How to Read a Seed Catalog

Late Winter and early Spring is the time our attention turns to the business of planning and planting of our gardens. The yearly event that begins this planning phase of gardening is the arrival of seed catalogs in the mail. It’s easy to get caught up in the pictures and descriptions and end up with more than you expect. But with a little information and insight, you can know in advance what you’re getting into.

Don’t Judge a Seed by Its Picture

The first thing that grabs your attention when you open a seed catalog is the pictures, especially if they are in color. What you need to remember when looking at these wonderful color pictures is that they represent the best of the best. The flowers and vegetables shown in the pictures were more than likely grown in the best conditions, with the very best of care. And, the photographer may have searched through hundreds of tomatoes to find the one that she finally took a picture of. Your results will vary, depending on the weather and the amount of time you spend working in your garden.

Words and Symbols are Clues

The next item you will notice is the description of the plant in question. These help you decide which variety of plant you wish to grow. You will find the name of the variety and the length of time from sowing (or transplanting) to harvest. In the description that follows, you will find the clues you need to figure out which one is right for your garden. Some of the words to look for include:

• Vigorous: This plant will want to take over your garden if you let it.
• Compact: Perfect for small gardens or container gardening.
• Early: This plant is perfect for climates that have a short growing season or for gardeners that like to use different varieties to extend their harvest.
• Hardy: Will usually survive over winter or self sow.
• New: This variety has not been offered before.
• Pelleted: Some catalogs offer pelleted seed to help make sowing small seeded plants easier.

You will also learn if the seed is disease tolerant, and if so, which diseases they are tolerant of. Other information unique to the variety of plant is included in the description.

You may also find small symbols that will give you much needed clues. These symbols often include exclusives to the catalog, organically grown seed, cold tolerant plants, plants that are perfect for container gardening, and heirloom varieties. You will find a guide to the symbols in the catalog, usually somewhere in the front or at the bottom of the page. Some seed catalogs offer growing tips, storage tips, or even recipes.

Read Before You Seed

All in all, by spending a little time reading your seed catalog, you will discover a wealth of information, some of which you may not have known before and save time later in the season as crops mature. And you will save yourself money by not buying seed that isn’t right for your climate and gardening conditions.

Until next time, In Bocca Al Lupo!