Why I Order Vegetable Seeds for My Garden

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It’s that time of year again; the yearly flood of seed catalogs has started arriving in my mailbox. I’ve been saving my favorites, waiting for a cold, snowy day to flip through them and start planning for this summer’s vegetable garden. It’s one of my favorite traditions; perusing catalogs full of countless vegetable varieties, a hot cup of coffee in hand, dreaming of the vegetable plants that will grow from these tiny seeds.

Seed catalogs offering mail order vegetable seeds. — A few of my favorite seed catalogs.

Even though I know the hardware stores and local DIY suppliers will be rolling out their seed racks soon, I still prefer to order my seeds. I love to select from the varieties in the catalog, then order them directly through the company website.

Why I Order My Garden Seeds – the Top 3 Reasons

#1 VARIETY – There are so Many Options!

A two-page spread of cucumber varieties in a seed catalog. — A two-page spread of cucumber varieties from a seed catalog. There are more on the next page!

Mail-order and online companies offer an enormous selection of vegetable varieties. Whether you prefer slicing cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, or some exotic type, they have you covered. The same goes for all the other vegetables, too. In fact, I even receive one seed catalog devoted almost entirely to different types of tomatoes, with a few pages of peppers thrown in for good measure!

I can spend hours looking at photos, reading descriptions, and trying to decide if I want to grow something new this year; or go with a tried-and-true type I’ve grown for years. If you are looking for a special category of seeds, i.e. heirloom, open-pollinated, organic, or certain types of hybrids you can usually find those options.

Do you garden in a challenging climate or a small space? Whatever your challenge, seed companies give you access to seeds that may work for your unique situation. Before we moved, our growing season was extremely short and our nights were too cold for tomatoes, peppers, or cucumbers to ever set fruit, let alone get ripe. Forget about trying to grow sweet corn! However, with the help of a greenhouse and vegetable varieties bred for shorter growing seasons, we were able to get a crop.

#2 INFORMATION – I Know What I’m Getting

A close-up of extra growing information for gardeners who order pepper seeds. — Many seed catalogs feature extra information for gardeners to help you succeed with your plantings.

Have you ever bought vegetable seeds off of a display rack? It’s so tempting when you look at the bright colored pictures across rows of seed packets! Unfortunately, most of those seed packets don’t really tell you much about what’s inside.

When you look at a seed company catalog or website, they provide a lot of extra information about what you will be buying. The catalogs I shop from include detailed descriptions with EVERY offering. This usually includes the name of the variety, how many days until harvest, disease resistance (if any), and customer favorite uses such as canning, freezing, or fresh eating. They also tell you about plant characteristics; how tall or long does it get, and where does the fruit form?

These companies are in business because they provide consistent products, and they thrive on their customer’s success. Because of this, they share helpful tidbits of information empowering you to get your seedling started or direct-sowed with the best chance of a successful harvest.

#3 COST SAVINGS – I Can Start More Seedlings Than I Can Buy

Starting your own seedlings takes and investment of time and energy, and a few additional supplies. However, even after investing in seed starting mix and seedling trays, (bonus: you can use good quality trays like this for several years!) I can still start more seedlings than I could afford at plant nursery. As an added bonus, when I order from a seed company, I am able to start plants that would be difficult, if not impossible to find in most stores.

Not all vegetables need to be started indoors, either. Packets of peas, beans, corn, and squash usually contain more seeds than those I purchase from the rack. I sow these vegetables directly into my garden soil after it’s warm enough. If a packet doesn’t contain enough seeds to plant an entire row in my garden, I can look for a larger size packet. Sometimes the company even offers bulk discounts for purchasing more than one packet.

Bonus Tip – When to order your vegetable seeds

Now that you know WHY I order seeds for my vegetable garden each year, you may be wondering WHEN I place my order. Most years I order in January or early February. My favorite companies usually offer free shipping during that time for large enough orders. It also allows me to get my slowest-growing seedlings started in mid-March so they’ll be big enough when I’m ready to move them into the garden!