Starting Plants from Seed: How much can you save?

If you’ve ever planned a flower or vegetable garden, you know how wonderful they can be. Picking fresh tomatoes all summer long is extremely gratifying. Bringing in a beautiful bouquet of flowers can fill your home with sunshine and joy. Starting a garden is great, but it’s also hard work and can be expensive! But does it have to be? Today, we’re going to take a look at how much money you can save by starting your plants from seed. Just for comparisons sake, we’re going to pick two of the most commonly grown vegetables and two of my favorite flowers and look at the cost breakdown of growing from seed vs buying plants at a nursery. After going over the cost comparisons, I’m going to give you a sneak peek at my plant nursery.

First, let’s look at what it costs to start your plants from seed. There are some one-time costs that make it more expensive the first year, so we’ll look at first year cost and then subsequent year cost. I’m also going to look at the price of high quality seeds from my favorite seed companies. You can get your seeds much cheaper if you buy from Walmart, but the seeds I order are heirloom and are not genetically engineered. I’m also going to assume you buy a new packet of seeds each year even though (since these are heirloom seeds) you could collect seeds and save them or save your extra seeds from the packet for the next year by storing them in the refrigerator.

• Tomato seeds: $3.00 (There is a HUGE variety of tomatoes available, but most are priced around $3. Most varieties come with 25 seeds)
• Bell Pepper seeds: $3.00 (Again, there are many varieties, most priced around $3 and containing 25 seeds.)
• Petunia seeds: $3.25 (There are several varieties listed here, all 250 seeds for $3.25)
• Yarrow seeds: $2.75 (There are several varieties here with between 200-800 seeds)
• Potting soil: $5 (This is an approximate amount. You can spend a lot more or even less than this.)
• Seed trays: $5 (I like the greenhouse trays from Walmart that have 72 holes, a clear lid, and a tray so the water doesn’t leak. They are $5 each and for this project, you’ll only need one.)
• Small pots: $13 (You’ll have more of these than you’ll need in many years with this set and you can reuse them.)
• Florescent lights: $30 (You can get these for between $20 and $40 at Walmart or Lowe’s. You do NOT need special grow lights. Florescent lights work just fine.)
• Timer for outlet: $9.00 (This isn’t absolutely necessary, but it sure does make life easier! I have to remember to water every other day, but I don’t have to remember to turn the lights on and off twice daily.)
• Electricity: $2.79 (This is obviously going to vary depending on where you live in the country. The best calculation I could find is that it costs $2.79 to leave that light on for 18 hours a day for 6 weeks. This is based on the calculation by the Alliance to Save Energy website that it costs $32.40 to leave a florescent light on for 24 hours a day for a year.)

Total Cost First Year: $76.79

Total Cost Subsequent Years: $19.79

Total Cost if you save your seeds: $7.79

Next, let’s take a look at the cost of buying plants from a nursery. I am going to figure that you purchase 12 plants total of each vegetable variety 2-6 packs of petunias and 4-yarrow plants. I’m also calculating prices based on quality plants at a nursery so that we are comparing apples to apples so to speak. Again, you could get them cheaper at Walmart, but they’re not as likely to produce well as plants from a reputable nursery. All my prices will be estimates based on past years.

• Tomato plants: 6 packs – $8 each or individual pots $2.50 each. Total: $16-$30
• Pepper plants: 6 packs – $8 each or individual pots $2.50 each. Total: $16-$30
• Petunia plants: 6 packs – $4 each. Total: $8
• Yarrow plants: 4 pots – $8 each. Total: $32

Total Cost: $72-$100

Just glancing at that, it is clear that you can save TONS of money by starting your plants from seeds. But let’s look a little more long term.  (We’ll use the lower end cost for the plants bought from the nursery and assume you don’t save your seeds–worst case scenario.)

Over the course of five years, you’ll save $204. Over ten years, your savings will reach an amazing $465!

That’s a big chunk of money to save with just a little extra work!

You might be wondering just exactly how much work it is? Well, I’ll show you my setup and then you can make that determination for yourself.

I use baskets I have around the house to hang my lights. You can use SO many things. I’v hung my lights under a folding table, under plastic shelves, and most recently, these baskets. I didn’t include the baskets (or a shelf or anything) in the cost comparison because pretty much everyone would have SOMETHING they can rig up to hang the light from.

When you first start your seeds, you can water very infrequently because the lid will keep the moisture inside the mini greenhouse. Once the plants get tall enough that they’re touching the lid, it’s time to remove it. Then, you will need to water your seedlings daily to be sure they don’t dry out. One dry day can kill tender seedlings.

The only work besides watering that is required is repotting your plants if they outgrow the small trays. I like to start my plants very early, so many of them have to be repotted before the last frost. Other than that, raising your seedlings is super simple. I even keep my florescent light on a timer so I don’t have to remember to go down twice a day and turn the light on and off.

So what do you think? Do you always start your plants from seed? Are you willing to try it this year? I’d love to hear your garden story!