Peppermint Seeds
Grow the Classic Christmas Scent Right on the Patio!
3-foot plants are great for containers or the garden.
- Genus: Mentha
- Species: x piperita
- Item Form: (P) Pkt of 100 seeds
- Zone: 4 - 9
- Bloom Start to End: Mid Summer
- Days to Maturity: 73
- Fruit Color: Green
- Habit: Spreading
- Seeds Per Pack: 100
- Plant Height: 3 ft
- Additional Characteristics: Bloom First Year, Cut-and-Come-Again, Easy Care Plants, Pest Fighter, Pruning Recommended, Edible, Flower, Fragrance, Herbs, Indoor Growing
- Bloom Color: Purple
- Foliage Color: Dark Green, Purple
- Harvest Season: Early Fall, Early Summer, Late Fall, Late Spring, Late Summer, Mid Fall, Mid Summer
- Light Requirements: Full Sun, Part Shade
- Moisture Requirements: Moist, well-drained
- Resistance: Deer Resistance, Disease Resistant, Heat Tolerant, Pest Resistant
- Soil Tolerance: Normal, loamy
- Uses: Border, Containers, Foliage Interest, Ground Cover, Cuisine, Outdoor
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- About this Product
- Know Before You Grow
- Reviews
- How To...
- Plants that Repel Pests
- Superior Seed Germination
- FAQ
No herb or kitchen garden is complete without mint, and peppermint adds a festive note to the display, evoking the holidays and filling the air with its fresh, clean scent when rubbed. Give it a go from seed this season and delight your friends with little peppermint seedlings for the holidays!
Strongly aromatic peppermint can be used in both cooking - in drinks, salads, and baked goods - and in potpourri and other fragrant decorative items. In hot tea, it is said to help stomach upset.
Peppermint is a perennial, reaching 3 feet tall in the garden (much smaller in pots and indoors), and spreading just as far as you will let it. It offers smooth, lance-shaped 3-inch leaves, bright green with purple tints around the edges. In summer, spikes of lilac-pink flowers top the foliage, attracting bees into the garden. Give it sunshine and good soil drainage; it will do the rest!
Like all the mints, peppermint can be invasive. If you want to cover hot, sunny soil, it's invaluable, but if your space is limited or you want to plant other things nearby, you are much better off confining peppermint to a container. It grows wonderfully, and you will not only have plenty to harvest, but enough to give friends cuttings so that they can start their own mint gardens!
Mint is not the easiest seed to sprout, but if you have a <"prodlink"06529">Bio Dome, it's a walk in the park: drop one seed in each bio sponge, put the dome on, and wait to see green shoots in 7 to 14 days. If you're using seed flats or another method of germination, here's the best approach: set one or two seeds in shallow 1/4-inch holes in moist seed-starting mix. Cover the flat with plastic wrap and germinate at 65 degrees F or above.
If you are starting the seeds in late winter for transplanting in spring, begin about 6 weeks before last scheduled frost. Peppermint will be ready to pick on an as-needed basis about 3 weeks after transplanting; it grows so quickly that you never have to worry about taking too much, as long as you leave a few green leafy stems on the plant! Harvest all summer and fall. Zones 4-9. Pkt is 100 seeds.
Perfect for beginning gardeners, mint is the easiest of all herbs to grow, a perennial hardy in zones 4-9. In addition to flavoring food and drinks, it serves as a natural pest deterrent in the vegetable, herb, or flower garden, and chewing the leaves not only freshens the breath but is said to calm an upset stomach.
Choosing a Variety
Native to the Mediterranean, the genus Mentha has parented more than 3,500 varieties. By far the most commonly grown in this country are Spearmint (M. spicata) and Peppermint (M. x piperita). Both are super easy to grow, taking off like crazy to perfume home or garden all season!
When to Start
For spring planting, mint seeds can be started indoors in late winter or direct-sown in the warm spring soil. But as a hardy perennial, they can be started anytime until about 2 months before the first frost of fall, or year-round for indoor use.
