General FAQ

Are your seeds treated with any chemicals?
Are your seeds genetically altered in any way?
What is the difference between Annuals, Perennials, and Biennials?
How deep should I plant my seeds?
When is the best time to start my seeds indoors?
When is the best time to start my seeds outdoors?
How much should I water my seeds?
Do I need a grow light?
Why are my seedlings dying?
What is Hardening Off?
How do I choose a spot for my garden?
What size area will my packet of seed cover?
What does indeterminate growth habit mean?
When the growing season is over, should I clean out the dead vegetables and flowers from my garden?
How long will my seeds last?
Will heavy rain destroy my wildflower seeds that I sowed?

 
Q: What is the difference between Annuals, Perennials, and Biennials?

A: Annuals - Live one season as the name implies. They devote all of their energy to producing as much seed as possible by the end of the Summer. This is great news considering that seeds are preceded by flowers of all shapes and colors. Some annuals may seem like they grow back year after year. What happens is the seed that fell from the previous year's plant has germinated the following Spring to give the illusion that the original plant grew back. Biennials - The first growing season the plants will reach maturity, the second season they produce flowers and die. Perennials - Live from year to year and produce ornamental flowers and foliage. The tops of these plants usually die back when the cold weather sets in, but the roots can withstand cold temperatures. In fact, most perennials must first go through a cold season before they will bloom the following year. 

  Q: How deep should I plant my seeds?

A good rule of thumb used by most gardeners is 2-3 times the diameter of the seed, however you should read all of the instructions on the back of the seed packet before planting.

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Q: When is the best time to start my seeds indoors?

A: Start your flower seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before your *outdoor planting date in your area.
Vegetable seeds should be started 4-6 weeks before you plant to transplant outdoors. All plants have unique requirements. Be sure to follow cultural instructions on the back of the seed packet. 

See the UDSA Zone Map (new window will open) page for this information. Some vegetables and flowers may be started right in the garden and do not need to be started indoors. Here is a short list of some of the most common flowers and vegetables that can be direct sown into the garden.

Q: When is the best time to start my seeds outdoors?

A: Many flowers and vegetables do not need to be started indoors. Some have shorter maturity periods and others will germinate in cool weather to gain a head start on other seeds that need to be started indoors. To find the best time to sow your seeds outdoors:

• 1. Find your climate zone on the UDSA Zone Map (new window will open) 
• 2. Look up your zone on table below to find the *general outdoor planting date for your zone.

*Most zones have microclimates created by location to water, mountains, and other geological divisions. The planting times listed here are guidelines to planting outdoors. Observe the natural signs in your own area to determine the best time for you to plant outside 

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Q: How much should I water my seeds?  

A: Seeds Before you sow your seeds make sure the seed starting mix is pre-moistened. Soil is usually dry when it comes out of the package so you will need to mix water and seed starting mix together until it is crumbly in your hand. The mixture is too wet if, when you make a fist with a handful of soil it sticks together in the shape of your fist or water drips out of you hand while making the fist.
After the seeds are in the soil, spray with a gentle stream of water being careful not to dislodge the seeds from the soil.
The soil should now have enough moisture in it to last until the seeds have germinated. Check the moisture level in the soil each day to be certain. If the seeds dry out at all they are not apt to germinate. Also, if the soil is wet the seeds may rot before they get a chance to germinate.
A gentle spray of water is all that is needed to keep soil moist. A spray bottle works well for this purpose. Seedlings: Once seeds have germinated, they may need to be watered as frequently as once a day if they are exposed to very dry heat. Again, check each day for soil moisture. Older Seedlings: Seedlings that have filled out the soil with their roots will need deeper waterings than seeds and new seedlings. When you water, be sure the moisture is getting down to the bottom of the container. When the seedlings get bigger and stronger they consume more water and should be checked each day. One way to be sure you are watering deeply enough is to gently lift a plant out of the container to check the soil. (By this time, the roots will be stronger and hold the soil together and will not be harmful to the plant).

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Q: Do I need a grow light?  

A: Seeds do not need sunlight before they germinate, but it is a necessity after they have sprouted. Place the tray in a sunny window (not direct sun), or under a grow light for 12-14 hours a day. *If seedlings do not get enough light they will try to stretch to find the light. That is why they get "leggy" or "spindly". 

Q: My seedlings looked healthy until one day they started to wilt and die, soon the whole tray of seedlings were dead what happened?  

