Author: Fawn Neun

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4 Common Florida Weeds for Chickens

Bidens alba, also called beggerticks and Spanish needles are one of the most prolific of the common Florida weeds for chickens.

There’s a lot of controversy floating around about the quality of chicken feed right now. Is it tainted? Maybe it’s just poor quality. If your girls have been failing in the nest box, you may be looking for a way to improve their diet. Spring is on its way, and egg production is ramping up. Start looking for some common Florida weeds for chickens to help keep them in top condition.

When it comes down to the health of your homestead and its ability to be self-sufficient, finding ways to feed your chickens from your own land is always a good strategy.

Your ecosystem may be different, but I’ve discovered three common Florida weeds that my chickens simply adore. Best of all, they provide extra nutrition and a good solution for unwanted invaders in the garden bed.

1. Pellitory, Parietaria pensylvanica

More specifically – “Pennsylvania Pellitory” – also called Chicken’s Delight.

Pellitory grows like mad in my Zone 10a suburban garden. It’s native to North America and is usually found in lightly shaded spots, normally in the corners of garden beds and along fences. It’s an annual weed that grows vigorously in the fall and winter.

Pellitory contains a wide range of important nutrients for laying hens. A 100-gram serving of pellitory contains:

  • Energy: 23 kcal
  • Protein: 2.1 g
  • Total Fat: 0.3 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 4.7 g
  • Fiber: 3.2 g
  • Sugar: 0.7 g

Important vitamins and minerals in Pennsylvania pellitory include:

  • Vitamin C: 49 mg (55% of the daily recommended value)
  • Vitamin A: 497 IU (10% of the daily recommended value)
  • Folate: 95 mcg (24% of the daily recommended value)
  • Calcium: 140 mg (14% of the daily recommended value)
  • Iron: 2.6 mg (14% of the daily recommended value)
  • Magnesium: 47 mg (12% of the daily recommended value)

Pennsylvania pellitory also contains small amounts of other vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, vitamin B6, potassium, and phosphorus.

Pellitory is one of the common Florida weeds for chickens that is easy to grow and harvest

Of all the common Florida weeds for chickens, this one is my favorite. It pulls up like a dream! If you can’t free-range your birds because of local codes, or predators, or to protect your garden, you’ll find harvesting pellitory a sheer joy. It’s very satisfying to pull it up in big clumps. It just slips out of the soil with no resistance.

2. Spanish Needle, Bidens alba

There are two types of Floridians: Those who know and love Bidens alba as a beautiful native flower that nurtures and sustains wildlife year round. Then there is the other type of Floridian – the kind that hates Bidens alba with the heat of 100 burning suns. I have been both types of Floridian. Sometimes, I have been both types on the same day.

But bees love Bidens, and bunnies love Bidens, and so do chickens.

And Bidens may just love chickens right back. Some recent studies found that a closely related species, Bidens pilosa, acts as a prebiotic for them and may even help prevent or lessen the damage of coccidiosis.

The ubiquitous Bidens alba -- a blessing for Florida chickens and curse of Florida gardeners.

Don’t kill your Bidens. If it all comes down to it, it’s nutritious for people, too. In fact, it may be the hot-weather green we’ve all been needing. I’ve read that it’s grown intentionally as a crop for humans in Africa and sauteed with a peanut sauce. I may try that, someday.

Until then, it makes a great supplement for chickens. It has an impressive nutritional profile:

  • Energy: 23 kcal
  • Protein: 2.2 g
  • Total Fat: 0.5 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 4.7 g
  • Fiber: 2.6 g
  • Sugar: 0.6 g

It also offers plenty of vitamins and minerals:

  • Vitamin C: 47 mg (52% of the daily recommended value)
  • Vitamin A: 508 IU (10% of the daily recommended value)
  • Folate: 54 mcg (14% of the daily recommended value)
  • Calcium: 69 mg (7% of the daily recommended value)
  • Iron: 1.6 mg (9% of the daily recommended value)
  • Magnesium: 47 mg (12% of the daily recommended value)

In lesser amounts, it also offers vitamin K, vitamin B6, potassium, and phosphorus.

Purslane and Portulaca

If you’re like most Florida gardeners, you probably snicker when you pass the racks of seeds or bedding plants at big box stores and see them selling portulaca. I mean, the stuff grows as a weed here, and many lawncare neatniks spend hours trying to get rid of it.

Our state ag has a whole page for farmers on how to get rid of the stuff!

Most of the purslane or portulaca you’ll see in nurseries is a variety from India, Portulaca oleracea. The kind that pops up in most Florida lawns is pink portulaca, or Portulaca Pilosa, which is native to Florida. Both are lovely, and both are edible for chickens and humans.

3. Kiss Me Quick, Portulaca Pilosa

Pink Portulaca is pretty and full of good nutrients for chickens

The chickens will have to fight me for the native variety. Not to eat! I just think they’re the cutest things. I wouldn’t mind if my whole yard was made up of them.

A 100-gram serving of Kiss-Me-Quick for chickens provides:

  • Energy: 17 kcal
  • Protein: 2.1 g
  • Total Fat: 0.2 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 2.0 g
  • Fiber: 2.1 g
  • Sugar: 0.6 g

Essential vitamins and minerals include:

  • Vitamin C: 36 mg (40% of the daily recommended value)
  • Vitamin A: 755 IU (15% of the daily recommended value)
  • Folate: 81 mcg (20% of the daily recommended value)
  • Calcium: 132 mg (14% of the daily recommended value)
  • Iron: 1.9 mg (11% of the daily recommended value)
  • Magnesium: 39 mg (10% of the daily recommended value)

That’s a nice dose of calcium, which is required for healthy egg production. So, perhaps the chickens will win this one.

Portulaca pilosa also contains vitamin K, potassium, and phosphorus.

4. Common Purslane, Portulaca oleracea

The non-native portulaca usually comes in two varieties: purslane, which is the one with the flat leaves, and portulaca, the one with the cylindrical leaves. They’re both decorative plants or weeds, depending on your viewpoint.

Purslane seems to find its way into many Florida gardens, hopping pots from garden centers or catching a ride on wildlife. Many find it a delicious and nutritious addition to salads. The tangy flavor makes it one of those forage standbys.

For chickens, it provides:

  • Energy: 15 kcal
  • Protein: 1.6 g
  • Total Fat: 0.3 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 2.0 g
  • Fiber: 1.5 g
  • Sugar: 0.4 g

It also has important vitamins and minerals:

  • Vitamin C: 16 mg (18% of the daily recommended value)
  • Vitamin A: 394 IU (8% of the daily recommended value)
  • Folate: 82 mcg (21% of the daily recommended value)
  • Calcium: 87 mg (9% of the daily recommended value)
  • Iron: 2.0 mg (11% of the daily recommended value)
  • Magnesium: 49 mg (12% of the daily recommended value)

Vitamin K, vitamin B6, potassium, and phosphorus also make up purslane’s nutritional label.

The Chicken Feed Debate In an Egg Shell

The cost of eggs in the grocery stores has skyrocketed. First, the Avian Flu purge, and now our own chickens are coming up short.

Some internet influencers in the homesteading arena are claiming that big feed producers are distributing poor-quality feed. There are even a few outliers that say that this is all part of some big conspiracy to deny Americans of wholesome food, making them more reliant on Big Ag and government handouts.

I’m a bit more inclined to blame corporate greed. The U.S. imports far too many agricultural products from China, including pet foods. And unscrupulous manufacturers there are known to melamine, a plastic, to pet foods and treats, to falsely boost their protein content numbers. They’ve even done it to baby food!

We may never unravel all of the true causes of the Great Egg Shortage. There may be a host of reasons that our chickens seem to be laying fewer eggs this year.

It could be poor-quality food with cheaper ingredients to make more money. It could also be no more malicious than stale, old food that sat in warehouses due to the supply chain issues.

It could be the wonky weather we’re having lately, with record-breaking heatwaves and record-breaking cold spells. Sometimes both in the same month, if you live in Florida.

It could just be that the post-pandemic world has made us more aware of the physical signs of dis-ease and more suspicious of changes in ourselves and our animals.

Add These Common Florida Weeds for Chickens for Free

In the long view, the cause doesn’t really matter. What really matters is taking care of what’s ours to nurture. Adding these four common Florida weeds for chickens to their daily diet can help.

Food loses nutritional value when it sits on the shelves. If it loses value sitting in your shed for three months, think of how much it loses when it has to cross the planet on a ship. Or even cross the country on a truck. Buy locally-produced feed whenever possible. Not only does it retain more nutritional value, it also helps support businesses in your community.

You can grow food for your chickens, like marigolds and brassicas. But why not make better use of those pesky weeds in your yard? Just remember that you’ll need to stop using herbicides and pesticides.

While they may not provide everything your chickens need, they’re a welcome dose of calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Times are tough, and if you’re buying commercial feed on the cheap, it may even provide critical micronutrients that don’t find their way into the budget-grade chicken formula.

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Best Vegetable Varieties to Grow in Florida

pumpkin vegetable varieties for Florida

Most Florida gardeners are starting to plan our fall gardens right about now. Even if it’s still way too hot to work outside. We can sit indoors in the air conditioning with a sweet tea, watching the storms, dreaming of an abundance of vegetables in just a few months. But what vegetable varieties are you planning?

If you’re wondering what vegetables to grow in Florida, the answer is all of them!

English plantswoman and gardening icon Beth Chatto taught us “Right plant, right place.”

In Florida, we get another dimension – the right time.

