Why I grow from seed?

Save $. Better chance to get the variety I think I'm getting. I got tired of growing tomato plants all season just to find out they were cherries and not beefsteak.

Better selection of varieties. The stores only have a couple of different varieties and never the one I want.

ows,
I remember one year I bought a 6 pac of tomatoes. What kind? The label said "tomatoes", that's it. Fortunately the tomatoes turned out excellent but I will never know what variety it was.
Also bought bell peppers that turned out to be jalapenos.
Actually the "no name" concept is done most of the time when it comes to annuals. Lowes even mislabels the type of salvia. HD calls some annuals perennials. I had a nice discussion with a distributor on duty at HD and explained which annuals were actually perennials and which were annuals that were mismarked.
I did that for myself because she didn't really care anyway.
No thing that I have found is that the label rules to the store personnel. That is as much as many of them know and it has to be right because it came with the plant. :-)

Mostly to make a little extra money, as well as afford my seeds and get different varieties. I made enough this year to buy a decent rotary tiller and last year a 10x12' metal shed. I have an advantage in that I publish a weekly newspaper so I can advertise the plants for free plus give groups free publicity. They pay me back by allowing me to sell plants at their events. Plus, I work with several community gardens and last year sold a boat load of plants to them. Mostly tomatoes and peppers but also cotton, peanuts, sorghum, Angel Trumpets and others.

Mike

That's pretty impressive, Mike.

bb,

I hope to do better this year. Because I really want to do a commercial grow (plants, not seedlings) and lack room to start 2500 seedlings, I've been forced to look for alternatives. But I also have a Green House I can use this year, which I didn't last spring.

Basically, I think I can grow and sell seedlings for - get this: 6 for $5. Heirlooms at that. Most nurseries charge significantly more. I can take advantage of Craig's List plus advertise it in the paper and mention it on some local grow forums. Maybe sell 1200 plants? I can't do it if I don't try!

Mike

Even if the plants get to the nursery with the right tag, I've seen plenty of people pull the tags out in order to look at them.

I've even done it myself, although I am very careful to put the tag back into the pot I got it out of. It's hard to read those little letters on a plant that is on a low shelf or that is bushy and covering the tag.

Mike, best luck to you. I hope you make a lot of $.

oregon,

Me too!

Mike

I love to grow from seed just to see if I can accomplish the task and also learn as everywhere I have lived it seems to be a little different. I also learn what does well in my area plus all the joy of watching them when they do well. I even enjoy finding those 10 cent seeds from time to time just for the pleasure of finding out if they are worth the trouble, and end up with many surprises. My soil plus my cat makes growing some plants a large task to get them to survive so I have to plant something in my little space quite often in the hopes I will win against my cat and the soil.

Mike,
Have you looked into plugs. Commerical growers around here use them. They speed the growing time. I put a random link below. They might me more expensive but you could do multiple seasons of plants.
Also, would the new Tecoma stans Mayan Gold or hardy Hibiscus grow in your zone. When you move into shrubs from seed you might get more per plant with the same effort. Of course, you know what you are doing; I haven't ever attempted what you do, but your efforts are intriguing.
Wally,
I can relate. My issues are soil, whether my bugs will like or dislike a new plant, whether I know how to water and fertilize a particular plant correctly, and my garden cats. These are various neighbors cats who like to come by and visit because they know we're home and there is food for them. Plus my special cat who I keep indoors except when I go outside.

Bob

Here is a link that might be useful: one plug producer