How to Start
To sow the seeds indoors, place them on top of the Bio Sponge in your Bio Dome, or on top of the medium in your seed flat. Do not cover the seeds; they need light to germinate. They should sprout within 10 to 15 days at room temperature or slightly warmer (68 to 75°F). Transplant into the garden or container when they have at least 2 sets of true leaves.
To sow the seeds outdoors, place them on top of well-worked soil, then sprinkle a fine layer of vermiculite on top of them. If you are sowing directly into the garden, consider placing a row cover over the seeds until they sprout.
Special Considerations
- Harvest sprigs from the plant as you need them all season long.
- Try to pick mint in the morning, when the flavorful oils are strongest.
- Plant your mint where passersby will brush the foliage, which releases its heady aroma.
- For new plants from your old ones, root a stem cutting in a glass of water, or divide the entire plant into sections and replant each division.
Growing Tips
- Mint thrives best in partial shade and rich, moist soil. However, it is famously unfussy, so chances are it will not only survive but flourish in any light from full sun to deep shade, and any quality of soil provided the drainage is decent. Many gardeners deliberately plant it in less favorable conditions to slow down its spread!
- Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart in the garden.
- Throughout the growth months, pinch off the tips of the stems. This makes your plant bushier and less leggy.
- Avoid using fertilizer on mint.
Pests and Problems to Watch For
Mint's greatest advantage -- its utter ease of growth -- is also one of its biggest problems. Do not plant it in an area where other plants must compete for space. If you want it in the garden but without the rapid spread, set it into a container instead, and use a saucer at the base to prevent the roots from growing into the soil below.
How to Sow Peppermint: - Best sown indoors at alternating temperatures of 55 and 72°
- Sow with NO cover as light aids in germination
- Seeds can also be sown outdoors when the soil is warming in the spring
- Sow with barely any cover
- Indoors and out, expect germination in 15-30 days
- When sowing seed outdoors, we recommend a maximum planting depth of 4X the width of the seed
How to Grow Peppermint:
Transplanting: Transplant when there are at least two sets of true leaves
Spacing: Space 12 inches apart
Lighting: Site in full sun to light shade
Soil: Site in a light, rich, moist, but well-drained soil
Additional Care: As plants vigorously spread underground via runners, plant them in submerged containers or in areas bordered by walkways or edging. Pinch to encourage branching and sheer plants after flowering to prevent seed formation. For indoor culture, it is best to start new plants from seed rather than potting up clumps from the garden
Appearance and Use:
This plant grows 3 feet tall and spreads indefinitely. The small, tubular, purple, lilac or pink flowers are not showy, but they attract bees. It is grown for its dark green purple tinge, aromatic, edible leaves. Harvest them at any time for fresh use; to dry them, harvest just before the flowers open. The leaves, combined with Spearmint, are brewed into a tea
About Peppermint:
Botanical name: Mentha x piperita
Pronunciation: men’thå pi-per-e’tå
Lifecycle: Perennial
Origination: Lamiaceae; a hybrid of no direct nativity
Which plants should I grow to repel insects?
Many of the herbs will repel insects. Pennyroyal repels fleas and other insects. Pyrethrum repels moths, flies, ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches, mites, and bedbugs. Mint repels flies, fleas, and ants. Lavender repels flies, silverfish, and fleas. Catnip can repel mosquitoes. Thyme repels insects. Lemon Grass repels mosquitoes. Basil repels flies and mosquitoes. Sage repels a variety of insects. Chrysanthemum, grown for its beautiful flowers and for the extraction of pyrethrin (an organic insecticide), repels flies, beetles, mosquitoes, roaches, lice, and fleas.
Which plants should I grow to repel rabbits and deer?
Planting garlic, onions, chives, lavender, rosemary, and sage around rabbit-susceptible plants will repel rabbits. Deer repellent plants include: lavender, onion, catnip, sage, chives, garlic, spearmint, and thyme. Be sure to strategically place these repellent plants around and in between rabbit and deer-susceptible plants. Also, place some along the property line and especially at key points the rabbits and deer are using as entryways, which can even deter them from coming onto your property.
Which of your plants offered are deer resistant?