We’re heading for fall. We’re ready for fall. We know when. We even know where.

All we need now is to know which are the right plants.

Understanding Vegetable Varieties

Plants fall into different families, and these are separated into different genera, and then different species.

Within species, say, tomatoes, you’ll find different “varieties.” Some are natural varieties produced by mutation. Others have been cultivated by people for specific characteristics..

Plant Families

Plants in the same families share similar characteristics in their germination, growth, flowering, and fruiting habits. Some of the most common plant families in home gardening include these plant families.

Many gardeners swear by rotating every plot on their land by these plant families. Theoretically, any soil disease or pest that develops over one season is sure to damage the same type of plant in the following season.

The issue of nutrients is also a factor. Some plant families all require a great deal of nitrogen. Repeatedly growing members of these plant families in the same plot can lead to nitrogen depletion and poor results.

Common Plant Families in Gardening

While not wholly inclusive, the following represent some of the more common plant families in home gardens.

Solanaceae

Also known as the “nightshade” family, this group includes some of the most popular home garden vegetables.

  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Eggplants
  • Tomatillo
  • Irish Potatoes

Cucurbitaceae

We often refer to these as cucurbits, and this family (for gardening purposes) includes many vining gourds:

  • Cucumbers
  • Pumpkins
  • Zucchini
  • Butternut squash
  • Melons

Fabaceae

This is the legume family, which are those that harvest nitrogen from the atmosphere and store it in nodules in their roots. This includes a wide range of garden beans as well as other crops, like clover and alfalfa, which fix nitrogen into the soil in the same way.

  • Bush beans
  • Pole beans
  • English Peas
  • Snow peas
  • Southern peas

Brassicaceae

Commonly referred to as cole crops, the brassicas include all those wonderful winter vegetables with dark green and delicious leaves.

  • Broccoli
  • Mustard greens
  • Cabbages
  • Collards
  • Turnips
  • Radishes

Alliaceae

Even a homegrown meal would be a little dull without these members of the onion, or allium, family.

  • Onions
  • Green onions
  • Garlic
  • Shallots
  • Chives

Lamiaceae

Many of our culinary herbs are members of this family, often called the “mint” family.

  • Mint
  • Basil
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Oregano

Apiaceae

These cool-season crops are all members of the parsley family, and include:

  • Carrots
  • Parsley
  • Cilantro
  • Fennel
  • Celery

Chenopodiaceae

We don’t normally call these by their common name, the “Goosefoot” family, but this group includes:

  • Beets
  • Chard
  • Spinach

Asteraceae

Although they look nothing alike, many home gardeners grow members of the “aster” family in their home gardens:

  • Lettuce
  • Artichoke
  • Sunflower

Vegetable Varieties and Hybrids

So, if you’re wondering which of these vegetables to grow in Florida, the answer is any of them that you want, as long as you plant in the right season for our wonky weather. However, if you want to improve your rate of success, you’ll look for varieties that have proven themselves in our climate.

What are Vegetable Varieties

You may have heard the term “variety” or may have seen the term “cultivar.” Many gardeners use them interchangeably, and I suppose I am one of them, although I know better.

When it comes to vegetables, however, home gardeners only need to understand the difference between a variety and a hybrid. Especially if you grow from seed.

Varieties are a type of plant that is in all important aspects just like any other member of its species. However, it has demonstrated a small difference, such as the color of the flower or the shape of the fruit.

Nature is wonderful. It’s always mutating to fill the gaps.

Gardening in Florida is one of those gaps. Trying to grow vegetables that most of us recognize and want to eat in a subtropical climate is definitely a specialized niche. A gap, as it were.

So, you may find that some naturally occurring varieties do better in our climate than others. In some cases, careful scientists from our heroic Ag Department have spent years nurturing these sports to ensure they will perform true to type.

What are Vegetable Hybrids

Then there are hybrids. Hybrid seeds are often one-offs that have been bred to perform in specific conditions.

  • F1 Hybrid: A combination of two distinct varieties of plants that will produce a known result.
  • F2 Hybrid: Seeds produced by self or open pollination in F1 plant fruits
  • F3 Hybrid: Seeds produced by self or open pollination F2 plants

You’ll rarely find F2 or F3 seeds for sale because the results can vary so much. You may collect them and experiment with them.

You’ll definitely find plenty of F1 Hybrid plant seeds on the market when you’re shopping for your fall garden. They have some distinct advantages and two very solid disadvantages.

Pros

  • Bred for a unique or particularly attractive appearance
  • Combines the best of two parent varieties
  • Generally produced to be resistant to several diseases

Cons

  • Usually expensive
  • Not a good candidate for seed saving

Choosing the Best Vegetable Varieties for Florida Gardens

Now you know a few of the basics about what constitutes a variety and a hybrid. You’re going to want to know which ones the best for your garden.

YMMV – which to me, in gardening, means, “Your Microclimate May Vary.”

I’ve collected some varieties (and hybrids) for consideration. These selections have been recommended by Florida state Ag experts or other experienced growers. Some have been solid gold winners for me.

Some are heirlooms, some are simply open-pollinated, and some are hybrids. Knowing which they are can help you decide to buy or not. This may depend on your budget and your desire to save seed for next season.

All are in alphabetical order.

Bush Beans

  • Annihilator
  • Bush Blue Lake
  • Cherokee Wax
  • Contender
  • Roma II
  • Royal burgundy
  • Tenderette
  • Tendergreen improved

Pole Beans

  • Blue Lake
  • Dixie Butterpea Lima beans
  • Early Thorogreen Lima beans
  • Foodhook 242 Lima beans
  • Kentucky Wonder
  • McCaslan
  • Storage / Shell Beans
  • Wase Adzuki

Beans, Long/Snake

  • Kurosanjaku
  • Mosaic Yardlong Beans
  • Red Noodle
  • White Seeded
  • You Fong Wong Yardlong Beans

Beets

  • Asgrow Wonder
  • Cylindra
  • Detroit Dark Red
  • Early Wonder
  • Green Top
  • Little Ball
  • Pacemaker III
  • Red Ace

Heading Broccoli

  • Early Dividend
  • Early Green
  • Green Duke
  • Green Goliath
  • Green Sprouting
  • Packman
  • Waltham

Sprouting/Flowering Broccoli  

  • Calabrese
  • De Cicco
  • Piracicaba

Brussels Sprouts

  • Jade Cross
  • Long Island Improved

Cabbage

  • Bravo
  • Bronco
  • Copenhagen market
  • Flat Dutch
  • Rio Verde
  • Round Dutch
  • Savoy Red Acre
  • Wakefield

Asian Greens and Cabbages

  • Cabbage Blues
  • Choho Hybrid Tatsoi
  • Early Mizuna
  • Green Rocket
  • Green Spray Mibuna
  • Jung Green
  • Kosaitai
  • Okame Hybrid Spinach
  • Red Komatsuna Tatsoi
  • Shuka Flowering
  • Tokyo Bekana
  • Wakamine Green

Melons

  • Ambrosia Cantaloupe
  • Athena Cantaloupe
  • Charleston Grey 133 watermelon
  • Crimson Sweet watermelon
  • Florida Giant watermelon
  • Galia Cantaloupe
  • Ginkaku Korean Melon
  • Hakucho Charentais Cantaloupe
  • Hime Kansen Icebox Watermelon
  • Honey Rock Cantaloupe
  • Ichiba Kouji Honeydew
  • Jubilee Watermelon
  • Sugar Baby Watermelon

Carrots

  • Chantenay
  • Danvers
  • Imperator 58
  • Kuroda Subtropical
  • Lunar White
  • Nantes
  • Purple Haze
  • Solar Yellow
  • White Satin

Cauliflower

  • Brocoverde
  • Cheddar
  • Graffiti
  • Snow Crow
  • Snowball

Celery

  • Conquistador
  • Giant Pascal
  • Giant Red
  • Golden Pascal
  • Utah

Collards

  • Georgia
  • Georgia Southern
  • Morris Heading
  • Top Bunch
  • Vates

Corn, Sweet

  • Early Sunglow
  • How Sweet It Is
  • Kandy Korn
  • Merit
  • Peaches and Cream
  • Silver Queen
  • Sweet Ice
  • Sweet Riser

Corn, Field

  • Black Aztec
  • Bloody butcher
  • Blue Clarage
  • Hickory King
  • Johnson County White
  • Mandan Bride
  • Reid’s Yellow
  • Roy’s Calais
  • Seneca Red
  • Tennessee Red Cob
  • Trucker’s Favorite

Cucumber, Slicing

  • Ashley
  • Bush Slicer
  • Cherokee
  • Dasher II
  • General Lee
  • Greensleeves
  • Marketmore 76
  • Poinsett
  • Sooyow Nishiki
  • Speedway
  • Summer Dance
  • Sweet Success
  • Thunder

Cucumber, Pickling

  • Boston
  • Calypso
  • Eureka
  • Jackson classic
  • Napoleon
  • Royal
  • Transamerica

Endive

  • Batavian Broadleaf

Garlic

  • Lorz Italian
  • Thermadrone

Eggplant

  • Asian Bride
  • Black Beauty
  • Cloud Nine
  • Dusky Long
  • Florida Market
  • Ichiban
  • Mizuno Takumi
  • Shoyo Long

Kale

  • Blue Curled Scotch
  • Dwarf Blue
  • Lacinato (dinosaur)
  • Red Russian
  • Siberian
  • Suiho Chinese
  • Winterbor

