Hybrid seeds are derived from two or more different plants, with traits that improve on the best characteristics of both parents. On rare occasions, a seed variety is labeled as F2 (second generation). Hybrids are often denoted as F1 or Hy (first generation). One of the first things that I noticed when reading the seed description is one of the following: Hybrid (F1), Open-pollinated (OP) or Heirloom.
#Seed catalogs how to#
However, in order for the gardener to make an informed decision, they need to figure out how to decipher some of the catalogs’ technical code or shorthand.
Seed companies not only want to sell you seeds they want you to be successful but also repeat customer. Digging a little deeper, I discovered that many seed company web sites offer instructional how-to videos, often produced by reliable agriculture colleges, and covering a wide range of topics, such as “Grafting Tomato Plants” and “Identifying Late Blight” on tomato plants. However if you know how to interpret their technical shorthand, seed catalogs offer a wealth of useful information, including seed germination rates (the percent that will actually grow into seedlings), graphs depicting the soil temperatures that allow optimum germination rates, plant culture, planting times, dates to maturity, how close to plant the seeds or plants, harvesting and storage.
In short, a seed catalog is a marketing tool to motivate me to make a purchase. Two realities hit: there isn’t enough garden space to plant everything I have checked, and the descriptions aren’t designed to provide the kind of information, to aid in making an informed purchasing decision.
#Seed catalogs full#
One taste will transport you back in time with that great old-fashioned, full bodied tomato flavor.” HOLY COW!!! How can I possibly resist purchasing a couple of seed packets after reading that? After I finish paging through the first couple of seed catalogs, I notice that I’ve checked far more varieties than I’ll ever be able to plant. The 1-pound red and yellow streaked tomatoes look beautiful cradled in a long-tail shirt. Huge meaty tomatoes are safer held in two hands than one. will remind you of those visits to Grandpa’s garden when you were a kid. Wow, all the descriptions sound wonderful, and one description described a tomato as: “…. Fragrant, juicy flesh has outstanding flavor”, and naturally “new and improved.”. the loveliest fruits and plants”, “attractive plants will produce an abundance of shiny bright fruit,”, “ high in antioxidants”, “All America Winner”, “Exclusive”, “Bursting with flavor”, “old fashion flavor”, “ One of the best tasting of all time”, “luscious, savory flavor”, “Vigorous plants produce enormous crops of large, firm, deep-red fruits with thick walls. The catalog descriptions are amazing: “…. Can spring and planting season be far away? But what better way to spend a cold, windy, snowy day in January than with a seed catalog, dreaming about the bounty of the harvest to come and the neat rows in the garden, with of course, no weeds. In addition, if you provided your email address, on a previous seed order form or a line order, your email box will soon be flooded with weekly, monthly and/or seasonal opportunities and sales. The seed catalogs started to arrive at my house in mid-November and will continue into the late spring and early summer. Some seed companies also publish a “special” fall catalog offering seeds and plant material for the fall and early winter growing season.
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