12 Tips on Sowing, Growing, Harvesting, and Eating Seeds

Seeds are incredible little things. They are literally full of life and can change a desolate place into an Eden-like space in days, months, and years.

Many of us will eat seeds regularly without really thinking about it. Others are excited to gather and sow seeds in the spring ready for a summer and fall harvest.

Whether you are interested in seeds for their potential to create a gorgeous flower garden, are excited for those seeds to turn into your future dinner, or enjoy munching on the seeds themselves, take a look at this collection of OGP articles all about the enormous world of the tiny seed!

1. Pumpkin Seeds

Everyone wants to know how to get more protein in a plant-based diet. It’s no wonder since protein is a hot topic in all health circles out there. Whether you’re concerned with energy, building strength, brain focus, bone maintenance, or just general health, protein is an important nutrient you need in your diet. Most people are now aware that animal sources of protein aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Animal foods promote inflammation, while plant-based options don’t. However, not all of us are keen on quinoa or crazy about beans. That’s where seeds come into play. If you want to introduce more seeds into your diet, start with Pumpkin Seeds: Why Everyone Should Add This Perfect Seed to their Diet.

2. Avocado Seeds

It won’t take much convincing to get folks out and buy avocados. The merits of guacamole are not really up for debate: delicious, dippy, and delightful. The “good fat” tag is widely associated with the curious fruit, and this quality can be utilized in a myriad of dishes, from salad dressings to pasta sauces to “ice cream.” Avocados are so diverse that they are even featured in beauty products. The avocado seed. however, is the most nutrient-dense part of the fruit, and it’s completely edible. We’ve been flippantly tossing away healthy goodness! That’s right. Pick up your jaws, buckle in, and let’s take a look at the virtuousness that is an avocado seed and how we might take advantage of it. Read on to learn Why You Should Eat Avocado Seeds and How to Make Them Tasty.

3. Preparing Seeds for Planting

Unless you are a gardener who lets your plants go to seed and self-sow, most seeds are bought in packets. This is common, and perfectly fine to do. However, buying seeds that have been sitting in a warehouse or on the shelf in a garden center means that they might not have had the benefit of exposure to different environments that would naturally help their success. Fortunately, there are some small and simple practices that every gardener can do to help their store-bought seeds have a better start in life. To give your seeds the best start in life, learn How to Prepare Seeds for Planting: Stratification, Soaking, and Scarification.

4. Seeds for Free

Many of us love spring because it’s the time of seeds and planting this year’s crops, flowers, and other garden lovelies. For us, collecting and sowing seeds becomes addictive, with new vegetable varieties to try and a few first-time flowers to grow. Thumbing through seed catalogs and scoping seed racks at the store are loads of fun and moments full of wonderment. Plus, there are a lot worse, and plenty of useless, things we could be dropping our cash on than the garden. So, we can justify the splurge. But, what if we didn’t have to? What if it was easy to get seeds for free? Loads of seeds are completely free and within our reach. How awesome is that? Take a look at this article that shows you How to Get Seeds for Free.

5. Flax and Chia Egg Replacer

Finding food substitutions for animal-based ingredients like eggs is a great kitchen “survival” skill that all plant-based eaters should learn. Flax seeds and chia seeds are two important foods that everyone should get acquainted with. Both flax seeds and chia seeds are healthy and considered superfoods. Chia seeds do not have to be ground like flax. Whole flax seeds cannot be broken down by the body while chia seeds can be digested whole by the body. A recent study urges people to eat raw chia seeds with caution if they have problems with swallowing as dry chia seeds can expand in the esophagus. Both flax and chia seeds can be used as substitutes in cooking and baking. Here are some tips on how to use them in your recipes. Read on for some great Tips for Using Flax and Chia Seeds to Replace Eggs in Baking and Cooking.

6. Seeds Versus Seedlings

During the winter, it’s fun to trawl through seed catalogs dreaming of harvests to come and a summer full of cucumber and tomato sandwiches. If you want to get a head start, seeds can be started indoors in January or February resulting in little plants that are ready to be planted out after the last frost. However, if you simply don’t have the room or inclination to do this, buying plant starts for a nursery in the spring is a perfectly good option. Seeds or seedlings? Both are great choices but for different reasons. Check out this list of pros and cons to help you decide which route to take this growing season. Read on to learn The Pros and Cons of Planting Seeds Versus Planting Seedlings.