Kohlrabi

  • Early White Vienna
  • Purple Vienna

Lettuce

Heading

  • Bibb
  • Buttercrunch
  • Ermosa
  • Great Lakes
  • Manoa
  • Okayama Buttercrunch
  • Tom Thumb

Looseleaf

  • Black Seeded Simpson
  • Oak Leaf
  • Red Deer Tongue
  • Red Fire Leaf
  • Red Sails
  • Ruby Red Leaf
  • Salad Bowl

Cos

  • Jericho Romaine
  • Outredgeous
  • Parris Island Cos
  • Red Romaine

Mustard Greens

  • Florida Broadleaf
  • Giant Red
  • Greenwave
  • Southern Giant Curled

Okra

  • Annie Oakley II
  • Burgundy
  • Cajun Delight
  • Clemson Spineless
  • Emerald
  • Jambalaya

Onion, Bulbing

  • Cippolini White
  • Granex
  • Granex Yellow
  • Matador Shallot
  • Shonan Red
  • Superex “Maui”
  • Texas Grano
  • Tropicana Red
  • White Libson

Onions, Green

  • Evergreen bunching

English peas

  • Green Arrow
  • Oregon Sugarpod II
  • Sugar Snap
  • Wando

Southern Peas

  • California Blackeye No 6
  • Hull
  • Pinkeye Purple
  • Pinkeye Purple Hull cowpeas
  • Southern Seminole
  • Texas Cream

Peppers, Sweet

  • Big Bertha
  • California Wonder
  • Chinese Big Red
  • Sweet Banana

Peppers, Hot

  • Ancho
  • Cayenne
  • Ghost pepper
  • Habanero
  • Hungarian Hot Wax
  • Jalapeno

Irish potatoes

  • French Fingerling
  • Red Pontiac
  • Yukon Gold

Pumpkins

  • Jack O Lantern
  • Seminole

Quinoa

  • Brightest Brilliant Rainbow

Radish

  • Cherry Belle
  • French Breakfast
  • Giant White Daikon
  • Hailtone
  • Karaine Daikon
  • Mantanghong Beauty
  • Scarlet Globe
  • Sparkler White

Rutabaga

  • American Purple Top

Spinach

  • Bloomsdale Longstanding
  • Viroflay

Summer Squash

  • Aehobak Korean
  • Black Beauty Zucchini
  • Chayote
  • Cocozelle Zucchini
  • Crookneck
  • Desert Zucchini hybrid
  • Early White Scallop
  • Spineless Beauty Zucchini
  • Teot Bat Avocado Squash

Winter Squash

  • Butterscotch Butternut
  • Calabaza
  • Spaghetti
  • Table Queen Acorn
  • Tatume
  • Waltham Butternut

Sweet Potatoes

  • Beauregard

Swiss Chard

  • Bright Lights
  • Canary
  • Fantasia Orange
  • Flamingo
  • Fordhook Giant
  • Perpetual Spinach
  • Pink Lipstick
  • Red Ruby

Determinate Tomatoes

  • Celebrity
  • Floradade
  • Floragold
  • Homestead
  • Maraglobe
  • Solar Set
  • Tasti-lee

Indeterminate Tomatoes

  • Amelia
  • Better Boy
  • Bonnie’s Best
  • Celebrity
  • Cherokee purple
  • Green Zebra
  • Heat Wave II
  • Mortgage Lifter

Cherry Tomatoes

  • Everglades
  • Gardener’s Delight
  • Sun Gold Cherry
  • Sweet 100
  • Sweetie

Paste Tomatoes

  • San Marzano

Turnips

  • Japanese Red Round
  • Purple Top White Globe
  • Seven Top

Strawberries

  • Camarosa
  • Chandler
  • Festival
  • Florida Beauty
  • Florida Brilliance
  • Florida Radiance
  • Oso Grande
  • Sweet Charlie
  • Sweet Sensation

Tropical Greens

  • Green Leaf Amaranth (callaloo)
  • Molokhia Egyptian Spinach
  • New Zealand spinach
  • Red Garnet Amaranth
  • White Leaf amaranth

Finding Seeds for the Best Vegetable Varieties to Grow in Florida

It’s not hard to find seeds many vegetable varieties for our subtropical climate. But you will need to look outside the box. Instead of shopping at the big box stores, check out smaller specialty suppliers.

These are some of my favorites:

And if you’re just looking for Floradade tomatoes, you can find them in my online shop.

Several of these are owned by passionate Florida gardeners just like you. Keep it local!

And happy planting!

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Take Advantage of End-of-Summer Garden Sales

Use end-of-summer garden sales to replace old equipment

Gardening in the South and Subtropics can be a struggle. Along with some crazy weather, we’re also so off-step with the rest of the country, that getting supplies can be impossible. You really have to be prepared and buy ahead. On the other hand, the rest of the country is holding some amazing end-of-summer garden sales just when we need them!

I don’t know how many times I’ve walked into the local home improvement store during peak gardening season only to find shelf after shelf filled with Christmas decorations. As soon as August hits, the mish-mash of holiday retail madness ensues. Back to school blurs into Halloween, which hints at Thanksgiving, and then crescendoes into Christmas. I’m now expecting to eventually find a skeleton in a Santa suit display at my local big box, ala Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather.

This is particularly demoralizing when you’re still trying to grow the ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner and Holiday gifts.

End-of-Summer Garden Sales to the Rescue

It pays to be prepared, and the one advantage we have is that you can find deep, deep discounts on garden tools and supplies as the gardening season ends in the rest of the country.

Most gardeners are done by July and may already have planted their Fall gardens. So, you’ll find plenty of discounts online.

You can even buy lots of seeds for cheap, because they must be sold by the end of December.

Pro Tip: If you pop your seeds into an airtight container and put them in the fridge, you can save them for years.

Some Awesome End-of-Summer Garden Sales on Amazon

Because I own a nursery, I have a rolling inventory of things I need and purchase on a regular or seasonal basis. I also purchase most of my supplies through wholesale outlets. So, I don’t do a lot of online window shopping.

However, just recently, I ran across a flurry of great discounts on Amazon for gardening supplies. Since Florida gardeners are just getting ready for our main gardening season, I thought I’d share them with readers so they could take advantage of end-of-summer garden sales.

RELATED READ: Florida Gardening: What to Plant in July

Please note that these discounts may not be available when you read this blog post. These are fantastic current discounts I found on the day of writing. So, YMMV when it comes to sales and discounts that may change.

Seed Starting Trays

If you need to replace your cell trays, it’s a good time to do so.

While Amazon Affiliate rules mean I cannot list the prices or ratings on the products, I’ve only listed products with discounts of at least 20 percent and ratings of over 4 stars from buyers.

Here are some of the best bargains I found today in seed starting trays:

MIXC 10 Packs Seed Starter Tray Seed Starter Kit with Humidity Dome
JIAQUAN 5-Pack 120 Cells Seed Trays Seedling Starter Tray
Guioiby 10 Pack Seed Starter Kit with Vented Humidity Dome

Seed Starting Mix

Some gardeners use seed mix, others use potting soil, and still, others use whatever they have lying around.

If you’re one of those gardeners that really relies on your vegetable harvest to put food on the family table, you don’t want to experiment. You need excellent germination rates and you need to make the most of every seed you sow.

I found some discounts on seed starting mix that will help you keep overhead costs down.

Espoma Organic Seed Starter Premium Potting Soil Mix

Espoma has won me over with its excellent products that really perform. I don’t get any commission for referring it like I do the other products on this list. But I’m so impressed with their gardening products, I don’t care. I had to share.

Black Gold Organic Seedling Mix

Potting Mix

Roots Organics Original Potting Soil with Mycorrhizae
PittMoss Plentiful Organic Potting Mix

I use a lot of potting mix, so I usually make my own. Organic formulas are usually pretty pricey, so finding them on sale is always a good thing.

RELATED READ: Freedom from the Big Box: Making Your Own Potting Soil

Fertilizers and Plant Supplements

Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer

Dr. Earth brand is one of my favorites, and I’ve used it many times in my garden. I was particularly impressed with their fertilizer for acid-loving plants and the effect it had on my touchy little gardenias!

J R Peters Jacks Classic 20-20-20 All Purpose Fertilizer

I’ll admit that I’m less than perfectly fastidious about being organic when it comes to ornamental plants, especially those in pots, like tropical hibiscus and houseplants.

Jack’s is one of the first fertilizers introduced to me during the early days of my interest in horticulture. A friend of mine in junior high who worked at his uncle’s nursery said it was their go-to feeding solution. And that was a very, very long time ago — last century! Jack’s has been around for ages and is still lauded by those who use synthetic fertilizers.

Alaska Fish Emulsion Fertilizer Concentrate

Alaska brand fish emulsion fertilizer is a solid product that I have used myself with good results. I’ve seen some very pricey ones online, but I’ve also noticed they do a lot of advertising.

Soil Inoculants

Myco Bliss Organic Mycorrhizal Fungi
Wildroot Organic 16 Species Mycorrhizal Inoculant

I’ve been watching a lot of seminars on soil health recently because it’s been just too hot to spend much time outdoors. I was interested to see one presentation that showed a dramatic increase in yields when the beneficial fungi to beneficial bacteria ratio was close to 1:1. Adding a mycorrhizal inoculant may be the quickest way to improve the soil health of your garden.

Gardening Tools

Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears

Fiskars has a long-lived reputation for quality, so when I told my husband I wanted new pruning sheers, these are the ones he chose. And he was right — excellent quality!

