes from grinding cinnamon sticks.
The Different Kinds of Cinnamon
You’ll want to be aware of two main types of cinnamon. Ceylon (also known as Sri Lanka) cinnamon is known as the “true cinnamon,” and it’s only found at specialty stores. It comes from Cinnamomum verum trees. True cinnamon is more fragrant and has a light brown colour. It’s slightly sweeter in flavour, though most consumers can’t tell the difference.
The other kind of cinnamon is called cassia or Chinese cinnamon, which is called “fake” cinnamon. It’s made from Cinnamomum aromaticum trees. It’s what you find for sale at the grocery store and is more inexpensive. It has stiff, dark, and thick rolls.
There are a few more cinnamons you might find for sale, including C. burmannii, C. loureiroi, C. citriodorum, and C. tamale. These are also considered “fake” cinnamon varieties.
Now, the problem with all these different kinds of cinnamon is that they’re all called, well, cinnamon! This can make it confusing when reading about all the different benefits of cinnamon as they’re not all equal in their benefits and uses.
Cinnamon can also refer to the plant, the powder, the essential oil, or an extract. These can be important distinctions when using cinnamon for plants.
Several kinds of cinnamon can be found at the grocery store as “fake” cinnamon.
Cinnamon’s Antifungal Properties
The distinctive smell and flavour of cinnamon come from the oils in the plant. The plant’s derivatives, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and cinnamate, give it powerful health properties. Cinnamaldehyde is the sure standout.
Many studies have proven the antifungal and antimicrobial properties of cinnamon for humans. It can kill fungi that cause respiratory tract infections and inhibit the growth of bacteria, including listeria and salmonella, amongst other kinds of infections. It even has anticancer properties.
There have been fewer studies of cinnamon as a natural fungicide for plants, but there is still good evidence to support that these antifungal properties work in the garden, too.
One study tested 49 essential oils against grey mould (Botrytis cinerea), and cinnamon leaf was the strongest antifungal. It also has been proven to have antifungal activity amongst other fungal diseases such as powdery mildew (Oidium murrayae) and Colletotrichum gloesporioides.
Damping off is a horticultural disease caused by mould or a fungus that commonly affects new seedlings.
Does Cinnamon Work in the Garden?
It would be easy to suggest that all these studies prove that cinnamon’s antifungal properties would translate as magic in the garden.
The only problem is that these studies were in a controlled environment and done in a way very different than home gardeners. The study may use a specific type of cinnamon in an extract form, tested in vitro tests (in a test tube). Meanwhile, you’re using a cinnamon that comes from a different plant in powder form in a spray bottle. It’s not the same thing!
The reality is that most of these studies aren’t studying the powders we find at the grocery store. More often, they’re a more expensive cinnamon in an oil form.
Does that mean cinnamon powder won’t work in your garden? No. Does that mean it will work? Maybe. It’s definitely worth exploring and will likely have some effects on your garden. Just don’t expect it to be the miracle antifungal the internet may suggest!
If you’re looking for a natural fungicide for plants, I recommend making my chamomile fungicide as a base and adding some cinnamon. This way, you’ll be doubling up on your efforts with two potentially powerful antifungal ingredients.
Studies have shown cinnamon oil to be effective at killing mosquito larvae, controlling thrips, and the bean weevil. It has strong potential as a pest repellent, and I could see it being a great ingredient for my natural pest control spray.
How to Stop Damping Off and Other Fungal Issues
I also like to remind people that it’s not about treating fungal issues but preventing them from happening in the first place. It’s a much more effective strategy.
Here are a few tips for preventing fungal disease.
Sterile Ingredients
Use sterile ingredients that won’t stimulate fungal or bacterial growth. Most soil ingredients do not have active biology except compost. If you want to use compost inside the home, you must bake the moist soil in the sun or the oven at 180° F for at least 30 minutes. Store any leftover compost in an airtight container for future indoor and seed-starting potting mixes.
Water Correctly
Avoid overhead watering. Instead, focus the water at the base of the plant, where it will soak into the soil and the roots rather than get the leaves wet. Also, water early in the day so excess moisture will evaporate in the later sun rather than sitting overnight.
Location
Try to place plants in their ideal location as much as possible. While you may want to put some pretty annuals in a shady spot rather than the full sun they ask for, don’t force it. The reality is that the area might be too damp for them and encourage fungal growth.
Also, don’t crowd plants. Give them the right spacing requirements to promote airflow. Air circulation is essential for preventing fungal growth.
The proper sunlight requirements are among the best ways to prevent horticultural disease.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cinnamon for Plants
How often should you use cinnamon on plants?
Cinnamon powder or oil is best added to potting soil before planting seeds.
If you’re diluting cinnamon, like you would if you add it to my chamomile fungicide spray, you can spray it daily to water your seedlings or mist your established plants and soil as often as daily.
Will cinnamon hurt plants?
Cinnamon oil can affect plant growth in high concentrations. The use of cinnamon oil could be a possible natural herbicide. However, this is only in high concentrations, and the normal use of cinnamon shouldn’t affect plant growth, but there have been few studies on this. I always recommend applying a test in your garden before using it everywhere.
Can cinnamon act as a rooting agent?
I could find no evidence to suggest that cinnamon works as a rooting agent. You can use it in the water to prevent bacteria from growing, which can aid in the root developmental process, but it won’t encourage it. Try adding a drop or two of cinnamon essential oil alongside my willow water rooting hormone.
