Seed packet info- a look at a few envelopes

I'm kind of a freak about good packaging, because I'm a nerd and like to read all instructions thoroughly, no matter what the product. So it's no surprise that I like a lot of info on my seed packets. I don't know how much of a practical crutch it is at this point, because I could probably remember on my own how most things are supposed to be planted. But I like having that info nearby in print just in case for quick reference. For a new gardener, accurate and thorough label info can be very important. It certainly was for me since I didn't own a lot of gardening books initially. So I thought I'd go over a few seed packets that I've accumulated and see how useful their labeling is...

1. Kitazawa seed company. I was really excited to see this brand now being stocked at my local nursery, because they carry a few harder to find asian vegetable varieties. I bought a packet of Japanese Mugwort. In Korean it's called Ssuk. I've never grown it before, nor have I even seen it growing. So I really had no info of my own. And there isn't info on this plant in my gardening books. The info on the packet unfortunately was pretty spartan. They gave planting depth of 1/4"-1/2" (Which I don't even think could be correct. I'll explain that opinion later.), thinning distance, and a little info on using it in food. What they didn't mention is that the seed looks like sawdust! I had no idea if I was planting seed, or ground up seed husks. I ended up putting an entire pinch of the "sawdust" into a 1/4" deep hole. I think that was a mistake. I found info later online that did specifically refer to the seeds as super tiny, and said that it should just be lightly pressed into the soil. That made way more sense, since that's how I would plant chamomile seeds (which are also super tiny). Thankfully I believe this is supposed to be a pretty vigorous plant, so hopefully I'll still get something that I can transplant later. Seed packet info grade: B-. And in my book, that's not good, because I'm a total Lisa Simpson. I may still continue to buy seeds from this company though, if their plants turn out healthy and taste good, because they do have those harder to find asian varieties.

2. Botanical Interests. Remember that old Prego commercial ("It's in there!")? Well this seed packet has got everything in it. Planting info, seedling info, mature plant info, cultural history, variety history, and more. It has so much info that I could only show part of it. In addition to the stuff on the front and back, if you cut open the packet, there's more info on the inside. Plus sometimes a picture of how the seedling looks when it starts to grow, which is really useful, so that you can tell the difference between the veggie and a stray weed. Definitely a great seed packet for someone just starting to garden, or maybe planting something they're unfamiliar with. Also, there's a cut away section on the packet that has a summary which you can attach to a plant marker for in the field info. Info grade: A. Oh, and they also have an iphone app that has plant info and tips. But I think there's more info on the packet itself than in the app version.

 

3. Peaceful Valley. These are two different seed packets from the same company. I should preface this review by saying that the seed packet on the bottom was a freebie when I purchased some gardening supplies. So I probably should just be grateful and move on. But I want to point out the lack of logic in how they did this. The info is very spartan on the freebie packet. I didn't have as much trouble with this as I did with the mugwort because I had plenty of supplemental info on kale in my gardening books. The seeds also germinated just fine and I ate plenty of kale. But if you're giving out freebies to customers so they can try new varieties, wouldn't you want to set them up for success? Why skimp on tips, if you've clearly also got seed packets (such as on the top) which already have more info? I'm going to have to give this a B. Though I'm probably looking a gift horse in the mouth.

 

4. Seed Savers Exchange. This packet had pretty decent info. Also, I'm a sucker for pictures. And they have a little colorful graphics. And, I think they've made an improvement recently. When I first bought from them, some of their seed packets had this really gummy red glue to seal the envelope. Its was really annoying because the seeds used to get caught in the glue all the time. The last couple batches of seeds I bought from them didn't have this glue on the envelope, so I'm hoping they've totally phased that red goop out. I like to give credit for improvement. Packet info grade: A-. As an aside I want to mention that I really appreciate when packets add germination time info and not just days to harvest. Some seeds come up super fast and others take forever. It's nice to know if you're supposed to wait two weeks, or just a few days.

5. Renee's garden. This packet has a little flappy bit attached that has extra info on the variety. It still doesn't max out on the info like the Botanical interests envelope, but it's pretty thorough. I think this gets a an A- also.

6. Seeds of Change. The big deal with this seed packet is not so much the info (which is adequate), it's the ziploc top. I never use all the seeds at once. I'm usually succession sowing, or I just have leftover seeds that I share with friends or save for a later season. This one gets a A- for its resealable packet. I realize that it uses more resources to have a plastic bag than a simple paper envelope, but because it is durable, I'm considering saving it after the seeds are gone and using it to store seeds that I've collected myself at the end of the season.

I should probably emphasize that these arbitrary grades I doled out have nothing to do with the quality of the seeds. All these companies have all been very successful for me in terms of germination rates, which is really the more critical issue. But I just felt like doing some naval gazing.