Perennials that are deer resistant include: Asclepias, Aster, Baptisia, Coreopsis, Dianthus, Digitalis, Echinacea, Gaillardia, Heuchera, Hibiscus, Malva, Monarda, Oriental Poppy, Platycodon, Peony, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Sedum, and Tricyrtis. Shrubs include: Buddleia, Buxus, Cotoneaster, Daphne, Forsythia, Fothergilla, Hibiscus (Rose of Sharon), Potentilla, Spiraea, Syringa, and Viburnum. Vines include: Clematis, Honeysuckle, Campsis, Wisteria, and Climbing Hydrangea. Trees include: Acer (Maple), Cercis (Redbud), Corylus, Fagus (Beech), Magnolia, Ginkgo, Mulberry, Spruce, and Salix (Willow).
Superior Germination Through Superior Science
Park Seed offers some of the highest-quality vegetable and flower seeds available in the industry, and there are a number of reasons for this.First of all, we have humidity- and temperature-controlled storage, and we never treat any of our seeds with chemicals or pesticides. Nor do we ever sell GMO's (genetically modified seeds), so you always know the products you're buying from us are natural as well as safe for you and the environment.
Superior Standards - University Inspected
To make sure we are providing the best seed product possible and that our customers will get the highest number of seedlings from every packet, we conduct our own germination testing and have quality-control measures in every stage of our seed-handling operation. We hold ourselves to standards that are at or above federal and state standards, including testing specific crops more frequently than recommended by federal guidelines. And in order to maintain our organic certification, we welcome Clemson University to inspect us annually to make sure our organic seeds, which are stored and processed separately, are being handled properly.
Hand Packed By Experienced Technicians
Park Seed has been handling and packing vegetable and flower seeds for 145 years, a history that has given us a great understanding of how each variety should be cared for and maintained throughout every step of theprocess, from collection to shipping.
When packing our seeds, the majority are actually done by hand (with extreme care!), and we often over-pack them, so you're receiving more than the stated quantity.
The Park Seed Gold Standard
And many of our seeds are packed in our exclusive Fresh-Pak gold foil packets, which are lined to keep moisture out, so the seeds stay fresher for longer. We carefully pack very tiny or fragile seeds in crush-proof vials to ensure safe delivery to your home. Some of the small seeds are also offered as "pellets" (have a clay coating) to make sowing and growing easier.
When it comes to the kinds of seeds we offer, we are constantly seeking something new and provide many unique and hard-to-find varieties from all around the world. Our on-staff horticulturists are ready and available to share their expertise to help you with the success of these seeds, so you can grow a beautiful and productive garden!
Does Park sell GMO's or treated seeds?
It is important for our customers to know that Park Seed does not sell GMO or treated seed. We do buy a small amount of traditional hybrid seed from Seminis, a division of Monsanto Co., but that is all we purchase from them.
What are the differences between organic, heirloom, and hybrid seed?
Basically, organic seeds are seeds that are produced without the use and exposure to artificial/chemical fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and other chemicals. They have to be grown, harvested, stored, and handled under very strict organic rules and procedures. All of our organic seeds are USDA 100% certified organic through Clemson University and the certificate has to be renewed yearly.Heirloom Seeds are open-pollinated -- they are not hybrids. You can gather and save heirloom seed from year to year and they will grow true to type every year, so they can be passed down through generations. To be considered an heirloom, a variety would have to be at least from the 1940's and 3 generations old (many varieties are much older -- some 100 years or more!).
Hybrid seed are the product of cross-pollination between 2 different parent plants, resulting in a new plant/seed that is different from the parents. Unlike Heirloom seed, hybrid seed need to be re-purchased new every year (and not saved). They usually will not grow true to type if you save them, but will revert to one of the parents they were crossed with and most likely look/taste different in some way.
What are pelleted seeds? Why do you use them? How do I handle/sow them?
Extremely small seed such as Petunias and Pentas are shipped as pelleted seed to make them easier to handle and sow. Pelleted seed are coated, usually with clay, to make them larger in size. After sowing, the coating will dissolve when wet and the seed will germinate. Pelleted seeds are shipped in vials placed inside seed packets, which protects them from being crushed. When sowing, be certain to use thoroughly moistened soil, to be sure that the clay coating absorbs enough moisture to dissolve. For sowing pelleted Petunia seeds, place the seeds directly on the soil surface and do not cover with soil, as light aids in the germination.
