HOME GARDENING - HOW TO FIND SEEDS FOR LUSCIOUS ORGANIC VEGETABLES & FRUITS ON EBAY

‘Tis the season when gardeners’ mailboxes fill up with seed catalogues which we fall asleep reading at night. Savvy gardeners have discovered that ebay is an outstanding resource for small seed lots, especially RARE AND HEIRLOOM SEEDS.

Most seed catalogues offer much more seed per packet than the average home gardener could ever use before it becomes unusable. Although seed can last several years if maintained under consistent and proper conditions, most home gardeners (myself included) do not take such care and wind up buying fresh seed every year. Such a waste, of seed and money! I prefer to offer my customers SMALL SEED SAMPLES of OPEN-POLLINATED varieties at a low cost, so they can try many different varieties and then save seed for next year. Instead of buying 500 carrot seeds (I don’t eat 500 carrots in a year, do you?), you can try several different varieties of heirloom carrots for the same price as one packet of store bought seed. And if you desire, save seed for next year so you can continue to grow those varieties that please you.

Here are some tips to buying seed on ebay and elsewhere:

FIRST: Check to see if the listing is offering NEW or OLD seed. If the listing doesn’t mention it, it is likely leftover old seed. Iffy prospect as far as germination goes. You should be buying only seed that has been harvested for the current or coming growing season. [There are actually state laws that govern the length of time seed can be offered for sale. Most international seed houses are actually better at identifying the length of time a seed packet is viable.]

SECOND: Is it CERTIFIED ORGANIC? Not all seed is available in an organic option, but whenever it is, I prefer it. Why? Because it will inevitably be healthier seed than non-organic.

THREE. Forget the fancy hybrids and stick to OPEN-POLLINATED varieties. These are the HEIRLOOMS. The seeds that have been grown for generations, sometimes for centuries. Tried and true, with an emphasis on flavor, consistency, storage and other considerations of importance to the home gardener. After all the money, time, effort, psychic and physical energy you pour into your garden, you want results! The seed houses sell primarily hybrids because the seed cannot be saved and regrown - it won’t come out true to the original. That forces the consumer to return to the seed merchant and purchase the expensive hybrids again and again. Hybrids are generally developed by the large seed houses for the benefit of commercial growers -- not the home gardener. So these can offer disease resistance but emphasis is also on produce that is tough enough (sometimes literally as in the case of tomatoes and strawberries) to survive long-distance shipping. This is usually at a sacrifice to flavors and textures that make growing your own worth the trouble. Open-pollinated seeds can usually easily be saved by the home gardener, once you get the hang of it. The results? You grow varieties that will surprise you with their color, flavor, textures, fragrance, and you will SAVE $$ BIG TIME! Once you have identified a variety that suits you, you can grow it again and again, passing the seed on for generations, as has been done since the dawn of agriculture. Get to know your neighbors and share your open-pollinated heirloom seeds!

FOUR: Check the days to maturity for each variety you buy. Make sure it is a good selection for your growing area. If you have never started transplants before, know that it requires an investment of money and time for success. If you are a beginner, stick to seeds that can be direct-sown when soil conditions are right. Most seed starting requires two essential investments: bottom heat and close overhead grow lights. This can mean a substantial investment. But once acquired will last you for many a growing season and the result will delight you. Also, with such elements, you may want to experiment with winter hydroponics. There are fancy countertop growers, but you can do the same with just the right heat, light and container. It is truly nirvana to harvest fresh herbs or lettuce from your counter while it is snowing outside!

FIVE: Even if all goes perfectly with your seed selection and planting, remember there is never a guarantee in gardening. If there were, we’d be in the Garden of Eden. It’s not like buying a shaver or video game. Perfectly good seed, sown in perfectly good soil, by a knowledgeable gardener, can still fail. Soil temperatures, moisture, quality of soil, soil nutrients, hours of light, time of year -- all these factors can make the difference between success in germination or frustsration. Don’t hold your ebay provider responsible. That is the nature of gardening, and seasoned gardeners understand this. If you have taken care to only buy new seed from a reputable ebay supplier, you are off to a good start! Enjoy your garden!