Why keep a seed inventory?
Seed packets pile up. Without a list, you may buy duplicates, forget about packets that have aged past usefulness or miss the planting window for a crop you meant to grow. An inventory shows what you have in a single view and lets you plan before you order.
It also helps you learn. Over a few years, the list shows which crops you use up, which you never finish and which varieties work best for you.
Include seed you plan to share or trade. Rules about selling and shipping seed vary, so keep your own use and trading separate from any sales.
What should the inventory include?
Keep it simple so you will keep it up. A notebook, a spreadsheet or a card file will do. Choose fields you will actually fill in.
At minimum, record the crop and variety, the source, the year the seed was packed or saved, the amount left, and any notes on germination or performance.
Add a column for the planting window, written against your local frost dates and soil temperature, not calendar dates alone. It turns the list into a planting guide.
- Crop and variety name.
- Source and year packed or saved.
- Amount remaining, in a rough measure you can judge.
- Germination test result and date.
- Notes on how it grew in your garden.
How do you sort and store the packets?
Choose an order that fits how you work: by crop type, by planting season or alphabetically. Sorting by planting time helps in spring because you can pull the right packets when the weather allows. Keep all seed in a cool, dry, dark container, with the oldest packets at the front.
Match the physical packets to the written list. When you finish a packet, mark it off and note how well it did.
Group seed by cool-season and warm-season crops so you grab the right packets at the right time of year.
How do you test and cull old seed?
Test germination on older seed in late winter, using a damp paper towel and a sample from the packet, and record the result. Seed with a low rate can be sown thicker or replaced. Discard seed that has been damp, moldy or damaged by insects.
Check your extension office's seed-storage guidance for how long common crops stay viable, so you know which packets to test first. Write the test date on the packet itself and in the list, so you can tell at a glance whether a result is from this winter or from several years ago. Keep a short note of the method you used so that you can repeat it the same way next time.
How do you plan quantities against your garden?
Work from the garden plan: for each crop, note how much space you will plant and how much seed that takes. Packet instructions usually give planting rates and spacing. Compare that need with the inventory and subtract what you already have. A packet often holds far more than a small garden needs, and many seeds can be shared or saved for the next season if stored well.
Plan for some loss. Poor germination, bad weather and pests mean you should not plan for a perfect stand.
Add an estimate of the number of plants and the row length you intend to grow. It helps you decide whether you really need a new packet.
How do you build the order list?
Make the order from the gap between need and stock. Add new varieties on purpose, not by impulse. Check which crops need to start indoors earlier than others, so that you order in time.
Ask your extension office for varieties suited to your area, and consider trading or sharing with neighbors or a local seed library to reduce costs. Rules about selling seed are local, so ask your state agriculture department before you do.
How do you keep the list current?
Update the inventory when you buy, sow or save seed. Spend a few minutes at the end of the season on notes about what worked. The list becomes more useful each year.
Back it up. Keep a paper copy or a second digital copy, so that a lost notebook or computer does not erase a record of seed you saved over many years.
Review the list in the fall, when you can still save seed from this year's plants and add it to the inventory before winter. If you share a garden with family or neighbors, agree on one master list and one storage place so that two people do not buy the same seed or use up the last packet without a note. Review the list together each winter before ordering.
Key takeaways
- A short inventory prevents duplicate buying and wasted seed.
- Record crop, variety, source, year, amount and germination.
- Sort by planting time and keep old packets in front.
- Compare garden plan to stock before ordering.
- Update the list each season and keep a backup.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Homestead & Small Farm Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.