2025 REGISTRATION

Review requirements below for participating in the Seed Trials and use the link at the end of the invitation to register

Deadline to Register - 12 Noon on Friday Februrary 21, 2025

We’re pleased to announce and invite all Master Gardeners to participate in the 43rd year of our Annual Seed Trials! Please review all the information below before registering.

PURPOSE – Advise home gardeners on optimal selection of plants for Minnesota gardens. Just because a plant grows well near the Maine seacoast or North Carolina (let alone California!) doesn’t mean it will do well here in USDA Zones 3-5. It’s hard to advise home gardeners if all we have to go on is what the seed catalogs say. Each year we test eight different plants including five vegetables, one herb, and two flowers. Each trial includes four to six varieties.

VOLUNTEERING WITH THE SEED TRIALS - Participants grow 4-6 varieties in each of the 8 trials. Participants can choose to participate in as many trials as they like and can manage.

Participants must grow all the varieties in a trial so the main limiting factor is garden space. Refer to the minimum space and light requirements to grow each trial listed in the table below. Please do not sign up for a trial if you can’t commit at least this much space.

Trials can be grown in the home garden, community garden, school garden, etc. Most trials can be grown in containers – but each variety must have its own container with each filled with at least 5 gallons of clean potting mix. Recommended container size is noted on table below. Consistent moisture must be carefully maintained if growing in containers. We do not recommend more than one plant in containers less than 8” in diameter.

Participants will log germination, taste, texture, bloom times, diseases, insects, and more. Data is submitted online, and paper forms must be returned. Monthly Zoom meetings are open for all where we review trial participation and take questions. Tips and ideas are shared too. Dates

and how to join the zoom calls are posted on the front page of the Seed Trials Google site.

Volunteer Hours – participants earn hours for all the activities listed above. Refer to the Recording Volunteer Hours for more information.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION

Plant all seeds received – this allows us to determine germination rates. For a trial that has eight seeds per variety, you will plant 48 seeds. Seeds started in the garden (not indoors) can be planted closer together and then thinned.
Grow to maturity a minimum of two plants of each variety in a trial. If you can grow more than two – great!
Indoor starts – you must have heat mats and grow lights to participate in these trials. The three trials with indoor starts are indicated below.
Submit data via Google Forms AND return paper forms via email or post by the deadline.
Confirm you have the necessary space for your selected trials (refer to table below)

USE OF DATA - The Seed Trial team summarizes submitted results across all participants, providing Minnesota-specific information on how these seeds do in our climate. Education and outreach programs are developed using seed trial results. The Seed Trials Google site has past reports, examples of data, etc.

NEW this year – two trials will have 4 varieties; the remaining six trials will have six varieties as usual.

THE 2025 ANNUAL SEED TRIALS INCLUDE:

Mini Bok Choy

Leafy green vegetable high in nutrients; a staple in many Asian stir fries and soups.

Direct sow after danger of frost has passed and temperatures remain above 500F .

Note – trial must be conducted where no other brassica or cruciferous vegetables have been grown in the last 3-4 previous growing seasons.

Parsnips

Parsnips are a cool-season root vegetable. A hardy annual, foliage looks like parsley and the root resembles a carrot.

Direct sow as soon as soil can be worked in Spring and the soil temperature has reached 600F . Early sowing is important because parsnips are slow to germinate, taking up to 28 days.

Water 1-2 inches weekly – lack of water will affect the taste and texture. Harvest in fall, ideally after the first frost.

Note: Report on the number of plants alive 5 weeks after planting.

Red Beets

Direct sow as soon as soil can be worked in Spring.

Beets are a cool season crop that prefers a sunny location. The roots are an excellent source of vitamin C and the tops (greens) are an excellent source of vitamin A. Regular watering is required.

Bare minimum space needed for two plants/variety: two linear feet in full sun. Can grow in containers that are at least 10” deep.

Orange Cauliflower

An excellent source of vitamin C, high in fiber and folate and an anti-inflammatory, Orange cauliflower is a hybrid that can be eaten raw or cooked/roasted/sauteed.

