As I stare out the window at the snow on the ground, it is hard to believe I am starting to get spring fever, but I am. I start thinking about my summer garden, the fresh produce, and what I want to grow this spring. The seed catalogs are all here and I’m ready to place my order so I can start my seeds indoors in the coming weeks. But what does all the information on the seed packet mean?
Basic Information
The seed packet contains a lot of details about how to grow plants, how to get them started, and growth habit. It is arranged differently depending on the company you purchase your seed from, but it will all be there.
The packet contains the common name: Tomato and scientific name: Solanum lycopersicum of the plant as well as a variety: Celebrity. Within tomatoes, there are many different varieties for size, shape, color, growth habit, when they mature, and other characteristics.
Planting Information
The seed packet describes how deep to plant the seed in the soil and how it should be planted. It lists spacing for the plants. This is difficult to follow when we first plant our tiny plants, but plants should be spaced correctly according to the label instructions. If seeds or transplants are planted too close together the plants will not grow or produce as well and they will have more disease issues.
The seed packet also states days to germination and days to harvest. This will tell you when to expect to begin harvesting from it in the summer, it isn’t exact and depends on weather. If you want the first tomato of the season, choose a variety with a shorter growing season. One variety, Fourth of July, ripens after only 49 days.
The packet also states how deep and when to plant the seed. Our seeds are either started inside for transplanting later or by direct sowing outside. Count backwards from the transplanting date to know when to start seeds indoors. Summer crops should be planted after the last frost of the spring.
Advanced Characteristics
Tomatoes are available as Determinate or Indeterminate growth habit. Determinate tomatoes will grow to a specific size and produce only a certain amount of tomatoes through the season. While indeterminate tomatoes will continue to grow and produce until the frost kills them in the fall.
Determinate tomatoes are better suited for container gardens or smaller gardens so they don’t grow too large. Indeterminate tomatoes are great for gardeners who love to can, freeze, and eat a lot of tomatoes fresh. I prefer to use determinate varieties for the cherry or grape type of tomatoes so the plants don’t get so large and because I only use those for fresh eating. I use indeterminate tomatoes for my large, slicing tomatoes to use for salsa. Choose what works for you, but keep in mind the size and production differences between the two.
Disease Resistance
The seed packet also lists disease resistance as well as other environmental characteristics that they are less prone to. For example, some tomato varieties crack or split very easily, if this is a common irritation in your garden, look for a variety that lists crack resistance as a characteristic. They will still crack some, but it will be less than other varieties. Also, look for resistance to the common diseases such as Verticillium wilt=V, Fusarium wilt=F, and Tomato spotted wilt virus=TSWV. The more resistance in your tomatoes, the less problems you will have with diseases or less need for pesticides to control them.
Plants and Pests with Nicole 