Decoding Seed Packets: How to Read and Choose Quality Seeds

"You get what you pay for" applies sharply to seeds. Dollar-store packets often contain fillers, weed seeds, and low germination rates. Invest in quality from reputable sources.

Finding Trustworthy Suppliers

• Garden Watchdog (Dave's Garden): Thousands of reviewed companies.
• Fellow gardeners: Ask neighbors, club members.
• Author's vetted list: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom, Tomato Growers Supply, Burpee, Ferry-Morse, Seed Savers Exchange, Territorial Seed.

Local garden centers carry popular varieties but less selection and often fewer seeds per packet than mail-order.

Seed Packet Glossary

• Date Packed: Packaging year. Properly stored seeds remain viable years beyond.
• Days to Germination: Average range at optimal temperature.
• Optimal Germination Temperature: Usually 70–80°F.
• Days to Maturity / Harvest: From transplant (or direct sow) to first harvest. Affected by weather, water, fertility.
• USDA Zone Map: Planting timeline for your zone.
• Minimum Germination Rate: Expected % viability. Lower rate = sow more seeds.
• Depth: Planting depth.
• Spacing: Between plants and rows.

Seed Storage for Longevity

Key factors: low moisture, cool temperature. Drier seeds store longer.

Method: Paper envelopes inside a sealed Mason jar with a desiccant packet (1 tbsp dry milk in a tied napkin).

Viability by Crop (Years Under Ideal Storage)

Vegetable	Years	Flower	Years
Asparagus	3–4	Ageratum	4
Beans	3–6	Alyssum	4
Beets	3–4	Anemone	2
Broccoli	4–5	Aster	1–2
Cabbage	4–5	Calendula	5–6
Cauliflower	4–5	Carnation	4–5
Corn	4–6	Lobelia	3–4
Eggplant	3–5	Lupine	1–2
Leeks	2–4	Coreopsis	2
Lettuce	3–4	Delphinium	1
Onions	2–4	Gaillardia	2–3
Peppers	3–5	Gomphrena	2–3
Radish	3–5	Heliotrope	1–2
Spinach	3–4	Shasta Daisy	1–2
Tomato	4–7	Sweet Pea	2–3
Turnip	5–8	Verbena	1

Read the packet, store smart, and sow with confidence.