How Tos Archives - SeedSavers https://seedsavers.org/category/learn/how-tos/ Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:49:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 Extending the Garden Season https://seedsavers.org/extending-the-garden-season/ Wed, 12 Nov 2025 20:20:15 +0000 https://seedsavers.org/?p=7428 With succession planting, smart crop choices, and a few simple tools like floating row covers, extending your garden season well into, and sometimes through, the coldest months of the year is well within your reach!

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]]> How to Prepare Your Garden for Winter https://seedsavers.org/prepare-your-garden-for-winter/ Wed, 22 Oct 2025 20:34:20 +0000 https://seedsavers.org/?p=7107 If you live in cool climates, it’s time to start thinking about closing down your garden for the season. However, there are many things to consider when it comes to preparing your garden for winter. Follow this checklist to put your garden to bed and set yourself up for success in the new year!

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]]> Tips for Harvesting and Storing Vegetables https://seedsavers.org/tips-for-harvesting-and-storing-vegetables/ Thu, 07 Aug 2025 14:53:55 +0000 https://seedsavers.org/?p=6834 Want the highest yields from your vegetable garden? Keep reading to learn some tips for harvesting and storing vegetables to encourage your plants to keep producing fresh food all season long.

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]]> How to Plant a Fall Garden https://seedsavers.org/how-to-plant-a-fall-garden/ Mon, 07 Jul 2025 14:57:30 +0000 https://seedsavers.org/?p=6597 For many gardeners, the gardening season dies down in the summer after the spring rush of seed starting and transplanting. However, gardeners can plant many things from July to September for a fall garden with harvests all the way up to winter, especially with changing climates. In fact, fall might just be the most underrated season for gardening! 

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]]> Container Gardening Guide https://seedsavers.org/container-gardening-guide/ Thu, 05 Jun 2025 21:01:55 +0000 https://seedsavers.org/?p=6279 What can you plant in a container? The better question might be, what can’t you? Vegetables, flowers, herbs—almost any plant can thrive in a container as long as it has the proper soil and care. When land space is unavailable, container gardening provides a viable alternative for you to grow your own food and a beautiful garden.

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]]> A Beginner’s Guide to Potting Up Seedlings https://seedsavers.org/potting-up-seedlings/ Tue, 27 May 2025 18:51:34 +0000 https://seedsavers.org/?p=6050 There’s something deeply rewarding about nurturing a tiny seed into a thriving plant. But when a plant outgrows its container, potting up can seem daunting. Fortunately, with care and a couple of considerations, potting up is easy and will help to keep your plants happy!

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]]> Thinning Seedlings https://seedsavers.org/thinning-seedlings/ Thu, 27 Mar 2025 18:55:21 +0000 https://seedsavers.org/?p=3337 What?! I have to toss some of these perfectly healthy seedlings I worked so hard to start? Which do I save and which do I not? That is the reaction of many a new gardener upon first learning that thinning seedlings is a necessary step to ensure healthy growth of plant starts. The reality is that, if left in crowded environs, your seedlings will eventually suffer.

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]]> How to sow seeds in winter https://seedsavers.org/how-to-sow-seeds-in-winter/ Wed, 22 Jan 2025 16:53:06 +0000 https://seedsavers.org/?p=4622 Did you know that there are certain seeds that you can sow when the temperatures are still cool and there’s still snow on the ground?

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]]> How to Organize a Seed Swap https://seedsavers.org/how-to-organize-a-seed-swap/ Fri, 13 Dec 2024 16:53:28 +0000 https://seedsavers.org/?p=4476 A seed swap is a gathering of people, usually gardeners and farmers, who have come together to share seeds. Open seed sharing is one of Seed Savers Exchange's core values since our founding 50 years ago. Keep reading to learn how to organize a seed swap of your own!

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]]> Squash Hand-Pollination https://seedsavers.org/squash-hand-pollination/ Fri, 30 Aug 2024 18:57:44 +0000 https://seedsavers.org/?p=3758 Hand-pollination of squash ensures that the plants produce true-to-type seed and that the flowers are not contaminated by the pollen from another variety when the required isolation distance is impractical. Because the large male and female blossoms are easily distinguished, hand-pollinating squash can be easy for gardeners of all skill levels.

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