SHARPAL 103N All-in-1 Knife Garden Tool Multi-Sharpener

They say you’re only as bright as your sharpest garden tool, and I suspect they’re right. Keeping your tools in good condition — sharp, clean, dry — doesn’t just extend their lifespan and save you money. It also makes them easier to use and prevents fatigue. No one wants you to spend 10 minutes sawing away a fruit tree branch when you’re pruning. It wears you out and damages your precious plant.

Hori Hori Garden Knife

I’ve been wanting a Hori Hori knife for years — and in fact, I got such a great price on it, I had to stop writing this to buy it. It’s not exactly David the Good’s machete, but that may be for the best.

You'll find discounts on plants at many end-of-summer garden sales

Treating Yourself on the Cheap

As gardeners, they are always some special tools we crave. Perhaps they’re a bit too expensive to justify. Maybe they’re just a better-built and pricier version of something we already have. Sometimes, we have trouble justifying spending money on tools that make gardening and homesteading just a bit easier.

When you find a tool you crave, just make sure you check out online stores in July and August for those end-of-summer garden sales. October and November are great months for in-store sales because even in the South, they’re clearing the shelves for fake trees and cheap ornaments from China to put on them. November and December are great for seed clearance sales. You’ll find there’s usually a lot of life left in those seeds.

It’s worth keeping an eye out for that special tool. A few I’ve purchased in the last couple of years seemed indulgent, but when it came down to it, they changed my gardening life.

All products were flagged as discounted on the date of writing, but you may find the sales have expired or ratings have changed.

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Soil Temperature Matters: Why Your Seeds Didn’t Germinate

soil temperature and seed germination

New and experienced gardeners often find themselves frustrated by seeds that don’t pop. After spending hours deliberating over your garden plan and then money on starting mix, it’s a huge disappointment when your little cell trays remain empty. But one of the primary reasons your seeds didn’t germinate is soil temperature.

If you’re new to gardening, you may think that growing plants from seeds is simple – toss them in some dirt, and boom – a few weeks later, you have a yard full of flowers. Or vegetables. And yes, while nature uses this method, more or less, nature also uses hundreds if not thousands of seeds to produce one viable plant. Survival of the fittest, and all that.

I get it. You’re excited for spring and keen to get growing. You’ve had a miserable cold winter and need some green in your life. However, jumping the gun will lead to disappointment. If you want an abundant garden, you’ll need to learn about the importance of soil temperature.

What Seeds Need to Grow

Last week, I touched lightly on the importance of proper seed storage. To keep your seed stash viable as long as possible, you need to deny them the very things they need to germinate:

  • Light
  • Moisture
  • Heat
  • Oxygen

There is a pretty wide range of optimal germination temperatures depending on where the plant evolved and the climate of its origins. Some plants prefer cooler temperatures and will germinate very early in the spring. Others prefer higher temperatures and will do wonderfully in the summer heat.

Nature abhors a vacuum and will work to ensure a steady supply of flowering plants throughout the growing season. So, some flowers have evolved to germinate at 45 or 50 degrees, while others will take over when temperatures hit 85.

For a long-lasting and beautiful garden throughout the growing season, it’s critical to understand what you can grow and at which temperature to start them.

Container gardening lets you control moisture and soil temperature for a variety of plant species
Container gardening lets you control moisture and soil temperature for a variety of plant species.

Soil Temperature vs. Ambient Temperature

One mistake I have commonly seen made by new gardeners is not understanding the difference between soil temperature and air temperature. While soil temperatures are relatively stable 10 feet below the surface, it’s much more variable at root level for your new seedlings.

Even at root level, soil temperatures are very different than the air temperature. For good germination, you need to be sure the soil temperature is right.

In cooler regions, the soil temperature may stay much cooler, even though the sun feels hot on your skin on a clear spring day. Worst of all, they may plummet in the night when the sun goes down. The soil — and your little seeds — could even freeze.

In warmer regions, however, the soil can remain much warmer than the air temperature, which isn’t always a good thing.

Last January, for example, our nearby IFAS weather station recorded lows of 26 degrees Fahrenheit, but the soil temperature barely dropped below 60. Now that it’s summer, the soil can reach up to 86 degrees F, even as the air cools towards evening into the 70s. Many flower seeds just won’t germinate above 85.

Optimal Soil Temperature Varies

The best temperature for germinating flower seeds will vary by plant species, plant origins, and even moisture levels.

Seeds too cold

Seeds in conditions that are too cold will not germinate. If those conditions are also moist, it’s likely the seed will rot before it sprouts. Heavy spring rains can also keep your garden soil from warming up, further slowing the process. And that’s if you don’t have a sudden late frost!

Seeds too hot

Seeds in conditions that are too hot may also not germinate. There’s a reason gardening experts recommend getting your compost pile above 100 degrees. That’s to kill whatever weed seeds may lie dormant in the pile. Too much heat kills.

Seeds just right

Seeds have been programmed by millions of years of evolution, along with careful cultivation by humans, to germinate when the ongoing conditions will be optimal for the plants to grow and thrive.

This is reinforced by the fact that the microbiology in the soil that will help your plants thrive also needs optimal temperatures to thrive.

Germination Temperature vs. Growing Temperature

More annoyingly, many plants prefer lower growing temperatures once they’ve germinated. So, that beautiful new packet of petunia seeds may need 75 degrees to germinate, but will perhaps grow better under cooler conditions around 60 to 65.

Other plants may be stimulated by a freakish warm spell or even the odd late freeze that cracks the shell.

Plants are weird.

This need for a particular sequential set of conditions is one of the reasons why so many gardeners turn to native plants. Rather than spending money on heaters and lights and misting systems, many gardeners prefer to take their cues from the natural conditions where they live and let nature sort it out.

Group plants by their preferred soil temperature when direct sowing a variety of plants.
Group plants by their preferred soil temperature when direct sowing a variety of plants.

Control Freak Gardening

Over the years, I’ve evolved from the hopeful and random scattering of seeds into a complete control freak, where nearly everything I grow is started in cell trays or soil blocks.

Aside from beans and Ipomoea spp. (and sometimes even those), I’m all about controlled conditions. While I do enjoy an extended growing season in Coastal Central Florida, I also have very little room. I take Charles Dowding to heart when he suggests starting as many plants as possible in trays so you’ll always have something to plug into the garden beds. I’m a big fan of soil blockers.

With flowers, I’m a little less controlling, but then, I’ve got more experience with vegetable gardening and I’m really just starting to experiment with growing ornamentals and wildflowers from seeds. I’ve had equal success with easy flowers with direct sowing as with using starter trays.

But as I talk to more gardeners across the country, both new and experienced, I learn more about how important soil temperature is for germination. I admit it — I’m spoiled by an excellent climate. We almost always have reasonable soil temperatures where I live. If anything, it’s managing moisture we struggle with most here in Florida.

As I learn more about optimal soil temperatures for germinating flower seeds, the more I become fascinated and keen to experiment. We’re in the hottest part of the summer, with daily UV alerts and heat indexes in the 100s. I’m excited to see if I can start some more heat-sensitive flowers indoors in my “farm office” for planting out as the weather cools toward autumn.

In temperate zones, many gardeners get a start on spring by starting seeds indoors in the winter.

Here in the subtropics, we can do the same thing to get a jump on fall gardening.

Starting plants indoors lets you provide optimal soil temperature for a variety of plants.
Starting plants indoors lets you provide optimal soil temperature for a variety of plants.

Optimal Soil Temperature for Flower Seeds

Most internet resources will tell you that anything between 68 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit is fine. But since I deal with a lot of flowers that are native to tropical and subtropical regions, I wanted to dive deeper than “just fine.”

I was also able to find some other critical information on the Iowa State University website that may prove useful — the common flower seeds that require light to germinate.

Some seeds require surface sowing, as they need exposure to sunlight to sprout. Others should be covered with soil, generally with 2 times the depth of the size of the seed.

For seeds that require light to germinate, barely cover with a sprinkling of soil. Or sprinkle lightly onto moist starting mix and press gently into the soil. Use a mister to keep seeds moist without disturbing them or displacing them.

With seeds that require darkness, remember that as soon as they sprout, they will need sunlight. Don’t leave them in the dark too long without checking them.

