We are a trade association that assists its members in staying current on topics, regulations, and trends that impact the home garden seed industry.
The Home Garden Seed Association (HGSA) is a member driven organization made up of companies who share the goal of gardening from seed. The goal of the HGSA is to serve as a trade association that assists its members in staying current on topics, regulations, and trends that impact the home garden seed industry and serve as a collective voice to protect and promote our industry.
Between Federal Laws and independent State Laws seed labeling and compliance can be complicated. At HGSA’s January webinar Lan Chi Trinh, a Regulatory Manager with the USDA, and Karen Withers with AgCultured Consulting illustrated just how complicated those regulations can be.
2024 Summer Meeting Details & Photos
2024 Summer Meeting in Corvallis, Oregon
New Member Profile
Tom Prata, Condor Seed Productions
When Tolman retired in 2018, Tom Prata took the helm. Formerly the Sales Manager for the company, Prata manages the operation remotely from Florida. With an office staff of just six people, Prata’s staff covers a lot of ground, with Prata traveling to Yuma frequently, and beyond.
New Growing Guides For Gardeners
Gift Ideas From Our Members
Gardeners always appreciate gifts that will help make their growing efforts successful. If you’ve never considered looking to your favorite seed catalogs and website for ideas, you’re missing out! Here are a few great gift ideas for home gardeners from Home Garden Seed Association members.
Winter Squash: Growing, Harvesting, Using
Winter squash need room to roam and fertile, nitrogen-rich soil. In general, they should be spaced about 4 feet apart, though spacing varies depending on the variety you are growing. If you’re short on space, choose “bush” varieties, or provide a very sturdy trellis for squash plants to climb on.
The Best Seeds to Start Indoors
There are so many enticing flower and vegetable varieties. Would that we could start them all! But alas, there are limiting factors. Chief among them are space and light. Unless you have a greenhouse (and maybe even then!) there will be many more seedlings you’ll want to grow than that you’ll have the conditions for. Here are some tips to help you whittle down your list.
Garden Supports
In mid-summer, as your zinnias and sunflowers grow tall and your vegetable plants become laden with fruits, you may come to the realization that it would have been smart to think about how to prop them up when they were still of a manageable size. But it’s not too late. Cages, stakes, netting, and string can do wonders for a rambunctious garden.
Beat Weeds Before They Start
A nearly weed-free garden is a possibility. It starts with learning about the intruders in your garden: Are they annuals, biennials, or perennials? When do they set seed? Do they spread with underground or aboveground runners? Could it even be that some of your weeds have ecological or other benefits? Keeping a weed journal can help you learn the characteristics and habits of uninvited plants in your vegetable and flower beds. Here are a few very common garden weeds, and tips for dealing with them.
2024 Fall Press Release: Gardening With Pets
Gardening With Pets
We love our gardens, and we love our pets! Here are some tips that will help to keep your garden productive and your pets happy.
“A happy and healthy community is not a fairytale. All you need is a seed.”