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| Photo: Deejriley, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
By MG Anne Ruth
This year, the Master Gardeners will be hosting a seed swap at the annual Holiday Party on December 4. Don’t miss out on this new fun way to celebrate the season. The only things required to participate in the swap are some seeds and a desire to share them with your fellow MGs while getting new seeds for yourself. Come join the fun and get into the holiday spirit by giving and receiving!
If you want to participate in the seed swap, please arrive by noon to get your seeds entered. Here’s how the seed swap will work. When you arrive at the party, place your seed packet(s) in the appropriate box at the seed swap table. The boxes will be labeled as follows: Tomatoes; Other Vegetables/Fruits; Herbs; Native Ornamental Plants; and Non-Native Ornamental Plants. At some point during the party, participants will be allowed to take seed packets brought by other participants. When the time comes to choose your seeds, you may take up to the number of seed packets that you brought to the swap.
To prepare for the seed swap, please follow some general guidelines:
- You may bring seeds that you have saved/collected or purchased, and you either have too many of them or no longer want them.
- Please do your best to bring seeds that are viable. In general, seeds should be less than three years old; however, you should also use your experience, knowledge, and judgment. Many commercial seed companies offer helpful longevity charts; here is one such example.
- Bring as many seed packets as you would like. You are encouraged to bring a few packets of different types of seeds rather than many of the same type.
- Each seed packet should contain a reasonable number of seeds. A pinch of seeds is sufficient.
- Please do not bring seeds from the following types of plants:
Hybrid or cross-pollinated plants, unless otherwise marked/saved with
specific techniques to prevent unwanted cross-pollination.
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| Photo: MG Janet Young |
Please make sure that your seeds are placed in sealed envelopes. These envelopes can be as simple or as fancy as you would like. The envelopes should be labeled with the following information:
- Name (and variety, if applicable) of the plant and the year that the seed was collected or commercially processed.
- Optional: Any additional information that you think would be helpful. This might include:
Germination information. For example, does the seed require stratification? If so, for how long? How long does it take for the seed to germinate?
Growing requirements for the mature plant, such as sun/shade and soil moisture needs.
The plant’s botanical name.
Little growing tips, or fun facts about the seed/plant.
You may also include your name if you would like, but do not have to do so.
If you need some inspiration, the UMD Home and Garden Information Center has a helpful tutorial on making your own seed packets.
Enjoy selecting your seeds to bring to the swap while cleaning out your seed boxes and dreaming of next year’s garden. If you have any questions, please contact MGs Terri Valenti or Anne Ruth (see VMS for email addresses).
