Seed Shopping Handbook: Tips for purchasing horticultural seeds

Seed Shopping Handbook: Tips for purchasing horticultural seeds

If you can get all the seeds from all over the world, you do. However, I know that the seeds are good enough. The important thing is to understand what you can actually grow, what you really want to grow, and manage your expectations. Here, I will explain in detail the purchase of gardening seeds.

Reading seed packets may be similar to reading the whole other language first. Gardening has a lot of technical terms and technical terms, which may be a bit difficult to start.

And I went there! I didn’t grow up with gardening, so when I started a gardening trip, my learning curve was steep.

I was in the midst of the season of the seed start, so I wanted to return to the beginning. We asked people how to choose what to be planted (especially when we wanted to grow everything!) And what all the information on the back of the seed bag means.

I will explain everything, so let’s calm down and talk about what you need to know when purchasing a gardening seed.

Collect the best gardening seeds from the garden and put them in another containerCollect the best gardening seeds from the garden and put them in another container
Instead of purchasing gardening seeds, you can save seeds from existing gardens and plant them next year.

Today, I will share some of my e -book “Get Growing!” Start an expert seed for DIY gardener. Please check out everything you need to know, from a complete guide, from sowing to the pulling, and transplantation.

Get the cover of the GROWING e -bookGet the cover of the GROWING e -book

Please select the seeds

It is a fun adventure to check the seed catalogs and seedy websites properly, but if you are not prepared, it may exceed the amount that the garden (and you) can handle it. 。

First of all, it is important to think about what kind of plant you want (flower, herb, vegetables?). Is it warm enough to grow watermelon in the garden, or is it cool enough to grow kale? Is there really a space to put three types of pumpkins, or is it OK?

Tips for purchasing horticultural seedsTips for purchasing horticultural seeds
Be sure to attach a label to the seedlings so that you can see what is.

Periodic seeds and one year raw seeds

Starting seeding early in the season is an excellent way to save annual grass costs such as flowers, flowers, herbs, and vegetables in the first year. For beginners, first grader plants are usually the best horticultural seeds for purchasing.

If you are an advanced gardener, you can often start making perennials from seeds, but in some cases it will take several years before perennials reach the size of the nursery. Because of the case, it is a more difficult and time -consuming process.

Some perennials are easier to grow from seeds than other perennials. Therefore, if you want to grow perennial from seeds, be sure to read which perennials are optimal in this article.

It is important for some plants to grow better than other plants from seeds. This does not mean that sowing seeds need to be strictly restricted. There are plenty of flowers, vegetables, first grader plants, and perennial plants that grow easily and prosper from seeds. If you have too many choices, you may have a hard time choosing what to plant.

Of course, your unique place has its own restrictions in terms of climate, so be sure to check the seed package before purchasing and check if your area meets the success requirements of seeds. please.

Buy only your favorite

When purchasing a gardening seed, it’s easy to buy all the colorful and attractive seed bags you can see. But stop once and think about how much to use.

The optimal gardening seeds vary from person to person, depending on what you want to grow and where you live.

Absolutely make a list of your favorite things, sow only the amount of vegetables you eat or the flowers you need to fill the flowerbed.

This makes the cultivation process simpler and more fun, and no overwhelming crops that cannot catch up in the second half of the season.

Garden StephanieGarden Stephanie
Herbs are one of my favorite, so I prioritize herbs in the garden.

Housekeeping vs Hybrid vs GMO Seeds

These are terms that can cause confusion for beginner gardens. And they may be easily confused with each other. It is important to learn the differences between the terms of heirloom, hybrid, and GMO. This is useful for the seed selection process, and you will be able to purchase the optimal horticultural seeds according to your taste.

There are differences in seeds of these types and overall posts on all their strengths and weaknesses. Check the post here.

How to read seed packets

This is not enough to emphasize. If you follow the seed packet instructions, the best start will be out. Of course, as long as the cultivation method is not written as “a few days after the moonless night,” like Radickio I once started. There is a long history of growing plants according to the moon cycle, which can be read in this post. However, this post is particular about the use of the end -of -frost day and the Gregorian calendar.

Most species describe all of the necessary instructions to start the seeds, such as when to sow seeds, places to plant, special watering requirements, and number of days to germinate.

There are also special information such as germinated temperature, repetition of sowing, transplanting, and pulling. Following the instructions will make the chance of successful success. Therefore, it is best for those who hate maps and ridicule instructions to eliminate the stubbornness of seed packets.

The best place to buy seedsThe best place to buy seeds
An excellent seed pack contains all the information you need to start growing plant growth.

Main terms of seed packets

Here are some terms and meanings that can be encountered in seed packets.