Flower Germination Temperature and Light Conditions

Flower SeedOptimal Temperature for GerminationLight Requirements for Germination
Alyssum 55° to 70°Light
Angelonia 70° to 75°Light
Aster65° to 70°Light or Dark
Bachelor’s Buttons (Centaurea cyanus)65° to 70°Light or Dark
Begonia 70° to 75°Light
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristate) 70° to 75°Light
Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea)70° to 75°Light
Borage65° to 85°Dark
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)55°Light
Canna70° to 85°Dark
Celosia 70° to 75°Dark
Cleome70° to 75°Light
Coleus70° to 75°Light
Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)65° to 75°Light
Coneflower (Echinacea spp.) 65° to 70°Light
Coreopsis55° to 75°Light
Dahlia70° to 80°Light or Dark
Daisy (Bellis perennis)65° to 70°Light
Delphinium60° to 68°Dark
Dianthus60° to 68°Dark
False Queen Anne’s Lace (Ammi majus)55° to 65°Light
Four O’ Clocks (Mirabilis) 65° to 75°Dark
Foxgloves (Digitalis)60° to 65°Light
French Marigold (Tagetes spp.)70° to 75°Light
Geranium (Pelargonium) 70° to 75°Dark
Gomphrena70° Light or Dark
Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea)60° to 70°Light
Impatiens70° to 75°Light
Lavender70° to 80°Light
Liatris55° to 72°Dark
Lisianthus 75°Light
Lobelia65° to 75°Light
Lupine55° to 65°Dark
Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundafolia)70° to 75°Light
Milkweed (Asclepias)70° to 75°Light or Dark
Monarda60° to 70°Light
Moonflower (Ipomea alba)85° to 95°Dark
Morning Glory (Ipomea spp.)70° to 85°Dark
Nasturtium65° to 70°Dark
Nicotiana 70° to 75°Light
Nigella65° to 70°Light
Pansy (Viola tricolor)65° to 70°Dark
Petunia70° to 80°Light
Phlox60° to 65°Dark
Portulaca75° to 85°Light
Red Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)65° to 70°Light
Roselle75° to 85°Dark
Rudbeckia70° to 75°Light or Dark
Scarlet Sage (Salvia coccinea)70° to 75°Light
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum) 60° to 70°Light
Statice (Limonium)68° to 75°Light
Stocks (Matthiola incana)60° to 65°Light or Dark
Strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum)70° to 75°Light or Dark
Sunflower (Helianthus) 70° to 85°Dark
Verbena70° to 75°Dark
Vinca (Catharanthus roseus)70° to 75°Light or Dark
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium )65° to 75°Light
Zinnia70° to 80°Dark

How to Make Optimal Soil Temperature Work for You

Now that you know the best soil temperatures for common garden flowers, you can use this information for better germination. Consult your local extension office to find the best source of soil temperature data for your area. I use, appropriately, the Florida Automated Weather Network, or “FAWN.”

If you’re starting early in the spring, you can use black plastic sheets several weeks before direct sowing to warm the soil.

The most popular option is to start your seeds indoors where it’s warmer. Many gardeners swear by heat mats for starting seeds and cuttings at any time of year. Heat mats will ensure a steady perfect temperature, regardless of the weather or the blasting AC in August.

If you’ve already hit high summer temperatures, you can choose to start seeds indoors or under cover where they’ll receive some shade. The summer sun on a bare garden bed can play havoc on seeds and other soil life. Growing them under cover until they’re mature enough to handle the heat is one technique to add to your gardening toolbox.

For my part, I know I’ll never try to start alyssum or nigella after April ever again.

Time to Grow

Adding flowers to your garden plan is always a good idea. They’re not just beautiful – they also add critical forage for those pollinator friends that help us with our squashes and cucumbers. Many also bring in necessary predatory insects that can help protect our work.

They add diversity to the garden with their own root exudates, enriching the soil and in some cases, purifying it as well.

Flowers bring all good things to the garden.

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How Long Will Flower Seeds Last?

open packet of flower seeds

It’s only June, but you’ve already filled your garden to the brim with summer vegetables and herbs. The flower borders are chock full, and you’ve even tucked a few spare cosmos and zinnias into the squash patch. The problem is, you still have packets and packets of flower seeds left to plant. Can you save them for next year? How long will flower seeds last in storage?

Maybe you just got swept away with gardening enthusiasm and bought too many seeds. Or maybe you ran into a great sale. We all do it – buy too many seeds. They’re relatively inexpensive, and it’s easy to fall in love with the picture on the packet. But too many seeds can also mean a few broken dreams.

How long can you keep these extra seeds without having to throw them away? Do flower seeds expire?

How Long Can Flower Seeds Be Stored

Depending on the variety, flower seeds will last in storage for 1 to 5 years.

How long flower seeds will last will depend on a few key factors. Are they annuals or perennials? What kind of seed coating or shell does the seed have? Where are you storing your flower seeds?

And finally – how important are these seeds to your gardening plans?

That seems like a harsh question, but it’s a valid one when it comes to deciding whether to simply toss them or to use critical storage space to keep them in the right conditions.

Seed Saving Priorities

If your garden is already full of zinnias, whose seeds are extremely easy to save, should you really bother to save that damp, torn, half-packet you found at the bottom of your seed stash?

Perhaps you have a small garden and very limited space for seed starting. Should you bother to save seeds when you know you won’t have room to plant them next spring?

Where Does Your Garden Grow?

For those of us who garden in the South and the subtropics, in particular, saving seeds after spring planting means saving them for fall planting. If you live on the Gulf Coast, for example, you may want to plant those zinnias in February, May, and September.

If you live in Iowa or Nebraska, however, when the season is short, you want to be ready right out of the spring gate. Perhaps you have a large property, with room to experiment? If your spring priority is getting food in the ground, perhaps you don’t want to spend time or money on flower seeds. You may want to save the ones you have to help bring in pollinators, but it’s not your top priority. In that case, you may want to save your flower seeds even if the germination rate is low.

If you’re anything like me, you save everything – obsessively — even seeds that are likely to fail. Even seeds for flowers that you hate and vegetables you won’t eat.

Because seed saving sometimes becomes a bit of a lifestyle.

So, how do you determine what’s worth keeping?

How Long Do Packaged Flower Seeds Last?

When you purchase seeds from a big box store, you’ll often find the package labeled with the “best-by” date and date of expiration. This date isn’t when the seeds expire, but it is the date that stores will remove them from their inventory.

Companies that handle a lot of seed packets will purchase and package all the seed they sell in one year and mark it for sale for the following year. For example, they’ll buy mass quantities of those same zinnia seeds harvested by farmers in 2022 to sell at your local garden center starting in January of 2023.

You may also see markings on the packets that include lot numbers and germination rates. While there are federal standards for vegetable seed germination rates, flower seeds are regulated at the state level. And to be honest, they’re pretty low standards. In many cases, germination rates as low as 40 or 50 percent are considered acceptable.

Seed Germination Rates Vs. Vigor

Many new gardeners are surprised to learn that good germination doesn’t always result in a strong healthy crop. Even though I’ve been gardening for many years, I made this mistake with an overlarge package of bush bean seeds. The first four crops were amazing, but planting number 5, about three years later, produced dismal-looking specimens.

So, while your flower seeds might sprout beautifully under the best conditions, the seeds may be too old to produce tall, strong, vigorous plants.

Oregon State University has proposed several methods of testing seed vigor, but they may be considered excessive by the average home gardener.

However, the difference between germination rates vs. vigor is another reason you need to determine your gardening priorities when saving flower seeds. Unless you’re a professional grower or garden designer, you may be willing to take more chances on old seed.

How long do perennial flower seeds last?

When stored properly, perennial flower seeds may last up to 5 years.

How long do annual flower seeds last?

Annual flower seeds, except for a few exceptions, will normally last up to 3 years.

Flower Seed Viability Chart

When properly stored, your flower seeds may last as long as shown on the following flower seed viability chart. The years listed are the maximum to expect under optimal conditions.

Flower Seed Viability Chart

How long to store seeds.
Ageratum4Echinacea4Petunia3
Alyssum5Euphorbia4Phlox2
Amaranthus5Forget Me Not2Poppy4
Ammi majus2Four O'Clocks2Portulaca2
Artemisia5Gaillardia3Rudbeckia2
Asclepias1Gomphrena5Salvia3
Aster2Helianthus3Saponaria5
Bachelor's Buttons5Heliotrope2Scabiosa3
Borage5Hollyhocks3Stocks3
Calendula6Impatiens2Snapdragon5
Campanula3Larkspur3Strawflower2
Carnation5Lavender3Sunflowers5
Celosia4Linaria3Sweet Pea5
Clarkia3Lisianthus3Tithonia2
Columbine2Lobelia4Verbena5
Coreopsis2Lupine5Vinca1
Cosmos4Marigold5Viola1
Chrysanthemum5Monarda4Wallflower5
Dahlia5Morning Glory4Yarrow5
Daisy3Nasturtium7Zinnia6
Delphinium3Nicotiana5
Dianthus5Nigella2
Digitalis2Pansy2

So What Are Optimal Conditions to Keep Flower Seeds Viable

There are several elements that can hasten the demise of your stored flower seeds – and they’re the same elements that make them sprout: heat, light, moisture.

Experts recommend ensuring the following to provide optimal conditions to extend the life of your saved seeds:

Home Gathered Seed

If you’re collecting your own seed from the garden:

  • Remove any chaff, leaves, or stems
  • Air dry for one to three days
  • Freeze seeds for a few days to kill any insects
  • Package in a paper bag or paper packet for short-term storage
  • Refrigerate in a sealed container with desiccant packets

Long Term Storage

If you’re storing seed over the winter or for the long term, you’ll need to take better note of conditions. Once processed and whether home-gathered or purchased:

Ensure seeds are dry – 7 to 8 percent is optimal. You can dry your seeds on screens with a fan or out of the sun on a warm day.

  • Keep at temperatures below 50 degrees Farrenheit
  • Store below 50 percent humidity
  • Store in paper packets
  • Label thoroughly
  • Place paper bags or packets
  • Keep packets in a closed container such as a canning jar or baby food jar
  • Add a desiccant packet to reduce moisture damaging seeds

Store in the refrigerator or freezer. Note that your freezer provides a more consistent temperature since it is opened less frequently than the average refrigerator.

Wildflower seed, dandelion. Free public domain CC0 photo.

Saving Flower Seeds to Last

Now that you have a good idea of how long your flower seeds will last, it’s time to start winnowing. If you’re done planting for the year – or even just for the summer – assess your inventory.

If you have seeds that are years old, with no hope of germination, it’s time to toss them and make room for others.

If you have seeds you’ll plant soon, dry them completely and put them in a cool, dark place until fall sowing.

