Help Buying Vegetable Seeds For The First Time

Posted on Jan 25 2010 - 5:10am by Mike Lieberman

The kind people at SeedsNow.com have contacted me and offered to help me out with some seed packets to get my garden started.

I’ve never started from seed before and I like experimentation (with growing vegetables that is). My plan is to continue the fire escape gardening, backyard vegetable gardening and potentially expand that to the garden beds.

I’m leaning towards some of their Seed Banks.  What would you recommend me getting or would like to see me experiment with?

32 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. JP January 25, 2010 at 4:57 am -

    I just did a big round of winter sowing, and your containers would work perfectly. So, you might consider (since it doesn't matter if you fail) sowing some lettuce, spinach, chard, and small tomato plants now, just to see what you get. You would need to use some plastic lids, however. I love green zebra tomatoes; very tasty!

  2. Mike Lieberman January 25, 2010 at 6:12 am -

    Nice JP. If I were to sow into the containers, would I be able to keep them indoors? I don't get much sunlight at all in my room.

  3. Pure2Raw twins January 25, 2010 at 6:54 am -

    I vote for heirloom! Lori and I got some big containers/pails that we have saved to hopefully try growing something. You have inspired us always!

  4. Mike Lieberman January 25, 2010 at 8:14 am -

    Thanks. I def wanna rock some of the heirlooms.

  5. Michelle N Tremblay January 25, 2010 at 8:46 am -

    Mesclun and spinach (direct sow outdoors) is always easy and great for containers (in rotation for a constant supply). Any herbs, peppers, cucumbers, and bunching onions also do great in containers. I start small seeds indoors (e.g., herbs mostly) but everything else is sown directly outdoors in pots. I will be trying baby carrots and cherry tomatoes in containers this year. Just buy seeds of foods you love to eat plus a couple for experimenting. It's quite rewarding to growth things from seed. Keep up the great gardening.

  6. Mike Lieberman January 25, 2010 at 8:50 am -

    Thanks. When sowing directly in the containers, do I leave the containers indoors or outdoors?

  7. Michelle N Tremblay January 25, 2010 at 9:49 am -

    I sow and leave them outdoors (on the deck, north side of the house) until they get big enough and strong. Then I move them slowly to full-sun, part-sun, etc. Plants also do better when containers are kept together (microclimate & easy watering, pest control).

  8. Mike Lieberman January 25, 2010 at 10:22 am -

    Thanks. There is no way I could sow outdoors now. Still way too cold…I thinks. Like 30s during the day and night.

  9. Elena January 25, 2010 at 10:33 am -

    You should grow some tomatoes and cucumbers–my all time summer favorites, along with green onions and dill!

  10. Mike Lieberman January 25, 2010 at 11:05 am -

    Good call Elena. I'll likely do those at my Grandmother's.

  11. colleenvanderlinden January 25, 2010 at 11:26 am -

    Hi Mike!
    Chard is really pretty and easy to grow, and Botanical Interests' Asian greens mesclun mix is really, really good (I'm actually growing it outdoors in a low tunnel now, and it's doing pretty well.) Spinach and beets are both really good for containers, too! (Can you tell I like my greens? 🙂 )

  12. Fern @ Life on the Balcony January 25, 2010 at 1:36 pm -

    Mike–Botanical Interests has a lot of edibles that are smaller and better suited for container growing, like 'Spacemaster' cucumbers and 'Gardeners Delight' cherry tomatoes. Be sure to include some flowers too! They help attract beneficial insects (and look pretty!).

  13. Fern @ Life on the Balcony January 25, 2010 at 1:45 pm -

    I like beets because you can eat the whole plant. Talk about efficient use of your garden space! And they look really nice interplanted among carrots.

  14. Mike Lieberman January 25, 2010 at 4:08 pm -

    I'm with you on the greens. I pretty much have them every meal, so I plan on definitely planting more of them.

  15. Mike Lieberman January 25, 2010 at 4:09 pm -

    Starchy veggies are good in theory to me, but I never really eat them that often. I really need to eat them more frequently.

