I've gone seed crazy!!

[gardeningwithe]

I don't have that much space to plant in, but can't seem to stop getting seeds...lol anyone else have this problem? How does everyone decide what to plant and what not to plant- I want to plant everything.

[Bobberman]

I had 4 different gardens two years ago and also buy more than I need. I also grow too many plants in my solar greenhouse. Last year I had over a 1000 tomatoes 10 varieties and gave a lot away! Make more raised beds! Plant in 5 gallon buckets! Plant climbing crops on the north side of the garden to get more space!

[rainbowgardener]

There's different approaches. Some people are very disciplined and map out their gardens and figure out what will be where and limit themselves to what they can plant. Some of us become seed addicts. I can't say I plant seeds for "everything," because there's always more out there, but I certainly plant way more seeds than I have space for in the ground. I resolve that dilemma by giving all the excess away. I give a few hundred plants to my Quaker Meeting for our annual plant sale/ fund raiser. What doesn't sell, I take to work and give away. Whatever is leftover, I try to find room to plant (and of course I kept some plants for my self in the beginning anyway, that don't go to the sale).

That way I keep busy all through the non-gardening beginning of the year, doing seed starting. Keeps me happy working with plants and lights and drives away the winter doldrums and I don't have kill plants by culling the excess.

A friend of mine just fed my addiction by giving me her whole big bag of seed collection. She is unfortunately in ill health and won't be gardening, so she passed it all on to me.

The first lights will go on in a couple weeks! This weekend all the Christmas present making stuff will get cleared away and the shelves will get cleaned off to get ready!

[digitS']

Are these seeds for plants you may be happy with only one of? (Churchill would approve of me ending that sentence with a preposition .)

Seeds usually last a few years.

If I only have one of a tomato variety, I may feel compelled to grow a second plant the following year, to really have some idea of what it is capable of. But, that's it. Two plants in 2 years and I'm happy with my little trial.

Steve

[gardeningwithe]

Thanks everyone- you have all given good suggestions and perhaps even more importantly let me know that I am not alone I had planned on giving a few away, I think my biggest problem is wanting to try so many new things. Perhaps make a list and decide which to do this year and which to do the next?

[jal_ut]

Yep! I buy some seeds every year, but seldom plant them all. I also have people giving me seeds. Also grow some of my own seed. Often when I grow seed, I have enough to plant my whole area in one variety. I have two cardboard boxes with assorted seed in them and a list of things I am wanting to buy this season.
So you see, you are not alone. Better to have seed not planted, than not enough to plant your space.

[jal_ut]

I don't know why my post got published twice. I will edit one.

BTW, seed has gotten rather expensive from the catalogs and vendors. It is worth while to save seed and swap with others. Good luck.

[Ozark Lady]

Every year, I seem to need a larger storage area for my seeds. I have more room to garden than I have energy to garden. But, finding room for all these seeds is getting to be a challenge!
And my dear hubby feeds my addiction, he hands me new wish books and suggests that I really need to order some new seeds for the coming year. And I don't even hide the seeds on hand!
So, a cold front is pushing into my area, great time to snuggle down and enjoy the catalogs... I will worry about where to put the seeds later.
As to how to pick which to plant... I try a couple of each variety and what I don't kill gets a shot at growing, then I save the seeds and mark it as a new seed since it is somewhat acclimated to my conditions, and each replant creates another seed type to save... it never ends for me!
Happy New Year, and Happy seed shopping and saving!

[gardeningwithe]

I am so happy to not be alone... lol. Thanks for the suggestions on saving seeds- I've never done it and it seems intimidating, but I am going to try this year. Last night my son (almost 9) and I sorted through the seeds - he's my lil garden helper. We ended up planning it out- lol anyway I think I'm sure it will change. We did have to make a new section to plant- I keep telling my husband that eventually he won't have to mow . I don't have a large area, but have slowly been expanding a little at a time. My biggest problem is that this year I have a lot of heirloom (or to me- no where near some people, but I'm sure in time it will happen ) tomato seeds and I want to plant them all. It does make the winter go by faster I guess. Thanks for all the replies - this is my first garden forum and I am enjoying having people to talk shop with.

[rainbowgardener]

"It does make the winter go by faster I guess. "

That's how I got in to all this seed starting stuff. 1) when you start anything from seed, you are likely to end up with more plants than you need and I hate to kill plants, but especially 2) I'm a winter blues type. Once I started working with seedlings and lights, I discovered that it really did cheer me up, make the winter go by faster, and keep me believing that spring is on the way.

Saving seed is really not hard. I've been doing it for years. Last year for the first time, I bought seeds in bulk, because it was cheaper, just counting on the fact that I could store them and use them up over three years or so.

[evtubbergh]

Lol, I know the feeling. I have too many seeds and only a tiny garden. It really sucks. Sometimes I sit and daydream about the ROWS of plants I can plant when we buy our bigger house.

Sometimes I suck it up and plant the entire packet of seeds if they're getting old then I try desperately to find them all good homes. I can't bear the thought of any of them dying.

[gardeningwithe]

Yeah- I have a few I NEED to plant and many I want to plant lol. I told my mom what I had extra of and that she shouldn't buy any of those Maybe I can at least give some away. I am going to wintersow some here in a week or two and see how that works (I've never done that either). See, I have had my small garden spot a few years, but am just now feeling confident enough to try new things. So, at any rate, I am going to try new things this year- heirlooms, winter sowing, and seed saving. Shew- I hope I"m successful at one at least. I suppose it's like everything though - if you don't try you won't learn. I've been fascinated hearing all about everyone's grow lights and such- that might be too much for me for now. So many ways to garden- it's really exciting.!

[gixxerific]

If there is such a thing as a "seedaholic," I'm it!

Don't look at me, just finished going through the tomato seeds I have so far 337 varietys. Not too mention a huge box full of everything else you could ever want to grow.

Of course Unlike MarlinG i do not have the room to grow everything, so choosing is quite a chore.

For you i would suggest grwoing what you eat first than trying other things if there is room left. Also something to think about is produce that can be purchased very cheaply should be left out if room is an issue.

As stated ealier saving seed is the best route since seed prices have gotten out of control in places. I myself have not bought seeds in 4-5 years.

gardeningwithe if you would like a small sampling of seeds please PM me I am sure I have something you would want.

[TravelingGnome]

I'm finding myself doing this. This is my first real attempt at gardening and I'm jumping in with both feet. I haven't bought any seeds yet but I've been saving seeds from all our store bought veggies. Figuring out what to grow really is the main problem. I plan on building 2 or 3, 4'×4' raised beds and trying to decide what seeds to buy is proving much more difficult than I imagined. I want them all!

[rainbowgardener]

I certainly understand the temptation, but keep in mind that even if it is three 4x4's, that's a very limited space. It is a good amount to start with for your first time, but you don't want to overcrowd it or overwhelm yourself. Planting seeds, it is very easy to end up with way more plants than you have room for.

I'd focus on stuff that keeps producing for awhile like green leafies and tomatoes, not the stuff that is one and done, like carrots and potatoes and corn (which doesn't do well in very small amounts any way).