Growing flowers and vegetables from seed can be fun, save money, and be a lot of fun. By now, if you're a gardener, you probably have a few seed catalogs that have just arrived. Bright and colorful images are fascinating and can make you want to plant everything you see. If you're new to seeds, all the options available can be a little overwhelming. It's tempting, but before you get too excited, you should know some rules.
Now is the time to order your seeds. Whether you're just starting to grow indoors or growing in a garden, if you spend some time browsing the catalogs and making your selections, you won't have to worry about running out of company seeds. . But if you do, make sure you remember where you put them. One day I found my seeds in June. Don't let this happen to you.
One of the first rules is not to overdo it. I do this every year, so I'm not the one to tell you this, but it's true. It's hard to look at one of the new seed catalogs and not want to buy one of the many. Remember how big your space is, choose one or two types of vegetables and see how they work. If your "eyes are bigger than your space" and you overbooked in the first year, this is a good way to get frustrated and cool off. For the seasoned gardener, make a list of plants that get along well, favorites to grow, and plants to try if you want to expand your growing this year.
I usually have last year's seeds left over and go through them to see what I have before I get too far along with the demand. The seeds will last two to three seasons if stored in a cool, dry place. I keep mine in an airtight bag on the freezer door and they will do well next season.
When looking through various catalogs, pay attention to the main symbols that appear on the product. There will be a table to report this item. You need to know if what you want to buy is suitable for your area. If you're an experienced gardener, you might want to review your notes and remember what worked for you and what didn't. Experienced gardeners know what works in their area and buy many of the same seeds every year.
I think you already know whether you want to plant a vegetable garden or a flower garden. So if you're growing flowers or cool-weather vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, pansies, lettuce, or other cool-weather crops, planting seeds indoors will give you a boost and help your crops grow faster. The summer heat is increasing. You can start them indoors and move them outside when the soil warms up.
I'd rather plant flowers than vegetables, but I need pumpkins, corn, and tomatoes. With their help, I planted most of the seeds directly in the ground after the last frost of the season. People always recommend planting on Good Friday. That may be true in some areas, but as you know, not everyone is hot enough by then; Some years Easter is close and some years late.
When researching what types of flowers to grow, I look for disease-resistant varieties, especially if you have a problem. For example, when I'm looking for zinnias or phlox, I want to make sure I have a mildew resistant variety. If you're looking for tomato seeds, look for varieties labeled VFN, which means they're resistant to diseases like verticillium and fusarium. Now we see more disease resistant seeds. 2
See if the seed catalog has a growing guide for any type of flower or vegetable. This includes soil pH, whether or not the seed should be soaked, optimum soil temperature for germination, planting depth and spacing, germination time and fertilizer required. This can be very useful information.
When ordering vegetables, some want to make sure they have a choice of prized varieties. I am a big fan of growing heirloom tomatoes. I choose purple Cherokee tomatoes over regular tomatoes any day of the week. These are my favorite tomatoes and there is nothing better than home grown tomatoes.
If you have the space and want to grow corn, you need to know whether you want traditional corn or a carefully selected hybrid created the old-fashioned way through selective breeding. My favorite is two tone corn and I have several options to choose from. But keep in mind that the taste can change depending on the soil, climate, fertilizers and irrigation.
If you're new to this, try a bag of zinnias, pumpkins, or cucumbers. These are some of the easiest seeds to grow and will give you the confidence to grow more next year. Just remember: don't make your first garden too big. Start small and grow. Happy gardening everyone! Betty Montgomery is an accomplished gardener and author of Hydrangeas: How to Grow, Grow, and Enjoy and The Four Seasons Southern Garden. He can be reached at bmontgomery40@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared in The Fayetteville Observer: Buying seeds for your garden for the first time? It helps to enforce the rules.
