How to Choose the Best Vegetable Seedlings at the Nursery + What to Avoid

Last Updated on February 26, 2025

There’s no shame in buying young vegetable seedlings or “starts” instead of (or in addition to) starting from seed! Yet there are some pretty pitiful seedlings out there sometimes. So much so, it actually makes me mad. So let’s talk about how to choose the best, most healthy seedlings for your garden, including tips and prime examples of seedlings to avoid – photos included!

When nurseries sell bolted, stunted, root-bound, diseased, or otherwise crummy seedlings, it sets folks up for frustration and failure. New gardeners may plant them, feel like they did something wrong, avoid that crop next time, or even worse, want to give up gardening altogether! I hope these tips and examples help prevent some of that.

Where to Buy Vegetable Seedlings

It’s best to buy your flower, herb, and vegetable seedlings from a small local nursery if possible. Supporting small businesses is awesome, especially when it comes to plants! Locally-owned nurseries are more likely to carry things that are well-suited to grow in your area, and are currently in season. They’ll probably have more unique varieties of seedlings to choose from as well. The staff is also usually quite knowledgeable and willing to help answer questions as needed!

On the other hand, big box store garden centers will usually just stock very basic varieties across all of their stores, and oftentimes out of season! For example, I frequently see tomatoes and peppers out for sale at Home Depot in January. Big box stores are also more likely to use chemical fertilizers or pesticides, with fewer organic options.

Here on the Central Coast of California, we frequent our Miner’s Ace Hardware garden center, locally-owned Farm Supply, and another small mom-and-pop by the name of Cherry Lane Nursery.

What vegetables to grow from seed only

Keep in mind that some vegetables grow best when direct sowed (e.g. plant seeds directly outside in the garden), instead of being started in containers and transplanted.

Most root vegetables don’t like to be transplanted and prone to shock, including carrots, radishes, beets and turnips (though we’ve had success transplanting beets). Peas and beans also thrive when directly-sown. Plus, if you buy a packet or seeds, you get hundreds of plants for the same price as a few seedlings!

Therefore, focus on buying vegetable seedlings like tomatoes, peppers, leafy greens, herbs, broccoli, onions, eggplant and flowers instead. You can also buy cucumber, melon, or squash (zucchini or winter squash) seedlings at the nursery, though they’re very easy to grow from seed and love being directly-sown outside too!

RELATED: Get our top tips on how to grow carrots from seed, grow beets from seed, and grow radishes from seed here!

Seedling Size

Bigger is NOT always better, especially in the seedling world. The best vegetable seedlings are the ones that are the most tender, bright green, young, and healthy-looking, regardless of size! Short stocky seedlings are ideal. Avoid the tall, leggy, stretched out, woody, tough seedlings.

Large or overly-mature seedlings may be stressed and root-bound from being left in a small container for too long. Even after transplanting, big seedlings may be permanently stunted in your garden. Root bound seedlings are also far more likely to bolt (prematurely go to seed) rather than thrive and produce food – even if you do everything else “right”.

Seedlings with Fruit or Flowers

The same applies for vegetable seedlings that are already flowering or even growing fruit: sooner does NOT mean better! For instance, I often see young pepper or tomato plants that already have fruit growing on them. Avoid those.

Young plants that are already producing fruit will likely stay very small and stunted, since they’re already focusing their energy on fruit production rather than growing larger in size first. Instead, choose small tender leafy green seedlings with little-to-no flowers yet. We even pinch off early pepper and tomato flowers so the plants will continue to get bigger before fruiting, since a bigger plant = bigger overall yields!

Look for Pests and Disease

Be sure to thoroughly check plants for pests, and avoid buying vegetable seedlings with clear signs of stress, discoloration, or disease. Sometimes we find aphids or cucumber beetles on nursery seedlings around here. Put those ones back. We don’t want to bring home and introduce any extra pests or diseases to the homestead! Plus, those plants are likely already stressed and less healthy, giving them a disadvantage from the start.

Crowded Seedlings: Free Plants, or Not?

If several seedlings are growing in a cluster, you may be able to gently tease them apart to separate them – and get free plants! However, some mature seedlings may also get shocked if you disturb or tear their roots in the process. Plus, crowded seedlings often get stunted early on – and stay stunted compared to those that were properly thinned! Therefore, I suggest choosing containers with just 1 to 3 seedlings, not dozens crammed together.

One caveat is young onions and leeks. Those seedlings are perfect to tease apart, and do not get shocked or stunted! See how we plant and grow onions here.

Consider the Season

Buy vegetable seedlings that are currently “in season” and ideal for transplanting right now in your area. For example, choose heat-loving crops like tomatoes, squash, eggplant and peppers if you’re coming up on your hot season and the risk of frost has passed. Cooler season crops like leafy greens, cabbage, onions, or broccoli are perfect for early spring or fall planting instead.

If you aren’t sure when to plant what, it sounds like you need a garden planting calendar! Sign up to get your free Homestead and Chill garden planting calendar below. Available for every growing zone, the charts include info on when to start seeds indoors, direct sow seeds outside, or transplant seedlings (including nursery seedlings) for dozens of veggies.

Check Varieties

While shopping, if you’re trying to decide between varieties (e.g. two different types of broccoli) bust out your phone and do a quick google search. Read up on those varieties growing condition requirements – it may reveal info that’ll sway your decision one way or another! Because many varieties within the same family or type of plant have pretty different characteristics. Some have better heat or cold tolerance, longer or shorter days to maturation (time to harvest), or disease resistance.

For example, because we have fairly cool and foggy summers here, we can’t just grab up any old tomato seedlings. We need to search for smaller, early-ripening, cool weather tolerant types that perform here better than big beefy heirlooms. Additionally, we look for seedling varieties with natural resistance to powdery mildew – a common issue on this homestead.

Buying Organic Vegetable Seedlings

Buying certified organic vegetable seedlings is awesome if possible, but isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker. Sometimes they are not readily available, but if you follow organic gardening practices at home, the plants should grow up to be healthy and “safe” – regardless of their first few weeks of life.

Exceptions include pollinator plants (e.g. host plant flowers like milkweed) or plants you may consume immediately like lettuce. Choose organic and no-spray then! Yet organic agriculture operations, including seed farms and nurseries, are better for the environment, wildlife and farmworkers alike.

A final take-home message

Please, don’t buy something “just to buy something”. If the plant doesn’t look great, isn’t the variety you were hoping for, or doesn’t sound like a good match for your garden, don’t settle! Wait. Ask. Inquire to the nursery staff about their seedling delivery schedule. Maybe they are in for a large seedling shipment tomorrow! Shop around. Hit up another local spot.

In all, if you are going to invest your time, energy, and love into raising plants, you might as well start with the best chances possible! And if you’re feeling up to it, consider growing some food from seed too. Learn more with our Seed Starting 101 guide.

I hope you feel more prepared and confident to choose stellar seedlings for your garden after reading this. Happy growing!

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• Transplanting Seedlings Outside: Tips for Success
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