Find out the best way to organize your garden seeds on a budget! It’s such a simply, handy seed storage organization system! You will never come to the end of planting season only to sadly realize you missed planting some of the seeds that should have been planted weeks before!
*In a hurry? Pin for later!
How to Best organize garden seeds for planting
This is the best garden seed organization I’ve used yet and super quick and cheap to set up! You’ll organize your seeds based on their planting times. Hence you won’t be missing the ideal time to plant any of your seeds again!
First gather all your seed packages: vegetable garden seed packages, herb seeds, flower seeds, all of them!
Now you can start to categorize all your seeds according to the weeks that they need to be planted out. You’ll usually find this information on the back of the seed packets.
Once you have all your seed category piles ready you can place each pile of seeds into a plastic sealable bag. Make sure to label each bag according to the times these seeds need to be started or planted out. For example, “4-6 weeks before the last frost date.”
Why I Love this seed organization!
Practically speaking this is such a quick grab and go, waterproof planting method!
As you can see it’s not expensive (notice my repurposed plastic bags), simple, and it works!
I know what needs to be planted in the weeks I’m in! No more wondering if I’ve missed something. No more shuffling through a box full of seeds trying to make sure I didn’t miss any. Only to realize later, I totally forgot to plant my favourite plant in its ideal planting time.
As a busy mama who it trying to juggle seed planting in amongst naps, making meals, and all things children and home. Not to mention, it’s supposed to rain today and I really wanted to get those seeds in the ground first!
I love that I can grab a bag, and even pull out another bag with all the seeds in said category in it, then simply go plant!
If it starts to rain while I’m out in the dirt planting, it’s ok. Quickly tuck those precious seeds into the ziplock bag to keep dry while I gather anything else up before heading back indoors.
A Fast way to organize seeds!
If you don’t have the time to read the back of every single seed package, don’t worry! I’ve created a comprehensive list for your own planting guide that I personally use when organizing my seeds.
Simply, get my planting guide: download it here. It’ll help you categorize your seeds quickly!
It also will work for your growing zone as this planting guide is based on average first and last frost dates.
Don’t know your growing zone, or want to find out what your average frost dates are (in the USA & in Canada)? No problem, check out my post here where I break it all down for you.
Planting Guide for Seed & Planting Organization
Download this planting guide to help you organize your seeds! Now you’ll be able to plant them on time this year!
What you need to organize your seeds
Gather the materials you’ll need to create a simple & cheap seed organization system.
- toate container
- this planting guide for categories
- seven large plastic sealable bags
- sharpie
- your seeds!
Step-By-Step Garden Seed Organization
- Gather all your seeds!
- Print my planting guide for the categories of when to plant each kind of seeds.
- With a sharpie, write these 7 categories onto your large ziplock bags:
- Fall Direct Sowing
- Start Indoors 8-12 Weeks Before Last Frost
- Start Indoors 6-8 Weeks Before Last Frost
- Very Hardy: Direct Sow 4-6 Weeks Before Last Frost
- Hardy: Direct Sow 2-3 Weeks Before Last Frost
- Tender: Direct Sow 0-2 Weeks After Last Frost
- Warm Loving: Direct Sow 2-4 Weeks After Last Frost
- Using the planting guide, create piles of seed packets based on these 7 categories.
- You may find you have a few seeds I don’t have listed. In this case, simply read the back of the seed packet for when the ideal time is to start or plant this seed out. Jot it down on the planting guide for your later reference.
- Go a step farther and place similar types of seeds in each of the 7 planting categories into a smaller plastic zip lock bags. For example, I like to put all my very hardy greens together, all brassicas together, tomatoes, peppers, flowers, herbs, roots, etc. that are in the same planting time.
- Put all your seeds into each large labeled ziplock bag according to the times they need to be started or directly sown.
- Finally, place these bags into an opaque plastic tote for long term storage.
- Store your precious seeds in a cool, dry, dark place.
How do I know what seeds I need to purchase for the next growing season?
Using this method I find it simple to go through my seeds along with my planting guide and place a number of seeds I need to purchase beside each seed type. This year I’ll need to get more sweet peas, corn and a few others.
Each year my list of seeds to purchase is less as I learn how to save my heirloom seeds more and more. It’s really not complicated, no wonder grandma saved seeds all the time! It’s so sustainable.
How do I add the seeds I’ve saved into this seed organization system?
Label, label, label and label again! Promise, you’ll forget otherwise, even if you’re sure you won’t!
Trust me, you may think you’ll remember these tomato seeds are from your friend who grew such delicious Gold Medal Tomatoes, you won’t! So just take the 30 seconds to label the paper towel they’re drying on, and later the bag you put them into!
Labeling will help you know which of the 7 seed planting categories to place your saved seeds into. Then when it’s time to organize and put away your saved seeds for the fall, it’ll be a breeze.
Go ahead and pin this to your gardening board for later!
Did you try this seed organization, how did it work out for you? Let me know in the comments below.
Shop Everything You’ll Need to Organize Your Seeds
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FREE Planting Guide: Get the planting guide here!
Tools for organizing seeds:
My Favourite Places to Order Seeds:
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (USA)
- West Coast Seeds (Canada)
Ha! This is genius!! I love your method and am so going to use this for myself. I’m a notorious scatterbrain and organizing anything is so difficult for me, but I think that even I could manage to be organized with your method. Thanks so much for sharing. And I did save your pin, just so I can find this again.
I love this idea! So easy to implement!
This should help me get my ducks in a row when it comes time to plan and start the garden! Thanks for sharing
Thanks! It’s made such a difference for me and gardening, I’m glad it’ll help you out too with planting!