For next year, make sure you tuck them away into the freezer. You don’t want them exposed to heat, moisture, and light before you’ve had a chance to plant them.

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The Best Heat-Tolerant Annual Flowers for Southern Gardens

In the South, it’s just too hot and humid for gardening much. We’re reduced to an hour or two of tolerable temperatures in the morning and maybe at dusk. But the good news is that we don’t have to forgo all gardening completely. There are many heat-tolerant annual flowers that thrive in the scorching sun, and many of them reach maturity pretty quickly.

Summer is when vegetable gardens in the South seem to perish in front of our very eyes. (If you’ve seen bacterial blight, then you know what I’m talking about.) Forget about summer tomatoes, much less lettuce. Our peppers will survive the summer, but don’t expect much in the way of a harvest.

So, it’s time to turn to sturdier, less fussy garden plants, and you may wonder what flowers tolerate full sun and heat?

Heat-Tolerant Annual Flowers You Can Plant Now

June 1st is when I turn my attention to ornamentals. I used to stick to perennial flowering bushes because of the low-care factor. June is a fine time to take cuttings, too.

However, once I discovered what annuals are heat tolerant and can thrive in our damp summers, I’ve found that annuals can flourish with summer neglect as well.

Best of all, most grow quickly and require little care. So, once they’ve germinated and put out true leaves, you won’t even need to stand in the blazing sun to water them.

Indian Blanket Flower, Gaillardia pulchella

heat tolerant indian blanket flower

Indian Blanket Flower is a quick-growing annual that just loves the heat. It’s native to the eastern and southeastern U.S., and while it’s drought-resistant, it can handle more moisture than its Western cousin, the Common Blanket Flower.

So, if you have hot, wet summers, like we do in Florida, Indian Blanket will add color to sunny areas in your garden. It will also tolerate partial shade. It reaches 1 to 2 feet high, with bright, cheerful yellow and red flowers.

It’s considered of special value to native bee populations as well. If you’re gardening for wildlife and don’t have room in your beds for flowers, it’s also one of the best heat tolerant annuals for containers.

Indian Blanket is one of the heat-tolerant annual flowers that are perennial in subtropical coastal regains. And in many areas, it will reseed prolifically.

Best of all, you’ll get flowers in only about 8 weeks!

You can purchase Indian Blanket Flower seeds here.
Buy seeds

Coreopsis, Coreopsis tinctoria

heat tolerant southern wildflowers

Sometimes called tickseed and plains Coreopsis, the Florida state wildflower produces masses of happy yellow and red flowers that bees simply adore. It puts up with a lot – even a hot Southern summer. You’ll find coreopsis available in other shades, as well, with deep red being the most common.  

If you have poor, sandy soil, coreopsis will love you and produce flowers in about 60 to 70 days. This Southern U.S. native wildflower requires no feeding but do like some moisture.

This wildflower ranges from 1 to 3 feet tall and flowers in about 80 to 90 days.

Purchase Coreopsis tinctoria seeds here, or Tall Red Coreopsis tinctoria seeds here.
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Salvias

Salvias are often perennial in the South, which makes them a particularly good choice for summer color. When the temperatures start to rise, it’s nice to know that your future holds flowers, even if it’s too hot for gardening.

Scarlet Sage

Salvias come in a range of colors, but Scarlet Salvia is native to the southeast and provides food for hummingbirds and butterflies. Its natural range is coastal areas, from South Carolina, around Florida, and up the Gulf Coast to Texas. Best of all, it blooms nearly all year long in subtropical climates and self-seeds like a champ.

You can purchase Scarlet Sage seeds here.
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Blue Salvia

heat tolerant blue salvia

Even though it’s native to the Southwest, Blue Salvia (Salvia farinacea), or Blue Sage, also does well in the Southeast. Hummingbirds love it and in frost-free areas, it will bloom year-round.

Because it’s so drought-tolerant, it makes a fantastic water-wise flower to add to your landscaping or butterfly garden.

You can purchase Blue Salvia seeds here.
Buy seeds

Zinnias

zinnias are heat and sun tolerant for southern summer gardens

Zinnias are native to Mexico and Central America, and have become naturalized to the Southwest U.S. But they grow anywhere that offers heat and sunshine. They come in a wide range of colors and heights, and they’re easy to grow.

Zinnias are a no-brainer for summer color, particularly for beginning gardeners, lazy gardeners, and kids. These heat-tolerant annual flowers germinate in as little as three days in the right conditions, but no more than 7 to 10. Best of all, they flower in about 50 days, which means you can add them now and add beauty to your garden well before fall.

You can buy Zinnia seeds here.
Buy seeds

Celosia, Celosia

flame shaped celosia

Celosia looks like we feel on the beach in July – like we’ve burst into flames. In fact, the name is derived from the Greek word for “burning.” It’s a dramatic addition to any garden because of the vivid colors and unique flame shape.

It likes some moisture but loves full sun. You’ll find it in a range of bright, jewel-toned colors.

There are a variety of flower shapes, however, including Celosia cristata, which is also called cockscomb. Celosia spicata resembles wheat.

They offer plenty of nectar for bees and butterflies, but also make excellent dried flowers.

Buy Celosia seeds here.
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Cosmos, Cosmos bipinnatus

heat tolerant cosmos flowers

Cosmos looks so delicate, but it’s tough as nails in the summer garden. This Mexican native plant loves the heat and will thrive under the sun.

Cosmos feature frothy, fernlike leaves reaching from 2 to 4 feet tall. They have small, dainty blossoms in a wide range of colors. Most are in the pink and white shades, but you’ll also find them in rich maroons and deep lavender.

They’ll grow anytime the weather is warm and bloom in only two months. So, it’s not too late to grow a cottage-garden style annual flower, even in June.

You can purchase cosmos seeds here.
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And a dwarf variety here that only reaches about 1 foot tall.
Buy seeds

French Marigolds

French marigold

These sunny, yellow flowers just seem built for hot summer gardens. French marigolds are usually just called “marigolds” in the U.S., but it distinguishes them from Calendula, which are commonly called “marigolds” in the UK and EU.

French marigolds are members of the Tagetes genus and native to Mexico and Central America.

French marigolds are long-lived annuals with a wide range of colors, heights, and growth habits. Some reach as tall as 3 feet, while other works as a compact ground cover. Because of their compact growth, they’re one of the best heat tolerant annuals for containers.

As well as being easy to grow, they’re also easy to propagate. You can take cuttings at nearly any time during the active season, so if you can preserve your favorite bloom color indefinitely.

They grow quickly and mature in about 45 to 50 days, tolerating heat and drought once established.

You can purchase French Marigolds here.
Buy seeds

Mexican Sunflower, Tithonia rotundafolia

Mexican sunflower, Tithonia bloom

If you like height and drama during the hot summer days, consider adding Tithonia to your flower garden. It isn’t a fast-growing annual, like others on this list, but in areas of the country with mild or late winters, it will bloom beautifully throughout the fall until the first frost of winter

Tithonia delivers heights up to 6 feet tall and can grow up to 3 feet wide. It features soft, spade-shaped foliage and vivid orange flowers with red centers.

It prefers poor, well-draining soil and can be sown directly or into large cells for transplanting.

Purchase Mexican Sunflower seeds here.
Buy seeds

Heat Tolerant Annual Flowers Add Sunshine During the Rainy Season

Depending on where you live in the South, summer can really be the gloomiest time of the year. Much of the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Coast enjoy a rainy season, with regular storm watches. Some years, it seems that most of the color is in the cocktails we concoct for Hurricane Parties.

But I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Sure, your spring tomatoes are all dead. The squash has been quashed by pests. The latest storm blew over your pole beans.

Even the bananas, who should be able to stand up to all this, seem sad and beaten.

It’s not too late to add a little color to your Southern garden with some fast-growing annuals.

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Growing Tomatoes All Year Round in Florida: Winter Tomato Management

Winter Florida Tomatoes

With our mild winters and subtropical climate, many gardeners assume we can grow tomatoes all year round in Florida. The fact is that we can’t, but it’s not what you’d expect. Summer is a horrible time for anything but the semi-native, naturalized Everglades tomato variety. And sometimes it’s even too miserable for them.

Can you grow tomatoes in Florida in the winter? You sure can, if you approach it with some thoughtfulness. If you’ve never gardened before or you’re one of the many transplants from “up north,” it may seem like it’s hard to grow tomatoes at all in Florida.

But I remember growing up in the late 70s and hearing about the famous “Ruskin tomatoes.” They were a big deal in the Ohio suburbs, and since I was just a kid at the time, I can only speculate why. Before mass import of fresh produce became commonplace, Ruskin (Gulf Coast region, zone 9b-10a) was probably the first place to deliver fresh tomatoes in the spring in the Eastern U.S. So, obviously, you must be able to grow tomatoes in Florida in the winter, right?

If you look at some of the planting schedules published online for Florida, including our Florida Gardening Planner, you’ll note that for Central and South Florida, experts recommend starting tomato seeds for fall planting in August. My experience is that late July or any time in August is fine, and they’ll be ready for planting out in mid to late September.

This last year (2021) remained pretty hot and muggy well into October, so I felt comfortable planting out the remaining starter plants that month. In Central Florida, it currently stays pretty warm and mild throughout December, and we normally don’t get any real lows until January. That said, it’s pretty usual to have healthy, full-grown, and still-producing tomato plants on New Year’s Day.

But what about those cold snaps? How do you ensure that your tomatoes make it through the night? What’s the best way to grow tomatoes in the winter in Florida? How do you manage winter gardening in Florida when it’s impossible to predict the next cold snap?