What is ideal temperature to germinate most seeds?
The ideal temperature to germinate most seeds is approximately 70 degrees F; give or take 1-2 degrees either way. This would be a good germination temperature for most flower and vegetable seeds and would be the most practical and feasible temperatures achieved for gardeners starting seeds in the home. You will notice for some seeds that it is recommended to use alternating day (warmer), night (cooler), temperatures, which is fine if one can provide such conditions. But most people are unable to provide those temperatures in a home setting, so just use the overall 70 degree F recommendation and the seeds should germinate well.
How long should grow lights be kept on per day and how close to the plants should the light be kept?
For germination and seedling/plant growth, you want to simulate the natural day-night cycles, and as a general rule, grow lights should be on 8-12 hours per day and off at night. You can vary this timing, as some seeds such as tomato, pepper, petunia, impatiens, and others, benefit from 14-17 hours of light per day (and the remainder of the 24 hour period in darkness). The most common grow lights used are fluorescent; using cool white, warm white, and wide-spectrum fluorescent tubes. These lights work well for germination and for growing plants up to a transplantable size. Fluorescent lights should be kept close though, 3-6 inches above the soil or the growing plants, adjusting the height as the plants grow.
How long will seeds keep in storage?
Park Seed stores seed in a special temperature- and humidity-controlled storage facility, which keeps seeds in excellent condition. Our seeds should be good for at least 1-2 years on average. Seed viability and storage time will vary depending on the seed item; some will keep a shorter time and some will keep longer. Seeds should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place. A basement will do (if not too humid), or a cool, dark room or closet. We recommend the best way to extend seed storage life is to store them in something air tight, such as a plastic zipper storage bag or canning jar, and place it in the refrigerator. This will extend the life of seeds for many years.
What is the best way to store seeds over a longer time period?
We recommend the best way to extend seed storage life is to store seeds in something air tight, such as a plastic zipper storage bag or canning jar, and place it in the refrigerator. This will extend the life of seeds for many years.
What depth should I sow various seeds?
When sowing seed outdoors, we recommend a maximum planting depth of 4X the width of the seed. When sowing seed indoors, the planting depth can be less, depending on the seed being sown, so it is always best to check specific directions. Here are some general guidelines concerning planting depth in relation to seed size: Tiny, dust-like seeds need to be sown on the surface of the growing medium or soil, uncovered, as they need light to germinate. The planting depth for small seed can be anywhere from barely covering, to 1/8-inch deep, to possibly 1/4-inch deep, depending on the recommendation. Medium seed should be planted at 1/4- to 1/2-inch deep, depending on the recommendation. Larger seeds can be planted 1-inch or deeper, depending on the recommendation.
No herb or kitchen garden is complete without mint, and peppermint adds a festive note to the display, evoking the holidays and filling the air with its fresh, clean scent when rubbed. Give it a go from seed this season and delight your friends with little peppermint seedlings for the holidays!
Strongly aromatic peppermint can be used in both cooking - in drinks, salads, and baked goods - and in potpourri and other fragrant decorative items. In hot tea, it is said to help stomach upset.
Peppermint is a perennial, reaching 3 feet tall in the garden (much smaller in pots and indoors), and spreading just as far as you will let it. It offers smooth, lance-shaped 3-inch leaves, bright green with purple tints around the edges. In summer, spikes of lilac-pink flowers top the foliage, attracting bees into the garden. Give it sunshine and good soil drainage; it will do the rest!
Like all the mints, peppermint can be invasive. If you want to cover hot, sunny soil, it's invaluable, but if your space is limited or you want to plant other things nearby, you are much better off confining peppermint to a container. It grows wonderfully, and you will not only have plenty to harvest, but enough to give friends cuttings so that they can start their own mint gardens!
Mint is not the easiest seed to sprout, but if you have a <"prodlink"06529">Bio Dome, it's a walk in the park: drop one seed in each bio sponge, put the dome on, and wait to see green shoots in 7 to 14 days. If you're using seed flats or another method of germination, here's the best approach: set one or two seeds in shallow 1/4-inch holes in moist seed-starting mix. Cover the flat with plastic wrap and germinate at 65 degrees F or above.
