Vegetable Seeds - where it begins

It's amazing what you can get from vegetable seeds. Just think about it the next time you hold a head of cabbage in your hand. That hefty head came from a seed only about the diameter of pencil lead.

If you've spit watermelon seeds, then you know the size of fruit that can come from those small wonders.

Vegetable gardening can be undertaken with seedlings, but starting with seed holds so much more potential.

When you think of it, there is food, choice of variety, learning, amazement and economy in store for us when we start our vegetables from seed and add water, soil, sunlight and a little care.

Hundreds of pounds of fresh and nutritious vegetables can be grown from just a few dozen vegetable seeds. It doesn't seem possible, but it's true.

Let's first look at sources of seed. There are many and varied seed catalogs out there for those of us looking for vegetable garden seed. Some specialize in heirloom vegetable seeds, while others offer us greenhouse seeds for the vegetables we grow indoors.

I'll share with you my favorite seed catalogs and why I like them so much. Not all catalogs are the same, and I suggest you get on several mailing lists so that you can experience the benefits of each catalog offers it's subscribers.

One of the benefits of starting your garden using vegetable seeds is that you can keep using the same seeds for many years as long as you take good care of them. There are several methods for extending the useful life of vegetable seeds.

Next, let's look at planting seeds and using seedling heat mats to get them going. There are pros and cons of getting a head start on the gardening season. For some vegetables, it's a must. For others it's optional.

When we start our own seedlings, we make use of seed trays, sheet pots, peat pellets, small plastic pots, clear domes, high domes, seedling heat mats, grow lights and a seedling greenhouse with comforters and other coverings to help keep our little plants warm during the early spring nights that can get down to single digits.

We're also fond of setting out mouse traps to catch the little vermin that enjoy our tasty greens. Our little furry leaf munchers represent competition with our efforts to feed ourselves, so we build our own mousetraps to keep the population under control.

After seedlings are up and running, we use variations on garden cloches to protect them from low temperatures, drying winds and the harsh sun until they get used to their new home in the garden or in the greenhouse.

Vegetable seeds are quite remarkable when you come to think of it. All the information necessary to create a bountiful harvest is contained in a package so small that you can hardly assign a weight to it. It's a miracle in a little dried up form.

If you've never started your vegetable garden from seed, you're in for a pleasant surprise. It's easy and a great joy to see new life spring forth from the seemingly lifeless soil. More importantly, when you realize all the hundreds of pounds of food that came from a few ounces of seed, you'll come face-to-face with one of the true miracles of life that vegetable gardeners never take for granted.

Happy vegetable gardening to you, whether you start from seed or seedlings. May your crops be bountiful, nutritious, beautiful and delicious.

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