It’s nearly February. The call to start growing is so strong, especially if you get warmer days like we are this week (it’s supposed to hit 58° on Sunday!). The lengthening light helps you want to be back outside. I know our warm cycle will go away, and back to chilly, but still, it gets my desire to start planting up.

I don’t plant outside this time of year due to the seasonal rains on our homestead, as we live in grow zone 8b. The seeds just don’t do well. The soil is often waterlogged this month, and can/will still have overnight freezes – or even snowfall for the next 2 months. For seeds and delicate plants, this is often too much for them.

But you can start inside, be it in your home, under grow lights, or in a greenhouse. We use our unheated greenhouse, so yes it does get chilly at night, but I find I get stronger plants. However, I do have a lower germination rate than inside a 67° house. And that is ok to me.

In another month the first hardy starts can go outside (kale, certain lettuces, spinach) and by March I’ll have the first peas outside, weeks ahead of everyone else, so I can get in two spring crops, not just one. For high-density planting, this is essential to have two crops. As you are planting the first crop in the ground, you can start round 2 either inside again, or if warm enough, outside in the ground.

Seeds To Start:

• Artichokes, from seed
• Asparagus, from seed
• Beets (can be sown in the ground early)
• Broccoli (start early for spring crops)
• Brussel Sprouts (start early for spring crops)
• Cabbage (start early for spring crops)
• Cauliflower (start early for spring crops)
• Celery
• Chard
• Collards
• Herbs
• Kale
• Kohlrabi
• Leeks
• Lettuce (hardier like romaine/or winter varieties is best early on)
• Onions, from seed (Large sweet onion varieties take so long to grow, early start times can matter in getting a harvest on time)
• Peas (bush is best for first planting)
• Peppers (They can wait until March)
• Radishes (can be seeded in the ground early)
• Rhubarb, from seed
• Spinach (look for hardier varieties that can handle lower temps)
• Strawberry, Alpine (Can take 14 weeks to germinate)
• Tomatoes (They can wait until March)

Now is the time to start picking up seeds if you haven’t so far. It’s still early for most stores to have seeds in stock, but online companies are fully stocked with 2024 seeds. You have a couple more weeks to plan for the first planting!

If you use our link to Sow Right Seeds and put in code “SARAHK10” you can save 10% on your order (orders of $25 or more get free shipping as well). They are also running their early deal if you buy 10 or more packets, they give you 25% off. That in itself is a major bargain. Their seed packets are fairly priced, at $2.99 to $3.79 in general. Add in a discount, and you have a great deal. So no matter what you are shopping for seed-wise, you will get a deal at Sow Right Seeds. I just ordered a bunch of their newest varieties (they added a new asparagus and more medicinal herbs!)

~Sarah

The promised warm-up disappeared at our homestead last night. Instead, we got freezing rain on top of the snow late last night, leaving an ice rink to wake up to. I truly hate ice. People fall and get hurt. Fences don’t want to open. The animals are upset. But there is a bright light somewhere in it all.

In less than 3 months the last frost date for us will occur. Where our homestead is, our last frost date is April 15th. And yes, it often dips chilly in mid-April, as a last call out to winter going away.

It’s time to plan for spring. You might not be able to be outside right now, the ground may be frozen, but you can plan for your best garden ever.

And if you are stuck inside, it’s a good use of your time. Kids home? Get them involved!

What To Do Now:

• Decide how much you want to plant. This is very important, as it determines the rest. Did you feel overwhelmed last year? Or did you feel you didn’t have enough growing?
• Acquire pots. Whether you buy or get them free (Facebook Market, local plant nurseries) or you make them out of upcycled items such as berry containers and yogurt/sour cream cups, now is the time to get them. Make sure they are clean, and then you can tuck them away.
• Start buying seeds. As well, go through your seed collection. See what you have already. While seeds do lose germination over time, most seeds don’t drop much in the first 1-2 years. Organize what you have on hand into categories. Make notes as well on what you have so you don’t double-buy. Have gardening friends? Maybe discuss what each of you has on hand if all you need is a couple of seeds.
• Plan all changes to your garden, be it on paper or online. If you want to add beds, this is the time to sketch it out. If you wait till warm weather, you will be overwhelmed.
• If you need to smother weeds, start stockpiling cardboard. As soon as the ground isn’t frozen, layer it thickly. This will help in removing weeds for when it warms up in late March.
• Plan for preserving the harvest, especially if you are growing your gardens bigger this year. If you need more canning jars, keep an eye out for them. Or start saving for a dehydrator or a freeze-dryer, if this is in your plans. Consider checking out canning cookbooks from the local library for ideas – you can always snap photos of recipes to have on hand or check out all the water bath canning recipes we have posted.
• If you have a greenhouse, consider cleaning it up and laying out trays with cups in them, and mixing up a big batch of potting soil, then filling them.
• If you plan to start seedlings inside, take the time to set it up now and get your lights and trays ready.

The more you get done early, the more you free time you have when it is go time and warm again.

~Sarah

You might think this post is about what seed brands to buy from, but rather it is how to buy the best seeds for your garden, that will grow and reward you for your hard work with the best fresh produce.

With the new year and January comes seed catalogs. That are full of gorgeous full color photos of the dreamiest plants. There’s nothing like the Baker Creek Seeds Rare Earth catalog. It’s like the JC Penny toy catalog when I was a kid.

It is so easy to get lured in by this and buy buy buy, all those exciting possibles. If you are not careful, by February your kitchen table or counter is a pile of envelopes. With more seeds than you can possibly use in the coming season.

