Having just returned from a quick visit to Florida and catching a serious case of spring fever while working to make my Mom’s yard more presentable, I vowed to finish ordering my seeds when I returned home and make a plan for when to start them inside. A reader emailed me to ask where the best places to buy seed were, and when to start planting them. So, I’d like to share my favorite seed sources with you and a bit about raising those seeds.
You can, of course, buy seeds at local garden centers and big box stores, but I prefer to purchase seed through the mail. It gives me a wider choice of varieties and allows me to comparison shop without leaving my favorite chair.
Pinetree Garden Seeds is a great source for home gardeners (www.superseeds.com) who want to try a particular variety but don’t want a lot of seeds. Pinetree packages their seeds in small quantities, which are very reasonably priced. In addition to a large variety of the usual garden standbys (tomatoes, peppers, squash, etc.) they also sell European, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American varieties. This is the section of the catalog I visit first.
Renee’s Garden (www.reneesgarden.com) offers her personal selection of seeds, from heirlooms to open pollinated varieties to excellent new hybrids. She has had 24 years experience of seed sourcing (she started and ran Shepherd’s Seeds for many years before selling it to White Flower Farm) and her packets provide clear growing instructions. Renee often mixes two or more varieties in the same package (but labels them separately) so you can try several varieties without buying them individually. Her website gives a full description and photo of each variety, complete seed starting information and great growing tips. The site also contains fabulous recipes and “how-to” photo essays.
For those of you who want to try to garden organically, Seeds of Change (www.seedsofchange.com) sells 100 percent certified organic seeds. My only disappointment with them was that my favorite cabbage (January King – the most beautiful and tasty cabbage I’ve ever grown) was sold out last year and not available this year. When I called the company, they said if the item isn’t listed in the catalog, it usually means there was a crop failure the year before and to check back the following year if it’s something you really want.
John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds (www.kitchengardenseeds.com) does not have photographs in their catalog. Instead, they have well done illustrations and good descriptions of what they carry. Their catalog and website give good growing information and the website tells you how long to expect your seeds to be viable.
You can’t go wrong with Park Seed (www.parkseed.com). They have good variety and their seed is packaged in foil to keep it fresh longer. The only thing I’d advise is to write the year that you purchase the seed because they don’t list it on the package. Burpee Seeds (www.burpee.com) is another highly recognized name that is reliable, but a bit pricey.
Most of the catalogs I’ve named also carry flower seeds, plants, books and garden supplies. One caution: “new” and “new introduction” are not synonymous! If it says “new,” it simply means the catalog is carrying it for the first time versus introducing it to the public for the first time.
Now that you’ve got your seeds, what do you do with them? Read the instructions on your packet! If the packet doesn’t have instructions, go back to the catalog or website to get the appropriate information. Do not start seeds too early. It is the biggest mistake people make and the reason many don’t try a second time.
If you have room to set up a fluorescent light over a table in your basement or elsewhere in your home, that is the ideal. Lights should always be kept about three inches above plants. That keeps them from getting leggy. If you don’t have lights, a south facing window is best. Be sure to rotate your plants if they’re in a window. Warmth underneath the plants is helpful for seed germination but not essential. Plant your seeds according to package directions, noting the time they take to germinate and the time from planting out to harvest.
Some seeds will germinate in a day or two. Some take months. Some need to be stratified (i.e., put 60-90 days in moist paper towel in a plastic bag in the refrigerator or sown outside where they will experience the freeze and thaw process they need to germinate properly).
Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and basil should be started indoors by April 1. Start all seeds in a seed-starting medium (very fine) and cover with plastic to hold in moisture. Lift the plastic occasionally to keep your seeds from rotting, but don’t let the planting medium dry out.
Squash, melons, cucumbers and pumpkins can be started indoors on April 30 (only plant one seed per pot), or they can be started directly in the garden in May. All of these plants should be ready to be hardened off by Mother’s Day (May 9) and ready to plant in the garden by Memorial Day (May 31). However, peppers and eggplant are very sensitive to cold, so if it is cold, wait a week or two to plant them out. They will catch up as soon as it warms up.
Lettuce, carrots, Swiss chard, beets, beans and many herbs can be direct-seeded in the garden, so you needn’t waste space to start them indoors.
Today, gardening is a billion-plus dollar industry. It is the number one leisure activity in the United States. There are many more community gardens that have started to spring up. Whenever the economy is poor, we see more “Victory Gardens”– especially vegetable gardens – and growing vegetables from seed is very much a part of that process.
I’m interested in knowing if you start your own seeds and what topics you’d like covered in this column. As Frances Hodgson Burnett said in “The Secret Garden,” “As long as one has a garden, one has a future. As long as one has a future, one is alive.”
Be alive! Stay in touch with the earth and each other!
