Heirloom Survival Seed Vault Planting Guide: How to Plant All 35 Vegetable Seeds

Welcome to your heirloom survival seed vault. This planting guide covers all 35 open-pollinated, non-GMO heirloom vegetable and fruit seeds in your Seed Vault: when to plant each one, how deep, how far apart, how long until it sprouts, and how long until harvest. Bookmark it; it's the same guide whether this is your first garden or your fortieth.

On this page: When to plant · Cool-season seeds · Warm-season seeds · Plan a survival garden · Planting tips · Seed saving · Storage · FAQ

When to plant: your last frost date and growing zone

Every planting time on this page counts from your area's average last spring frost date. Search "last frost date" plus your ZIP code, mark it on a calendar, then count weeks back for indoor starts and forward for warm-weather sowing. Our seed starting calendar by last frost date walks through a full example.

• Zones 3-5 (short seasons): start slow crops like peppers, eggplant and celery indoors, and choose the quickest varieties for direct sowing.
• Zones 6-7: follow the tables as written; most areas also get a second, fall sowing of cool-season seeds.
• Zones 8-10 (long, hot summers): plant cool-season seeds in fall and winter, and warm-season seeds in early spring before peak heat.

Cool-season vegetable seeds (plant before your last frost)

These heirloom vegetables handle light frost and grow best in cool spring and fall weather. Many can be sown a second time in late summer for a fall harvest.

Warm-season vegetable seeds (plant after your last frost)

Frost kills these plants, so wait until nights stay above 50°F and the soil has warmed. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplant get a head start indoors.

Times are typical. Cool weather slows sprouting and harvest; warm weather speeds it up. "Ready in" counts from sowing unless it says "after planting out."

Planning a survival garden with your Seed Vault

A survival garden puts calories, nutrition and storability first. A simple plan for a beginner-sized plot:

• Fast food (first 30-50 days): radishes, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard and kohlrabi keep something on the table while slower crops grow.
• Calorie crops: Early Bantam corn, Henderson lima beans, Tendergreen bush beans, Waltham butternut squash and Sugar Pie pumpkin.
• Keepers: butternut squash, pumpkins, beets, carrots, turnips and parsnips store for months in a cool spot after harvest; dry beans store even longer.
• Preserving: Roma VF tomatoes are a paste type, ideal for canning sauce; cucumbers make pickles.

For layout, soil and water planning, read Survival Garden 101, and see how to compare survival seed vault kits.

Planting tips that matter most

• Depth: plant seeds 2-3 times as deep as they are wide. Tiny seeds (lettuce, celery, carrot, basil) go barely under the surface.
• Water: keep soil evenly moist, not soggy, until seeds sprout. Carrots and parsnips are slow; don't let the surface crust dry out.
• Indoor starts: use seed-starting mix, keep tomatoes, peppers and eggplant warm (70-80°F), and give seedlings bright light as soon as they sprout. Step-by-step: how to start vegetable seeds indoors.
• Hardening off: set indoor seedlings outside for a few hours a day over 7-10 days before transplanting.
• Thinning: once seedlings have their first true leaves, thin to the spacing in the tables.
• Corn: plant a block of 4 or more short rows, not one long row, so the plants pollinate each other.
• Vines: cucumbers, melons, squash and pumpkins need room and full sun. A trellis saves space for cucumbers. Melon tips: how to grow cantaloupe from seed.

Saving seeds from your heirloom vegetables

Because every variety in the vault is open-pollinated, seed you save grows true to type, so one vault can keep a garden going season after season.

• Easiest: beans, peas, lettuce and tomatoes rarely cross. Let bean and pea pods dry on the plant; scoop tomato seeds from fully ripe fruit, ferment 2-3 days in a little water, rinse and dry.
• Isolate: squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, melons and corn cross with other varieties of the same species. Grow one variety of each at a time, or keep them far apart.
• Two-year crops: carrots, beets, cabbage, kale, turnips, parsnips and onions flower in their second year.
• Dry saved seed fully, label it with the variety, and store it the same way as your vault.

How to store your seeds

Only open the packets you plan to plant this season. Keep the rest sealed in the Seed Vault's resealable Mylar bag:

• Cool: a closet, basement or cool pantry. Avoid attics, garages, cars and sunny windows.
• Dry: moisture is the biggest enemy of stored seed. Keep the bag sealed and off damp floors.
• Dark: keep seeds out of direct sunlight.
• Reseal: press the air out and reseal the bag right after taking packets out.
• Steady: avoid big temperature swings. If you refrigerate seed, let the sealed bag warm to room temperature before opening so no condensation forms.

Germination test: roll 10 seeds in a damp paper towel, put it in a plastic bag somewhere warm, and count how many sprout in the time shown in the table. 7 of 10 means 70%; sow a little thicker to make up the difference. More detail: how to store seeds long-term.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant the seeds in my Seed Vault?

Count from your average last spring frost date. Cool-season seeds like peas, spinach, lettuce, radish, carrots and kale go in 2-6 weeks before it. Warm-season seeds like beans, squash, corn, cucumbers and melons go in 1-3 weeks after it. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and celery are started indoors 6-12 weeks ahead.

Which Seed Vault seeds should I start indoors?

Tomatoes (Large Cherry and Roma VF), California Wonder bell pepper, Black Beauty eggplant, Utah 52-70 celery, and the cabbage family (Waltham 29 broccoli, Snowball Y cauliflower, Golden Acre cabbage, Long Island Improved Brussels sprouts). Everything else can be sown straight into the garden.

Do I have to plant all 35 varieties at once?

No. Open only the packets you plan to grow this season and keep the rest sealed in the resealable bag, stored cool, dry and dark.

Can I save seeds from these plants?

Yes. Every variety is open-pollinated heirloom, so saved seed grows true to type. Beans, peas, lettuce and tomatoes are the easiest to start with. Squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, melons and corn can cross with other varieties of the same type, so grow one variety of each at a time if you plan to save seed.

What should I plant first for the most food?

For quick harvests, start with radishes, lettuce, spinach and bush beans. For the most calories from a small space, plant Early Bantam corn, Henderson lima beans, Waltham butternut squash and Sugar Pie pumpkin, which also store well after harvest.

How do I store the seeds I'm not using yet?

Keep them in the sealed Mylar bag in a cool, dry, dark place such as a closet or basement. Avoid heat, humidity and big temperature swings, and reseal the bag every time you open it.

More planting guides

• Herb seeds planting guide
• Flower seeds planting guide
• Seed starting calendar by last frost date
• How to grow Bloomsdale spinach
• How to store seeds long-term

Questions?

Tap the chat button on this page and ask anything about growing your seeds, or read our FAQ. Kit details and the full variety list: Seed Vault 35-variety heirloom vegetable kit.