But that isn’t always bad……

But first you must think hard before you commit. This is what to ponder:

• Grow Zone
• Micro-Climate
• Sunlight Exposure
• Days To Grow
• Heirlooms vs. F1 Hybrid Seeds
• Local Seeds vs. National Seeds

All These Matter.

If you want a successful garden this spring/summer/early fall, all the above is important to consider.

Most seed companies will show the customer the standard information of average days to germinate (and best temperature to germinate at) , how to plant the seeds and how many days it normally takes to harvest.

Days to harvest is very important if you live (like we do) in a shorter season area.

To explain it:

This point covers days to grow, grow zone, micro-climate and sunlight exposure.

Let’s say you live where you have warm dry summers that extend into September, and the sun isn’t losing 2 minutes a day into darkness. You can grow 95 day sweet corn. You have time on your side.

But if you live where summer doesn’t get hot till after the 4th of July, and the days are shortening, and by end of August your gardens start getting shade by 2-3 pm, you must buy shorter season corn, maybe no more than 65 days. And you want a variety that grows shorter, putting more energy into the actual corn than the stalk.

Those 4 things affect your garden the most. If you are in a chilly micro-climate with short late summer days, you just cannot grow watermelon and cantaloupe easily in an open garden. No matter how much you wish it. Unless you put in a hoop tunnel to give more warmth.There are always hacks and tips to grow more in less than stellar climates.

Heirloom vs. F1 Hybrid Seeds:

Heirlooms are also known as open source seeds. These are the seeds you can save and plant the next year. These are what typically are traded at seed swaps. If like me, you will want to save some back yearly for the next season. This is a good practice to get into doing.

F1 hybrids are bred for certain things (such as blight or disease resistance, or features in the plant). You cannot save the seeds. They are NOT GMO’s. It is breeding, which is a far different thing. We as homesteaders and gardeners cannot buy GMO seeds – they are controlled by the large Ag industry and only a handful of crops are GMO (sugar beets, canola, soy, corn and soon wheat are the main eating crops, though there are a few more that are barely used). When you see Non-GMO on packaging, it is just marketing buzzwords.

The way I explain it is: F1’s will ensure you get fed, often the earliest in the season. Plant the F1’s first, then the heirloom seeds. If your heirlooms fail you will at least eat something. I treat it as a 50/50% for what I use. Don’t be afraid of F1’s. They exist because the heirlooms had issues and someone found a way to make it better. Please do not be scared of them.

Local Seeds vs. National Seeds:

While buying local (regional) seeds can seem a better choice, as in theory the seeds are bred for the conditions you face. However, the micro-climate you grow in can make that not work. It’s far better to match the seeds to what you want to grow, that will actually grow.

I buy from multiple companies each year. Some seeds come from a farm 2 miles away, others come from across the United States, such as Baker Creek Seeds. I base my purchases on personal experience that the seeds will germinate and grow strong, and not be filled with weed seeds. There is a regional company that I find has less than spectacular seeds, and charges a lot. People keep buying from them, then think it is their fault little germinated. In private I tell local people to not shop them.

What To Avoid and What To Buy:

Pre-packed packages of seeds at a low price can be attractive, but they come with a hidden cost. You will see these bantered about on prepper sites and on Amazon. It can seem like a real deal, but look at what you get. It is usually generic brands (dollar store quality), with low seed count – and you have no idea how old the seeds are, and odd things like peppers and melons, which you most likely cannot grow successfully. And add in turnips, radishes and collard greens…ask yourself would you grow and actually eat it all? If not, you have wasted money. This is an example, in where you get seeds such as Okra, something that only grows well in certain areas – and isn’t a fan favorite in general. But also, if a chunk of the seeds are late season harvesting, you need to think on that (pumpkins, winter squash, brussels sprouts).

In general, avoid seeds that don’t have a well known company behind it – or a face you know.

Some companies DO have good selected packets though, Sow Right Seeds does a great job. While they do put turnips and peppers in the collection, they are good varieties (which again, the variety highly matters) and their seeds are fresh. (If you use SARAHK10 you get 10% off!) I DO use their seeds personally.

Instead, consider spending your time buying seeds you know you’ll grow and actually want to eat.

Make a list of all the produce you enjoy. Research how well it grows in your personal area (for example, kale and lettuce grow well on our island, but sweet corn just struggles overall). Think about how much produce you want to grow – how many people you are growing for, and if you want to preserve food as well (see here for how I broke that all down).

Consider if you want to grow tall with pole peas and beans, or do you instead grow bush versions? Do you want smaller tomatoes that ripen weeks earlier? Or do you want massive slicer tomatoes that can take into September to mature? Dwarf lettuce types ripen faster, but maybe you like huge romaine heads.

Knowing what you want to grow is very important. Then you go source the seeds. If you are new to growing, ask friends/family/local groups on what they like to grow. Do they have a tomato they really like? (Oregon Spring is my go-to for our homestead.) It could save you lots of time.

Don’t forget to grow herbs for flavor, and simple flowers to lure pollinators in to give you larger crops.

If you have children, let them help you pick out things. They are more likely to help grow AND eat if they are involved.

Last But Not Least:

Once you get your seeds, put them in containers to keep fresh. At minimun you want a storage bin, best is glass mason jars. Keeps humidity at bay and insects away. If you live where you have a lot of seeds and you store them in a root cellar, ensure they are in glass or a small metal garbage can, sealed in mylar bags. You don’t want rodent issues.

~Sarah