6 Steps for Successful Seed Shopping
It’s always exciting to look through the seed catalogs and dream of what you want to plant in the garden this year. But with so many choices, how can you decide what to order? It can all seem overwhelming! Here are a few tips on how to approach your seed ordering in an orderly fashion.
1. Decide what you want to grow.
List the plants you eat most of or can’t live without. Include items that you plan to dry, can or freeze. If you eat a lot of something, you might want to try growing it.
But also consider what is available locally for a reasonable price. This may influence whether you will devote space to a particular vegetable. For example, I love sweet corn and eat a lot of it. But it takes a lot of space in the garden to grow it. So this is one crop I choose to buy instead.
I grow a great variety of greens, basil, and Italian parsley because I don’t want to pay several dollars per bunch for them at the market. Interesting hot peppers, heirloom tomatoes and easy things like zucchini, green beans and radishes are always worth growing, to me.
2. From your list, decide which crops are best grown from seed.
Some things grow better direct-seeded rather than transplanted. Legumes, which include beans and peas; vining crops like squash, pumpkins, cucumbers and melons; spinach, salad greens, chard and kale; root crops like radishes, carrots and beets; herbs like parsley, cilantro, dill; and corn. So if these plants are on your wish list, you should order seeds.
Some things grow best as transplants, like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants; and some of the cabbage relatives including broccoli and cauliflower. If you only need a plant or two of a certain pepper or tomato variety, buy them as transplants from the plant nursery. If you want a dozen broccoli plants, it’s cheaper to start them indoors from a seed packet.
3. Check your seed supplies to see what you have left over from last year.
If you’re like me, you have partially planted or unplanted seed packets from the past few years. It’s worth checking these out before ordering in a new stash. Most seed is viable for 2 to 3 years, but this can vary widely according to the type of seed. You could do a germination test to find out if your seed is still good. Here’s how:
Count out 10 seeds and place them in a row on a damp paper towel. Roll the seeds up in the towel and place it in a plastic bag. Leave it in a warm place. Check it after a few days, and again after a week. Count the seeds that have germinated. If eight seeds are alive, your packet is approximately 80 percent viable; go ahead and use it. If only a few germinated, you should re-order, or sow very heavily if you just need a few plants.
4. Peruse the seed catalogs and list what you want to buy.
The first time through a catalog, I make lots of black circles around things that sound interesting. I fold over corners to mark the spot. I return to the interesting plants and reconsider, X-ing some out. At some point, it’s time to compile all of the best choices onto a “master list”. Here is where you’ll notice if you came up with 10 kinds of beans to try and no beets. You can compare varieties and prices from your favorite catalogs, and eventually come up with your tentative list of seeds to buy.
5. Decide how many plants you can really fit into the space you have.
Of course, that would be a spot that gets at least eight hours of sun, where the soil drains well, and with access to water.
If you have questions about how to space your vegetable plants, I described my method in this post about Planning the Vegetable Garden last year.
6. Refine your list accordingly, and place your orders.
Be sure to try a few new items each year, and add a few flowers to plant amongst the vegetables to attract pollinizing insects. Consider growing open pollinated flowers and vegetables if you want to start saving your own seeds. And consider switching to organically grown seeds, to help sustain the health of your soil, our ecosystems, and your family!
Do you have a favorite seed catalog or a special way to organize your seed buying? Leave a comment below.
Happy Gardening!
This blog gave a lot of insight to me as I plan to grow a garden this summer. Thanks for all the great tips! When do you believe would be the best time to start a garden for the summer?
Caroline, I’ll be starting seeds to plant in my spring garden this week (early March), starting with the cabbage family and other hardy things. In a few weeks, I’ll start tomatoes and peppers, that don’t go outdoors until after all danger of frost has passed. We say around Mother’s Day, here.