Photo courtesy Carol Michel/maydreamsgardens.com
I know as soon as I write seed, some readers will roll their eyes and immediately tell themselves they can’t grow anything from seeds.
Yes. You. Can.
For some seeds, you just barely have to say dirt for them to break open to grow lettuce, basil, green beans and peas. These can be sown directly in the garden, window box or other container.
Think about this. One green bean transplant cost $1 to $2 when purchased at a garden center. One green bean plant produces 40 to 60 pods. A packet costs $1 to $4, and contains many seeds. A few seeds can be planted every few weeks so you can have green beans all summer long.
Go with the easy just once, just for fun and see what happens.
Ready for something slightly more challenging, but not too difficult? Try tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. These are usually started indoors. Growing these plants from seed gives you dozens of varieties to try with different flavors, forms and colors, many more than you’ll find as transplants at garden centers.
Japanese style eggplant transplants, for instance, can be hard to find, but the seeds are readily available. Sometimes, hot peppers, including habanero, ancho and jalapeno, can be hard to find in garden centers. Seeds greatly expand the options.
What to try? Check out All-AmericaSelections.org, which oversees mostly seed-grown plants in trial gardens all over the country. The plants are evaluated and improvements over similar ones on the market are noted and rewarded.
Where to get seed? Garden centers carry several brands, including Botanical Interests, Burpee and Renee’s Garden, each of which offers organic selections. Online seed retailers will have even more choices. For a local source, Urban Farmer (ufseeds.com) is a family owned, Indiana-based organic seed merchant. Fedco, High Mowing Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Territorial Seeds also have extensive selections of organic seeds.
Check reviews of online seed and plant retailers at davesgarden.com. Members of the Direct Gardening Association, a trade group, promote good customer service and other industry standards.
And don’t worry about GMO seeds. They are not available to home gardeners, so set that concern aside. Enjoy the selections of hybrid and heirloom seeds.
Everything you need to know about the seeds – when and where to sow, how deep, soil requirement, light exposure, water needs, distance apart, whether to direct sow or start indoors – can be found on the seed packet. Many times, more detailed information can be found on the seed merchant’s website, too. Purdue Extension’s Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar also may be of help.
Go ahead and give seed sowing a try. Pick something that suits your interest. Consider getting kids involved in the process. We are never too young or too old to appreciate the wonder that comes from such a tiny promise.