How to Read a Seed Catalog: Tips for Selecting the Best Varieties

Flipping through a seed catalog is one of the great joys of gardening. Pages filled with vibrant images and descriptions of juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and towering sunflowers make it easy to dream of your best garden yet. But with so many options, how do you choose the right seeds for your space, climate, and gardening goals?

Understanding how to read a seed catalog can help you make smart choices, ensuring a productive and satisfying growing season.

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned gardener, these tips will help you navigate seed descriptions, avoid marketing hype, and select the best varieties for your garden.

Botanical Interests Seed Catalog: botanicalinterests.com

1. Understanding the Layout of a Seed Catalog

Most seed catalogs follow a similar structure, breaking down offerings by category (vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruits) and including essential details for each variety. Learning how to decipher these sections will make your shopping more efficient.

Common Terminology to Know:

• Open-Pollinated (OP): Seeds that produce plants with consistent traits year after year, allowing you to save seeds.

  
  

• Hybrid (F1): A cross between two parent plants bred for specific traits like disease resistance or higher yield. These seeds cannot be reliably saved.

  
  

• Heirloom: Open-pollinated varieties that have been passed down for generations, often prized for their unique flavors and historical significance.

  
  

• Determinate vs. Indeterminate (for tomatoes and some other crops):

  • Determinate plants grow to a fixed size and produce fruit all at once.

  • Indeterminate plants continue growing and producing fruit throughout the season.

    
    

• Days to Maturity: The number of days from planting (or transplanting) until harvest.

Decoding Symbols and Abbreviations

Hudson Valley Seed Co: hudsonvalleyseed.com

Most catalogs include icons or abbreviations to indicate key characteristics:

• 🌱 Organic – Certified organic seed.

• 🛡 Disease Resistance – Often abbreviated (e.g., VFN for Verticillium, Fusarium, and Nematode resistance in tomatoes).

• ☀️ Full Sun/Partial Shade – Light requirements for successful growth.

  
  

By understanding these details, you can quickly identify which seeds align with your gardening needs.

John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds: kitchengardenseeds.com

2. Choosing the Right Varieties for Your Garden

Selecting the best varieties starts with knowing your garden’s conditions and what will thrive in your space.

Climate & Growing Zone

Check your USDA hardiness zone and frost dates to ensure the varieties you choose will have enough time to mature before the first frost. Look for short-season varieties if you have a shorter growing window.

Space Considerations

• If you have a small garden or grow in containers, look for compact, dwarf, or bush varieties of vegetables like tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers.

• Vertical growers like pole beans, peas, and trellised cucumbers maximize space efficiently.

  
  

Soil & Sunlight Needs

Read descriptions carefully to see which crops prefer sandy, loamy, or heavy clay soil. If your garden gets less than six hours of sun, seek out shade-tolerant vegetables like leafy greens and root crops.

Pest & Disease Resistance

If you’ve struggled with certain diseases (like powdery mildew on squash or blight on tomatoes), seek out varieties labeled as resistant. Choosing resistant varieties can significantly improve your harvest without relying heavily on pesticides.

3. Balancing Productivity and Flavor

Not all high-yielding plants are the most flavorful, and vice versa. Finding the right balance depends on how you plan to use your harvest.

• High-Yield Varieties: Ideal for gardeners who want a large harvest for canning, preserving, or sharing. Look for terms like "prolific" or "high-yielding."

• Best for Fresh Eating: If taste is your top priority, heirloom varieties often shine in flavor. Descriptions mentioning "sweet," "juicy," or "rich flavor" are good indicators.

• Succession Planting: Choosing a mix of early, mid, and late-season crops can extend your harvest over several months.

  
  

If you enjoy preserving your harvest, select varieties that hold up well to storage, freezing, or drying, such as Roma tomatoes for sauces or thick-walled peppers for freezing.

4. Reading Between the Lines: Marketing vs. Reality

Seed catalogs are designed to sell, so descriptions are often glowing. Here’s how to cut through the marketing and make informed choices:

• Watch for Buzzwords: Words like "improved" or "better than ever" don’t always mean much. Compare descriptions across different sources to get a more balanced view.

• Check Independent Reviews: Garden forums, YouTube channels, and gardening Facebook groups are great places to see real-world experiences with specific varieties.

• Be Wary of "Perfect" Claims: No variety is truly disease-proof or guaranteed to perform well in every climate. Consider your own garden’s unique conditions.

  
  

Final Thoughts: Making Smart Seed Choices

A seed catalog is more than just a shopping tool—it’s a roadmap to your best garden yet. By understanding terminology, matching varieties to your garden’s needs, and reading descriptions critically, you’ll set yourself up for a successful growing season.

Take notes on what worked well (or didn’t) from past seasons, and don’t be afraid to experiment with new varieties. Remember, gardening is an ongoing learning process, and each year brings new opportunities to refine your selections and enjoy a more productive harvest.

To learn more about seed selection, check out this blog post I co-wrote for the Garden Continuum.

Happy Gardening!

Your Friend,

Bedhead