Guest Article by NRP & Blue March 22, 2022.

Good Morning All:
Today let’s talk about Seeds, Store Bought Plants, and Cuttings/Roots.
So let’s jump right into it.

Seeds Types:

So, what kind of Seeds are you thinking?
Well I did a quick search on “Seed Types” OMG was I surprised, here was what I got back on one site.

(1) Dicotyledonous Exalbuminous Seeds
(2) Dicotyledonous Albuminous Seeds
(3) Monocotyledonous Albuminous Seeds and
(4) Monocotyledonous Exalbuminous Seeds.

Ok, I have absolutely NO idea what that means, heck I can’t even pronounce those names LOL

So let’s try this:
My main concern is Hybrid and Heirloom Seeds/Plants.
Here is a quick definition of each:

“A hybrid seed is created by crossing two different varieties of the same plant. Crossing involves taking the pollen from the male flower of one plant and transferring it to the female flower parts of a different plant. Once the ovary of the female flower is pollinated, it will begin to swell and form a fruit. The seeds that develop inside that fruit are hybrid seeds.”

“Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated–meaning that, unlike hybrids, seeds you collect from one year will produce plants with most of the characteristics of the parent plant. And that’s key to their survival.”

Ok, “So” you ask?

A Hybrid Seed is one that is “Born” from two different “parents”, One of the major factors is you CAN-NOT use the seeds produced from your harvest for the next year’s Garden, you probably will not get the same Plant from those seeds.

An Heirloom seed/plant will produce the same Seeds/Plant from year to year. This means if you want to save seeds and reuse the seeds year after year, than you must use Heirloom Seeds.

With that said, I do plant both types. The main reason is I have certain Plants I like that are Hybrid and some that are Heirloom. There are advantages to using some of the Hybrid, Most are more disease resistant, some produce “Better” produce, some produce in less time, and so-on.
The Heirloom are usually a better flavor and texture, they can be a lot better for long-term storage and/or shelf life, I can harvest and store the seeds if needed, and honestly, I like the idea of growing some of the “Old Fashion Vegetables”.

Seeds:

So let’s buy some seeds for our Garden. You do have that Plan and a list of seeds you need… Right?
Where you buy seeds probably makes little to zero difference if you’re going to buy Brand Name Seeds such as Gurney, Burpee, KH and a few dozen others, You can buy online from their sites and Amazon, or you can get them at places like Walmart, Costco, and about a million other places. Go ahead and tell me that every grocery store in the US doesn’t have a Seed Rack sitting right by the front door right now.
Personally, I like to get my seeds from a place called “Everwilde Farms”. And NO I’m not a salesman for them; I just like their service, the quality of the seeds, and their packaging.

So you need to decide what vegetables you want to grow and get with the program and get the seeds purchased soon, I hear from a friend the seeds are going fast, something about “End of the World” people buying a LOT of seeds up, I have NO idea, but it’s time to get those seeds purchased. I will attach the variety I’m planting this year at the end of the Article.

A little hint, watch what you buy as far as quantity….
“Why” you ask, well let’s say I know someone (Me) that bought 1/4 pound of Carrot Seeds by clicking on the wrong amount or not really thinking on it…… Well let’s just say I’ll have enough Carrot Seed to plant the entire state of New Mexico. BTW 1/4 pound = 80,000 seeds HAHAHAHA, want some Carrot Seeds? Same with Radish Seeds 1/4 pound = about 20,000 seeds OMG!!!! And I don’t even like Radishes HAHAHA

Packaging, Storing:

For many MANY years I have purchased seeds in those good old Paper Packets that hold a few hundred seeds that you get from Wally World; nothing wrong with them at all, IF you are going to use the package that year and not save some “extra leftover seeds” for next year or further down the road. Two Three Four maybe 5-6 years later

I like the Mylar Packaging of Seeds. I have seeds that are in Mylar that are 6 years old, I planted them last year and had probably a 95% germination rate, tell me that will happen from those paper packets…..

