Plant Hardiness: Hardier When Grown From Seed?

I'm not sure if this fits here but I would like to know others thoughts about the hardiness of the plants they grow from seed in their own environment. I have found that if I grow them from seed I can have plants that are rated 1-2 zones higher than my zone. Mind you they do need winter protection but mainly from lack of moisture and wind (the kiss of death for alot of plants here) but overall they have a much higher survival rate than those that others have bought. Does anyone else have this experience? Thanks for sharing.

You may very well be right that some of your plants are a little hardier than others of the same type, but it's not because you grew them from seed. At the cultivar level, it is very possible for different cultivars of the same species to have different levels of hardiness. And even if your plants are the straight species rather than named cultivars, it is definitely possible for there to be some variation in hardiness among plants of the same species. You could take your hardier plants and start them from cuttings rather than seeds and the babies would still be hardy, and conversely seeds started from the less hardy plants you got at the nursery are likely to be less hardy just like their parents.

Thanks ecrane 3 but nope same cultivars/varieties in some cases and in some cases entire species isn't hardy here if store bought. Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen.

Les

I wonder if it has to do with that a lot of plants you get at nurseries are larger when transplanted and more rootbound than the ones we grow from seeds? I know I have a lot of zone 5 plants that survive Minnesota winters that I have grown from seeds.

I have read that seeds that are bought from growers in cold areas make hardier plants because the plants have adapted or are native to the colder zones.

I have had interesting conversations about this topic with experts (Agronomy Engineers and Technicians, Nursery people, Landscape Architects, etc., and they all confirm that a plant grown from seeds is far stronger and healthier (more resistant to diseases and climate - drought, frost, etc.) than a plant produced from a cutting, a layer, etc. and will have a longer life.

I got some additional input last night on this and was told that each generation of survivors gets hardier. ie use seeds from a plant that has wintered over. Sow again from the hardiest of that generation and so on. Of course there is a genetic limit BUT (I love this but) it certainly will give you greater success when pushing the zonal envelop.