How to Select and Find Seeds for Your Garden
Any gardener or farmer knows that no season is truly sleepy. As soon as the last squash are plucked from the vine, we start to dream about fresh tomatoes, peppers, and watermelon. We’re pruning, prepping beds, and tackling those projects that the summer heat didn’t allow. And of course, we’re planning our crops and purchasing seeds! It can be hard finding high quality seeds in South Wasco, so we’ve put together a guide to help you find the right seeds for your garden.
STEP 1: FIND OUT WHAT GROWS IN SOUTH WASCO
OSU Extension provides some resources on our ‘micro-climate’ and seed catalogs will tell you what grows in this zone. But the best resource is your neighbors. If you’re wondering what variety of garlic to grow or had a really successful melon last year, be sure to ask and share on the South Wasco Gardeners Facebook page.
STEP 2: GET REALISTIC
After finding out what grows in your general area, answer these questions to decide which varieties are best for your land.
How much space do you have to grow in ground? How much space do you have in pots?
Can you start your seeds indoors?
How much sunlight or shade will you get on your plot?
How much water can you use?
Each seed packet or seed description will give you an idea about whether that variety matches your specific needs.
STEP 2: DECODE THE LABELS
There are many different labels you might find on seeds packages, and understanding what they mean will help you decide what you want in your garden. You’ll find all kinds of arguments online telling you what kinds of seeds are best for your family’s health or your garden, but knowing the facts is important to making the best decision for YOU. Here’s a quick guide to help you decode the different kinds of seed labels:
Open pollinated: Pollinated by wind or other natural pollinators like insects in the field
Heirloom: Open pollinated seed that has been passed down for multiple generations, often over 50 years
Hybrid: Breeder deliberately cross-pollinates two varieties of a plant, selecting for choice qualities like disease resistance, flavor, size, and rigor
GMO: Similar to hybrid seeds, but created in a lab using more sophisticated techniques (gene splicing); GMO seed is usually sold to large commercial farmers, not through small seed retailers
Organic: “Organic” is a label that is earned if a producer meets a set of criteria around pesticide use and other farm practices; producers have to apply for Organic certification, and it’s often a difficult and expensive process
To view a recording of an OSU seed characteristics webinar from the Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series, go here. The webinar will help you “navigate aspects of cultivar selection: maturity times, disease resistance, seed saving, and more.”
STEP 3: GET YOUR SEEDS!
The best way to get seed is to save it yourself and trade with your neighbors! Learn how to start saving seed by checking out the resources on the Central Oregon Seed Exchange website. If you want to buy seed, check out some of our favorite local resources:
Adaptive Seeds, Sweet Home, Oregon: Open pollinated & regional, “Rare, diverse and resilient seed varieties for ecologically-minded farmers, gardeners and seed savers. Seed is adapted to the Pacific Northwest and other short season northern climates”
Territorial Seed, Cottage Grove, Oregon: 100% Non-GMO seed;
Good News Gardening, Hood River, Oregon: Good News Gardening is a retail nursery and cafe that sells ornamental and food plants. They carry organic seed.
Have seeds leftover from last year? Testing their viability in advance will save you time and disappointment in the garden. To test your seeds, you simply need a paper towel, a plastic bag, and your seeds! Take an even number of seeds from your packet (in this article, Penhallegon suggests 10). Dampen the paper towel and place the seeds an equal distance apart from one another. Roll up the seeds in the towel, put the towel in your plastic bag, and leave it in a warm spot for 3-7 days. The percent of seeds that have germinated should be representative of the percentage that will germinate when you plant them.
STEP 4: START YOUR SEEDS
Get a head-start on the growing season by starting your seeds indoors before the last frost. That way, you can plant them outside when it’s warm enough without throwing off your harvest date. To figure out the best time to start your seeds indoors, you can use this chart from Oregon State University that helps you make a timeline personalized to your growing area!
Hungry for more?
OSU Extension’s Growing Your Own Guide is an online resource that will be your go-to guide for local knowlegde on everything you need to know to get started. Learn about raised beds, soil health, compost, planting and watering tips, and more! You can view the guide online for free.
If starting from seed isn’t your thing, stay tuned for updates about Locally grown starts that will be available as the planting season approaches.