I know people that Store their Seeds in the Freezer, of just in a closet in the house or garage, ok. Personally, I keep mine sealed in their Mylar Packages in the Refrigerator in the Garage, the Temp is right at 38 degrees constantly.
Seeds do NOT like temperature changes, hence the ‘closet’ method is not so good, I know my house can range from 60 to 75+ degrees, garage from 10 to 110, too much of a swing and to warm, The Freezer is just all out not a good idea, most seeds have moisture in them, freezing will cause the “water” to crystalize and damage the seed.
Lastly, buy good seeds, they are well worth the extra $o.30 a package.

Store Bought Plants:

Ok, here’s the thing, I have NO problem with Store-Bought Plants.
I actually buy a few of what I need and don’t want to get the seeds to start, OR, I decided to add something to the Garden that I did not plan for, NO big deal.
BUT!!! I know I’ll be paying through the nose for them…… I mean I see people buying Tomatoes in 1 Gallon Pots for like $5-$8 for a single plant, and a set of three little plants can run as much as $4 Ohhhhhh K.
And at times I have a failure with a set of Seed Starts (usually my fault of course), so I head on out to the local Nursery and get what I need….. Again I will pay through the Nose for what I need, but ohhhhhhh well, tis only money, Right?
Also, I know some people just can’t or don’t want to mess with Starting Seeds, there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with that. I respect the fact they want to do a Garden. And I know there are a lot of things I don’t want to do with seeds, I sure as heck am not going to raise a Blue Berry Bush from seeds, so YES there is a need to purchase “Plants” that are in need.

Cuttings/Roots:

Root Crops are some of the BEST vegetables ya can grow in a Garden.
I have been doing Potatoes for quite a few years now, and OMG!!!!!! You think Yukon Gold and a few other specialty Potatoes are good….. Those got NADA on Homegrown Potatoes.
I like to grow Potatoes in a HUGE Tub or something like that, a LOT easier to just dump the tub out when it’s time to harvest, experience ya know LOLOL
BTW, get your Seed Potatoes (Not Potato Seeds) from a local Nursery, do not buy them Online, you will want to hand pick the Seed Potatoes to get most the same size and you can check for damage to the potato. I’ll get more into planting these crops later. But get the Seed Potatoes and other root starts NOW.

Ok, let’s talk about stuff like Horseradish, again, you eat homegrown you you will toss out that Store stuff. A word of warning, grow Horseradish and “running root” stuff in a tub, if not it WILL take over your garden for sure.
Garlic and Ginger, you bet you can grow that stuff, and it’s wonderful, BTW Garlic needs to be planted in the fall and over winter it, if you missed that time frame, plant it NOW.

BTW, you can also use some things from the Store to grow your own, take a cutting from a hunk of Ginger, Plant it into a cup and get it started, than set it in the Garden, tis amazing for sure.

My friends, once you watch that little seed you stuck into the ground or pot and watch it sprout and grow, it’s almost magical to watch. And once you have the produce from that Seed, you will be hooked for life as a Gardener.
Next I will be showing y-all how I do my “Starts” what I use and how I tend them.
Soon I will be getting to that Garden Building.

Life is good here on Lighting Point for sure
Ole Blue says “Hi.”

My “List”.
Mustard Greens, Southern giant curled
Kale, Siberian
Swiss Chard, Ford Hook
Beets, Detroit Dark
Carrots, Tender-Sweet
Parsnips, Hollow Crown
Kohlrabi, White Vienna
Spinach, Bloomsdale
Eggplant, Long Purple & Florida Market
Peppers (4)
…Sweet Banana, mild
…Thai Dragon, hot
…California Wonder, mild bell
…Jalapeño, medium
Cabbage, Copenhagen Market Early
Tomatoes (5)
…Sweet 100 cherry tomato
…Golden Jubilee
…Celebrity
…Cherokee
…Brandywine
Squash (5)
…Zucchini
…Yellow straight neck
…Acorn
…Butternut
…Blue Hubbert
Green Beans, Kentucky Wonder
Cucumber National Pickling & Armenian
Sugar Pod Peas, Mammoth Melting
And a few other misc. things.
But you get the Idea.