If you are starting the seeds in late winter for transplanting in spring, begin about 6 weeks before last scheduled frost. Peppermint will be ready to pick on an as-needed basis about 3 weeks after transplanting; it grows so quickly that you never have to worry about taking too much, as long as you leave a few green leafy stems on the plant! Harvest all summer and fall. Zones 4-9. Pkt is 100 seeds.
Perfect for beginning gardeners, mint is the easiest of all herbs to grow, a perennial hardy in zones 4-9. In addition to flavoring food and drinks, it serves as a natural pest deterrent in the vegetable, herb, or flower garden, and chewing the leaves not only freshens the breath but is said to calm an upset stomach.
Choosing a Variety
Native to the Mediterranean, the genus Mentha has parented more than 3,500 varieties. By far the most commonly grown in this country are Spearmint (M. spicata) and Peppermint (M. x piperita). Both are super easy to grow, taking off like crazy to perfume home or garden all season!
When to Start
For spring planting, mint seeds can be started indoors in late winter or direct-sown in the warm spring soil. But as a hardy perennial, they can be started anytime until about 2 months before the first frost of fall, or year-round for indoor use.
How to Start
To sow the seeds indoors, place them on top of the Bio Sponge in your Bio Dome, or on top of the medium in your seed flat. Do not cover the seeds; they need light to germinate. They should sprout within 10 to 15 days at room temperature or slightly warmer (68 to 75°F). Transplant into the garden or container when they have at least 2 sets of true leaves.
To sow the seeds outdoors, place them on top of well-worked soil, then sprinkle a fine layer of vermiculite on top of them. If you are sowing directly into the garden, consider placing a row cover over the seeds until they sprout.
Special Considerations
- Harvest sprigs from the plant as you need them all season long.
- Try to pick mint in the morning, when the flavorful oils are strongest.
- Plant your mint where passersby will brush the foliage, which releases its heady aroma.
- For new plants from your old ones, root a stem cutting in a glass of water, or divide the entire plant into sections and replant each division.
Growing Tips
- Mint thrives best in partial shade and rich, moist soil. However, it is famously unfussy, so chances are it will not only survive but flourish in any light from full sun to deep shade, and any quality of soil provided the drainage is decent. Many gardeners deliberately plant it in less favorable conditions to slow down its spread!
- Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart in the garden.
- Throughout the growth months, pinch off the tips of the stems. This makes your plant bushier and less leggy.
- Avoid using fertilizer on mint.
Pests and Problems to Watch For
Mint's greatest advantage -- its utter ease of growth -- is also one of its biggest problems. Do not plant it in an area where other plants must compete for space. If you want it in the garden but without the rapid spread, set it into a container instead, and use a saucer at the base to prevent the roots from growing into the soil below.
How to Sow Peppermint: - Best sown indoors at alternating temperatures of 55 and 72°
- Sow with NO cover as light aids in germination
- Seeds can also be sown outdoors when the soil is warming in the spring
- Sow with barely any cover
- Indoors and out, expect germination in 15-30 days
- When sowing seed outdoors, we recommend a maximum planting depth of 4X the width of the seed
How to Grow Peppermint:
Transplanting: Transplant when there are at least two sets of true leaves
Spacing: Space 12 inches apart
Lighting: Site in full sun to light shade
Soil: Site in a light, rich, moist, but well-drained soil
Additional Care: As plants vigorously spread underground via runners, plant them in submerged containers or in areas bordered by walkways or edging. Pinch to encourage branching and sheer plants after flowering to prevent seed formation. For indoor culture, it is best to start new plants from seed rather than potting up clumps from the garden
Appearance and Use:
This plant grows 3 feet tall and spreads indefinitely. The small, tubular, purple, lilac or pink flowers are not showy, but they attract bees. It is grown for its dark green purple tinge, aromatic, edible leaves. Harvest them at any time for fresh use; to dry them, harvest just before the flowers open. The leaves, combined with Spearmint, are brewed into a tea
About Peppermint:
Botanical name: Mentha x piperita
Pronunciation: men’thå pi-per-e’tå
Lifecycle: Perennial
Origination: Lamiaceae; a hybrid of no direct nativity
Which plants should I grow to repel insects?
