Getting Started - Seed Sources

Greetings Everyone!
      Spring is officially here and although Mother Nature played an April Fool's prank on us here in Maine, I am gearing up for the start of my gardening season.  Planning is the key to a successful garden.  Areas of planning include soil preparation, seed selection, length of your growing season and crop succession for higher yields.
     Today I am going to talk about seed selection.  The two main choices for obtaining seed for your garden are direct purchase and mail-order.  With direct purchase, you can have the instant gratification of bringing your packets home with you to drool over.  And you save on shipping costs.  The downside to direct purchase is that many direct purchase sources don't have organic seed (if that is important to you) or carry lesser known, heirloom varieties.  You will also have fewer varieties of seed to choose from in general.  If you purchase your seed via mail-order, you can peruse the catalogs and take your time selecting special varieties, doing research on particular types.  More sources are available through catalog order for organic seed, as well as seed that has been developed specifically for the region where you live and garden.  Here in Maine, we have some excellent local/regional mail-order seed sources, including Johnny's Selected Seeds and Pine Tree Garden Seeds.
I like to get my seed from several sources.  I usually purchase some directly in March, at the Portland   Flower Show, because I need the psychological gratification and it saves me a trip to a nursery or garden center later on when I am busy with soil prep.  I also obtain seed from catalogs, which gives me 
the pleasure of escape from Winter doldrums as I gaze at the colorful pictures and read the enticing descriptions of new cultivars.  Sometimes, another gardener will share his/her saved seed from open pollinated varieties, which is a fun way to try new vegetables and connect with other gardeners.
However you obtain your seed, let these considerations guide you:


*How large is your gardening space?  
     Learn the mature size of your plants and the spacing requirements.  This info is typically listed on the seed packets.  You can also read up on the general spacing requirements for veggies and herbs in just about any good gardening book.  This will help determine both the type and amount of seed you purchase.  Three healthy plants will yield better than five spindly ones.  Some seed sources also offer "mini-packets" for the home gardener.

*What fresh produce do you and your family enjoy?    
     The best way to have a successful gardening experience is to grow what you love.  Having your favorite fresh foods in the garden will sustain you when it's hot and you don't want to weed, or you'd rather go to the beach than pick the peas.  Choose carefully, and the fruits of your labor are more likely to make in onto the supper table.


*Do you plan on having the garden for several years?  
       Keep in mind that many types of seed can be carefully stored and reused for 2-5 years.  Viability varies according to seed type.  Flower seed generally lasts longer than vegetable and herb seed.  You can spread your seed costs out over several seasons with good planning.


*How much do you want to spend?  
      Seed costs vary, but not by much.  Seed purchased from big commercial suppliers like Burpee or Harris Seed or Shumway's will be less expensive, but you may not have the option of organic seed, pelleted seed or greater variety.  The price range for seed runs from 2-3$ up to 5$ per packet, depending on source.  If you buy from a generic source in a garden center display at Walmart, you can get a packet for $1.79 but if you order from Seeds of Change or Johnny's Seeds you are likely to pay more than 3$ per packet.


*Do you plan on succession gardening?  
      If you want to maximize your garden yield, you will want to grow something from the earliest possible date to the latest or last frost for your area.  That means that you may want seed varieties for both early crops (even in the same family) and later planting.  For example, I like to grow my peas in the spring, but in the fall I grow snow peas, which require little space and do well in the cooling weather.  So I need different types of pea seed.  Some types of spinach do well in the spring but sulk or bolt to flower when the hot weather arrives.  If you love spinach and want some in August, you will want seed that will produce heat tolerant spinach.


Whatever you decide, it pays to have seed on hand when the soil is ready for the first planting.  Spring crops like peas, various greens, beets and turnips can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked.  Always try to have something growing as early as possible, even if the rest of your garden is still getting prepped for the main growing season.  This is a good way to increase yield from the small garden.

Soon I'll be posting information on seed catalog sources.  Meanwhile, check out the pic below of my mesclun patch from last season.  The patch is around 16" x 16" and I got three cuttings from it; enough to provide me with plenty of fresh salads and to share with friend and family.