Once you have made a list of the plants you’d like to grow in your garden, it’s time to look into buying seeds. There are so many terms thrown around that it would be easy to get overwhelmed if you aren’t sure what they mean. Should you buy organic or conventional seeds? Should you buy non-GMO or hybrid? What about open-pollinated or heirloom?
If you aren’t sure what these terms mean, have no fear. I am happy to help you understand the world of seeds as much as I can, and hopefully point you to places where you will be able to find them for your own garden! Seeds are divided into two main categories (organic and conventional), with subcategories within those. Here is what I mean.
Organic Seeds
Organic seeds are produced in organic systems, meaning that they will do well growing in an organic environment. If you are aiming to grow your garden organically, you can rest assured that organic seeds will generally grow well for you because they were bred specifically to grow in those environments.
Open-Pollinated
Open-pollinated seeds will produce plants that are the same as their parent plant, as long as there are no other plants of the same species nearby. This means that if saving seeds is important to you, open-pollinated seeds are the way to go!
However, if you have an open-pollinated plant variety near a different open-pollinated plant variety of the same species, they can cross pollinate. The plants will still grow normally during that growing season, but their seeds will be different. You may still be able to save these seeds and plant them again later, but they will most likely not come out like their parent plants, and you might end up with a great hybrid plant, or you could end up with a disaster! So if you hope to save seeds from open-pollinated plants, make sure to keep distance between your varieties of the same species, or you can use these mesh bags* to cover some of the buds so they don’t cross-pollinate. Then you can save the seeds that come from those buds.
Heirloom
A subcategory of open-pollinated seeds is heirloom seeds. All heirloom seeds are open-pollinated, but not all open-pollinated seeds are heirloom.
Heirloom seeds have been passed down from generation to generation, specifically with the purpose of remaining true to their original variety. Those who save heirloom seeds have selected seeds from the strongest and most productive plants. Generally these varieties have been preserved for at least 50 years, and their history is also preserved along with the seeds. If you look at websites or seed catalogs from companies who sell heirloom seeds, they will usually share the story of the heirloom variety in the seed description. It can be really neat to read the history of each seed!
Hybrid (F1)
Hybrid (F1, meaning first generation) seeds are not as scary as they may sound. Many people confuse hybrid seeds with GMO seeds. Hybrid seeds are not created by being genetically modified in a lab, as GMO seeds are. Hybrid seeds are created when two different plant varieties that are in the same species cross-pollinate. It is a very natural way of acquiring seeds.
Hybrid seeds are produced by intentionally cross-pollinating two different varieties with the purpose of creating a new variety that produces more fruit, produces earlier, is more disease resistant, and/or is stronger.
However, hybrid seeds are not open-pollinated seeds. If you are hoping to save seeds, saving them from hybrid plants is not a reliable method. Hybrid seeds have been intentionally cross-pollinated with specific varieties and will grow well, but they will not pass the same characteristics on to the next generation. So if you plan to save seeds, I recommend buying open-pollinated seeds.
If you do not care about saving seeds, hybrid seeds could be a great option for you! Keep in mind that some are organic, but not all. If growing an organic garden is important to you, you will need to make sure that your hybrid seeds are organic.
Conventional Seeds
Conventional seeds are produced in a system that does not focus on growing organically, so they may have been exposed to conventional fertilizers and pesticides. These fertilizers and pesticides help the parent plants grow large and produce more, as well as protect them from pests and diseases, and if you aren’t concerned with having an organic garden, then these seeds will work for you!
If you do want to have an organic garden, you would be better off staying away from conventional seeds. Here is why. If you don’t plan to use fertilizers and pesticides that these seeds are used to, they will be less likely to grow large and produce well, and they will be more susceptible to diseases and pests, because their parent plants have relied on those fertilizers and pesticides to grow well. The seeds are not equipped to handle being grown in an organic environment.
Conventional seeds are mostly hybrids or GMO seeds (which aren’t always bad, as some may believe), so you may not want to try to save these seeds. If saving seeds is important to you, stick with open-pollinated!
The good thing about conventional seeds is that they are generally cheaper than organic seeds, as well as more readily available.
Where to Find Your Seeds
I have ordered seeds from two companies that specifically focus on organic, heirloom seeds. They are Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (who also sends free seed packs with your orders!) and Seed Savers Exchange. I have also heard wonderful things about MIGardener, and plan to purchase from them in the future.
You can buy conventional seeds in stores such as Walmart, home improvement stores, or dollar stores, and come home and plant them the same day, or you can order them from Amazon*.
If you plan to order seeds, it’s best to order them as early as possible. Often they run out of stock of certain varieties, or shipping takes longer than expected, so it’s best to stay ahead of any delays.
Once you have your seeds, you are ready to start filling out your garden planting calendar (by the way, all my fellow Type A people—check out my new Garden Planner if you haven’t yet!) so that you can plan when to start seeds indoors, or direct sow!
If you haven’t made a plan for storing and organizing your seeds yet, check out my post on my seed storage system.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you purchase an Amazon product from a link that I share, I will receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting me! ?
Do you have a great seed company that you would like to recommend? I’d love to learn about what other ones are out there!
Photo by Delphine Hourlay on Pexels.com
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