Don't Spend $100s on Seeds

Seeds may be worth every penny, but you don't have to spend a pretty penny to buy enough seeds to fill your garden with plants.

Here are four ways you can save money on seeds for your garden so that you can spend your hard-earned cash on something fun, like... I don't know... more plants!

Decide Which Seeds to Plant with Friends and Split the Cost

Got a gardening buddy? Get together with a friend or two and plan out your garden spaces—that way, you can split the cost of the seeds you want to buy.

One package of kale might contain 100 or so seeds, but you probably can't fit 100 mature kale plants in your kitchen garden. Seed companies don't create seed packages with kitchen gardeners in mind. They fill these packets for farmer-gardeners with row gardens or homesteaders with room to plant hundreds of things at once. I dunno about you, but I'm neither a farmer-gardener nor a homesteader. I only have room for perhaps 10 kale plants.

So instead of spending $5 on a package and only using 20 percent of those seeds before they expire, you could have a little garden party with your friends, and you could each end up with only the seeds you need for a fraction of the price.

This is a great method to save money on seeds for plants like tomatoes, peppers, and squash—anything that you can only plant a limited quantity of in your space. Other things, like salad mixes, are better to purchase by yourself because you probably will use up the entire pack, perhaps even in one season.

Save Seeds from Your Garden

Be on the lookout for plants in your garden that are performing particularly well each season, then let those all-star plants go to seed and gather the seeds to use in coming seasons. If you do that with just one or two plants of each variety, you'll only ever have to buy that seed package one time.

Seriously. If you spend $5 on zinnia seeds, pick your favorite zinnia flower ever, let it go to seed, and save those seeds, you'll be set on zinnias for next year and can save more seeds from your next set of top-performers. Those seeds will, over time, become increasingly suited for your garden. I'd say that's $5 well spent!

Keep in mind this won't work with hybrid seeds since hybrid seeds don't create new plants that are true to the original. This method works great for heirloom seeds and open-pollinated seeds.

That means that each investment in an heirloom seed package is something you can enjoy for many, many years to come.

Make a Plan Before You Open the Seeds Catalog

As soon as I open a seed catalog or visit my favorite seed company's website, I just start adding things to my cart. I can't turn down something that looks as cool as cabbage the size of a toddler or a carrot as long as my arm, you know? The best way for me to practice some self-control is to have a plan for my garden for the coming seasons.

Garden planning is essential both for success in your kitchen garden and for not wasting money on seeds you don't actually have room for. Knowing what you want to grow for the next year or so will prevent you from over-ordering. Take note of your garden's square footage and make a simple planting plan before placing your order. This will limit you to what will actually fit in your space. They say planning is the answer to all of life's problems, right? In this case, it really can save you some money.

Save Extra Seeds So They Don't Go Bad

This might seem obvious, but make sure to save the seeds you do buy in a way that prevents them from going bad for as long as possible. High-quality seeds should keep for seasons to come if they're properly protected from light, heat, and moisture.

Find a storage spot that doesn't receive direct sunlight, that doesn't get too warm, and that doesn't experience moisture. A good option for a cool, dry, low-light place might be your kitchen pantry or a drawer in your home office.

As soon as you plant out the seeds you're going to use for this season, make sure to store the rest correctly so you can use them again in coming years and not have to order them a second time around.

Which Seeds for the Garden Are You Going to Buy?

Here's a bonus tip: Buy a large bundle of seed packets you're sure to use. Our Gardenary seed collection has all my favorites like buttercrunch lettuce, French breakfast radishes, and so much more!

I'd love to know which seeds you're planting this next growing season. Take a pic of your seed haul and tag @gardenaryco on Instagram.

Thanks for helping me bring back the kitchen garden, one seed package at a time!