Anybody buy corn or okra seedlings?

Okay, I used to chuckle at all the pots of squash, melons and cukes, but they're so common now I don't give 'em a second glance as I breeze by the displays.

But I did a double-take the first time I saw six-packs of corn seedlings at a reputable, locally-owned nursery. Right here in middle Tennesse, where we have decently long and hot growing seasons to grow just about any warm-season crops from seed.

I might understand buying okra seedlings although our growing season is plenty long to start it from seed, too. (I've grown okra from seed for over 10 years, and never had a problem with too-late harvests.)

Can anyone give me a good reason to buy corn or okra already started? Is it just a lack of gardening know-how, or perhaps newbies are too scared to try sticking a seed in the soil? Would you actually get a jumpstart on these vegetables by starting them indoors first? (My thought is that most squash, corn, beans, and okra resent being transplanted, so any headstart a seedling provides would be offset by them sulking after being set out.)

I think some people just naturally have a hard time getting seeds to come up outside. You actually *do* need to know just a bit more than planting a plant. I am sure the nurseries wouldn't have them if there weren't a market for them. It does seem purty wasteful of those dollars to me but some people don't seem to mind. Then we got a lot of folks round here in the city who simply don't know squat about veggie growing. One woman at my job was highly upset cause an onion bulb wouldn't *multiply* when you planted it. Some think it's rocket science to grow from seeds.

There's a hefty group of folks with Seed Phobia...they won't even touch one...but they will happily buy a 6 pack of corn and wonder why they don't get a harvest...(never even look into the population requirements)

I've also see folks with their buggies loaded with poor, overgrown squash and melon plants because they have blooms on them....sigh....

I've actually purchased transplants of cukes before...but I happened to be there when the truck arrived with wonderful little non-stressed plants and couldn't resist a few. It was a slicing variety that I hated to buy a pack of seeds for because usually, I prefer the taste of picklers...and these looked so nice and healthy...and I had the space...I tried them and they did beautifully. They were about 1 week old as best I could tell...cotyledons with just a tiny nub of true leaves peeking out of the center.

I almost refuse to buy transplants of any kind unless I know exactly how long they have been at the retailer's...they are either drowned or parched...or a combination. Unskilled help have no idea what it takes to keep plants healthy. If they have been there more than a couple of days, chances are good that they've had some kind of abuse.

I paused by a nice rack of burgundy okra the other day and almost picked some up...the plants were in superior shape and were very robust looking...it was just a hybrid variety...(gasp)...and I couldn't bring myself to take the plunge. This cool spring has got everything growing a touch slower and these plants were quite tempting...it's now been about 4 days and I'm sure they won't have that nice healthy glow about them now...I can return without fear of succumbing to temptation.

Ok if I can stick an okra seed in a bucket even an idiot should be able to do it. Mr. Louie (my okra) is doing just dandy and growing like nuts in his lill 5 gall pant bucket and I can't wait to eat him all up! I did buy a few tomato plants from WM & HD and a few of my herbs also but for the most part I've done seed. Learned tons..I mean who knew you had to soak those scallion seeds? Duhh...

Saint

Growing up on a farm, I guess I had the benefit of seeing first-hand that most plants are grown from seed. From the wheat, alfalfa, soy and milo crops my dad grew and harvested, to our home garden plot (and my grandma's garden), I observed nearly every plant being started from seed (tomatoes and peppers indoors, everything else direct-seeded.) No seed-starting phobia here ;o)

Only onions were bought - perennial vegetables (rhubarb, asparagus, etc.) were typically dug and passed from one garden to the next.) So it never occurred to me (until I saw those silly six-packs) that some people really can't/won't start anything from seed.

I completely understand buying starts of certain veggies - tomatoes and peppers (I had to buy mine because I didn't get a headstart), but barring a flood or other natural disaster that wipes my garden out too late to replant, I can't see myself ever buying most of this stuff. Shrug....

I'm very glad I've started my DD with her own from-seed garden this year. She's had to keep up with watering and waiting for everything to start poking up. Now she's fast learning to distinguish weedlings from seedlings! Hopefully she'll continue a long tradition of gardening, including experiencing the fun of growing many things from seed.

I wish I had learned all of this as a kid. We only visited the Grandparents and "played" in the garden. We thought it was a big treat to get to go out and pick okra and beans (didn't realize we were slave labor *winK*) but never got to watch from start to finish. I made so many mistakes this year but I've also learned tons because of my mess ups.

Saint

A tray of okra (32 seedlings) was 9 bucks here, so we got it.

Okra seeds are sometimes a little reluctant to sprout, so I can understand someone's buying seedlings (though I've never seen any for sale). I soak my okra seeds overnight in hydrogen peroxide and water (1/5 ratio) and they grow quickly. What astonished me on my last visit to the nursery was overhearing a lady expressing her disappointment that only one six-pack of yellow wax beans was left in stock. I mean, is there anything easier to grow by direct seeding than beans?

Terry I have never bought corn seedlings but they do work and transplant just as easy as onions. One real good reason to use corn transplants is to detere crows from stealing your seed. I planted corn for the third time yesterday because the crows have robbed it they walk down the rows pull the sprouts and eat the attached seed. Another reason is Transplants will beat seed to maturity here every time because I plant 100 day corn we do not have the sun and heat you do and sometimes get frost early sept. I planted back up in the gh yesterday because if I didn't and the crows get the third planting I would not have time to do it again . But I am not paying for corn in little pots lol. Ernie

That's a good point about the seeds getting gobbled up My arch nemesis (errr, nemeses?) are the rabbits that love to gnaw my new shoots down to nubs. Plastic fencing this year seems to be slowing them down long enough for the corn to get going. They'll leave it alone once it gets big and "woody." Then of course, the raccoons will be moseying on over to nosh on the just-ripe ears...hopefully the fencing will thwart them, too.

And in areas that don't have our long, hot summer I can definitely see advantages to givinig your crops a headstart. It just surprised me to find them available down here ;o)

Yuska, I've never had to resort to pre-soaking my okra seed....just lucky, I guess. But I'm very glad to have that tip if I ever do run into a problem - thanks!

I wrapped my seeds in a moist towel for a night then planted..And as far as beans go...that's the ONE thing I'm having major problems with this year are my beans...they hate me!

Hehehe...Terry, I remember the first time I saw okra 6/packs at a garden center. I was shocked cus I had always sown insitu. It turns out that the owner there said many backyard growers just had room for a few okra plants or that a two-person family got enough okra from 6 plants. Since then I've offered a few cell pack sales of okra from time to time.

As for me, I normally still sow it by seed. However, as I speak, I have two 50-plug flats of okra growing and will set those out (as I have a time or two in the past). Once it was to get a headstart on Market sales and once (as is the reason this year) cus this is a rare heirloom okra handed down to me by a local family and I need to baby the seed. (Getting low on seed stock as I only grow it out every couple of years.)

I've also set out corn plants, and bush bean plants as well, but have never sold them to others. Guess it's the experimentalism in me!

(Wonder what we'll see next year at the garden centers? Staked snow peas in 4" pots? ;>)

Shoe lol they already sell all kinds of peas in four inch pots here and I bought three bux worth of snap peas for about thirty feet of row ate some just yesterday . Ernie

Well I'll be hornswaggled, they do!? Goodness gracious me!

I better start lookin' at how to get in on the mkt, eh? Hmmm...wonder if I can pot up some radishes?

shoe if you do plant Radishes be sure to prive them high that way when the locals label you mad and boycott you,you still have a good chance of selling them to the Government lol. Ernie