Many of the herbs will repel insects. Pennyroyal repels fleas and other insects. Pyrethrum repels moths, flies, ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches, mites, and bedbugs. Mint repels flies, fleas, and ants. Lavender repels flies, silverfish, and fleas. Catnip can repel mosquitoes. Thyme repels insects. Lemon Grass repels mosquitoes. Basil repels flies and mosquitoes. Sage repels a variety of insects. Chrysanthemum, grown for its beautiful flowers and for the extraction of pyrethrin (an organic insecticide), repels flies, beetles, mosquitoes, roaches, lice, and fleas.
Which plants should I grow to repel rabbits and deer?
Planting garlic, onions, chives, lavender, rosemary, and sage around rabbit-susceptible plants will repel rabbits. Deer repellent plants include: lavender, onion, catnip, sage, chives, garlic, spearmint, and thyme. Be sure to strategically place these repellent plants around and in between rabbit and deer-susceptible plants. Also, place some along the property line and especially at key points the rabbits and deer are using as entryways, which can even deter them from coming onto your property.
Which of your plants offered are deer resistant?
Perennials that are deer resistant include: Asclepias, Aster, Baptisia, Coreopsis, Dianthus, Digitalis, Echinacea, Gaillardia, Heuchera, Hibiscus, Malva, Monarda, Oriental Poppy, Platycodon, Peony, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Sedum, and Tricyrtis. Shrubs include: Buddleia, Buxus, Cotoneaster, Daphne, Forsythia, Fothergilla, Hibiscus (Rose of Sharon), Potentilla, Spiraea, Syringa, and Viburnum. Vines include: Clematis, Honeysuckle, Campsis, Wisteria, and Climbing Hydrangea. Trees include: Acer (Maple), Cercis (Redbud), Corylus, Fagus (Beech), Magnolia, Ginkgo, Mulberry, Spruce, and Salix (Willow).
Superior Germination Through Superior Science
Park Seed offers some of the highest-quality vegetable and flower seeds available in the industry, and there are a number of reasons for this.First of all, we have humidity- and temperature-controlled storage, and we never treat any of our seeds with chemicals or pesticides. Nor do we ever sell GMO's (genetically modified seeds), so you always know the products you're buying from us are natural as well as safe for you and the environment.
Superior Standards - University Inspected
To make sure we are providing the best seed product possible and that our customers will get the highest number of seedlings from every packet, we conduct our own germination testing and have quality-control measures in every stage of our seed-handling operation. We hold ourselves to standards that are at or above federal and state standards, including testing specific crops more frequently than recommended by federal guidelines. And in order to maintain our organic certification, we welcome Clemson University to inspect us annually to make sure our organic seeds, which are stored and processed separately, are being handled properly.
Hand Packed By Experienced Technicians
Park Seed has been handling and packing vegetable and flower seeds for 145 years, a history that has given us a great understanding of how each variety should be cared for and maintained throughout every step of theprocess, from collection to shipping.
When packing our seeds, the majority are actually done by hand (with extreme care!), and we often over-pack them, so you're receiving more than the stated quantity.
The Park Seed Gold Standard
And many of our seeds are packed in our exclusive Fresh-Pak gold foil packets, which are lined to keep moisture out, so the seeds stay fresher for longer. We carefully pack very tiny or fragile seeds in crush-proof vials to ensure safe delivery to your home. Some of the small seeds are also offered as "pellets" (have a clay coating) to make sowing and growing easier.
When it comes to the kinds of seeds we offer, we are constantly seeking something new and provide many unique and hard-to-find varieties from all around the world. Our on-staff horticulturists are ready and available to share their expertise to help you with the success of these seeds, so you can grow a beautiful and productive garden!
Does Park sell GMO's or treated seeds?
It is important for our customers to know that Park Seed does not sell GMO or treated seed. We do buy a small amount of traditional hybrid seed from Seminis, a division of Monsanto Co., but that is all we purchase from them.
What are the differences between organic, heirloom, and hybrid seed?
