Crop notes
How each crop likes to be sown. For the plant-by-plant reference and organic seed sources, see organicseedfinder.com.
Brussels sprouts
A long-season brassica: sow in spring, harvest late in the year.
Catnip
A hardy, easy perennial that bees like and cats love.
Celery
Slow to germinate and fussy about moisture, but possible from seed with patience.
Chamomile
German chamomile is an easy annual for tea and for bees.
Chilli (and peppers)
Slow to start and needs warmth and a long season, so it is one of the first things to sow each year.
Coriander (cilantro)
Fast and fragrant, but prone to running to seed. Sow where it will grow, little and often.
Dill
A feathery herb that is best sown where it will grow, and easy to save seed from.
Lavender
Slow and patchy from seed, but cheap and rewarding.
Lettuce
Quick and forgiving; the easiest salad crop to start from seed, and easy to save seed from.
Marigold
Easy, quick annual flowers that suit beginners and edge vegetable beds.
Mixed salad leaves
Cut-and-come-again leaves that grow in a pot on a windowsill or in the garden.
Parsley
Slow to start, then generous. It is a biennial, so in its second year it runs to seed.
Parsnip
A slow, sometimes patchy germinator that resents root disturbance.
Red valerian
A short-lived perennial with red or white flowers that seeds itself freely.
Sago palm
An ancient cycad with hard seeds that are very slow to grow.
Sesame
Where sesame seeds come from, and whether you can grow your own.
Squash and courgette
Large seeds, fast growth and a taste for warmth. Start indoors a few weeks before the last frost.
Swede and turnip
Roots for the end of the year. Hardy and quick to germinate.
Thyme
A tough Mediterranean herb that likes sharp drainage and little attention.
Tomato
Timing from seed to planting out, with a date calculator.
Cucumber
Why seedlings collapse, and how to keep them going.