8 Plants You Should Never Grow From Seed: Expert Gardening Tips Revealed
Starting plants from seed often feels like the most natural and conventional method for cultivating flowers, vegetables, or herbs. After all, this is how plants propagate in nature. However, experienced gardeners understand that some plants simply do not thrive when grown from seed. Certain species can take years to reach maturity, fail to germinate consistently, or produce offspring that look nothing like the parent variety. That is why many plants are traditionally propagated through cuttings, bulb division, or tubers instead. These alternative methods are faster, more reliable, and ensure you achieve the garden you desire. To help you avoid disappointment and wasted effort, we are sharing a list of plants that experts recommend avoiding from seed, along with smarter planting techniques.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes grown from seeds typically do not yield the desired results. Instead, they are best cultivated from slips, which are the rooted sprouts that emerge from a mature sweet potato. These slips are essentially young plants ready for growth when planted in soil. To produce slips, place a sweet potato partially submerged in water until sprouts begin to form. Once the sprouts reach several inches in length, they can be removed and planted in soil. Sweet potatoes grow optimally when planted in late spring after the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. They require loose, well-drained soil to allow the underground tubers to expand easily. With adequate sunlight and warmth, the plants grow vigorously and produce sweet potatoes within a few months.
Strawberries
Strawberries can be grown from the tiny seeds on the fruit's surface, but this method is often slow and inconsistent. Seed-grown strawberries may yield plants with varying fruit sizes, flavors, or productivity levels. For this reason, most gardeners propagate strawberries using runners, which are small plantlets that extend from the parent plant. To plant strawberries this way, simply allow a runner to develop its roots in the soil. Once the new plant establishes itself, it can be separated from the parent. Strawberries are best planted in early spring when the weather is cool but the soil has begun to warm. They prefer sunny locations and well-drained soil rich in organic matter.
Tulips
Tulips are among the most recognizable spring flowers, but growing them from seed requires incredible patience. Tulip seeds can take 5-7 years to produce their first flower, which is too long for most gardeners. Additionally, genetic variations can occur in the resulting plants. Instead, tulips are grown from bulbs, which are underground storage organs containing everything needed for development and blooming. To plant tulip bulbs, place them about 4-6 inches deep in well-drained soil with the pointed end facing upward. The best time to plant tulips is in autumn, usually weeks before the ground freezes, allowing the bulbs to develop strong roots during cooler months.
Lavender
Lavender is cherished for its calming fragrance and beautiful purple flowers; however, growing it from seeds can test your patience. Lavender seeds germinate slowly and unevenly, often taking several weeks to sprout. Even if seeds do germinate, lavender grows slowly and is highly sensitive to frost, meaning seedlings often fail to mature before winter returns. Therefore, gardeners usually grow lavender from cuttings or by establishing plants from a nursery. For consistent results, propagating from cuttings is the preferred method. To grow lavender this way, take an 8–10 cm cutting from a healthy, non-flowering stem, remove the lower leaves, and plant it in well-drained soil or a sand-compost mixture. Lavender prefers warm weather and full sunlight, so the best time to plant cuttings is late spring or early summer. Keep the soil slightly moist until roots develop, which usually takes a few weeks. Once established, lavender requires minimal water and thrives in dry, sunny conditions.
Roses
Roses are some of the most admired flowers in gardens worldwide, but growing them from seed is too slow. Seeds can take months to germinate and often require special conditions like cold stratification. Consequently, gardeners typically propagate roses using stem cuttings or grafting techniques. To grow roses from cuttings, select a healthy stem that has recently flowered, cut a 15-20 cm section, remove the lower leaves, and plant it in moist soil mixed with compost. Keep it in a warm, sunny spot. The best time to plant a rose cutting is late spring or early summer when the plant is actively growing. With proper care, roots will begin forming within a few weeks.
Mint
Mint is one of the easiest plants to grow, but starting it from seeds is not the best approach. Mint seeds produce plants that vary in aroma, flavor, and strength. Gardeners usually grow mint from cuttings or small root divisions taken from existing plants. To plant mint, cut a healthy stem about 10-12 cm long and place it in water until roots appear. Once roots develop, plant the cutting in moist soil or a container. Mint grows best in spring and early summer when temperatures are mild and soil moisture is consistent. It prefers partial sunlight and well-drained soil. Because mint spreads aggressively, many gardeners plant it in pots to prevent it from taking over the garden.
Potatoes
Although potatoes can be grown from true seeds, gardeners typically use seed potatoes because they grow faster and produce reliable crops. Seed potatoes contain "eyes" or buds that sprout into new plants when planted in soil. To plant them, cut a potato into chunks, ensuring each piece has at least one eye. Allow the cut pieces to dry for a day before planting to prevent rotting. Plant them about 3-4 inches deep in loose soil. Potatoes grow best when planted in early spring. As the plants grow, gardeners often mound soil around the stems to encourage more tuber production.
Garlic
Garlic might seem like it should grow from seeds, but that is rarely how it is cultivated. Garlic grown from seeds is unreliable and slow, and finding garlic seeds is difficult. Instead, garlic is grown from individual cloves taken from a mature bulb. To plant garlic, separate the cloves from a fresh bulb, keeping the papery skin intact. Plant each clove about 2-3 inches deep with the pointed side facing upward. Each clove grows into a new garlic plant. For best results, plant garlic in late autumn or early winter, allowing roots to develop during the coldest months. The garlic will overwinter in the ground, and about five months later, you can harvest bulbs that are clones of their parents.
