8 plants you should never grow from seed (and the smarter way to plant them)

Starting plants from seed feels like the most natural and conventional way of growing plants, whether they are flowers, vegetables or herbs. After all, that’s how plants grow in nature, right? But experienced gardeners know that some plants simply don’t perform well when started from seed. Certain plants can take years to reach maturity, fail to germinate, or produce plants that look nothing like the parent variety if started from seed.

Additionally, many commonly grown garden plants have been cultivated for generations through cloning methods such as cuttings or bulb division. These methods preserve the exact characteristics of the original plant, whether it’s the fragrance of a flower or the flavour of a vegetable. Growing plants this way also helps gardeners establish stronger plants much faster. As a result, many experts recommend skipping seeds for certain species.

That’s why many plants are traditionally grown from cuttings, bulb division, or tubers instead. These methods are faster, more reliable, and ensure that you have the garden that you want.

To help you avoid disappointment and wasted efforts, we are sharing the plants that experts say are better off not growing from seed.

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Sweet potatoes grown from the seeds typically don't give the desired results. Instead, they are grown from the slips, which are the rooted sprouts that emerge from a mature sweet potato. These slips are basically young plants which are ready to grow when they are planted in soil.

To produce slips, place a sweet potato partially submerged in water until the sprouts begin forming. Once the sprouts reach several inches in length, they can be removed and placed in soil. Sweet potatoes grow best when they are planted in the late spring when the danger of frost has passed, and the soil is getting warm. They require loose, well-drained soil so the underground tubers can expand easily. With adequate sunlight and warmth, the plants grow vigorously and produce sweet potatoes within a few months.

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Strawberries grow from the tiny seeds that appear on the surface of the fruit, but starting them this way is often slow and inconsistent. Seed-grown strawberries may produce plants with different fruit sizes, flavours, or productivity. For this reason, most gardeners grow strawberries using runners, which are the 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 plant. Strawberries are best planted in early spring, when the weather is cool, but the soil has begun to warm. Strawberries prefer sunny locations and well-drained soil rich in organic matter.

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Tulips are one of the most recognisable spring flowers, but growing them from seed requires incredible patience. As tulip seeds can take 5-7 years before producing their first flower, this is too long for most gardeners. And even then, genetic variations can be seen in the plant.

Instead, tulips are grown from the bulbs, which are the underground storage organs that contain everything a plant needs to develop and bloom. To plant tulip bulbs, place them about 4-6 inches deep into well-drained soil with the pointed end facing upwards. The best time to plant tulips is in the autumn, usually weeks before the ground freezes. This allows the bulbs to develop strong roots during the cooler months.

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Lavender is loved for its calming fragrance and beautiful purple flowers; however, growing it from seeds can be a test of your patience. Lavender seeds germinate slowly and sometimes unevenly, often taking several weeks to sprout. Even if seeds do germinate, lavender grows slowly, and it is highly sensitive to frost, which means seedlings often won’t mature before winter returns.

For this reason, gardeners usually grow lavender from cuttings or by establishing a plant from a nursery. For gardeners who want consistent lavender plants, propagating from cuttings is the preferred method. To grow lavender this way, take an 8–10 cm cutting from a healthy, non-flowering stem. Then remove the lower leaves and plant the cutting in well-drained soil or a mixture of sand and compost. 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 very little water and thrives in dry, sunny conditions.

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Roses are one 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 such as cold stratification. Because of this, gardeners usually propagate roses using stem cutting or grafting techniques.

To grow roses from cuttings, select a healthy stem that has recently flowered. Cut a 15-20cm section of the stem and remove the lower leaves. Then plant the cutting into moist soil mixed with compost, and 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, the roots will begin forming the stems within a few weeks.

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Mint is one of the easiest plants to grow, but starting it from seeds is not the best method to go with. Mint seeds produce plants that vary in aroma, flavor and strength. Gardeners usually grow mint from cuttings or small root divisions taken from the pre-existing plants.
To plant mint, simply cut a healthy stem about 10-12cm long and place it in water until its roots appear. Once roots appear, then plant the cutting into moist soil or a container. Mint grows best in spring and early summer, when temperatures are mild, and the soil moisture is consistent. It prefers partial sunlight and well-drained soil. Because mint spreads aggressively, many gardeners plant it in a pot to keep it from taking over the garden.

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Although potatoes can be grown from true seeds, gardeners typically use seed potatoes because they grow faster and produce reliable crops. The seed potatoes contain “eyes” or buds. When they are planted in the soil, each potato eye sprouts into a new plant that produces new potatoes.

To plant them, cut a potato into chunks so that each piece contains at least one eye. Allow the cut pieces to dry for a day before planting so they can be prevented from rotting. Plant them about 3-4 inches deep in the loose soil. Potatoes grow best when they are planted in the early spring. As the plants grow, gardeners often mound soil around the stems to encourage more tuber production.

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Garlic might seem like it should grow from seeds like most plants, but that’s rarely how it is cultivated. Garlic grown from the seeds is unreliable and slow, and not to mention, it’s difficult to find garlic seeds. Instead, garlic is grown from the individual cloves, taken from the mature bulb.

To plant garlic, separate the cloves from a fresh bulb but keep the papery skin intact. Plant each clove about 2-3 inches deep with the pointed side facing upward. Each clove planted in soil grows into an entirely new garlic plant. For the best results, garlic should be planted in the late autumn or early winter, allowing the roots to develop in the coldest months. The garlic will overwinter in the ground, and about five months later, you will be harvesting bulbs which are clones of their parents. PC: Canva