Basically, organic seeds are seeds that are produced without the use and exposure to artificial/chemical fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and other chemicals. They have to be grown, harvested, stored, and handled under very strict organic rules and procedures. All of our organic seeds are USDA 100% certified organic through Clemson University and the certificate has to be renewed yearly.Heirloom Seeds are open-pollinated -- they are not hybrids. You can gather and save heirloom seed from year to year and they will grow true to type every year, so they can be passed down through generations. To be considered an heirloom, a variety would have to be at least from the 1940's and 3 generations old (many varieties are much older -- some 100 years or more!).
Hybrid seed are the product of cross-pollination between 2 different parent plants, resulting in a new plant/seed that is different from the parents. Unlike Heirloom seed, hybrid seed need to be re-purchased new every year (and not saved). They usually will not grow true to type if you save them, but will revert to one of the parents they were crossed with and most likely look/taste different in some way.
What are pelleted seeds? Why do you use them? How do I handle/sow them?
Extremely small seed such as Petunias and Pentas are shipped as pelleted seed to make them easier to handle and sow. Pelleted seed are coated, usually with clay, to make them larger in size. After sowing, the coating will dissolve when wet and the seed will germinate. Pelleted seeds are shipped in vials placed inside seed packets, which protects them from being crushed. When sowing, be certain to use thoroughly moistened soil, to be sure that the clay coating absorbs enough moisture to dissolve. For sowing pelleted Petunia seeds, place the seeds directly on the soil surface and do not cover with soil, as light aids in the germination.
What is ideal temperature to germinate most seeds?
The ideal temperature to germinate most seeds is approximately 70 degrees F; give or take 1-2 degrees either way. This would be a good germination temperature for most flower and vegetable seeds and would be the most practical and feasible temperatures achieved for gardeners starting seeds in the home. You will notice for some seeds that it is recommended to use alternating day (warmer), night (cooler), temperatures, which is fine if one can provide such conditions. But most people are unable to provide those temperatures in a home setting, so just use the overall 70 degree F recommendation and the seeds should germinate well.
How long should grow lights be kept on per day and how close to the plants should the light be kept?
For germination and seedling/plant growth, you want to simulate the natural day-night cycles, and as a general rule, grow lights should be on 8-12 hours per day and off at night. You can vary this timing, as some seeds such as tomato, pepper, petunia, impatiens, and others, benefit from 14-17 hours of light per day (and the remainder of the 24 hour period in darkness). The most common grow lights used are fluorescent; using cool white, warm white, and wide-spectrum fluorescent tubes. These lights work well for germination and for growing plants up to a transplantable size. Fluorescent lights should be kept close though, 3-6 inches above the soil or the growing plants, adjusting the height as the plants grow.
How long will seeds keep in storage?
Park Seed stores seed in a special temperature- and humidity-controlled storage facility, which keeps seeds in excellent condition. Our seeds should be good for at least 1-2 years on average. Seed viability and storage time will vary depending on the seed item; some will keep a shorter time and some will keep longer. Seeds should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place. A basement will do (if not too humid), or a cool, dark room or closet. We recommend the best way to extend seed storage life is to store them in something air tight, such as a plastic zipper storage bag or canning jar, and place it in the refrigerator. This will extend the life of seeds for many years.
What is the best way to store seeds over a longer time period?
We recommend the best way to extend seed storage life is to store seeds in something air tight, such as a plastic zipper storage bag or canning jar, and place it in the refrigerator. This will extend the life of seeds for many years.
What depth should I sow various seeds?
When sowing seed outdoors, we recommend a maximum planting depth of 4X the width of the seed. When sowing seed indoors, the planting depth can be less, depending on the seed being sown, so it is always best to check specific directions. Here are some general guidelines concerning planting depth in relation to seed size: Tiny, dust-like seeds need to be sown on the surface of the growing medium or soil, uncovered, as they need light to germinate. The planting depth for small seed can be anywhere from barely covering, to 1/8-inch deep, to possibly 1/4-inch deep, depending on the recommendation. Medium seed should be planted at 1/4- to 1/2-inch deep, depending on the recommendation. Larger seeds can be planted 1-inch or deeper, depending on the recommendation.
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