Growing tomatoes in winter in florida

Plan Early for Winter Growing

Getting your tomato seeds started in time is key to growing tomatoes over the winter in Florida. For zones 9 and 10, that means having starter plants ready to establish in the garden well before any temperature drops. Tomatoes should have at least 8 to 12 weeks in their final homes before cold nights hit to develop strong and healthy root systems.

Plant for Optimal Sun Exposure

Placement is also key to growing tomatoes in a Florida winter. Just because it’s 80 degrees doesn’t mean the days are any longer. Plant your tomatoes with southern exposure, ensuring they receive as much full sun as possible. You may have to water them more frequently but setting them up for success with plenty of sunlight will create more resilient plants.

This isn’t a technique recommended for growing tomatoes in the spring, when a little protection from the midday sun may be beneficial. For winter tomatoes, full sun is required.

Protect Against the Elements

Depending on where you live in Florida, winter winds can cause havoc. Coastal areas are particularly beaten by high winds. Plant your tomatoes where buildings or larger shrubs or trees can protect them from harsh gusts.

Reflect on This

A south-facing wall can help collect heat and reflect warmth back onto your plants during the night. So, whether you grow in containers or garden beds, take advantage of any light-colored walls that can help keep your tomato plants toasty warm.

Mindfulness

Paying attention to the weather forecast is a must for gardeners in any location. Take note of the forecast so you can prepare. The good news is that even when it drops below 50 degrees, or even 40 degrees, it rarely drops that low for long enough to completely kill your tomato plants.

Tomatoes don’t produce well with temperatures below 50 degrees F, but they can survive down to freezing temperatures. A short blast of cold can damage leaves and stunt growth, and extensive frost can kill your plants, whether it’s 40 degrees or 30. But you can provide protection overnight to give them their best chance.

Prepping your Tomatoes for Cold Snaps

Part of planning ahead for winter gardening in Florida includes planting your tomatoes where they can be easily covered. This may be in containers that can be moved, in a greenhouse or polytunnel, or even against a trellis or arbor that offers support for frost covers.

Another key factor when planning ahead is choosing the right tomato variety for winter growing. Tomatoes are either determinate or indeterminate. Determinate tomatoes only grow to a specified height — about 3 to 4 feet. Indeterminate varieties continue to grow and vine up to 6, 8, even 10 feet long. Covering a relatively short tomato plant for a cold snap is infinitely easier than a tall, vining variety. So, if you’re planning on growing your winter tomatoes outdoors rather than in a greenhouse or tunnel, you may want to stick to the determinate varieties.

unripe tomatoes on the vine

Improving Resilience

Another way to help your tomatoes make it through cold spells is to ensure that it’s as healthy a plant as possible. A healthy tomato plant is far more likely to recover from any cold damage.

Watering

You may have noticed the specific weather pattern that often precedes a cold snap in Florida — a heavy rainfall. Winter and spring are some of our drier months in Central Florida, but we frequently get a good rainfall before a cold front hits. Take this as a clue from nature. Make sure to water your tomato plants deeply the day before the cold snap. Water keeps the individual cells of the foliage plump and strong, while moist soil stays warmer than dry soil.

In the case of tomatoes, it’s still a good idea to avoid getting the foliage wet, so water the ground, not the leaves.  

Covering

There are a number of commercial products you can buy to cover your tomato plants during a cold snap, from lightweight fleece sheets to insulating blankets. In warmer areas of Florida, an old sheet or blanket will do. We’ve also repurposed a number of old beach towels. If you don’t have any leftover bedding, check your local thrift store and save yourself a small fortune.

Many is the time we’ve had an “all hands on deck” to dig through linen chests and closets to find old sheets. The whole family works together to cover the tomato plants, and it’s funny to see the old kids’ cartoon character sheets flapping in the breeze.

Sometimes it’s not hoarding, it’s being prepared.

All fabric covering should be dry before covering the plant. Drape the plant as completely as possible, from the top to the ground, ensuring the edge touches the ground and is well anchored to keep in the heat. Make sure that no branches will carry more weight than they can manage.

Don’t use plastic unless you can guarantee it will never touch the leaves. Frankly, it may not be worth using at all unless, of course, you have a polytunnel.

After Care

Helping your tomato plants recover from a cold snap is just as important as preparing for it. Make sure you remove any covering as soon as you can after the sunrise. If condensation has collected on the covers, you should remove them ASAP.

With our wacky winter temperature swings, it’s not impossible that the day after a cold dip will get up into the 80s and be blazing hot and dry. Check your weather forecast, and if it looks like you’re in for one of those days, you should go ahead and water your tomatoes again to help them recover from the stress.

Observe your tomato plants over the next few days. You may see some cold damage on the tips of the leaves. These can be trimmed off, but I normally leave them as they are.

If you have any casualties, you can remove any unripened fruits and place them on a warm kitchen counter. They should continue to ripen and be quite edible in a few days. (You can also do this before the cold snap hits if you have time.) Compost the remaining vegetation.

Your Own Resilience

Gardening isn’t just a production line, it’s a process. It’s a way of nurturing yourself by growing healthy food for yourself. It’s a way to connect with your land and interact with the (somewhat) natural world. Don’t be too hard on yourself if your winter tomatoes don’t make it. Winter gardening in Florida can be very rewarding, but there are risks.

Cultivate your own resilience by accepting gardening losses with a big dose of humor and by working for more diversity in your garden, rather than “results.”

And, after all, it’s time to sow your spring tomato starts. So, it won’t be long until you have a whole new collection of tomato plants to fuss over.

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Flowers Aren’t Frivolous: French Marigold Benefits for the Garden

French marigold

Southern gardens are plagued by insect pests and harsh growing conditions. And even in other parts of the country, gardeners are looking for more natural and sustainable ways to deter pests and disease without the use of synthetic and dangerous chemicals. Enter companion planting, and enter one of the more famous flowers used for this technique: French Marigold benefits the garden in numerous ways.

Companion Planting

If you’ve been gardening in the 21st century for more than a couple of weeks, you’ve heard of companion planting. In short, this is the practice of planting mutually beneficial plants together in one space to support each other. It can also be the planting of herbs and flowers near vegetable plants that will support those vegetables in some way.

Complicated Combinations

One of my chief complaints about the practice of companion planting is that it can involve complicated combinations of herbs, flowers, and edibles. While I would love to go into a deep dive on the science of each, that will have to wait for next summer during the down season.

The subject of what to plant together and what not to plant can become mind-boggling. Add in a rotation schedule and you’ve got all the makings of a migraine.

I’m lazy and I like my gardening simplified. I plant diversely and densely and let nature sort it out. I like to think that if I have the basic makings of biodiversity and support my soil microbiology, it will all come out the way nature intends in the long run — even if I don’t’ get what I want in the short run.

This drives my family crazy because the ones that like to cook (or feed the rabbits from the garden) end up wandering around the whole yard trying for find what they’re looking for. No, I don’t have endless patience for labels. And no, I don’t plant all the same plants in one area so they’re easy to find and harvest.

That’s intentional. I figure that if my stepson can’t find the Pak Choy, then the slugs will also have some trouble finding it. The same goes with beans and aphids and cabbage and cabbage loopers.

We’re supposed to be the species with the big brains and the ability to generalize, after all.

French marigold
French marigold, Tagetes patula

Steady Go-To Companions

However, one thing I definitely do is to plant flowers (and sometimes herbs — I have trouble with herbs) within ALL of my vegetable garden beds. Flowers attract pollinators and predator insects that hunt down those cabbage loopers and aphids.

If I was to offer any recommendations to new gardeners in any zone, the first would be to plant seasonal annual flowers within EVERY single fruit and vegetable planting.

French Marigold Benefits

French marigold (Tagetes patula) has a reputation as the wunderkind of companion plants. Most of that reputation is well deserved and well documented.

Along with being available in a number of varieties for various applications, they’re also very attractive, with bushy foliage and bright, cheerful blooms. Best of all, they’re incredibly easy to grow and maintain.

I’ve grown French marigolds in both Central Ohio and Central Florida, and both times I’ve been impressed by their dogged resilience.

Pest Repellants

In short, French Marigold benefits include deterring root-knot nematodes, the bane of the Florida gardener’s existence. They’re also said to deter slugs and hornworms.

I can tell you from experience that they do NOT deter snails. Snails LOVE French marigolds. In fact, they make serve as an excellent trap crop for snails. I regularly find snails clinging to my French marigolds. I break the stem and carry it, snail and all, to my chicken yard.

Chickens LOVE snails. And they also like marigolds.

Tagetes patula
Tagetes patula from my garden

Methods to the Madness

It seems that French marigolds repel pests using different mechanisms, depending on the pest. Volatile chemicals in the foliage and flowers that give them their distinctive odor can sometimes confuse insects that seek their target plants through smell. Other insects may simply find the odor repulsive and unpleasant.

Another mechanism is through root exudates. Plants emit various elements through their roots in order to attract beneficial bacteria to trade nutrients. These elements include sugars, which the bacteria adore, and offer micronutrients and macronutrients in exchange with the plants.

And by no means the last method, some French marigold benefits include using the flower as a trap crop, as I mentioned above regarding snails. In fact, in the case of root-knot nematodes, there is some debate as to whether marigolds repel them through root exudates or simply attract them to themselves, thereby “trapping” them in their own roots.

White Fly Results

A 2019 study examined the theory that French marigolds will reduce whitefly populations in tomatoes. I’ve never found them on tomatoes, but my peppers always seem to attract a crowd.

