What is the Difference Between Plants That Grow from Bulbs and Plants That Grow from Seeds?

Everyone loves a flower garden and most people would like to have one filled with color and fragrance. Many plants are available for using in a garden, and most of these come from either bulbs or seeds.

Most plants that come from seeds are either annuals or biennials. Annuals grow directly from seeds and grow, bloom and die in the course of one season. They also produce their own seeds. Many lovely flowers fall into this category, including most wildflowers, zinnias, marigolds, asters, daisies and petunias.

One nice option for using flowers from seeds is buying a roll of turf with the seeds already pre-planted. All a gardener needs to do is to unroll the turf in a suitable location and water it. These rolls are available at most garden centers. Biennials last for two years without replanting.

Other plants with seeds are edible, such as tomatoes, squash, cucumber, celery, berries, watermelon and cantaloupe. Packets of seeds for these vegetables can be found in the spring in grocery stores, home centers or from seed catalogs. Flower seeds are available as well.

Plants from bulbs are a whole other proposition. Probably the most famous plants growing from bulbs are tulips. However, daffodils, hyacinth, gladiolus and even garlic also spring from bulbs. Gardeners plant bulbs in the fall of the year and they remain dormant in the soil until spring. When the weather warms up, the bulbs send up green leaves, and eventually flower. The flowers remain for a couple of weeks or so, then they die back, and the leaves follow. These plants then lie dormant until the next spring, when they bloom again.

The main advantage with plant bulbs is that they can be moved to different places in the garden, depending on the gardener’s preferences. All the gardener has to do is to dig the bulbs up in the fall and replant them in the desired location. Plant bulbs are also available anywhere seeds and other plants are sold.

Planting bulbs and seeds is a wonderful family activity. Children can see the more or less immediate results of their labors with seeds in a pot, and can appreciate the virtues of patience when planting bulbs in autumn. This is a great experience for them to see where plants come from and how they grow.

Plants that grow from bulbs have a storage organ that contains nutrients and embryonic parts of the plant, allowing them to survive dormant periods and regrow annually. In contrast, plants that grow from seeds start from a fertilized ovule that develops into a new plant, typically requiring germination each time they are planted.

Bulb plants often have a perennial growth cycle, emerging each year from the same bulb, which stores energy for the plant's growth. Seed plants, on the other hand, usually complete their life cycle from germination to seed production within one growing season or over several years, depending on whether they are annuals, biennials, or perennials.

Planting bulbs can be advantageous as they typically require less maintenance after planting. Bulbs already contain the necessary nutrients for the initial growth spurt, leading to quicker and more reliable sprouting. They are also more resistant to adverse weather conditions and can provide a head start in growth compared to seeds.

Yes, bulb plants can be propagated by dividing the main bulb into smaller bulblets or offsets, which can then be replanted to grow new plants. This method of vegetative propagation is similar to taking cuttings from seed plants, although seed plants can also be propagated by collecting and sowing seeds.

Many flowering plants grow from bulbs, including popular varieties such as tulips, daffodils, lilies, and hyacinths. These plants are favored for their ability to bloom year after year with minimal care once the bulbs are established in the ground or in pots.

Bulb plants generally require less frequent care once established, but they do have specific needs. For instance, they often require well-drained soil to prevent rot and may need to be planted at a certain depth. After flowering, it's important to allow the foliage to die back naturally to replenish the bulb's nutrients for the next season.