How & When to Shop for Seeds
For those that aren’t obsessed with gardening, it may come as a shock to learn that it is absolutely necessary to shop for seeds in January. Buying seeds and thinking about the garden is usually the farthest thing from their minds when snow is blustering about their door. However, January is truly the best time to shop for seeds preceding any spring gardening activities. Purchasing seeds early helps us plan our kitchen gardens appropriately and schedule out the best days to sow seeds before seed-starting season arrives in March. Plus, it helps ease our gardening withdrawals during the depths of winter.
For novice gardeners, shopping for seeds can be an overwhelming process. Who do we buy from, what seeds do we consider, how do we get started, and many more questions arise. We’ve created an easy guide to help you navigate the in’s and out’s of shopping for seeds, just as smoothly as any master gardener.
Buying Seeds vs. Buying Starter Plants
Before getting started, it’s important to know that buying seeds is only necessary if you plan to grow your own starter plants at home or sow the seeds directly into your garden bed. If you prefer to buy seedlings from a nursery, then you only need to purchase the seeds that need to be directly sown into the earth, such as carrots, beets, and other root vegetables that won’t survive the transplanting process. There is no right or wrong way to go about acquiring your starter plants. Starting your own seeds at home can be fun, but it’s often riddled with hidden challenges. Purchasing starters from a grower is much more convenient, but typically only offers a limited amount of plant varieties.
Most of the time, we prefer to support our local growers and buy the majority of our vegetable plants from nurseries. We usually only start seeds at home for the varieties of plants that are unique and hard-to-come-by. To decide what plants you’d like to grow from seeds and which ones you’d like to purchase from a nursery, consider how much time, energy, and money you are willing to invest in starting your own seeds. Starting seeds at home involves special supplies, like grow lights and warming mats, that use energy. You may also want to consider which unique plant varieties are available by seed from seed suppliers before making a decision one way or the other. Growing unique vegetable varieties that can’t be found anywhere else is a rewarding (and delicious!) experience.
Step 1: Request a Catalog. The first step in shopping for seeds is to request a catalog from a local seed supplier. Shopping for seeds locally (as opposed to abroad) is an important environmentally-conscious choice to make. Local seed breeders often offer seeds that are native or adapted to your climate and therefore optimized to thrive in your area, ultimately requiring less resources. In dry climates, it’s best to opt for native plants in order to conserve water. Moreover, seeds imported from afar pose a threat to your environment and native plant species. Many plants brought in from other ecosystems can become invasive noxious weeds and disrupt the harmony of your natural ecosystem.
Many seed suppliers also offer online shopping if you prefer that over reading a catalog in hand. Although, we find it soothing to sit down and thumb through seed catalogs, with steaming tea in hand (plus a few cookies), reading about different seed varieties that will soon populate our garden beds. A few of my favorite local (to the Intermountain West) seed suppliers include, Grand Prismatic Seed Co., Botanical Interests, and Mountain Valley Seed Co.
Step 2: Read about the seeds. Once you receive your catalogue in hand, you’ll need to read everything you can about the plant varieties that interest you. More than knowing what the plant will look or taste like when it’s fully grown, you’ll want to know when it will flower and fruit. If it’s a perennial then the plant will remain a fixture in your garden for many years to come. If it’s an annual, then it will die at the end of the growing season. If it’s biennial, then it will grow during the first year, and fruit in the second year before it dies. You’ll want to know if it’s a hybrid or heirloom variety. If it’s a hybrid plant, then it will be more resistant to pests and diseases. Although, you won’t be able to save the hybrid seeds to plant next year and expect the exact same variety to grow again. If it’s an heirloom plant variety, then you’ll be able to enjoy unique flavors and save the seeds to enjoy the exact same experience next year.
Next you’ll want to know the full size of the plant when it reaches maturity. Knowing the size will help you determine spacing when planting your garden and if you can fit that plant in your bed. As tempting as it may be, it’s never a good idea to crowd your beds - that only makes all the plants suffer. You’ll want to check for sun and water requirements to know for sure if the plant will thrive in your garden. Be sure to read about when it’s time to sow the seeds and if they should be started indoors in early spring, or directly sown into the earth when temperatures warm. Perhaps they need to go through a cold period and you need to store them in your freezer for a few months before planting. Knowing this timing will help you schedule the day you’ll need to start the seeds so your garden can flourish. All of the details shared about the seeds in catalogues will inform your garden planning and planting process.
Step 3. Order the seeds before mid-February. After you’ve done your homework on the seeds you want to grow, don’t delay purchasing. Some seeds require early start times and others are widely loved plants that sell out quickly. You’ll want to be prepared to start seeds for your garden in late February or early March.
Step 4: Plan your garden and Schedule Sowing Dates. Lastly, spend time putting pen to paper and sketching out your kitchen garden layout. Now that you know what plants you’ll grow and their size or spacing requirements, you can draw out on graph paper where you intend to plant them in your garden based on sun exposure, water availability etc. You can read this post about how to plan your garden in order to ensure a healthy vibrant garden. After buying seeds and before the seed starting season begins, it’s the perfect time to schedule out your seed sowing dates. Use your average last frost date (or when your climate transitions from the cool season to the warm season) and count backwards however many weeks the seed packet indicates as the best time so sow the seeds. Sometimes it is 2-4 weeks, other times it is 6-8 weeks before (or after) your average last frost date. You can read this post about sowing seeds in alignment with the moon cycles in order to optimize germination rates. Trust us, it makes a difference!
Bonus Tip: Before starting seeds indoors, be sure you have all the right equipment in order to germinate seeds successfully. The key growing healthy plants begins with healthy germination.