A few experiments found that planting French marigolds alongside tomatoes reduced the whitefly population in the greenhouse. In this case, it was the volatile compound, limonene, these flowers produce that repelled the pests.

Root Knot Nematodes

Root-knot nematodes can completely destroy a once-thriving garden. And it seems that Southern gardens are particularly rife with this soil pest. I remember moving to Florida as an experienced temperate zone gardener in 1993 and being warned that they were public enemy number one.

The UF/IFAS website recommends French marigolds as a cover crop before planting. It posits that the action of alpha-terthienyl, a root exudate, inhibits the hatching of many nematode eggs. It also suggests planting them at least two months prior to your crop, and disking or hoeing them in is the most effective method. The site says interplanting isn’t particularly effective.

In my case, I grow year-round and successively. I don’t do cover crops on beds in production, so using marigolds this way wouldn’t work for me. Especially since I do no-till.

So, I simply interplant several marigold “crops” throughout the year and then crop and drop them on top of the soil at the beginning of each season. At the same time, I plant more marigolds throughout the beds.

I harvest seeds and plant them again later. I even sell them in my Etsy shop for very little profit so other gardeners can be sure they have the right type of marigolds.

As I vaguely recall, the action of nematode suppression in marigolds extends to about a meter, or three feet in diameter, so I make sure that I have at least one planted every yard or so, staggered throughout the beds.

Tagetes patula, French marigold
French marigold in my garden

Medicinal Uses

Because of its rich components of chemical constituents, French marigolds have a number of traditional medicinal and cosmetic uses, many of which could translate well today.

A 2016 paper suggests that the blossoms, containing the flavonoids patuletin, quercetagetin, and quercetin, help protect against oxidative stress and offer anticancer properties when used in an infusion (i.e., tea).

I’m not a doctor and don’t intend to play one on the internet, so make sure you do all your due diligence before compounding your own herbal medicinals. Some are harmless, some are effective, and some can prove quite dangerous.  

It’s important to remember that there are two different species of flowers we call “marigold,” with French marigold being “Tagetes” variety. There is also Calendula officinalis, also known as “Pot marigold,” which is used extensively in cosmetics.

Fortunately, while the common name is very similar, the two plants don’t resemble each other and have very different appearances.

Pot marigold, Calendula officinalis
Calendula officinalis , or “Pot Marigold”

Beauty and Function

Tagetes patula, French marigolds, offer a host of garden benefits. However, perhaps their most important quality is the beauty they add to the garden. Even if you’re immune to the superficial beauty of flowers, any dedicated gardener has to admit that the practical beauty of an increase in bee visitors is a spectacle to behold.

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Florida Gardening: What to Plant in October

what to plant in october

The rest of the country seems to be getting ready for winter. They’re unpacking their woolies and scarves and swooning over pumpkin spice lattes. But here in Florida, we’re still sweltering in the high 80s. And with Florida’s upside-down gardening schedule, you may be wondering what to plant in October.

Other Southern garden regions have the same dilemma. If you garden in New Orleans, Biloxi, or along coastal Texas, you know the gardening season has just really gotten underway.

That doesn’t mean it won’t get cold along the Gulf. It definitely will. But it usually doesn’t get cold enough to matter until late December or early January.

Last year threw us some curveballs. Temperatures dropped in Central Florida in late November, and it got REALLY cold in early December. Cold enough to matter. Cold enough to cover.

So, right now, in early October, the race is on to get roots in the ground and vegetables well established enough to survive any surprise cold snaps.

Knowing What to Plant in October

I’ve drawn data from several sources, especially the University of UF/IFAS website. But I’ve also been collecting data from other sources, including experienced gardeners and nurseries that include expanded selections far outside the limited one provided by UF.

There exists a plethora of exotic edibles from far-flung regions with the same climate and similar conditions. Why not take advantage of those resources?

Other regions that seem to mirror our unique gardening environment include parts of Southeast Asia, Central America, South America, and coastal areas in Australia.

I’ve drawn planting suggestions from gardeners and farmers in these regions as well, for those like me who like to experiment with new and interesting vegetable varieties.

North Florida

October begins the limits on planting out in North Florida, unless you have a greenhouse or a nurturing microclimate on the coast and a south-facing wall.

Cold-weather vegetables should do well, but be prepared to cover anything tender you planted out last month:

  • arugula
  • Asian cabbages
  • beets
  • broad beans
  • broccoli
  • cabbage
  • carrots
  • cauliflower
  • celery
  • chicory
  • chives
  • collards
  • English peas
  • fennel
  • French tarragon
  • green onions
  • kale
  • kohlrabi
  • lettuce
  • mizuna
  • mustard onion
  • sets
  • parsley
  • radish
  • rapini
  • rutabaga
  • salsify
  • shallots
  • spinach
  • strawberry crowns
  • turnips

Central Florida

The weather is still fine in Central Florida, and still warm enough to sneak in a few warm-season crops like tomatoes, summer squash, and melons.

Thankfully, it also gets cool enough for those plants to begin fruiting, as well. It’s also cool enough to consider planting herbs, peas, and lettuces.

  • arugula
  • Asian cabbages
  • beans, bush
  • beans, climbing
  • beets
  • broad beans
  • broccoli
  • cabbage
  • carrots
  • cauliflower
  • celery
  • chives
  • collards
  • cucumbers
  • daikon
  • English peas
  • fennel
  • French tarragon
  • green onions
  • horseradish crowns
  • kale
  • kohlrabi
  • lettuce
  • mizuna
  • mustard
  • onion sets
  • parsley
  • potatoes
  • pumpkins
  • radish
  • rapini
  • rosemary
  • salsify
  • shallots
  • snap peas
  • snow peas
  • spinach
  • strawberry crowns
  • summer squash
  • thyme
  • tomatoes
  • turnips
  • watermelons

South Florida

Summer vegetables are still a go-to for October gardening in South Florida. With few, if any, frosts, risk-taking gardeners can continue to plant out nearly anything their heart desires.

It’s still too warm for cold-loving plants like snap peas and some brassicas, but you can start these undercover to plant out next month if you like.

  • Asian cabbages
  • beans, climbing
  • beets
  • broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • cabbage
  • carrots
  • cauliflower
  • celery
  • chili peppers
  • chives
  • collards
  • corn
  • cucumbers
  • eggplant
  • English peas
  • fennel
  • green onions
  • kale
  • kohlrabi
  • leeks
  • lettuce
  • mizuna
  • mustard
  • onion sets
  • parsley
  • peppers
  • potatoes
  • radish
  • rapini
  • rosemary
  • sage
  • shallots
  • southern peas
  • spinach
  • strawberry crowns
  • summer squash
  • thyme
  • tomatoes
  • tropical spinach
  • turnips

What to Plant in Florida Month-by-Month

For planning ahead for the Florida growing schedule, please check out my Florida Gardening Planner on Amazon. It provides a month-by-month list of edibles to plant out for every month of the year for the three regions of Florida (Zones 8, 9, 10), plus handy planning and garden design tools to help you move step by step for a productive gardening year.

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Seed Saving Hack: Gardening Game Changer

seed saving

I’m an obsessive seed collector. It’s probably pathological. I’ll buy them from the corner dollar store on sale, or at full price. I’ll buy seeds I don’t have room to grow. I will wade into median strips if a pretty wildflower or weed calls to me, looking for seeds. Seed saving can become addictive.

There are even plants I grow almost practically just to collect their seeds.

I know that sounds strange, so it would be more accurate to say that I grow and plant extra plants just to collect the seeds from them later.

I’ve even been known to risk my life to collect seeds.

That sounds even stranger, so it would be more accurate to say that I’ve collected seeds from dangerous plants thinking it was something else that looks a lot like something benign.

THAT was an interesting couple of hours.

I’ve been known to leave paper plants covered in spent blossoms sitting on any flat surface around the house, as well. I finally got that under control, and now I have storage with ventilation for drying seeds.

But storage has always been a problem. What do I do with them once I have them dried and bagged?

For years, I tossed plastic zip bags filled with seed and moisture absorbers into a big woven basket. Whenever I needed to plant seeds, I got to enjoy a whole hour or more of sifting through all the bags and trying to read the Sharpie labeling.

But then I saw something in a video or an article or somewhere that changed everything.

Photo Cases to the Rescue

There are a dozen different “manufacturers” for these photo cases. My guess is that small Amazon FBA sellers purchase them in bulk from Alibaba or some other factory in China, so the brand name probably isn’t particularly important.

But I can tell you that I got the one above from Amazon, and it has been a complete game-changer when it comes to storing and organizing my seeds.

I don’t miss spending hours browsing through my pile of plastic bags at all. I’m able to sort them according to what makes the most sense to me.

I’ve got brassicas all in one 4×6 container, tomatoes in another, lettuces in another, etc.

My seeds stay dry and organized while I’m creating soil blocks for planting them out. Better yet, the light packets don’t blow off the table or potting bench with every little breeze.

Seed Saving Benefits:

  • Easy to carry around the house and garden
  • Finding what I want takes just a moment
  • Seeds remain whole and uncrushed
  • Seeds stay dry and cool
  • Takes up very little space on my office shelves
  • Translucent containers makes it easy to assess what you have before opening

Heartily Recommended

I don’t normally like to flat-out recommend a product, and I’m not really recommending this particular seller or manufacturer, or model.

However, if you’re seed saving, whether your own seeds or purchased seeds, I can heartily recommend any of these photo cases for seed organization and storage.