Growing vegetables and flowers from seed can be both fun and economical. All of the information you need on how to do it successfully is on the package of seeds but that assumes that you understand everything that is on the packet. That makes reading and understanding the seed packet pretty important and we’re here to help you!

The front of the seed packet is almost always the “fun” part of purchase! That’s because it usually has a beautiful picture of what lies ahead once you successfully plant your seeds! There is no standard format for the front of a seed packet, but along with the striking photo you’ll usually have the name and variety of the plant. You’ll also usually see a figure that tells you how many seeds are in the packet or as in this case, the weight, which is listed as 600 mg.

Determining how many seeds are in a packet based only on its weight can be a little tricky as the size of seeds can vary. For example, tomato seeds are small when you compare them to the size of a bush bean seed, but the information on how many seeds are in the packet is usually available in the company’s catalog or on their website. Sometimes, the company will identify whether or not the variety of seeds are perennials; plants that come back every year, or annuals which bloom for just one season.  Finally, most companies put their name and website information on the packet as well.

The front of the seed packet is what sells the seeds, but the other side of the packet is what will determine how successful you are at turning the seeds into beautiful plants. The first thing to note is there is usually a written description of what the plant will look like and what purpose for which it is best suited. This typical packet might include a table of information which includes the following:

• The height of the plant, when it will begin to bloom or in the case of a vegetable seed when it will start to produce its crop.
• The planting depth tells you how deep to plant the seeds.
• Spacing the seed and thinning it are tasks that are closely related to one another. For example a packet might indicate that you can plant the seed about 1 inch apart for starters, but when the plants get to be about 3 inches tall you need to thin them out. Thinning involves creating space between the plants and it’s important as having the plants growing too close to one another can actually stunt the growth of the plants and cause diseases.  
• The final part of the table might tell you how long it will take the seed to germinate after they are planted.

The table tells you how to plant the seeds, but the rest of the packet explains the ideal growing conditions for the plants. It will tell you if the plants prefer sun or shade and what types of soil conditions lead to the best outcome. The packet is also telling you when to plant the seeds by informing you to plant them either in the spring after temperatures have warmed or to plant them in the summer and they will bloom the following year.

Finally, the packet will provide you some information about how to care for the plants after they reach maturity and any special characteristics that the plants may have. For example, Hollyhocks are self-seeders which means that after they finish blooming they will release seeds that will germinate and lead to more plants the following year.

Lastly, you should take note of what is at the bottom of the packet. The packet confirms that the seeds were packaged for this growing season which means they are not “old” seeds. Older seeds may still be viable, but seeds packaged for the current growing season are going to have the highest germination percentage.