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Recent Blog PostsStarting a small vegetable garden The benefits of a community garden Gardening products you can't live without ...view the rest of the posts on Growing Vegetables Blog. |
Seed Companies Will Have You Eating Fresh, Healthy Vegetables - Straight From Your Own GardenGrowing a vegetable garden is both fun and healthy. There's nothing quite as satisfying as biting into fresh vegetables harvested from your own garden. Your garden has to start somewhere, though, and seed companies and quality vegetable seeds are very important to its success. By choosing the right seed company, you'll be sure to get seeds that will produce a great crop. One of the most important parts of a good harvest is starting with high quality, fresh seeds. A reputable seed company will get your garden off to a good start. You won't need to wonder whether or not the seeds you planted are even going to grow. Bargain vegetable seed is not always the bargain it seems. Our recommended seed supplier is Henry Field's. They've got a great selection (the pictures on their website will get you motivated if nothing else!) and one of the best guarantees we've seen. The Very Best Seed and Vegetable Companies for a Lush, Fresh, Healthy GardenIf you're shopping from seed catalogs, look for companies with a good guarantee. The best seed companiess guarantee their seeds. They know they're disease-free and fresh, so they stand behind them 100%. If, for some reason, the seeds aren't successful, a good seed company will either replace or refund them for you. Another advantage of buying high-quality flower seeds from a reputable garden supplies company is being able to save them. Many seeds can be saved for a number of years, if stored properly. They should be stored in a closed container, in a cool, dry location for best results. Onions, parsley and corn are some of the vegetables that don't save very well. With these crops, you will have more success by buying fresh seeds each year. If you have saved seeds from a previous year, it is quite easy to test them for viability. Put 3 or 4 paper towels on a plate, put 10 seeds on them and cover them with another 1 or 2 paper towels. Dampen the paper towels with water, but only enough so there isn't extra water on the plate. Put it all into a plastic bag or Ziploc and put it somewhere warm (about 70° F). Check it every 2-3 days and add more water if it is drying out. After 7 to 10 days, count the seeds that have sprouted well. Multiply this number by 10 and you will get the percentage of seeds that germinated. If it is less than 70%, you should probably buy fresh seeds. |