I'm so glad you found this article! You're in for a long list of blogs, YouTube channels, and seed saving websites we think might help with your gardening questions! I've organized it into a few different sections, so feel free to scroll and click around:
General Gardening Tips
If you're looking for some basic info on vegetable gardening related to using seed libraries, we've got a few things for you to read:
Planting a Smart Vegetable Garden (from MSU)
Introduction to Avoiding Cross-Pollination (from the Laid Back Gardener blog)
Another Introduction to Avoiding Cross-Pollination (from the Our Heritage of Health blog)
Seed Starting
If you're new to seed saving and prefer videos and blog posts to reading hard-copy books, try perusing a sample of topics that may interest you. And take a look through the YouTube Channels and/or websites—there's a lot more information out there than the small sample here!
General advice:
"How?" "When?" "Where?" "In What?" If these are the questions you're asking about starting seeds indoors, this video from MIGardner can help:
Tomatos specifically:
We know tomatoes are popular at the HDL seed library. Here's a good guide from The Rusted Garden on how to grow your own seedlings:
Tomatoes and Peppers:
Peppers are one of the easiest seeds to save if you're a first-time seed saver! Here's another Rusted Garden video on how to start them from scratch.
How to care for seedlings:
This is the part that scares a lot of people—what do I do when the plants start getting too big???
Seed Saving:
How to Save Seeds (from Seed Savers Exchange)
Easy Seeds to Harvest (from the University of Minnesota Extension)
10 Things to Know if you want to start saving seeds (from the Modern Farmer blog)
Easy Seed Saving for Everyone (from High Mowing Seeds)
How to Save Seeds From Your Garden for Next Year (from the Our Heritage of Health blog)
Seed Saving Webinar from Seed Savers Exchange:
Container Gardening
Container gardening is a great way for people living in apartments or urban settings to try their hand at growing their own food or beautiful flower garden.
Raised Beds:
Options for apartment gardeners:
Helpful YouTube Channels:
- Seed Savers’ Exchange YouTube Channel
- MIGardener (Michigan-based organic gardening tips!)
- Epic Gardening (based in California, but lots of information on urban and small-space gardening)
- One Yard Revolution (focuses on frugal, sustainable gardening)
- The Gardening Channel with James Prigioni (lots of info on organic gardening and growing food without pesticides)
- The Rusted Garden (practical advice on seed starting and transplanting; lots of information on vegetable gardening, tomatoes in particular)
