21 Vegetables and Flowers to Direct Sow in Raised Beds

Direct sowing has many benefits in the garden. It eliminates the need for the hardening-off process, which includes bringing indoor plants outside for increasingly longer periods of time over the course of a week (or two) to expose them to the elements slowly. Once they are acclimated to conditions outdoors, they can be transplanted outside. Direct-sown seeds don’t need to go through this laborious process; they grow outside from the start! 

No transplanting also means no transplant shock. Some of the plants on this list have a long taproot that is sensitive to the disturbance that comes with transplanting. Additionally, it takes the guesswork out of timing your seed starting. In most cases, you can direct sow the seeds, and they will germinate when the conditions are just right. This will save room in your indoor seed starting setup for plants that take longer to germinate or benefit from heat mats, like peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes. 

Here are the best veggies and flowers for direct seeding!

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Carrots

When it comes to carrots, you eat the taproot of the plant. For this reason, you want to limit disturbance to the taproot during growth. Growing carrots in loose, sandy soil will encourage straight taproot development as well. Disturbing the small seedlings can result in deformed roots. 

To directly sow your carrots, dig a furrow, sprinkle in the carrot seeds, cover lightly with soil, and water them in. Additionally, place a board or burlap on top to keep the surface moist, which will aid in germination. Carrot seeds are sensitive to drying out and must stay consistently moist for 10-14 days. Once they have sprouted, thin to one carrot every few inches. Carrot thinnings can be eaten in a salad, used to make a carrot top pesto, fed to the chickens, or composted. 

Beets

Like most root crops, beets do not like disturbance once the root has begun to size up. It is possible to transplant beets, but it is best to do it when the seedlings are very young. This can be tricky because young seedlings are particularly sensitive. To avoid all the hassle, direct sow your beets into your raised beds. 

Each beet “seed” is actually a cluster of seeds, meaning that the outer seed casing contains multiple seeds inside. Even though you only sow one “seed” per planting hole, two to six seeds can germinate in one place. You can let them grow clumped together for baby beets. But if big beautiful beets are your goal, then you’ll want to thin the seedlings to one per planting hole once they emerge. 

Radishes

This spring crop grows so quickly that there’s not much reason to start them indoors. Much like carrots, disturbance to their sensitive taproot can result in knotty or deformed radishes. Direct sow radishes as you would carrots. Dig a furrow, sprinkle in radish seeds, keep evenly moist for five to ten days, and thin them as they come up. Some varieties, like ‘Cherry Belle,’ are ready to harvest in as little as 24 days. 

Potatoes

This might seem obvious, but there can be some confusion between seed potatoes and potatoes grown from seeds. Most often, gardeners will opt to grow from seed potatoes, which are potatoes saved from plants that were grown the year prior. Seed potatoes look just like a regular potato, except the eyes (buds) turn green and sprout. Once the eyes have sprouted, plant them directly into the soil. Each tuber will grow into a plant that will produce more tubers underground. Because of the intricate network of underground tubers that forms, it’s important to plant seed potatoes directly into your raised bed. 

Potatoes that are grown from seeds, however, can and should be started indoors. These are true seeds that require the attentiveness of indoor sowing. The potato plant will form flowers at the point in its life cycle just before the plant dies back and the tubers are ready to harvest. Some of these flowers, when pollinated, will form berries that contain seeds. Start potato seeds indoors and then transplant them outside to produce more tubers.

Cilantro

This leafy herb has a sensitive taproot. Transplanted cilantro seedlings tend to bolt (go to seed) prematurely. For this reason, directly sow cilantro into your raised beds. After all, most gardeners are growing this herb for its leafy green foliage.

However, you can also harvest the seeds to use as the spice called coriander. The small white flowers have their benefits as well. They are known to attract parasitic wasps and other predatory insects that can act as a natural pest control in your garden.  

Bachelor Buttons

Sometimes referred to as cornflowers, these beautiful flowers are beloved by bees and gardeners alike. Not only are they beautiful, but they are edible as well! They are sensitive to root disturbance, and for this reason, it’s best to direct sow them into your raised beds.

Additionally, these seeds benefit from a period of cold stratification, which can more easily be accomplished when direct seeding outdoors. When seeding indoors, you’ll need to replicate this by placing your seeds in the refrigerator for a few weeks before planting. 

Nasturtium

Not only are these flowers beautiful, but their foliage is as well! The leaves resemble small lily pads. All parts of this plant are edible, including the flowers, leaves, and seed pods. The flowers make a beautiful garnish, the leaves have a peppery bite, and the seed pods can be pickled and used like capers.

When growing nasturtiums, it’s important to consider that their roots are sensitive to disturbance. You can start them indoors and transplant them out, but you might want to opt for a biodegradable pot in order to limit any root disturbance. Direct sowing these seeds will help you avoid any potential problems.

Soak these large seeds overnight or up to 24 hours prior to planting to help aid germination. Still, they can take up to two weeks to germinate. They prefer growing in cooler temperatures rather than the heat of the summer, and seeds can germinate in soil temperatures as cool as 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit (13-18 degrees Celsius). 

Poppies

Surface sow poppy seeds at the right time and ensure a period of cold stratification. This makes direct sowing in your raised beds an obvious choice for poppies. Their roots don’t like disturbance, so much so that it’s not recommended to start them in biodegradable pots either.

Scatter seeds in late fall or early spring and you’ll have poppies, well, popping up! Sow poppy seeds as early as four to six weeks before your average last frost date. 

Turnips

As mentioned above, with similar root crops like carrots, radishes, and beets, turnips also don’t like to be transplanted. It is a best practice to direct sow turnips into your garden. Turnips also prefer cooler temperatures in which to germinate and grow.

