Long before snowdrops and daffodils emerge from their winter slumber, seed catalogs and displays pop up everywhere, luring sun-starved gardeners with their siren song. Hungry for fresh produce and colorful blooms, it’s tempting to go overboard on seed purchases. But with so many options available, narrowing the field can be equally overwhelming. According to the North Carolina Extension Service, there are 150 different kinds of sunflowers and more than 10,000 varieties of tomato alone. A seed catalog listing all the possible cultivars would have to be very large indeed!
“Seed Dating”: Finding that perfect match begins with taking a quick inventory of your garden goals as well as what your garden has to offer potential seed candidates. Having clear goals makes it easier to quickly eliminate the candidates that don’t fit your criteria. Do you want to grow large quantities of vegetables to feed your family or to preserve for dreary winter days? Or do you just want a few fresh vegetables to enjoy throughout the summer? Perhaps you’re a gourmet cook who wants to grow specialty herbs or vegetables that can’t readily be found in your local market.
Once you know what you’re looking for in a plant, it’s time to look at which candidates best serve your site and local growing conditions. There’s a reason that gardens in the Pacific NW aren’t bursting with okra and orchids: they’re not compatible with our cooler climate. Plants that are adapted to local conditions are better equipped to deal with drought or excessive rainfall and are more likely to thrive and produce higher yields. If your garden enjoys limited sunshine, look for seeds that can grow in part shade. Too much sun? Slow-bolting varieties of spinach and lettuce can take the heat and are often labeled “heat resistant”. If you have limited access to water, seek varieties that are labeled “drought tolerant.”
Most of the Columbia Gorge is classified as 7B on the 2023 USDA plant hardiness maps, but there can be considerable variation from location to location. If your garden experiences late spring or early fall frosts, look for seeds with a shorter harvest window (days to maturity) or ones labeled “frost tolerant.” Vegetables requiring a longer growing season can be started indoors and transplanted when the soil warms up. Determinate varieties of beans and tomatoes typically mature earlier than indeterminate varieties and produce all their fruit within a shorter period of time, making them an excellent choice for gardeners who wish to preserve their garden bounty. Indeterminate varieties, on the other hand, will continue growing and setting fruit throughout the season until killed by frost, pests, or a weary gardener at the end of the season.
Garden space is another key factor to consider when selecting seeds. Corn, squash, and tomatoes take up a lot of real estate. If your space is limited, look for varieties labeled “dwarf,” “compact” or “patio.” These work well for both container gardening and small raised beds.
Is downy mildew (DM) in your broccoli getting you down? What plant diseases are prevalent in your area? When it comes to successful gardening, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Many plant pathogens live in the soil, so purchasing disease-resistant varieties can increase the health of your garden while decreasing the need for chemical intervention. Look for disease resistance codes such as CMV (cucumber mosaic virus), PM (powdery mildew), and V (Verticillium Wilt) on the fronts of seed packets or in catalogs.
The Mating Game: All seeds fall into three basic categories: open-pollinated, heirloom, and hybrid. Each category has both advantages and limitations. Prior to the 1950’s, most seeds available to the home gardener were open-pollinated, meaning they were pollinated by the action of wind, insects, or even by the plants themselves. Open-pollinated seeds (OP) embody the principle of “survival of the fittest” because they have adapted to climate and soil conditions over time and may be resistant to local pests and diseases. Plants grown from OP seeds resemble the parent plant and their seeds can be saved and replanted year after year.
Heirlooms are open-pollinated seeds with a history.
Like a great-great grandmother’s diamond brooch passed down from generation to generation, these tiny time capsules provide the gardener with a glimpse of the past. Gardeners prize them because of their taste, uniqueness, and diversity.
Hybrids (sometimes marked F1) are an intentional cross between two plants, blending the finest traits from each variety. Hybrids are produced by traditional techniques that could occur in nature, with human hands doing the pollinating job normally done by Mother Nature. Hybrids generally outperform their parents in terms of vigor, uniformity, and disease resistance but don’t perform reliably from generation to generation, making them poor candidates for seed saving. They often cost a bit more than traditional open-pollinated seeds, but the vigor and performance they offer can offset the increased cost.
Hybrids are sometimes confused with GMOs, and many seed companies further the confusion by labeling their seed packets as non-GMO. Don’t be fooled by this marketing tool: all seeds available to the home gardener are non-GMO, even if not labeled as such. Genetically modified seeds are produced by injecting specific genes into a plant’s DNA in a laboratory and are only used for commodity crops such as alfalfa, sugar beets, or canola–not exactly standard fare in the home garden.
The Perfect Match: If you’ve carefully considered your goals, your garden, and the requirements of the plants you wish to grow, you should have little or no difficulty finding the perfect match. For more tips on how you and your plants can enjoy a happy garden future together, check out this link, or attend the Garden Gathering Seed Starting Presentation at the White Salmon Library on March 5 at 6:30 p.m. or the Hood River County Extension on March 9 at 10:00 p.m.
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