It might feel like an odd time to write this article. However, given that many small scale farmers might only buy plugs for certain crops, and those crops are often sown in autumn, with the various lead times, now is the perfect time to be thinking ahead.
I am also a strong advocate for planning next year’s crops while the current season version is flowering, and for things like ranunculus and anenomes that time is now.
That means for some crops getting seed orders in, and for others placing plug or corm orders. When you have the option of either, how do you decide what is best for your farm?
Seed v Plug: What’s the Difference?
In really simple terms:
seeds are the plant’s embyo. You can buy a packet of seeds and grow your own plant. You can either direct sow or start in punnets.
plugs are a small plant, sometimes grown from seed and sometimes from tissue culture. They typically arrive ready to be hardened off and planted out depending on the size plug you order.
Cost
From a purely dollar perspective, it might be tempting to think that seeds are a cheap way to go. If you buy wholesale seed the cost per seed is usually very low, and even when buying a retail packet (or an expensive Floret Originals packet) very rarely does the seed come to more than .50c to $1 per seed. For someone starting their farm it is easy to see why purchasing a few hundred seeds for tens of dollars can feel more affordable than purchasing trays of plugs for a few hundred dollars for the same number of plants.
Howevere, there are other costs that have to be taken into account: seed raising mix, water, power, any fertilisers or insecticeds, and any seed starting infrastructure.
Where it is a non-consumable that can be re-used every year, it is a good idea to apportion some of the cost to each year you expect to be able to use that infrastructure. For example, if a greenhouse costs $1,000 but you expect to be able to use it as-is with no ongoing maintenance for 10 years, you could apportion $100 per year to your seed starting when trying to work out whether plugs or seeds is actually more economical.
Time
One of the biggest costs on any farm is labour. Time, literally, is money.
From this perspective, seed starting can also be an expensive exercise.
You have to start the seeds - either dole them out per cell or start them all together and then prick out - and care for the seeds day by day (whether that is hand watering or simply monitoring to make sure all is well) for several weeks until they are ready to plant. It might only be a few minutes for a few times per day, but all of that time can add up and quickly eat into any “savings” compared to buying plugs.
This is especially true if the seeds you are raising are very slow growing.
Compare this to plugs where they magically arrive in the mail, you harden off for a day or two, and then plant.
Risk
Growing from seed carries risk.
Germination can be patchy, seedlings can die, things can eat them, they can have fungal and bacterial issues, they can grow far slower than you expect - all before leaving the nursery.
However, not all seed carries the same level of risk.
A slow grower - like lisianthus or ranunculus - might be more risky for the inexperienced grower than something like a zinnia or a cosmos.
Those that can be direct sown typically carry less risk again provided you can give them what they need to germinate and keep the pests away (though plugs are not immune from pest problems).
Knowing the Inputs
One benefit of growing from seed is that you know exactly how the plants have been treated, and using what inputs.
This can be especially beneficial if your aim is to be organic or regenerative as there is far less risk of bringing in a seedling that has been treated with a systemic pesticide.
You can also see right from the start whether your crop looks healthy or potentially has some inherent problems.
Need to be Organised
Plugs typically have a lead time and this can change from crop to crop. As they are being grown to order, you need to follow those dates or the supplier may not be able to get the plugs to you as and when you need them. For some lines this can be 12 weeks, which means you need to be thinking far in advance of your planting dates. And each line can be diffrent, so you may need to work to different deadlines for different crops.
You also need to be prepared for planting when those plugs arrive because they are usually ready to get in the ground.
Of course, all seedlings want to be planted out when ready and not held as they can become root bound and stunted. Yet, it is an easier thing to wear a loss of a whole tray when you may have already started another succession, or, from a purely dollars perspective, your outlay was a packet of seeds and some potting mix, and not a $200 tray of plugs.
Seed is more flexible.
I can decide this week that I want another bed of zinnias, or another row of ranunculus, place an order online and be starting those seeds by next week when they arrive in the mail (pending any need for cold stratification).
Competitive Advantage
A main draw back of plugs is the range that is available. As there are very few plug suppliers in Australia, and with Ball being the largest, whatever you choose to grow from plug is likely exactly what larger growers are producing and selling through the wholesalers and markets.
To set yourself apart, there is not much that is better than gowing a niche crop from seed, or some are perennials that you propagate yourself.1 You might be able to offer shapes, textures, or colours that allow you to stand out from the crowd.
It should also be noted that not everything is available to be grown from seed. The very large carnations are typically grown from tissue culture and so must be purchased as plugs, however there are daintier heirloom carnations that can be grown from seed for a similar look.
Scale
Meeting minimum requirements for plugs can be tricky for the micro scale flower farmer.
Plugs are typically sold in trays of only one type/colour, meaning you might have to buy thousands of plants to get a full range when you only have space for a few hundred.
Some farmers get around this by doing group orders with some friends and sharing the trays.
However, in this situation, being able to grow only exactly what you need from a seed packet might make the most sense.
Conversely, if you do need hundreds of one type or colour, it might be better to simply order exactly what you need and not have to look after so many trays.
What’s Best?
It really can come down to personal preference. And remember - you don’t have to choose one or the other.
You might decide things like ranunculus and lisianthus are better to be purchased as plugs, but start your own strawflower, zinnias, and cosmos.
I personally start everything from seed. This is as much a cash flow thing as it is that I straight up enjoy growing from seed (and I think it’s important to follow the joy when you can in your business). I also like knowing exactly what they inputs are, and have had good success with a relatively simple seed setup.
Do you start from seed? Would you consider ordering plugs?
Be sure to check the PBR status of any plants you propagate as some may be under legal protection and not able to be propagated for commerical purpose - like growing for cut flowers.
Great article thank you. First time grower in the Adelaide Hills, small scale as I’m a beginner. Growing my cut flowers from
seed only and yes it’s very challenging (except the Cosmos) have bought from Floret and from the Garden Centre and had varying successes and lots of failures. Will look into switching to plugs where I’ve failed and stick with the seeds for the plants that were easy to germinate.