Seed Catalogs Already?

Seed catalogs.....every year, they seem to come earlier than the year before. I have been ordering from retail & wholesale catalogs for years. It's easy to go 'overboard' and order way too much. However most seed will store for several years stored properly:

•  cool, dry, dark conditions
• seeds that got wet during planting, dry out first
• store in a container, mice and mealy moths chew thru bags
• freezer, closet, under the bed  - great spots

How much should you plant? This differs from plant to plant, how about vegetables?

• are you experienced growing this? If not plant more - allowing for error
• does your family like it, or are you experimenting with eggplant?
• do you plan to can/freeze or dry some of your harvest?
• do you have a history of insect/disease  issues?

Flower seed. Not many can be successfully planted directly in the garden. Most do best from transplants. For instance, 'Impatiens' are usually sown about 14-16 weeks before they are ready to plant outside. Kinda helps explain the cost of  6-packs, to know how long people have cared for them and the floor space they occupy for so long. Here are some that are fairly easy planted directly in the garden from seed.

• Marigolds, zinnia, sweet peas, sunflowers, cosmos, annual grasses, gomphrena, statice, nasturtium.

Here are some you can start indoors with a light set-up (a window sill is not sufficient). These flowering plants need 6-8 weeks of growth before planting outside.

• salvia, zinnia, gomphrena, snapdragons, ageratum, alyssum, lobelia, asters, celosia, calendula, cleome, comos, dianthus, flowering kale, gypsophila, helichrysum, marigold, stocks, nicotania, Queen Annes lace

This list is of annuals that are difficult to start from seed, if you are inexperienced. They often have extra requirements like: scarification, stratification, dark periods, long time periods to germ, critical temperatures. Often, they will also have poor germination rates, 100 seeds = 3 plants. Bummer. It's best to leave these to the pros and buy the 6 -packs.

• impatiens, petunias, coleus, dusty miller, lisianthus, larkspur, pansy, pentas, begonias

Here are a few of my favorite retail seed catalogs:
www.jordanseeds.com      huge packages of veg. seed, cheapest around, Minn. company
www.harrisseeds.com       retail & wholesale catalogs
www.johnnyseeds.com