Indoor Start - Start seeds inside under lights and on a heat mat. A cool-weather vegetable, seedlings will be transplanted into the garden as soon as you can work the soil.

NOTE – only 4 varieties in this Trial.

Container-Friendly Slicing Tomatoes

Everyone loves a great-tasting slicing tomato.

Indoor Start - Start seeds inside under lights and on a heat mat.

While these will be 3-4’ plants, the plants will need support (tomato cage or stake) as they mature.

NOTE – only 4 varieties in this Trial.

Parsley

A hardy biennial herb which is grown for its flavorful dark green leaves. Parsley can be used as a garnish or to flavor soups. stews, fish, meat, and vegetable dishes, and as a main ingredient in pesto and tabbouleh. Parsley is rich source of antioxidants, folate, iron, calcium, magnesium and vitamins A, K and C.

Direct sow as soon as soil can be worked in Spring.

Nasturtiums

These dwarf/mounding varieties require no staking and are perfect for containers or as border plants in the garden. The leaves, seeds, and showy pink flowers are all edible, with a spicy flavor that makes them deer and rabbit (but not woodchuck) resistant. They attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Direct sow after danger of frost has passed in your region and soil has reached 65 degrees.

Rudbeckia

Daisy-like flowers that are native to the Midwest and attract pollinators. Protect young plants from rabbits, deer, etc.

Indoor Start - Start seeds inside under lights and heat mat. Transplant to garden when soil has warmed to 600F .

*All trials can be grown in containers. See the descriptions above for the specific size and number of containers and the amount of potting mix required. See the FAQ section below if you have further questions on spacing.

DEFINITION OF TERMS
INDOOR Seed starts: Three of the trials must be started indoors: Dwarf Tomatoes, Orange Cauliflower, and Rudbeckia. You must have grow lights (not natural light) and heat mats for indoor seed starting. By selecting these trials, you confirm that you have the time (~8 weeks before local frost-free date), light (grow lights, greenhouse), heat mats, and space to start the seeds indoors. The Seed Trial Google Site has more information about starting seeds indoors.

DIRECT Seed: Bok Choy, Parsnips, Red Beets, Parsley, and Nasturtiums seeds must be sown directly into the garden – specific information about timing, soil temperature, etc. will be included in growing instructions.

SEED SPACING – you need to plant all the seeds you receive. The space noted here is for seedlings – you are expected to thin seedlings to recommended “SPACING BETWEEN PLANTS.” You can grow all seeds per variety if you have the space; and you can give away seedlings rather than toss them.

MINIMUM SPACING – this is the total linear feet you need to grow 2 plants per variety in a trial with 6 varieties– for a total of 12 plants; Tomatoes and Cauliflower has only 4 varieties for a total of 8 plants. This is the minimum space for the proposed spacing between plants. A linear foot is equal to 12 inches or 1 foot – it refers to measuring something in a straight line; it is not area.

GARDEN SUN: Most of the trials require full sun (at least 6 hours). Parsley can tolerate some shade, especially in the afternoon. Please make sure you have enough sunny space in your garden to grow the trials you select.

RABBITS/DEER: All of the trials require that you protect the seedlings and plants from critters with fencing or netting.

CONTAINER GROWING: All of the trials except parsnips can be grown in containers. Container size is indicated in the table above. Containers should be at least 10” deep and filled with clean soil. Each Variety should have its own container; for some trials you will have only 1 plant per container while others like bok choi could have more if recommended spacing between plants is maintained. As containers dry out fast, consistent watering is a must to ensure plants thrive. Containers should be protected from critters as well.

NUMBER OF TRIALS SELECTED: If you ask for 3 trials, you most likely will receive 3 trials. At registration, please be sure you have the space for all trials requested and the time to complete the data sheets you will receive for each trial. Because we purchase seeds in advance of registration, we may not be able to fill every request. But we’ll do our best!

FAQs and Seed Starting

Go to the FAQs page for common questions about the seed trials.
For tips on seed starting, check out the Seed Starting page