Where to Order High-Quality Seeds for USDA Zone 4b

-
Winter is the best time to plan your garden and order seeds! It's also a good reminder, on a cold winter's day, that spring is just around the corner. 

While I do favor heirloom, non-GMO seeds, local, or organic seeds, I try not to get too dogmatic about it. I do think it's important to pay attention to where the seeds are collected, as compared to your USDA growing zone. You can find your USDA zone by typing in your zip code here. If you plan on saving your own seeds for next year, it's important to make sure they are non-GMO.

Here's our go-to list when it's time to order seeds:


You can search for the seed you want, then filter by state. Then you know exactly where and who your seeds are coming from. Genius! 


Based in Maine, they do not sell GMO or seeds treated with fungicides. They also have trees that ship out in April.




Non-GMO, seeds are not patented/licensed.



Organic, based in Minnesota. They have all the garden favorites and clearly list the number of days to maturity (something to watch when you have a short growing season!). They also have some nice cover crop mixes for after your vegetables are done growing.



Organic, based in Michigan


Based in Missouri (zone 6) so they are definitely warmer, but they specialize in heirloom seeds. Check out the beautiful pics on their website!



Organic, based in Vermont



This one is a bit of gamble, but if you pay attention to seller's location and reviews, it can be great!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Make an Air Pruning Bed 1: Plans, Shopping List, and Budget

-
Image
Plans:  Budget/Shopping list: Air Pruning Bed Part Amount Cost/Piece Total Untreated Douglas Fir 2"x10"x8' 2 $15.15 $30.30 3'x10' 1/4" Hardware Cloth 1 $24.13 $24.13 4' Untreated lath bundle (50) 1 $19.98 $19.98 3 1/2 " screws 1 $5.98 $5.98 1 1/2" screws 1 $1.28 $1.28 Staples 1 $6.97 $6.97 Pedestals - Cinder Block 4 $1.12 $4.48 $93.12 Cover Cage Untreated Pine 1x2x8 (furring strip) 4 $1.77 $7.08 Wildlife netting, 100'x7' 1 $19.98 $19.98 $27.06 Total Cost $120.18 Note, this is the cost for the 1st bed. You will have leftover hardware cloth, screws, and lath, so the 2nd bed will be less expensive. We chose douglas fir, since it is more rot resistant as compared to untreated pine. Cedar would be best, or even black locust if you have access, since these woods are more rot-resistant. Whichever wood you choose, just make sure it is untreated to avoid having chemicals leach into the soil. After reviewing videos on YouTube, like: Twisted Tree
Read more

DIY Wooden Garden Signs

-
Image
 I was shopping for some natural-looking garden signs to add to my garden, but struggled to find something that I liked. I already had some old lathe and extra bamboo stakes laying around, and thought it would be perfect for making some simple wooden signs! It's biodegradable, unlike those plastic labels you get with the typical nursery plants. I had some garden twine (jute, I believe) to tie the bamboo stakes to the lathe. Perfect! I did purchase some special paint markers, since regular Sharpies do tend to wear off in the rain throughout the growing season.  Here's how I did it: Materials: Lathe Bamboo stakes Garden twine, jute or similar Paint markers Spray polyurethane (optional) Process: 1. Cut the lathe into desired length. I eyeballed about 3-4". I cut a few with a hand saw, but quickly switched to a battery-powered circular saw! 2. Sand edges and any rough faces. 3. Cut bamboo to desired length. I cut about 12" pieces using a circular saw, which did splinter t
Read more

Dandelion Poppers

-
Image
These dandelion poppers are a great appetizer. When battered and baked in the oven, they are crispy on the outside and tender and oh-so-fresh on the inside.  When harvesting dandelion flowers, make sure you have chosen a site that has not been treated/chemically sprayed.  Harvest dandelion flowers during full sun, otherwise flowers tend to close up. Leave some flowers for the pollinators! Honey bees love these. You can just pick the flowers, if you are only making dandelion poppers. Or, pick the entire stem from the base of the plant and eat the stems. Or, bring a shovel and dig up the entire plant...the entire plant is edible! My favorite recipes, from the top of the plant to the bottom, include: Dandelion poppers (flowers) Dandelion "noodles" (stem) Wild harvested salad with mustard vinaigrette (leaves) Roasted dandelion root tea (roots) Ingredients: Dandelion flowers Egg Milk Bread crumbs (half Panko, half regular) Salt & pepper Instructions: 1. Heat oven to 350 degree
Read more