A: The most likely villain here is a disease called "Damping-Off". It causes seedlings to rot at the soil line, topple over and die, and it can affect the whole tray of seedlings within 24 hours. There is no cure for this disease. The best thing to do is remove all infected plants and throw in a trash receptacle. Do not reuse soil or compost the soil or seedlings to prevent the disease from spreading in the soil. Prevention Disinfect all tools used for seed starting and gardening with a bleach solution. (one part bleach to 4 parts water). Make certain there is good drainage and use a fan for air circulation around seedlings. Use only sterilized seed starting mix. 

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Q: What is "Hardening Off"?  

A: Hardening off is the gradual process of strengthening seedlings against the variables of outdoor living. (Strong sunlight, wind, cooler temps) To harden off, move seed trays outdoors for several hours a each day. Avoid exposing them to direct sunlight immediately. As the temperature begins to rise outside, they can spend longer and longer periods of time outdoors. Typically, the whole process takes one to two weeks. 

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Q: How do I choose a spot for my garden?  

A: A garden can be productive no matter what size and shape it is. It can be as small as a window box filled with herbs or a 30' x 40' plot of land.
The important things to keep in mind when deciding where to locate your garden are:
1. Light
2. Soil quality
3. Drainage
4. Accessibility 

Light - Most vegetables and herbs need to be in a spot that has full sun. That means 6 or more hours of direct sunlight each day. 

Drainage - Does your spot have standing water in the Spring time? Does it stay wet even when other areas have dried out? If so, you may want to pick another site. To correct the drainage in a seriously wet site will be a big project that may not be worth the expense. 

Soil quality - Deep, healthy loam is best. Don't give up on a spot if the soil is not perfect. Soil is one of the most adjustable of the variables in choosing your garden site. You can add organic matter such as, compost, peat moss, and fertilizers to enhance less than perfect soil. 

Accessibility - Place your garden in a convenient location for you to tend to it. If placed out of the way, it will be easy to forget about. Weeds will grow faster than you will notice and vegetables may be forgotten on the vine. Locate garden close to a water source to make it easy to water in case of a dry season. If space is really limited, you may want to consider planting in containers. Most vegetables will thrive in a deep container of fertile growing mix. 

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Q: How much area will my packet of zinnia seed cover?  

A: All seeds vary in sowing distance required between the seeds. The amount of seed the packet contains will vary from variety to variety also. The back of the packet of seeds should say how far apart to sow them and from that you can judge how much area your packet of seeds will cover. A good rule of thumb is to sow the seed an inch apart in rows or scattered around the planting area. You will need to thin those seedlings depending on the growth habit of the specific plant. 

Q: What does indeterminate growth habit mean?  

A: Indeterminate and determinate growth characteristics pertain to the ultimate size of the plant. You may see these words in the description of a tomato plant. Indeterminate means the vine will keep growing until it is stopped by the outside interference, the gardener, by cutting or pinching when the desired height is achieved. Determinate is just the opposite, the plant will grow to a certain height and then stop growing. 

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Q: When the growing season is over, should I clean out the dead vegetable and flower plants or can I leave them in the garden until next year?  

A: All debris should be cleaned out of vegetable and flower gardens in the fall. If left on the ground, harmful insects and garden pests such as aphids, mites, scale, and mice will over winter in the debris and will show up in force in the spring. Disease will also stay if there are any diseased plants left to decay in the garden. Once all the plant debris is cleaned out, good practice is to plant a cover crop of rye, oats, alphalpa, or vetch. This will keep the soil from eroding, add valuable nutrients to the soil, and keep fall germinating weeds to a minimum.

Q: Do you sell replacement trays for the Heat & Gro germinator?  

A: Yes we sell the 128-cell insert, tray, and dome on this site. You will find a selection of seed starting trays in the Seed Starting Supplies section of this web site. Any full-size tray that we sell will fit into the Heat & Gro. 

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Q: How long will my seeds last? 

A: As long as the seeds are kept in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place they should last for years. Keep in mind that if given the same conditions, some seed will lose its vigor more quickly than others. 

Q: Will heavy rain destroy the wildflower seed that I sowed? 

A: Unless all the seed was washed away, it should be ok. You may have to re-sow the areas where the seed was washed away and you will probably have concentrations of seed where it puddled up but they will be fine.   

Q: Are your seeds treated with any chemicals? 

A: NO. Plantation Products seeds have no chemicals on them whatsoever. 

Q: Are your seeds genetically altered in any way?

A: You can be assured that none of the varieties we sell are genetically enhanced through biotechnology 

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