Choosing the Right Vegetable Seeds for Different Climates

Whether you are a seasoned gardener or just starting out, it’s important to know which plants and what kinds of seeds should be grown in your region.  Everyone lives in varying climates, ranging from warm and dry to humid and moist, to cold and damp or even icy.  Since we all live in different environments, we should never assume that our seeds should be the same either.  It’s important to choose the right gardening seeds for your particular climate in order to ensure that the plants you’ve chosen will grow healthily, stable, and plentiful.  So how does one know which seeds are right for their climate?  The real key is knowing where to buy them.  Purchasing vegetable seeds and certified organic vegetable seeds for your garden from a major retail chain is not the way to go.  These seeds are mass produced and are not specifically cultivated for different weather conditions.  They are a “one size fits all” sort of seed that isn’t guaranteed it will live past the beginning stages.  When searching for quality seeds, look in a variety of gardening catalogs, particularly those that show maps and offer up different seeds made for certain parts of the country.
 
Aside from the climate in which you live, you’ll want to look into various species of plants and determine which ones will grow the best in your garden.  Their resistance to disease and pests, abundance of produce, leaves, or buds, and how well they survive in varying conditions are all important things to consider.  Some plants can do fairly well in changing climates, while others need consistency in order to survive.  Other plants go “dormant” in the winter, and come back with vigor in the summer.  It just depends on the plant, how well it does in your climate, and if it can withstand temperature changes, or if it will thrive in your particular temperature range.  Do some research and find out which seeds will grow best in your part of the country.