How to read a seed catalog

It's going to be that time before you know it. The holiday season has passed and we've settled into the cold winter longing for spring. Here's some tips to help you with your choices as the seed catalogs begin to arrive.

By Kathy Anderson

Long before the first daffodils of the year come into bloom, seed catalogs are delivered to our mailboxes to herald the arrival of Spring. A good seed catalog contains so much information, it can sometimes be overwhelming for a novice gardener to decide which seeds to buy for their garden. Today I’ll explain how to interpret catalog descriptions for vegetable, herb and flower seeds.

Let’s start with vegetable and herb seed descriptions, since they’re fairly straightforward. A typical catalog listing for these seeds will look something like this description for lettuce seeds:

“Black Seeded Simpson (45 Day) Crisp, tender and sweet. Heat resistant. Pkt. $1.25”

In this description, “Black Seeded Simpson” is the name of the lettuce variety. “45 Day” refers to the average length of time from when the seeds germinate until the plant matures and is ready to harvest. Keep in mind that this number should be used only as an estimation. The actual maturity time will vary slightly with your particular growing conditions and the weather. This number is a rough guide and should be used mostly as a comparison with other varieties and when planning when to plant successive crops.

That’s pretty simple, right? But catalog descriptions aren’t that cut and dried for every vegetable.

Take sweet corn, for instance. The catalog description may indicate the length you can expect each ear to be at maturity, and even how many rows of kernels to expect on each ear. But you may also see some odd letters after the names of the corn varieties offered in some catalogs. EH, se, sh2, su…it’s like a secret code. Actually, these letters tell you a little about the flavor you can expect long before you ever bite into the first sweet, tender ear.

First of all, when you see any of these designations after the variety name, you’ll know you’re looking at a hybrid corn variety. These hybrids have been developed for certain desirable characteristics, such as flavor, tenderness, or durability for shipping.

An “su” hybrid is a normal sugary hybrid. They tend to be creamy and sweet, but they don’t store well. An “su” hybrid should be eaten within a couple of days of harvest. This would be a good choice for a home garden, but a poor choice for a commercial corn grower. They tend to not cross pollinate with the neighbor’s corn.

An “se” variety is a sugary enhanced hybrid. These varieties have a smooth, butter texture, very tender kernels and a longer harvest period. Sugary enhanced hybrids also tend to not cross pollinate readily, and need not be isolated from your neighbor’s corn.

Supersweet hybrid corn is designated as “sh2”. These varieties have a gene that enhances their sweetness and produces firm, crisp and juicy kernels. The texture is not as creamy as “se” or “su” varieties, but supersweet varieties do hold their flavor for up to ten days after harvest, making them a good choice for commercial growers. Supersweet corn will cross pollinate readily with other corn varieties, resulting in starchy kernels, so it’s best to plant supersweet varieties at least 25 feet from other corn in your garden.

Now let’s talk about flower seeds.

Flowering plants are categorized as either Annuals, Biennials or Perennials. Annuals will complete their entire life cycle in one growing season. Their seeds are planted in the spring, the plant grows rather quickly and blooms that same season. Marigolds and sunflowers are examples of flowering annuals.

A biennial plant will spend its first growing season establishing itself and storing energy. But it’s not until the following growing season that a biennial will bloom. Foxgloves and hollyhocks are biennials.

Perennials are plants that will continue to grow year after year without being replanted. They typically go dormant over winter and grow back from their roots the following spring. Astilbe, hostas and daylilies are examples of perennials.

Before choosing seeds from a catalog, you’ll need to know which growing zone you live in. Growing zones, also known as hardiness zones, are based on the average minimum temperatures for each zone. A growing zone map is included in every good garden catalog, making it quite easy to identify your garden’s hardiness zone. Growing zones with higher numbers are in warmer climates, while growing zones with lower numbers are in the north.

For all perennials, biennials, trees and shrubs, catalogs will indicate the range of zones in which the plants will perform consistently. For instance, Blue Fountains delphinium is listed as hardy in zones 3-7. This plant would not be likely to survive a long, cold winter in zone 2, nor would it tend to grow well in the heat of zones 8 or 9.

For best results and the most satisfaction from your gardening efforts, always choose seeds for plants that are hardy to the growing zone you live in. Buy seeds from a reputable company and avoid discounted seeds left over from the previous year. Most seed companies print planting instructions for each seed variety right on the back of the seed packet. By following these instructions carefully and choosing your seeds wisely, you’ll be well on your way to having a terrific garden.

Kathy Anderson has been an avid gardener for many years and has grown tomatoes by the acre, along with many other vegetables, flowers and landscape plants. Kathy recommends http://www.freeplants.com as a great place to learn more about gardening. Article provided by http://gardening-articles.com. If you use this article the above two links must be active.

Friday Fact #18

The world's largest flower, Rafflesia, can measure up to three feet across.

Backyard Bouquets

December 2, 2008
Star Tribune



When it comes to holiday decorating, spruce tips have become as common as candy canes, red ribbons and poinsettias. If you like the classic look, you may want to opt for spruce tips for your window boxes, containers, mantel or tabletop. But if you're ready to branch out, consider harvesting evergreens from your own back yard. Winter is a good time to prune evergreens. And if you prune now, you can use the trimmings for decorations that don't cost a dime. Using your own greens may also make you greener.

Although they look like miniature Christmas trees, spruce tips come from white or black spruce, many of which grow in northern Minnesota wetlands. While reputable dealers harvest only side branches that don't interfere with the tree's continued growth, there have been complaints that main branches have been cut and sold. Cutting a main branch would mean harvesting -- or killing -- the whole tree.

You can steer clear of any controversy by taking cuttings from any of these common evergreens you are growing:

Arborvitae or cedar: These flat, lacy branches add a deep green color to any arrangement. Many of them also have tiny brown cones that add texture and interest. These long-lasting greens look great when paired with rough-textured juniper or spiky spruce.

Juniper: Thick, narrow juniper branches offer a distinctive shape, bold texture and blue berries that look frost-nipped. Sometimes these tough plants change color in the fall, taking on a beautiful bronze, reddish or golden color.

Pine: Whether the short needles of mugo or Scotch pine or the longer needles of white pine, these branches can last for several weeks indoors. When you cut, be sure to choose smaller side branches that won't interfere with the growth of the tree.

Yew or taxus: Although these soft, dark green needles last a long time indoors, the branches are usually long and narrow, making them harder to use. Consider them as an accent to your arrangements. Remove any red berries before you bring the branches indoors. They are poisonous.

Blue spruce: Small spruce branches add color and spiky texture to indoor arrangements, but spruce are best used as accents because they tend to drop their needles. Cut only smaller side branches, avoid the growing tip, unless you are shaping the entire plant.


Hemlock: While the tiny, soft needles of hemlock look attractive, they're not a good choice for cut-evergreen arrangements because they drop their needles quickly.

As long as you're out in your yard with your pruners, nip a few branches from your red twig dogwood or crabapples for color.

Mary Hockenberry Meyer is a professor and extension horticulturist with the University of Minnesota.

Friday Fact #17

The oldest bristlecone pine tree is 5,000 years old