Tips to select the best seed for your garden

By January, I have a growing stack of garden seed catalogs on my kitchen table. On the dreariest winter days, it helps to dream of warmer weather and circle my selections. Here are tips to select the best seed for your spring garden:

1. Know the difference between GMO, Hybrid and Organic Seed

Contrary to popular belief, hybrid doesn’t mean GMO. Seed marketed as hybrid typically means the variety is bred to maximize desirable quality(s) such as disease resistance, bigger fruit or increased yield. A hybrid can be produced organically when plants are pollinated by bees, insects, or the wind. Then those two parents create a variety with different traits than the two parents.

Genetic modification is a technology that involves inserting DNA into the genome of an organism. To produce a GMO plant, new DNA is transferred into plant cells. It is unlikely any garden seed you buy is genetically modified. Field GMO crops are grown in the U.S., but these are production crops like field corn, soy, canola, and sugar beets.

Organic seed is non-GMO by nature. Open-pollinated and heirloom varieties are good choices if you save seeds.

2. Check pollination requirements

Pick seed varieties for your garden conditions. For example, if you have limited space, reconsider planting both zucchini and pumpkins, unless you like zucchini with hard rinds. Sweet and hot peppers will also cross pollinate. If you grow two varieties close to each other, it’s impossible to predict what their seeds will grow to become. You’ll want to avoid cross-pollination to maintain a pure variety if you plan to save seeds year after year.

Container gardeners should be wary of plants requiring wind or insect pollination if their container garden is a wind-protected area such as a balcony or indoors.

3. Use fresh seed

Seed germination rate declines every year after it is packaged.

Seed companies only ship seed packaged for the current year, but check the date on the package if you buy seed from a box store to get the best crop for your buck.

4. Choose varieties with appropriate heat and cold tolerance

Select and plant season appropriate seed. Seed that germinates in cool soil is best for early spring (radish, spinach). Tomatoes and sweet corn need warmer weather to germinate. Fall requires fast grower like arugula and other baby greens.

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