Garden Seed

Garden Seed is one of the best ways to get the right vegetable for your garden. You can buy transplants but you will only be able to find the most popular varieties that way. When looking for something a little unusual or uncommon seed is the only way to go.

Finding Seeds

If you already know what you are looking for I’d suggest searching online and seeing what is available. You may not be able to find the variety you are looking for in a local store. Find a reputable dealer or a hobbyist that you feel you can trust. Seed is cheap to ship so you should save on shipping and handling if cost is an issue.

Buying Seed

Unless you are looking for the uncommon, any nursery or big box store will have a selection of seeds for you to choose from, normally only the best selling varieties are available this way. They are the best selling varieties for a reason; normally they are easy to grow, productive, and tasty.

Planting Seed

Finally getting to plant that seed that you have been searching for is a fun time. If you are like me and live in cold zone 5 any long season crop you are planning to plant needs to be started indoors. Get some lights, and an empty space to keep the baby plants.

Once the last chance of frost is gone for your area you can harden off the seedlings. Take them outside for a few hours per day for a week or so and then plop them in the ground.

Follow the directions on the packet for planting depth and go nuts.

Growing Seed

Seeds for the garden need to be kept moist but not wet until they sprout. They also need to be warm, the top of the fridge is a common place for people to start seeds indoors, and it’s pretty warm up there. Keep an eye on the seeds though and as soon as they sprout get them down and under lights.

If you are growing the seed outdoors give them a sprinkle of water once or twice a day depending on how near the surface the seeds were planted and how hot it is outside. Seeds that are planted deeper can handle the surface being dry so long as it’s not too crusty for them to penetrate.

Collecting Seeds

Collecting your own garden seed is a great way to save money and to develop your own personal strain of a vegetable. When growing seed you have collected over generations the seed becomes better accustomed to the conditions of your area. Only collect seed from the best performing plants, you do not want to develop a week strain of vegetable.

This is not the same as hybridizing; we are not looking to create a NEW hybrid, just a slightly better evolved plant for your area.

How to collect the seed is pretty straightforward for vegetables let them flower and then let the seedpod dry and then collect. Different types of garden vegetables take differing amounts of time for the seed to become mature. Do not be impatient, just watch and when the seedpod has turned brown and seems to be ready to split grab it and get your seeds.

Whether you are finding, buying, planting, growing, or collecting there is always something to keep you busy. Winter is for planting, spring for sowing, summer for growing, and fall is for the collecting of the seeds you have been taking care of. Once you have found all the people hiding so they do not have to take one more cucumber or zucchini.

Good luck with your garden seed!!