Growing plants from seeds is an investment in your future garden. It’s an affordable, rewarding way to grow the plants you love while involving the whole family in a hands-on science project.

Plan Before You Plant

Success begins with a clear vision. Before sowing seeds, map out your garden on paper to ensure everything has a place and purpose. If your goal is juicy, homegrown tomatoes, planting rutabagas won’t get you there. Likewise, growing trays full of peas is unnecessary if you only need a few rows.  Sketching your garden will help you determine how many seeds of each kind you need.

You can purchase seed packets for pennies compared to seedlings. Seeds have the added benefit of spacing, planting depth, and watering instructions. These are especially helpful if you don’t have a natural green thumb! You won’t want to start seeds too early, so check the recommendations on the seed packets and work backward.  If your plants need to be in your garden in May and your seeds take about eight weeks to sprout and grow to seedlings, plant them in March.