Side by side
Pick two or three seeds to see how they grow, side by side: sprouting, spacing, sun, water, frost and pet safety in one table.
Comparing Pea vs. Alfalfa vs. American Persimmon
The comparison
| Fact | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Easy | Moderate | Challenging |
| Life cycle | Annual | Perennial | Perennial |
| Germination time | 7–10 days | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Germination temperature | 13–18 °C55–64 °F | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Sowing depth | Not yet verified | 6 mm–1.5 cm¼–½ in | Not yet verified |
| Sun | Full sun | Full sun, partial shade | Full sun, partial shade |
| Containers | Yes, 7.6 L or largerYes, 2 gal or larger | Not yet verified | Not suited to pots |
| Frost tolerance | Hardy | Hardy | Hardy |
| Links |
Up close
What each one is, in a few lines, with the full growing guide one click away.
Fruits & otherPisum sativum
A cool-season crop you sow in early spring, because the plants shrug off frost. Grow shelling, snap or snow peas up a support and pick the pods often for the sweetest harvest.
How to grow peaFruits & otherMedicago sativa
Alfalfa, also called lucerne, is a perennial legume grown from seed in full sun or partial shade. Sow it shallowly, inoculate the seed before planting, and expect it to fix much of its own nitrogen.
How to grow alfalfaFruits & otherDiospyros virginiana
A native US tree grown for sweet fall fruit, colorful leaves and checkerboard bark. Trees grown from seed can take four to nine years to bear fruit, and you usually need both male and female trees.
How to grow american persimmonKeep comparing
Add a third seed, or swap one for a close relative from the same category.
Pea vs. Apple TreePea against another seedAlfalfa vs. Apple TreeAlfalfa against another seedAmerican Persimmon vs. Apple TreeAmerican Persimmon against another seed
Pea vs. AvocadoPea against another seedAlfalfa vs. AvocadoAlfalfa against another seedAmerican Persimmon vs. AvocadoAmerican Persimmon against another seedThe table, row by row
Every row is a fact from each seed's own profile, lined up so the differences stand out.
Germination time and temperature
How many days the seeds take to sprout, and the temperature range they sprout in.
Sowing depth and spacing
How deep to sow each seed and how far apart the plants should grow. “On the surface” means the seed isn't covered.
Days to maturity and life cycle
How long until the plant is ready, counted from sowing or from transplanting (each value says which). Annuals live one year, biennials two, perennials longer.
Sun and water
Full sun means 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, partial shade a few hours. Water needs are rated low, moderate or high.
Containers, frost tolerance and soil pH
Whether it grows in a pot, with the smallest pot when it's known. Frost tolerance runs from tender (no frost) to hardy. Soil pH 7 is neutral.
Toxicity to cats and dogs
Whether the plant is toxic to cats and dogs.
Quick wins
Days from sowing until the first shoots appear, in good conditions.
Pet friendly
Listed as non-toxic to both cats and dogs. Each seed's page has the details.
Not safe for pets: borage, buckwheat, caraway, carnation and 14 more.
Comparing
Each seed's page explains how to grow it from seed, with facts researched and reviewed by our editors.