  16. Mike Lieberman January 25, 2010 at 4:10 pm -

    Don't have too much space on my fire escape and definitely want to keep the plants lower. I might get some of those for my Grandmother's backyard. Thanks for all the advice.

  17. Mike Lieberman January 25, 2010 at 4:14 pm -

    Thanks. I def wanna rock some of the heirlooms.

  18. Michelle N Tremblay January 25, 2010 at 4:46 pm -

    Mesclun and spinach (direct sow outdoors) is always easy and great for containers (in rotation for a constant supply). Any herbs, peppers, cucumbers, and bunching onions also do great in containers. I start small seeds indoors (e.g., herbs mostly) but everything else is sown directly outdoors in pots. I will be trying baby carrots and cherry tomatoes in containers this year. Just buy seeds of foods you love to eat plus a couple for experimenting. It's quite rewarding to growth things from seed. Keep up the great gardening.

  19. Mike Lieberman January 25, 2010 at 4:50 pm -

    Thanks. When sowing directly in the containers, do I leave the containers indoors or outdoors?

  20. Michelle N Tremblay January 25, 2010 at 5:49 pm -

    I sow and leave them outdoors (on the deck, north side of the house) until they get big enough and strong. Then I move them slowly to full-sun, part-sun, etc. Plants also do better when containers are kept together (microclimate & easy watering, pest control).

  21. Mike Lieberman January 25, 2010 at 6:22 pm -

    Thanks. There is no way I could sow outdoors now. Still way too cold…I thinks. Like 30s during the day and night.

  22. Elena January 25, 2010 at 6:33 pm -

    You should grow some tomatoes and cucumbers–my all time summer favorites, along with green onions and dill!

  23. Mike Lieberman January 25, 2010 at 7:05 pm -

    Good call Elena. I'll likely do those at my Grandmother's.

  24. colleenvanderlinden January 25, 2010 at 7:26 pm -

    Hi Mike!
    Chard is really pretty and easy to grow, and Botanical Interests' Asian greens mesclun mix is really, really good (I'm actually growing it outdoors in a low tunnel now, and it's doing pretty well.) Spinach and beets are both really good for containers, too! (Can you tell I like my greens? 🙂 )

  25. Fern @ Life on the Balcony January 25, 2010 at 9:36 pm -

    Mike–Botanical Interests has a lot of edibles that are smaller and better suited for container growing, like 'Spacemaster' cucumbers and 'Gardeners Delight' cherry tomatoes. Be sure to include some flowers too! They help attract beneficial insects (and look pretty!).

  26. Fern @ Life on the Balcony January 25, 2010 at 9:45 pm -

    I like beets because you can eat the whole plant. Talk about efficient use of your garden space! And they look really nice interplanted among carrots.

  27. Mike Lieberman January 26, 2010 at 12:08 am -

    I'm with you on the greens. I pretty much have them every meal, so I plan on definitely planting more of them.

  28. Mike Lieberman January 26, 2010 at 12:09 am -

    Starchy veggies are good in theory to me, but I never really eat them that often. I really need to eat them more frequently.

  29. Mike Lieberman January 26, 2010 at 12:10 am -

    Don't have too much space on my fire escape and definitely want to keep the plants lower. I might get some of those for my Grandmother's backyard. Thanks for all the advice.

  30. Char Paul May 31, 2011 at 9:23 pm -

    Ceylon spinach is hardy and likes to climb~ really good tucker.

    How about those carrots Mike? Give those a try from seed.

    I recently received Dragon Carrot~ is purple. I’ve been juicing beetroot and the orange carrot~ the purples have high antiox content,  they are a cool colour~and the name! so Jackie Chan.

    I put my the last of my seeds out yesterday (veggies, herbs and tropical fruit) and kitty’s paw tracks are through them this morning. The wilderness garden is now go~ across my lawn and the neighbours yard.

  31. Cindy May 30, 2012 at 4:48 pm -

    Buy open-pollinated rather than hybrid & try seed saving too! Not growing from seed us “cheating” 😉

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