Seed Selection Guide for Denver: Understanding Your Seed Packets for Colorado Gardeners
It's that time of year when seed shopping becomes the most exciting activity ever! Seeds are everywhere, from the grocery store to online shops, and all of them look so lovely.
But, hold on a minute before you dive in and buy every pretty packet you see. Let's find out how to pick the right seeds for Colorado and what that info on the packet means.
In this blog, you’ll learn:
Understanding Days to Maturity
Planting Information for Denver's Climate
Garden Planning: Plant and Seed Spacing
Seed Count: Value vs. Variety
Local Seed Sources
Understanding Days to Maturity
Days to Maturity: This is the first thing I look at on a seed packet.
It’s an estimate of how many days it will take to get (for example) a tomato starting from the time you plant the tomato seedling into the garden. So if you plant a tomato with 60 days to maturity, you should start getting tomatoes almost a month before a different tomato variety with 85 days maturity. I do grow some tomatoes that take 85 days because I can’t help myself, but I also plant some that are ready much sooner. Because waiting until September for my first tomatoes is torture.
But it’s not just for seedlings, days to maturity is also relevant for direct sowing in the garden. For example how many days it will take to get a carrot from the time you first see the carrot seeds sprout. But more importantly for longer seasons direct sowers like winter squash. Some varieties can take over 100 days to fully mature which may not be enough time in Colorado's short warm growing season.
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Planting information (for Denver's Colorado climate)
Seed packets will often give some basic information about planting the seeds. What I look for is whether it's recommended to plant indoors or outdoors, when to plant the seeds, and any special instructions (like if the seed needs light or cold to germinate).
When a seed packet says to start the seeds 6-8 weeks before the last frost; you count back from our average last frost date (mid May) and that will tell you to start the seeds in mid to late March.
Days to emerge: What to expect
This tells you how many days you should expect to see the seed germinate under perfect conditions.
If it says 7 days and it's been 14 days and you don't see any green sprouts, then something wasn’t perfect.
The seeds may be old, soil temperature is wrong, or the seeds got really dried out. Either wait a bit longer for the conditions to be right or try planting again.
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Garden Planning: Plant and Seed Spacing
Understanding plant size and seed spacing is vital for garden layout. In Denver's raised bed gardens, spacing affects plant health and yield. Avoid thinning to enjoy a lush, vibrant garden, a practice well-suited for our local gardening style.
Plant Space: How big the plant will get. So helpful when planning out your garden. There’s a fine balance between intensive planting and cramming.
Seed Spacing: How far apart you should plant the seeds. I ignore row spacing since I grow in raised beds, not in a farm setting. I use seed spacing to figure out how far to space seeds from each other in all directions. And I usually don’t thin them either - I like the look of a lush, full garden.
Check out our Garden Seed Ruler if you’d like to get it perfect!
Seed Count: Value vs. Variety
Seed count: How many seeds come in the pack. Seed packets are all a similar size but the number of seeds inside can vary considerably - some special tomato varieties can be $5 for 10 seeds, while other tomato packets are $2 for 50 seeds. I still buy some special varieties but it's nice to know ahead of time what I am buying.
Hot Tip:
The best way to know if the seeds are right for Colorado? Buy Local Colorado Seeds! Find seed companies that grow their stock right here in the Sunshine State. You can check out some of my favorites on our resources page.
Seed shopping is more than an annual ritual; it's a cornerstone of garden planning in Denver. With the right knowledge, each seed packet you choose brings you closer to a bountiful, vibrant garden. Embrace the season with confidence, equipped with these tips to navigate your seed selections.
Ready to elevate your Denver garden with the perfect seeds? Explore our curated list of local seed resources and start planning your best garden yet. Happy gardening, Denver!
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Meet the Gardener
I’m Elisa Mack - a mom and Denverite who went from being a green-ish thumb to a kitchen garden fanatic simply by dedicating myself to the study of all things Colorado gardening.
Landscapers don’t design. And nurseries don’t make house calls.
We take a more full-service approach, from designing your dream garden to keeping it beautiful year-round.
And as your coach, I’ll help eliminate the guesswork through every season, no matter your level of knowledge.