7. Starting Seeds Indoors

When you read an article about how to start this or that plant from seed, you often read ‘Start your seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date’. But what does that mean?  And, how do I keep my seedlings happy and healthy indoors? If you want to get a head start this spring, check out these tips for growing strong and healthy little seedlings ready to be planted once the cold weather has waved goodbye. If you want to get a headstart with your garden in the New Year, check out How to Successfully Start Seeds Indoors.

8. Growing Edible Seeds

When we grow our food gardens we often focus on the vegetables and maybe a few fruits, but give little regard to edible seeds. However, seeds are packed with vital nutrients, healthy fats, and protein that fruits and vegetables aren’t necessarily adept at delivering. Case in point, those legumes that plant-based eaters turn to time and again for protein are seeds. For many a vegan, it’s beans and peas that occupy the centerpiece of meals. They are filling and filled with nourishment. What this article is about are the seeds that don’t fall in the legume, grain, or nut category. These are the seeds we usually refer to as seeds, and it turns out we can readily grow them in our gardens! Take a look at A Guide to Growing Edible Seeds.

9. Hemp Seeds

It’s amazing how much nutrition one tiny seed can contain. All seeds are some of the most powerful foods one can eat containing amino acids (protein), iron, B vitamins, and magnesium. Hemp seeds are one of the most popular types of seeds and the highest source of plant-based protein. They’re seamless to digest and contain roughly 13 grams of protein in just 3 tablespoons. Hemp seed protein powder has even more with 13-15 grams depending on the type and brand. Hemp seeds, like other seeds, can also be used anywhere, making them incredibly versatile in a variety of recipes. Their mild, slightly nutty flavor can be paired with savory or sweet ingredients, and they can even cream up nicely as a great replacement for dairy-based dishes. Read on to learn more about The Benefits of Hemp Seeds for Stress Relief.

10. Seeds to Sow in Winter

As autumn marches on around us and we slowly put our gardens to bed for the winter, the thought of sowing seeds of any kind seems months away. Surely this is a job for spring. In reality, however, many seeds can be sown, or even need to be sown, in the colder months to be ready to sprout in the warmth of spring. Many wildflowers drop their seeds naturally at the end of summer or the beginning of fall to go through the process of cold stratification. Some shop-bought seeds need to go through this process, too. You can force your seeds into cold stratification in the late winter/early spring, or you can help them along more naturally by sowing them outside in the depths of the cold season. Look here to learn all about How to Sow Seeds in Winter to Get Them Ready for Spring Germination.

11. August Seeds

A fall garden is a wonderful thing. Tomatoes and cucumbers are long gone, but there is no need to put your garden to bed, yet. If you start thinking about it in August, you can have a garden full of goodies to harvest for special holiday dinners, or any home-cooked meal, for that matter. Starting certain veggies from seed in August is pretty important if you want that fall crop. You want to grow plants that are cold or even frost-tolerant so that they carry through to the colder months to come. Check out this list of Seeds to Sow in August for a Fall Crop that you need to be getting in the ground pronto, and look forward to abundant autumn.

12. Trees from Seeds

Home gardeners are looking for harvests, not necessarily the rewards of nursing something for years from seed to tree. That kind of effort seems better relegated to tree nurseries, which are in the business of producing trees rather than fruit or nuts or a beautiful landscape. While this arrangement is convenient, it comes at a cost, both for the consumer and for the environment. Buying a young tree is far more expensive than planting a seed for one (often free). Furthermore, most of the trees sold come from large-scale nurseries with no qualms about using questionable chemicals to get their product—your future tree—on the shelf. Here is the lowdown on What You Need to Know About Growing Trees from Seeds.

Related Content:

• FALL: Plant-Based Recipes to Celebrate Harvest Season
• 4 Seeds You Can Still Sow in July for a Bumper Crop
• Pumpkin: Tasty Ways This Seasonal Produce Keeps You Healthy
• All You Need to Know About Hemp Seeds

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