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Garden Planning, Succession & Crop RotationSeed Inventory and Ordering Calendar
Most gardeners buy duplicate seed they already own and run short of the varieties they actually need. A short inventory before ordering fixes both problems and sets up the whole season.
Key points
- Count and sort what you own before you buy anything.
- Tie each order to a sowing date, with popular varieties first.
- Estimate quantities from bed space and spacing, then add a margin.
- Store seed cool, dry, dark and labeled with the year.
- Ask local growers and extension which varieties suit your area.
Why take a seed inventory before ordering?
Seed left over from last year may still be good, and buying it again wastes money. On the other side, a variety you counted on may be gone, or too old to sow with confidence.
An inventory also forces you to look at the plan. If a crop did poorly or went uneaten, you find out before you buy more of it.
Keep the sheet somewhere you will see it, such as a binder, a spreadsheet or a page taped inside the seed box. A system you actually use beats a fancy one you forget.
How do you run a seed inventory?
Empty every container onto a table and sort by crop, then by variety. Read the label for the crop, variety, supplier and the year the seed was packed. Tape a note on any packet that is missing that information.
Write the results on one sheet with a column for how much remains. A half-full packet of a small-seeded crop often covers another season, while a nearly empty packet of a large-seeded crop will not. Take a few minutes to note any packet with a printed year that looks old, so you can test it before relying on it.
- Crop and variety
- Year packed or purchased
- Rough amount left
- Keep, test or discard
When should you order seed?
Work backward from your first sowing. Seeds started indoors need to be on hand weeks before the transplant date, and your sowing schedule tells you the deadline for each crop. Popular varieties and specialty seed can sell out, so order those first and leave the common items for later.
Rather than choosing a calendar date, anchor the order to your plan: finish the crop list, finish the inventory, then order. Local frost dates from the National Weather Service or your extension office set the sowing dates that drive everything else. If a supplier lists a ship date, note it on your plan so a late delivery does not push back your first sowing.
How much seed should you buy?
Start with how much bed space the crop gets, then use the spacing on the packet or an extension guide to estimate plant numbers. Add a margin for seed that does not come up and for seedlings lost to weather or pests.
Seed count per packet varies by crop and supplier, so read the packet before assuming it covers your plan. If you plan repeat sowings, count each sowing separately.
Round decisions toward the plan, not the catalog. Many gardeners buy too much of one crop because the larger packet looks like a better deal, and then the extra ages in a drawer.
How should you store leftover seed?
Seed keeps best when it stays cool, dry and dark. Use sealed containers, label each with crop, variety and year, and keep them away from heat and damp spots such as a garage or a window sill.
Shelf life differs a great deal by crop. Your extension service publishes seed storage and viability guidance, and you can confirm an older packet with a simple germination test before you rely on it.
Check stored seed each winter for signs of damp, mold or insect damage, and discard anything that looks suspect. Moisture is the usual enemy of seed in storage.
How do you keep the inventory useful all year?
Update the sheet as you sow, not once a year. Cross off what you use, note what failed to come up and write down any variety you want to replace. By the end of the season you have a ready-made shopping list and a record of what worked.
Add a column for the source of each seed, whether a catalog, a local seed swap or your own saved seed. If a variety does well, you will know where to find it again.
What ordering mistakes cost the most?
Ordering from a wish list instead of a plan, ordering a full packet of a crop you only grow in a small patch, and ignoring days to maturity for your season length are the usual culprits. Variety choice matters too, since disease resistance and maturity differ from one variety to the next.
Check that varieties suit your region by asking your extension office or local growers what performs well nearby.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 2026. Educational information, ranges only. Confirm timing with your county extension office.