Seed catalogs have been a winter tradition in my gardening life for more than 30 years. Long before online stores, these catalogs were my roadmap for planning spring, summer, and fall harvests. Today, they’re still the best place to discover new varieties, compare options, and get inspiration for the year ahead. Here’s how I read and use seed catalogs—both print and digital—to choose the right seeds for a productive, trouble-free garden.

Table of Contents

Start With Your Garden Goals

Before opening a catalog, I take stock of the past season. What grew well? What struggled in Sonoma Valley’s warm days and cool nights? Which crops my family ate the most? This reflection helps me prioritize what to look for in the catalogs.

Ask yourself:

Do you want earlier harvests?
Are you expanding into new crops?
Do you need disease-resistant varieties?
Are you gardening in containers or raised beds?

Having a clear intention helps you avoid impulse buying—something I learned the hard way early on.

Understand Variety Descriptions

Catalogs use coded shorthand and descriptive phrases. Reading them correctly is half the game.

Here’s how I interpret them:

Days to Maturity

This determines how a crop fits your season. In Sonoma, where I garden year-round, I choose:

Short-season varieties for early spring and fall success
Long-season varieties for summer staples like tomatoes, peppers, and melons

Growth Habit

Look for words like:

Determinate / indeterminate (tomatoes)
Compact, dwarf, vining, trailing (cucumbers, beans, squash)

Container growers should pay extra attention here.

Flavor Notes

After decades of vegetable trials, I’ve learned flavor descriptions are generally trustworthy—especially from reputable catalogs. If a variety is described as “mild,” “nutty,” “complex,” or “old-fashioned sweetness,” that’s usually spot-on.

Disease Resistance Codes

A crucial part of my seed selection. Look for symbols such as:

V = Verticillium
F = Fusarium
PM = Powdery Mildew
DM = Downy Mildew

These codes have saved entire crops in my garden.

Choose Regional-Appropriate Seeds

I’ve learned that not every seed suits every climate. Sonoma Valley has mild winters and long summers, so I always look for varieties advertised for:

Mediterranean climates
Warm days and cool nights
Long growing seasons

If a catalog offers regional trial notes, I pay close attention.

Check for Open-Pollinated vs Hybrid

Both have their place:

Open-Pollinated (OP)

I use OP varieties for crops I want to save seed from—lettuce, beans, peas, tomatoes.

Hybrids (F1)

For disease-heavy crops like cucumbers or squash, hybrids often outperform. After many years of trials, I’ve come to rely on the consistency hybrids offer, especially in summer’s peak.

Look for Special Features That Fit Your Style

After gardening year-round for decades, I know exactly what traits make my seasons easier:

Heat-tolerant greens for summer
Bolt-resistant herbs
Drought-tolerant varieties for my raised beds
Compact varieties for container experiments
Early maturing crops for staggered harvests

These features aren’t luxuries—they’re time savers.

Browse the Photos—But Don’t Buy on Looks Alone

Beautiful photos inspire me every winter, but I learned early that color doesn’t equal performance. I always cross-check photos with:

Growth notes
Maturity days
Disease resistances
User reviews

A pretty tomato isn’t worth it if it splits at the first heatwave.

Order Early

Seed shortages have been common in recent years. I now order in late December or early January. Popular varieties—especially disease-resistant tomatoes and specialty baby greens—sell out quickly.

Track Your Selections

I keep a simple spreadsheet each year:

Varieties ordered
Catalog source
Quantity
Price
Notes on performance

This record helps me refine choices and avoid repeats of varieties that underperformed.

My Favorite Trusted Catalogs

From decades of experience, these have proven reliable:

Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Territorial Seed Company
Baker Creek (for variety and experimentation)
High Mowing Organic Seeds
Seed Savers Exchange

Each has strengths. Over time, you’ll learn which best matches your garden.

Seed Catalog Comparison Worksheet

Choosing the right seeds starts with knowing how to compare what different catalogs are offering. Over more than 30 years of gardening—and many seasons comparing dozens of varieties—I’ve refined a simple worksheet that helps me choose the best seeds for my climate, garden space, and goals. Below is a blog-friendly version you can publish as-is or customize.

How to Use This Worksheet

Print this guide or paste it into your garden notebook. Use it each winter as you flip through seed catalogs—both online and in print. Compare varieties side-by-side to find the best match for your garden.

1. Basic Variety Comparison

Crop:
Variety Name:
Catalog Source:
Open-Pollinated or Hybrid (OP/F1):
Days to Maturity:
Growth Habit (compact, vining, determinate, dwarf):
General Notes:

2. Climate & Garden Fit

Heat Tolerance (Yes/No/Notes):
Cold Tolerance (Yes/No/Notes):
Drought Tolerance (Yes/No/Notes):
Container-Friendly? (Yes/No):
Good for Raised Beds? (Yes/No):
Suitable for Your Climate? (Yes/No):

3. Disease Resistance Review

List any codes provided in the catalog—such as V (Verticillium), F (Fusarium), PM (Powdery Mildew), or DM (Downy Mildew). These make a big difference in long-term success.

Disease Resistance Codes:
Notes on Resistance and Regional Performance:

4. Flavor & Culinary Use

Flavor is one of the biggest reasons I choose one variety over another. After decades of trials, I know catalog flavor notes are usually reliable—and worth paying attention to.

Flavor Description:
Intended Use (fresh eating, canning, roasting, storage, pickling):
Catalog Flavor Notes or Ratings:
Your Notes After Growing (fill in at season’s end):

5. Price & Packet Details

Costs can add up quickly, especially if you grow a wide variety of crops. This section keeps your purchases smart and intentional.

Packet Price:
Seeds per Packet:
Price per Seed (optional):
Bulk or Larger Packet Options:
Shipping Notes or Discounts:

6. Final Decision Summary

At the end of your comparison, make a clear decision on each variety before ordering. This is where I save myself time, money, and mid-season frustration.

Decision (Keep / Maybe / Skip):
Reason (performance, flavor, price, climate fit, personal preference):

Printable Version

Copy and paste the worksheet sections to create as many variety pages as you need. Many gardeners keep one sheet per crop—for example, one for tomatoes, one for cucumbers, one for lettuces—making the comparison easy and organized.

Seed Catalog Comparison Worksheet

Use this worksheet to compare up to four seed varieties from different catalogs. I designed it based on how I’ve compared varieties over 30+ years of gardening.

Section 1 — Basic Variety Comparison

Crop	Variety Name	Catalog Source	Open-Pollinated or Hybrid	Days to Maturity	Growth Habit	Notes

Section 2 — Climate & Garden Fit

Heat Tolerance	Cold Tolerance	Drought Tolerance	Container-Friendly?	Good for Raised Beds?	Suitable for Your Climate?
Yes / No / Notes	Yes / No / Notes	Yes / No / Notes	Yes / No	Yes / No	Yes / No
Yes / No / Notes	Yes / No / Notes	Yes / No / Notes	Yes / No	Yes / No	Yes / No
Yes / No / Notes	Yes / No / Notes	Yes / No / Notes	Yes / No	Yes / No	Yes / No