This is a nice interview with plant breeder Dr. John Navazio, which spawned some thoughts about seeds, saving seeds, and propagating plants that do well in your garden.
If you’re a relatively new gardener (and even if you’ve been doing this a while), this time of year you’re being inundated with seed catalogs. How do you pick seeds?
There’s a bit of controversy about whether to buy seeds from companies outside your USDA frost zone, or with markedly different climates than yours. I prefer to buy local in any case, not only to support my local economy (although that’s always good), but because a seed company in Oregon or Maine might not be growing the best seeds for Georgia or New Mexico. At least with locally-produced seeds and plants you know they have a decent chance of growing in your climate.
In any case, buy seeds for things you like to eat. There’s no sense in buying something because you feel you’re “supposed to”. And if you do try something new, don’t buy a pound of seed for it! You can often get very small amounts (10-30 seeds) for great prices online, or ask your local grower if they’ll give you a sample to try.
If you’ve never saved seeds, this might be the year to start. A good book for this is Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
by Suzanne Ashworth, but often it’s as simple as letting some of your beans dry and putting them away for next year, or saving the seeds from an overripe tomato.
One thing to think about, though, is which seeds to save. Do you want lettuce plants that grow when it’s really cold, before the others sprout? Then those lettuce plants that do grow early should be protected and allowed to go to seed, not picked and eaten! If you want beautiful big tomatoes, then save the seeds from those really nice big ones. What I’m saying is that what you save is what you’re selecting for. If you just save the seeds of the plants that are tough, bitter and bolt before all the rest then guess what you just selected for? 
If you’ve already saved some poor seed, all is not lost. Some of those seeds from dud plants will turn out great; save those seeds! Compost the tough, bitter babies or feed them to the animals, and chalk it up to experience.
Make sure you grow out some of your seed every year. Some people catalog and rotate their seed stock; the easiest way to do this is to go through your stock and plant the oldest seeds. If your seed packets say 2007 or earlier you probably should plant as much of those as you can this year.
It’s wise to plant in staggered plantings, a quarter of your seed at a time, at least two weeks apart, making sure the first set has sprouted at least some before you start the next batch. Then a sudden late frost or early heat wave won’t wipe out all your seed, and you can get an idea of how this seed is germinating. (alternately, you can sprout the seed indoors before planting it)
It’s way too early to plant outside unprotected, although I did plant some snow peas back when it was 60 degrees (before Christmas) that are covered with row covers. I’m not sure if they’ll survive. I have lettuce outside in a cold frame, lettuce indoors on my bathroom windowsill, and tomato seedlings on the kitchen windowsill (and larger ones by the window in my garage). Have you started any seeds yet, and if so, which ones?
(which I just happen to have at home). Seeing what can be done in urban Massachusetts, arguably a more difficult place to grow than suburban Oklahoma, was pretty inspiring.