Sow turnip seeds at least two to four weeks before your average last frost date. Seeds germinate best at temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (18-27 degrees Celsius). 

Rutabaga

This root crop has similar requirements to turnips, but with much longer days to maturity. Turnips will be ready to harvest in 30 to 40 days, while rutabaga needs 80-120 days to reach maturity. When planted in the spring, they will be ready to harvest in the fall, and they make an excellent storage crop for the winter.

These cold-tolerant roots can be sown very early in the spring. Direct sow rutabaga seeds in your raised beds four to six weeks before your average last frost date. The ideal soil temperature for germination is between 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (16-27 degrees Celsius). In warm regions, you can sow rutabagas in mid-summer so they can mature in the cooler weather of fall and winter.

Beans

Beans come in a range of varieties, but the two main types are bush beans and pole beans. Pole beans will need a structure to climb, while bush beans have a more compact growth habit. Direct seed pole beans alongside corn or sunflowers or a trellis. It’s harder to plant transplants as close to a structure as you can get a seed.

You can start beans indoors. However, much like peas, they have sensitive roots that don’t like disturbance. In warm soil, they germinate and grow quickly, so there’s not much reason to start them indoors. Direct sown beans will catch up and overtake transplants since they grow so fast. 

Corn

This vegetable can technically be transplanted. However, transplanted corn generally has a weaker root system. Because it grows so tall and so fast, a weak root system could lead it to be blown over by a wind storm. Direct sowing will result in a stable corn crop that will withstand the wind.

You need multiple corn plants for successful cross-pollination. You’ll need at least a four-foot by four-foot square area of plants. It’s much easier to directly sow this amount of seeds rather than raise the same amount of seedlings indoors and transplant them all out into the garden. 

Peas

Peas have weak roots that don’t like disturbance. They can be started indoors, but avoid starting them too early so as to avoid the need for potting them up. Continually moving the plants will lead them to be stunted. Be sure to only move them once when transplanting them into the garden. 

Direct sowing them, however, allows you to sow them more densely. This is harder to achieve with transplanted seedlings. Soak seeds overnight in water or pre-sprout the seeds in a damp paper towel. Peas prefer cool weather and they will peter out as the weather heats up in the summer. Once they die back, you can take them out and replace them with a succession sowing of a fast-growing warm-weather crop like pole beans. 

Sunflowers

This is another flower that can also be sown indoors, but be sure to use a biodegradable pot to limit root disturbance. Sunflowers have a sensitive taproot that prefers to germinate in the same place it will grow. For this reason, transplanted sunflowers don’t grow as tall as their direct sown counterparts. This is especially important if you’re growing a mammoth variety where you would be growing it for its height. You can soak seeds overnight to help speed the germination of your direct-sown seeds. 

Morning Glory

These wonderful flowers get their name from the fact that they open in the early morning and close back up as the day progresses. Morning glories are a voracious vine that readily self-seeds year after year.

However, in their young seedling stage, they are sensitive to root disturbance. For this reason, I recommend directly sowing them into your garden. Alternatively, if you have a very short growing season, you can sow them indoors in biodegradable pots to prevent root disturbance. 

Moonflower

Moonflower is the nocturnal cousin to the morning glory. These white flowers bloom as the sun sets for the day and remain open into the evening. This provides a great pollen source for nocturnal and diurnal pollinators like moths, bats, and some beetles.

Much like morning glories, they are sensitive to root disturbance and prefer to be directly sown. However, you can opt to start them indoors in biodegradable pots. Sow these heat-loving vines one to two weeks after your average last frost date when the weather is consistently warm. 

Borage

The small blue star-shaped flowers of borage act as a bee magnet in the garden. Plus, the flowers are edible and taste like cucumber! However, borage has a taproot that does not like being transplanted. In fact, I’ve attempted to, and failed, many times to relocate borage that has self-seeded in my garden.

It is possible to start them indoors, but use biodegradable pots. Or skip all the fuss and direct sow them into your raised beds. Once you plant borage in your garden, you’ll have it for years to come. It will go to seed and come back in the same area the following season. 

Dill

This flavorful herb makes a great companion plant in the garden. Growing dill in the garden alongside garlic and cucumbers will result in delicious homegrown pickles. Its yellow umbel flowers attract predatory wasps into the garden. It is also one of the host plants for swallowtail butterflies.

However, it has a long taproot that does not transplant well. The seeds also benefit from a period of cold stratification and do best when directly sown in the fall. They will readily sprout next spring. If you let dill go to seed in your garden at the end of the growing season, it will come up on its own with no indoor seed starting required. 

Squash

Both winter and summer squashes are sensitive to root disturbance, though they can be started indoors in biodegradable pots. However, indoor seed squash starting is only beneficial in areas with a short growing season.

Squash seeds germinate quickly, and seedlings grow very fast, so there is little reason to start them indoors. Sow seeds outdoors one to two weeks after your average last frost date since they are very cold-sensitive. Use row fabric to protect from cool nights. Seeds will germinate within five to ten days. 

Melons

Melons like watermelons and cantaloupes prefer to be directly sown using a hilling method. Form a mound of soil with a depression in the center (like a volcano) and plant two to three seeds in the center of each mound.

The seeds germinate quickly. The vines will grow and sprawl quickly as well. For this reason, it is difficult to manage them indoors. Once the seedlings are a few inches tall, thin them out to one seedling per mound.  

Cucumbers

Cucumbers have extra sensitive roots. Transplanted cucumbers go through a period of transplant shock in which the plants cease growth for a few days, up to a week, before they resume growth. This is how a direct sown cucumber could potentially catch up to a transplanted cucumber in terms of growth.

Sow them directly below a trellis, spaced about eight to ten inches apart, one to two weeks after your average last frost date.