Buying Seeds and Plants
I will admit, when it comes to buying seeds and plants I’m not that fancy. I haven’t yet ventured into the world of catalogs and heirloom seeds.
I have gotten my seeds from several different stores: WalMart, Home Depot, and IFA (Intermountain Farmers Association). I have not found a huge difference in price, except for the American Seed Company. They tend to be really inexpensive, but when I spoke with the cashier at IFA she said they sometimes have a germination rate of 10% (only 1 in 10 seeds will sprout). In the end, this method uses so few seeds, if you store them correctly, you can use the same packet for 2 or 3 years!
If the plants you grow are not hybrids, you can harvest seeds and use them the next year. The disadvantage of this is that store-bought seeds are treated to be disease resistant.
I found lots of great resources that help you know which varieties will grow best in your area. If your state is not listed, Google “Name of your state State Extension” and look through the gardening links there.
As for plants, I bought some peppers and tomatoes at a nursery last year, and they were average. I was satisfied, but not overwhelmed by their performance. What I liked was that you had the option of buying exactly how many plants you wanted–you didn’t have to buy a 6 pack of anything. That tends to be the case at WalMart and Home Depot. However, my cousin always buys her plants at Wal-Mart, and her peppers out-perform mine every year!
Word of mouth is a great way to find good sources for plants. I made it a point last summer to notice who had great tomatoes and peppers, and asked them what variety and grower they purchased from.
The best way I’ve found is to get some of those reuseable canning jars with the wire clamp lids. If you can find a big enough jar, the packets fit inside without too much stuffing.
Also, the ‘dessicant’ packets like you find in new shoes to keep them dry will help the seeds keep longer. Just keep the kiddies well away from them.
Keep them cool and dry. I have used some for 2-3 years, with lots of success. The germination rate can go down, but if you buy quality seeds in the first place it’s not bad. I avoid the seeds that are 20 cents a piece. Junk.
Now you have me curious! What is the best way to store your seeds so you can use them for 2-3 years. I never seem to use the whole packet and that is even after sharing with friends. I would sure love to save them and not let them go to waste!
Thanks
Miss