Understanding Seed Catalogs: 15 Features to Look For

Reader Contribution by Pam Dawling
Published on December 14, 2013
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Are you already thinking about snuggling by your woodstove browsing seed catalogs?  Don’t get sucked in by

catalog superlatives! Careful reading of the variety descriptions will ensure you don’t miss something basic that would tell you this variety is not for your farm. Here are 15 phrases to watch for:

“Adaptable”“easy to grow” are good phrases to look for. “Requires an attentive grower” is a helpful warning.

“Early zucchini, 47 days from sowing” – but even the late ‘Costata Romanesco’ is only 52 days. How important is it to have zucchini 5 days earlier, especially after your first sowing? “Early maturing” isn’t useful if the seed rots in cold soil, so check both points.

Disease resistance/tolerance. Read the 66 items in Johnny’s Vegetable Disease Code list. Don’t be a vegetable hypochondriac– your plants won’t get everything! ‘Raven’ zucchini has no listed disease-resistance, while ‘Dunja’ withstands four diseases. Both have open plants, high yields of dark green zucchini. ‘Dunja’ has only small spines. No mention of ‘Raven’s spines – are they wicked? ‘Dunja’ is organically grown, ‘Raven’ is not. ‘Dunja’ costs twice as much as ‘Raven’! What price organic seed, disease-resistance and short spines?

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