Guide to Choosing Seeds for the Organic Vegetable Garden

Gibby's Garden

With so many varieties of vegetables to choose from, it can be hard to narrow down which vegetable seeds to choose and which seed company to buy them from. A few things to consider when choosing vegetable seeds is budget, USDA zone and how much space is available in the garden.

Tips for Choosing Vegetable Seeds and Varieties

Choosing Vegetable Seeds for the Northern Garden

3 questions to ask yourself before choosing which vegetable seeds to plant and tips to help make deciding which brand(s) of seeds to buy easier.

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Choosing Which Vegetables to Grow in Your Garden

Tips on choosing which types of vegetables and their varieties to plant in your garden. Follow this guide to make choosing the best vegetables to plant for you and your family simple and fun.

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How Many Vegetables to Plant per Person

Figuring out how many vegetables to plant per person for an entire household can seem a little overwhelming. By answering a few questions and consulting a few free online charts, this process is a lot easier. Deciding how much of which vegetables to plant makes choosing vegetable varieties easier because you can choose from high or low yielding plants depending on the needs of your household.

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Vegetable Seeds vs. Transplants: The Benefits of Each

Should you choose vegetable seeds, transplants or both? In the north, it’s best to use a mix of both and here’s why.

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Buy Vegetable Seeds in Fall to Save Money

Buying your vegetable seeds in the fall and winter from online seed companies and catalogs can net you some pretty big savings. Many companies offer discounts and other incentives that are worth taking advantage of.

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How to Make Your Own Seed Tapes

We all know how much of a pain it can be to plant those tiny seeds like radishes and carrots. To save on time, follow this guide to make your own seed tapes for next to nothing.

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Vegetable Seeds vs. Transplants: The Benefits of Each

A common question among aspiring green thumbs is, “Should I use seeds or transplants?” While both have their benefits, my advice is to use a scattering of both. Why? Some vegetables don’t transplant well and some have short days to maturity so transplanting really isn’t required.

On the other hand, some vegetables take the entire growing season to mature, sometimes a little longer, so a head start during the growing season is welcomed.

4 Benefits of Using Vegetable Seeds

• More Options: Using vegetable seeds gives gardeners a wide array of options when it comes to choosing varieties to suit their wants and needs
• Better Prices: Seeds are less expensive
• More Room for Error: If the vegetables you grew from seed don’t do well in the beginning, you can sow another patch using leftover seeds
• Availability: There’s always a large supply of vegetable seeds in stores, catalogs and online for purchase

I use a mix of seeds and transplants in my garden each year. I grow vegetables like corn, beans and peas, carrots and radishes, and cucumbers and squash from seed. These types of vegetables grow well in Maine’s short growing season. I choose early varieties that suit my needs.

Sayan Samana / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

4 Benefits of Using Transplants

• Less Work: Planting a row of transplants takes less work and time than direct sowing seeds. Plus, there is no thinning required
• Head Start: Transplants give gardeners a head start. There is no waiting for germination, which is great for vegetables that take a long time to mature - something the Maine gardener has to be weary of
• No Waste: Buy only what you need
• No Guess Work: Plant nurseries sell transplants that grow best in their specific USDA zone

When I head off to my local nursery I’m looking for tomatoes, potato and onion sets, broccoli and cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and pumpkin and watermelon transplants.

Which vegetable transplants will you be on the lookout for at your local plant nursery?

Choosing Vegetable Seeds for the Northern Garden

With so many brands and varieties of vegetable seeds on the market, it can be a little overwhelming when choosing which ones to buy, especially for the first time gardener. Asking yourself a few questions will help simplify the process.

Tips for Choosing Vegetable Seed Varieties

1. What are the vegetables going to be used for? Choose vegetable seeds based on their primary purpose such as eating fresh or freezing and preserving. Some varieties freeze and can better than others. Seed catalogues always list which varieties freeze and can well in their descriptions.

2. How big of a yield do you want? If you’ve ever thumbed through a seed catalogue you’ve probably noticed the phrase “prolific grower” or “high yielding.” This means that particular variety of vegetable produces lots of fruit. If you want lots of vegetables, choose a variety that produces a high yield.

3. How long is your growing season? Here in Maine we have a short growing season. For this reason, when it comes to choosing vegetable seeds it’s best to choose those with shorter days to germination. This tip comes in really handy when growing watermelon, pumpkins and other vegetables that take longer to produce mature fruit. Days to germination is listed in catalogues and on the back of seed packets.

Tips for Choosing Vegetable Seed Brands

• If you’re new to vegetable gardening, ask your friends, family, and neighbors which brands of vegetable seeds they trust the most. You may get a few different responses but it will leave you with a variety of options to choose from.

• Experiment with different brands. Over the next few years as you continue to grow vegetables, you’ll get a feel for which brands you like best.

• Use the internet to read reviews and mission statements about different brands and seed companies to find one that you like.

• Support a local seed company. Here in Maine we have our very own seed company called Johnny's Selected Seeds. You can request a free catalogue online or order vegetable seeds directly from their website.

 Do you have any praises or gripes about a particular brand of vegetable seeds?

Image: Ferry Morse/Amazon