The Best Seed Packet for New Gardeners (and Old Ones Too)

seed packets come in many shapes and sizes and their primary role is just to hold the seeds until you can get them out in your garden but some seed companies go above and beyond when it comes to the design of their seed packets join me today as I review 20 Seed Company packets and let you know what I think are the best ones [Music] thank you hi I'm Garner Scott and I buy a lot of seed packets which is why I've got seeds from 20 different seed companies over the years I've found my favorites that doesn't mean I won't buy from other seed companies but when I find the same or similar seeds in two different companies almost invariably I go with the company that I like and often what I like is the seed packet I think the seed packets should include some basic information particularly for new gardeners but with that being said I divide all these seed packets into three basic categories there are the seed packets that don't have much information and that's mainly designed because they're targeted to experienced gardeners and then there are the packets that most of us are familiar with they include the basic information that we need to put these seeds into our garden and then there's the few that put those few extra ideas into the seed packet the design of the packet the information on the packet and of course the quality of the seed makes these the best companies in my opinion and I'll share all of this with you as we progress at one end of the spectrum are seed packets like this one from pepper Joe's they list the name purple Carolina Reaper and The Year of the seeds 2022. I think a big reason for these type of seed packets is because the gardeners who are Growing Seeds like these super hot peppers know what they're doing they're looking for very specific varieties and so there's no reason to say on this seed packet that you sow the seeds a quarter inch deep or that you need to use a heat mat or that the germination might take 30 to 45 days because before you even order a seed packet like this you've already done the research to determine how you're going to grow these super hot peppers similarly these from Strictly medicinal seeds fall into that same basic category you'll find varieties that strictly medicinal seeds that you can't find anywhere else so there's no picture on the seed packet because most likely you have searched for a particular seed founded at this site and then ordered it like this lemongrass I like having a picture on the seed packet especially when I'm planting a lot of different vegetables and flowers I like to be able to pick up one look at the picture and note instantly what it is I'm putting in my garden now some companies like this Prairie Moon Nursery one of my favorites has the picture on it but virtually no information this is the kind of company that just uses the seed packet as a repository for the seeds the information on the plant and how to germinate the seeds are in their catalog and online it's the catalog that tells me about how much sun the plant needs and what the spacing should be and the preferred soil type this is a company that specializes in native plants so if you're gardening looking for native plants you're going to end up going to the catalog and online and the information is incredible when you do that it just isn't on the seed packet so this might not be best for those of us that are a little lazy and like to have everything spelled out for us there's nothing on the back side unlike Burpee these are the kind of seeds that we're all familiar with this is a company that specializes in providing seeds for the average gardener on the front of the seed packet is a very clear picture of what I can expect I like it when they also give the Botanical Latin name for plants and burpees does that it tells me how tall the plant is going to get and it also tells me that I can grow it in a container on the back side is just about all the information I need to grow this plant full sun how deep how to thin the plant out how long it takes to harvest even a container how many plants I can grow there's a map that tells me when I can expect to sow these seeds there's even this information in Spanish these are the kind of seeds that I put into my second category the ones that include just about everything you need to know to take this packet and sow these seeds in your garden it's seeds like these from American Seed Company and Seed Savers exchange am I gardener Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds survival garden seeds seeds of change and very Morse seeds all of these are very similar in the way they design their packages with the picture on front and the description on the back with all that critical sewing information and it's no coincidence that many of these are the kind of seeds that you'll see on a display when you visit their seed store or a big box store am I Gardener has a place that you can go and see the wall display and buy their seeds these fairy Morse seeds I get at Ace Hardware these American seeds are from the dollar store Burpee you can find just about anywhere and if you're looking for a nice vacation go to Missouri to the baker Creek store or to California to the store there and see all the displays when you see something like this you like the picture you look at the back you decide oh yes I can grow that take it home and then put it in your garden it makes sense by so many companies design their seed packets this way some of the companies add a feature that I really like like these from RH Shumway seeds and such Mi Gardener High mowing organic seeds territorial seed company and Baker Creek heirloom seeds that feature for these seed packets is a reclosable