Although planting heirloom seeds is very simple, following an heirloom plant guide can help you do it more quickly and properly. Find out more about planting guides here!
2. Although planting heirloom seeds is simple, it’s
still advisable to follow an heirloom plant guide
so you can do it well. After all, growing plants
is a delicate process and you want to do it right
to get the best results.
3. Home and Garden America’s free heirloom plant guide for customers
4. An heirloom plant guide contains all the
information you need to grow the finest crops
in your garden. Here are some of the things
that are should be found in an ideal heirloom
plant guide:
5. First of all, the names of all the
seed types should be listed in
your heirloom plant guide so
you can easily find the specific
info you need.
The seed count for every variety
must also be stated to give you
an idea of your heirloom seed
pack quantity.
NAME AND QUANTITY OF
THE HEIRLOOM SEED VARIETY
6. Plants have very particular
soil temperature needs.
You can’t just plant them
in your backyard anytime
and expect good crops.
The soil must first be
conditioned in the right
temperature before you
start planting.
SOIL TEMPERATURE
7. Plants also have different
recommended depths for
sowing. Some varieties do
well in shallow depths while
others need to be buried
deeper.
For instance, the Tall Utah
Celery only has a 1/16”
planting depth while the
Small Sugar Pumpkin needs
to be sowed around 1 to 1
½” deep.
SEED PLANTING DEPTH
8. It’s not a good idea to have
your plants grow too close
to each other because
diseases could easily
spread in your garden.
Besides, plants need more
room especially when
they’re starting to grow.
This is why spacing between
plants and rows is essential
so you can properly keep
them apart.
PLANT & ROW SPACING
9. Some heirloom varieties are
only fit to be grown inside
your home, some have to be
directly sowed in the
garden, while others have to
be first grown indoors and
then transplanted outdoors
after a couple of weeks.
It all depends on the variety
and growing needs of the
plant.
WHEN TO SOW INDOORS & OUTDOORS
10. Sunlight and water are the
top two things that plant
needs to grow properly. But
how much daylight and
liquid supply do they need to
survive?
Your heirloom plant guide
can tell you the right amount
so you won’t end up drying
or overwatering your plants.
SUN EXPOSURE & WATER REQUIREMENT
11. Heirloom plants also grow
well in specific conditions.
Watermelons love warm, hot
and long days while cabbage
prospers in cold, cool and
short days.
If you can plant them in the
ideal conditions detailed in
your heirloom plant
guide, they will easily
produce the best-tasting
crops.
GROWING CONDITION
12. Hardiness is a way to measure a plant’s ability to
endure hostile growing conditions. This means a plant
can be labeled the following:
HARDINESS
Very Tender – highly intolerant of freezing temperatures
Tender – intolerant of freezing temperatures
Half Hardy – needs to be sown indoors during winter then
transplanted outdoors when frost is gone
Hardy – tolerant of freezing temperatures to a certain degree
Super Hardy – highly tolerant of freezing temperatures
13. Another important data you
can find in your planting
guide is the average days to
maturity, a.k.a. the number
of days to harvest. This often
takes around one to four
months depending on the
variety.
ESTIMATED DAYS TO MATURITY
14. Lastly, your guide will also
label plants either as annual
or biennial.
Annuals are those that only
last for one growing season
while biennials are those
that complete their lifecycle
in two years.
LIFECYCLE
15. Remember though that the data provided in an
heirloom plant guide are only estimates.
Successfully growing your plants will largely
depend on the weather and soil conditions in
your area, so the best you can do is follow the
guide and then adjust accordingly if you’re not
getting the right results.
16. But one thing that helps is keeping a logbook
of every seed you plant. Use the instructions in
the heirloom plant guide and closely monitor
the growth of your plants. Write down the
results as well as the little adjustments you’ve
made so you’ll know how a particular plant
works the next time you do it.
17. To wrap up, an heirloom plant guide can show
you the ideal conditions to plant your seeds but
sometimes you may have to make small
adjustments depending on where you live.
18. But still, a guide can make things quicker and
easier since you no longer have to research
about every plant you have. So start growing
your plants properly by using your heirloom
plant guide to your advantage!