Germination rate: Expresses the possibility of seeds germination in a percentage. Types of plants: Answer whether the seeds are per year, first graders, or second graders. Seed interval: How long is it ideal to separate each seed to each other? Between stocks/after -paid interval: How much of the stock is separated from other stocks. High: The height when the plant is mature. Number of days to mature: The number of days from planting to the plants ready for harvesting/flowering. Planting depth: The depth of planting seeds. Number of days to germination/germination: The number of days expected before the seeds begin to grow. Flowering period: When the plants bloom.

Purchase seeds onlinePurchase seeds online
Read the package and cultivation procedure before purchasing seeds.

Determine growth conditions

Before planting or purchasing seeds, it is necessary to accurately grasp the cultivation conditions. Each plant has a specific need to germinate and grow, so if you want to grow a specific plant, you need to make sure that the garden meets those needs.

timing

Usually, seed bags describe when to plant seeds based on the frost. It is important to find the average frost day in your area. To do this, you can use the Farmer’s Almanac calculator.

You can use this date to count back and forth and when to start a specific seed indoors.

By all means, please try the succession planting. By carefully determining the timing of starting seeding, you can extend the harvest period and leave the interval.

The best garden seeds turn into a healthy seedlingsThe best garden seeds turn into a healthy seedlings
Avoid harvesting all vegetables at the same time.

Lighting

All plants have certain lighting requirements, which are described in the seed package. These are usually described as complete sun, partial sun, partial shade, or shade. Before purchasing gardening seeds, make sure that the garden has an appropriate amount of sunlight (check this post for how to measure the solar sunlight in the backyard).

Seed requires a specific amount of light when germination. Seeds with a shallow planting depth and only thin soil layers on the surface require a lot of light to germinate. Similarly, those planted deep in the soil will reduce the required light.

When sowing indoors, a sunny window or cultivation light is required.

temperature

Some seeds require a specific soil temperature to germinate. The heated mat helps to provide specific plants such as peppers and tomatoes indoors indoors. Some prefer the temperature of outdoor soil, such as carrots and radish.

If you want to know more about the ground temperature, please see this article.

soil

Most plants prefer good drainage soil, but not all. Seed bags may include information about the type and location of the soil preferred by plants. If not, check the needs of plant soil in advance in advance.

In the case of sowing, a culture soil containing sterilized ingredients that do not promote fungi and bacteria proliferation are required. I can find my reliable sowing culture soil recipe here.

moisture

Some plants are considered to be resistant to drought and grow better in areas where additional watering and hot weather cannot be received. Others prefer a lot of water and do their best in places near the house where additional water is supplied or when it rains enough.

When choosing a seed, consider the moisture condition in the garden and the amount of additional watering.

Ora water gathering systemOra water gathering system
This ora -watering system slowly provides water to the raid bed plants.

The best place to buy seeds

If you’re the same as me, you’ll be dazzling when the seed catalog arrives by mail. If you feel like Christmas is approaching, you can’t help but round all the best horticulture.

But for most people who are trying to get started, the first step is to find a reliable distributor that can buy seeds online. My favorite in Canada is West Coast Seeds and Richters.

Do not buy seeds online over the borders or buy those that may invade your area. If you have any questions, do not buy seeds. Local horticultural centers always handle high -quality and safe seeds.

Also, check if there is a small seed library in the neighborhood. Some libraries also provide seeds. Because there is a person who can say no to free seeds?

Frequently Asked Questions regarding the purchase of horticultural seeds

Which is better, purchasing seeds online or directly?

Either is a good option. By purchasing seeds online, you can get a wider wider kind of seeds. There are many varieties and rare plants that are not available at gardening stores. In order to confirm that seeds germinate and grow in your area, you need to reconfirm and in some cases, an additional survey.

How can I choose the appropriate kind of seeds?

The most important factor in purchasing gardening seeds is to confirm that the garden meets the proper growth requirements of plants. Look at the seed bags and check the requirements for sunlight, water, soil, and space. If your garden matches, the seeds are OK.

Another main aspect that should be noted is the gardening zone. This makes it easy to see if plants can withstand the temperature of the gardening zone.

What is the best way to store seeds?

The seeds must be stored in a highly airtight package, and it is necessary to attach a label written on the names, varieties, cultivated places, and date. This information is very useful when deciding where to plant the following year.

Avoid moisture and store it in a relatively stable temperature. You need to put it in a cool and dry place. Most seeds can be stored for two years. After that, the germination rate decreases as the storage period increases by one year.

Coriander seeds spreading on the surface of the woodCoriander seeds spreading on the surface of the wood
Coriander seeds.

Other seed start resources

This is just the beginning of all seed start information that I have to share. For more information about the next step to grow plants from seeds, see these posts.

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