top it's easy to open up get the seeds you need and then the gummy seal allows it to close again and you can repeat this over and over again especially because these seed packets have a lot of seeds in them having the ability to close it up and then store it without the seeds going everywhere to make a big difference seeds of change in this packet does it slightly differently it actually has a little zip lock top so after you peel off the top you can close it using a little bit of hand pressure the packets that I use to store the seeds that I save have this same feature I think it can make a difference because especially when I put the seeds in a container like this and towed it all over the place these other seeds that have a type of glue that once you open it it can no longer stick back well it ends up falling out and I have to store these differently so this is a nice feature to look for when you're trying to choose seed packets that you like as we move toward the identification of my favorite seed packet another factor that I think is quite important is information about the plant that I'm going to grow I enjoy finding out that this Joe's long cayenne pepper from Seed Savers exchange originated in Calabria Italy and that this variety was sent from Toronto to Joe Sisto in Troy New York all of the Seed Savers exchange seeds have a history as do the baker Creek Heirloom Seeds this honey boat delicata squash was developed by Dr James Baggett from Oregon State University and is one of the sweetest squash varieties in existence Mi Gardener tells me that this Cayenne long slim pepper is slightly hotter than jalapenos and has a multitude of uses in the kitchen fresh canned pickled dried and it's perfect for adding a kick to any recipe these territorial seeds the Black Beauty zucchini I like that this seed packet not only gives me the basic information but also tips on growing and tips on fertilization and tips on insect prevention the packets from territorial seed are fantastic and definitely rank in my top two I think when a company puts this extra information to tell you how to grow the plant and how to use the plant it really connects us it personalizes these seeds so many of these are just mass produced and you buy them at the big box stores but when I know about the plants I'm growing it really helps me as a gardener spend a little bit extra time to ensure that these seeds grow and that these plants do well and when it comes to the extra information that a company provides none are better than my favorite seed packets and these are the ones from Botanical interests the front of the Botanical interests is not a photograph but literally a work of art they have artists who create the image that goes on each of these packets it tells me that it's a perennial a tender perennial goes in full sun it's an heirloom plant I think this is important especially if you want to save your seeds and then on the back is all the information that we expect how long it takes for the seedlings to emerge how deep we sow the seeds the spacing of the seeds the spacing of the Rose the thinning and then there's the explanation about the plant itself it tells me in this case the Rosemary is a beautiful ornamental grows well in containers tells me the zones it grows in it tells me that it's deer resistant I know when to sow outside I know when to sew inside and then it lists special germination instructions this is a lot of useful necessary information to be able to take this seed packet and put it directly outside but the beauty of this seed packet even with all of this information is recognizing that there's more information on the inside of the packet there's a nice message from the company we are dedicated to inspiring and educating The Gardener in you that's why we've put even more helpful information inside so if you unseal the packet and open it up there's much more information inside than any of these other seed packets offer on the outside educating and inspiring gardeners that's why I have a YouTube channel that's why I make the videos and so when I see a seed packet like this with such a wonderful company trying to get information out and recognizing that the inside of the seed packet is an opportunity to educate and Inspire I have to choose this as the best option for new gardeners and even experienced gardeners when choosing seed packets there's information in here about germinating and about soil and about how to use it in the kitchen some seed packets even have recipes there's information about important factors when you start these seeds indoors you can even learn more about your average last frost date by just opening up a package of seeds from Botanical interests there was no question in my mind as to choosing which is the best seed packet for gardeners of all different skill levels it's easy for me to say it's Botanical interest what do you think if you got their seeds have you opened them up to find out what the information is and how about companies maybe that I didn't cover I'm interested to hear your opinion about what you think is the best seed company for you because while I love these and I think these seed packets are appropriate for just about everybody our gardening is unique to us and we do have our own personal preferences so let me know what those are I'm Gardener Scott enjoy gardening foreign [Music]

Channel: Gardener Scott

Views: 16,691

Keywords: gardener scott, gardner scott, gardening tips, starting seeds, best seed catalogs, best seed packets, best seed package, choose seeds, how to choose seeds, seed information, botanical interests, botanical interests seeds

Id: IPzzB3sgv0s

Length: 14min 48sec (888 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 02 2023