Seed Library

What is a Seed Library?

A Seed Library is a self-perpetuating collection of seeds donated and shared by members of our community. Hosted at all library branches, seeds are available free of charge to any library patron. You don't need a library card to use the seed library, but we'll be happy to make one for you. The Seed Library will launch on Tuesday, April 1 at all four GPL branches.

The idea is simple: you borrow from a selection of vegetable and flower seeds at any time during the year, plant them in your garden, and watch them grow. When it’s time to harvest, let a plant or two go to seed, and bring some of the seeds back to the library for other gardeners to enjoy.

Seed Starting Tips

• Know your seeds - some should be started indoors 6 – 8 weeks before planting outside (peppers), some should be directly sown outside (beans).
• Before planting your seeds, pre-soak in a damp paper towel for 24 hours.
• Pre-moisten soil and plant the seeds in containers that allow for air flow and drainage.
• Plant the seed at a depth approximately 3 times the length of the seed. Label each container to keep track of which plants are which.
• Once planted, keep seeds warm and humid to encourage germination, between 19 – 24 degrees Celsius. To do this, cover with a clear lid or plastic wrap. Remember that seeds don’t need a lot of light until they have sprouted.
• Once your seeds have sprouted, keep them in a sunny place. You may want to consider using a grow light.
• Remove the lid or covering once seeds have sprouted. Keep soil moist and fertilize weekly.
• Check for overcrowding. If you have planted multiple seeds in the same pot, pull weaker/smaller sprouts to give the larger/stronger sprouts room to grow.
• ‘Pot up’ if necessary – if your seedling is outgrowing its container before it is time to plant outside, you may want to pot it up into a slightly larger container.
• ‘Harden off’ your plant - up to a week before you plant outside, let your seedlings sit outside in a sunny spot for a few hours each day so it gets used to outside conditions.
• Plant outside after the threat of frost has passed, usually after Victoria Day weekend.

Seed Saving Tips

• Seeds must be fully dry before storage to prevent the seeds from breaking down and failing to germinate the following year.
• Store seeds in a dark, cool, and dry place like the back of the fridge over winter in envelopes. A special tip is to place a silica packet with them to absorb any moisture.
• You can save seeds from heirloom or non-hybrid plants. It is not recommended to save seeds from hybrids or GMOs. Hybrid sees may result in weak and unhealthy plants due to their mixed parentage. 
• Label the seed packets preferably in paper envelopes with the plant's name, season harvested, best growing conditions, and any other relevant information available. 
• For guides on saving seeds, visit Southern Ontario Seed Saver or explore the large selection of gardening guides and books in the library's catalogue.

Download a Seed Library brochure.