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 Pomegranate vs. Buckwheat vs. Apple Tree
The comparison
| Fact | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Moderate | Easy | Moderate |
| Life cycle | Perennial | Annual | Perennial |
| Germination time | Not yet verified | 3–4 days | Not yet verified |
| Germination temperature | 13–18 °C55–64 °F | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Sowing depth | Not yet verified | 1.5–2.5 cm½–1 in | Not yet verified |
| Spacing between plants | 3–3.7 m10–12 ft | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Sun | Full sun, partial shade | Full sun, partial shade | Full sun, partial shade |
| Water | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Moderate |
| Containers | Yes | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Soil pH | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | pH 5.8–6.5 |
| Toxicity to cats | Not yet verified | Toxic | Not yet verified |
| Toxicity to dogs | Not yet verified | Toxic | Not yet verified |
| Links |
Up close
What each one is, in a few lines, with the full growing guide one click away.
Fruits & otherPunica granatum
Pomegranate is a woody, deciduous perennial shrub or small tree that grows best in full sun. It can be sown from seed in spring, but cuttings are a common way to get plants that match the parent.
How to grow pomegranateFruits & otherFagopyrum esculentum
Buckwheat is a fast-growing summer annual whose seeds sprout within 3 to 4 days and can be cooked as a grain.
How to grow buckwheatFruits & otherMalus domestica
Apple trees are perennial, deciduous fruit trees that grow best in full sun. Trees grown from seed won't match the parent fruit, so most apple trees are grafted.
How to grow apple treeKeep comparing
Add a third seed, or swap one for a close relative from the same category.
Pomegranate vs. AlfalfaPomegranate against another seedBuckwheat vs. AlfalfaBuckwheat against another seedApple Tree vs. AlfalfaApple Tree against another seed
Pomegranate vs. American PersimmonPomegranate against another seedBuckwheat vs. American PersimmonBuckwheat against another seedApple Tree vs. American PersimmonApple Tree 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.
