Ordering from Seed Catalogs: So many seeds So little yard.

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1 Ordering from Seed Catalogs: So many seeds So little yard. We ve all received these great glossy photo- filled catalogs from the seed companies and been pulled into the frenzy to buy too many seeds. It s also easy to get lost in the choices. In this video we ll go over some of the basics for those starting out on how to order what s right for you in these catalogs. You want plants that will grow well in your area, and have a good chance on succeeding in your garden. First off, let s talk about seed quality. If your seed is no good, then all the rest of your work in the garden is kind of moot. So resist any temptation to buy cheap seeds in the big box stores or in the discount bin in the back of the hardware store. There are plenty of great seed purveyors that have free catalogs online. So if you don t have a trusted local nursery with really good seeds, try any of the companies listed with this file and you can get seeds mailed to your door. The second warning is not to fall for the photos that you will see that make everything look great! Before you let the catalogs choose for you, start with a list of the varieties you want to grow and then approach the catalogs. I ve attached a list of some trusted standard varieties below. Choose a few seed company websites to compare what they offer in those varieties and then make your choices. Third warning, and then, I promise, I ll get on with it. If you are new to all this and the starting of your own plants from seeds is just too overwhelming, just skip it for now, work on bed preparation and buy seedlings from a trusted local nursery. It ll give you a better chance at success starting out and minimize the variables for you. Open Pollinated vs Hybrid Seeds are offered in hybrid (F1) and open pollinated varieties (OP). Hybrid benefits are usually things like disease resistance and faster growth rates. Don t confuse hybrids with GMO seeds. Hybrids are fine for organic growers to plant in their gardens. They will usually list the benefits that have been bred into that particular hybrid seed stock. Many times the hybrids will be more robust and faster growing, but not necessarily as flavorful as the Open Pollinated plants. The older varieties of open pollinated seeds are called Heirloom seeds and have been around for generations. They often give more dependable results. They also have traits that made them valuable for past generations of growers and are still favored by many today. Another benefit is you can save seeds that grow from open

2 pollinated plants but not from Hybrids. Seeds saved from hybrid plants won t produce the same plant the following season, so you need to buy them each year. If all this sounds like it s above your intention at the moment, just forget about saving seeds for now and plant whatever you like between the hybrids and the open pollinated varieties. In later years you can learn about saving and re- growing your own selected open pollinated crops. Most organic gardeners have a preference for open pollinated seeds eventually since they typically have honed the skills for saving their own seeds. When you start looking at the different seed choices in the catalogs you ll notice most of them have 65 days or days to maturity indicator numbers. Be aware of the average growing season length in your area before you buy long- season plants that are heat- tolerant and try to grow them in your short, cold season. It s good to know your freeze dates, so you can know the average length of your growing season before you start buying seeds. Does your growing season have enough time for that variety to mature before it freezes? This can also vary if you re in a much cooler or hotter climate than the location where the seed company grows its seed. Also keep in mind how much space you have for each crop. If you re only planting a few beds of vegetables, the single sale packets are usually plenty of seed to start with. And by the time you choose eight or ten packs of seeds, you may be out of space in the garden. Unless you re an advanced gardener who has a knack for pampering seedlings, you want to look for crop descriptions that show strong success rates, not some sensitive strain that requires pampering. Phrases like resistant to bolting or high producer or fast germination show strengths, while can grow well in sunny locations if given adequate attention etc.. should give you pause on that variety. To start out, keep it to one or two varieties max for any vegetable. After they re planted, try to keep notes on what works and what doesn t and ideas on why. This will help you in future planting choices. Here s a list of some of the more popular (and easier) varieties to start with: (Only choose varieties you think you like to eat) *I ll have a pdf file near this video for you to print out if you like. Pole Beans: Blue Lake, Kentucky Wonder, Fortex Bush Beans, Easy pick, Jade II, Provider Peas: Super Sugar Snap, Cascadia

3 Tomatoes: Determinate: (bush style, fruits all at once) indeterminate (Vining style, needs support, fruits all season) Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine, Manitoba, Cherry Tomato: Matt s Wild Cherry, Chadwick Winter squash: Walthams Butternut, Sweet Meat (both are good producers). Summer squash: Black Beauty zucchini, Crookneck Squash (zucchini should only be for the bold who can eat it young.) Cucumber: Marketmore 76, Straight Eight Greens: Spinach: Bloomsdale, Tyee Kale: Red Russian, Toscana Lettuce: Winter Density, Buttercrunch Chard: Bright Lights, Fordhook Giant Collards: Champion Roots: Carrots: Bolero (F1), Scarlet Nantes Beets: Bulls Blood, Early Wonder Potatoes: Kennebec, Yukon Gold, Purple Majesty Broccoli: Thompson, Cauliflower: Amazing When you look through the catalogs you will notice little codes everywhere. Most of the catalogs will have a code index somewhere but here s a basic overview: Some common ones are: OG: Organically Grown seed (OP) Open Pollinated variety (F1) Hybrid Variety Full Sun / Partial Sun/ Partial Shade / Full Shade: (This is what that plant needs) Pelleted Seed: Has a dissolvable coating on it that makes it easier to handle individual seeds for easier planting. This can actually save over time due to minimizing wasted seed that needs to be thinned out later on. Pelleted seed is particularly useful for carrot and lettuce seeds. Germination temperature: The minimum soil temperature that seed needs to germinate. ph preference: What soil ph (alkalinity) is best for that variety. Heat tolerance / Cold tolerance

4 Treated seed: refers to whether the seed stock has been treated with any fungicidal powder to help keep them from rotting in cold damp soil. You don t really need treated seed if you just avoid planting seeds too early when the soil is too cold. Bolting: referring to its ability to delay going to seed when it gets hot. If you live in a really hot climate and a seed says resistant to bolting, that can extend the growth and harvest period of that particular plant for you. X Days: (where X is a number = Days to Maturity: how long it takes from sowing the seed to harvest. Other variables apply here, so it s a general estimate. Which Company? When choosing which company to buy from, your best bet is to find a seed company that is as close to your area of the country as possible. This isn t to save on shipping rates. It s to get as close to the climate attributes of their growing location to yours. This way you aren t getting seeds from someplace that has dramatically different growing conditions than where you will plant your seeds. Gardeners in the South tend to have longer, more flexible planting windows than others with shorter seasons, but they may look for more heat tolerant varieties. People in cooler, northern climates with shorter seasons need varieties with fewer days to maturity and cold tolerance. You may also base your preference on how some companies offer more detailed planting instructions and ideas on successful growing. Other items: If you re starting beans or peas for the first time you may also look into bean or pea inoculant, which gives them a strong start. It s a population of beneficial bacteria in powder form that help the roots fix nitrogen in the soil. Once your soil has the right population of inoculant for peas and beans, you don t have to add more, but this helps them get a footing. When ordering some plants like potatoes and onions, they may ship later in the season and arrive at your house just before planting time. They typically judge the timing based on your zip code. Here are some of the top companies to choose from for starters: Most of them offer a mix of open pollenated and hybrid seed. *This list is also on the pdf file: Here are the main four I use: (Rancho Dominguez, CA) Cottage Grove, OR Waterville, Maine (Peaceful Valley Farm Supply) Grass Valley, CA And here are some other quality seed companies: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, (Mansfield, MO) (N.Vermont)

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