Buying Seeds

Just wondering...where do you all get your seeds? Do you just go to the local store and buy them or do you buy them from one of the sites listed in this forum? (Yes, I did see the list!) I noticed Burpee is not on the list which has me worried because I purchased a bunch of Burpee seeds already at the store. Is there some known issue with Burpee seeds not performing or just being inferior?

Is there some kind of additive that must be used on beans? I saw that mentioned somewhere but did not understand it. And, I planted four bean seeds in a pot as a test and nothing has happened as yet--10 days later.

It has taken me so long to make the bed that I will be crushed if nothing grows!

i buy my seeds at a local nursery that carries a wide selection including open-pollinated/heirloom seeds, and F1 hybrids.

burpee is a good company--they developed the big boy tomato and iceberg lettuce. they were big in the victory garden movement during both world wars.

the main reason i get seed catalogs is so i can see what is new. but i almost always buy locally because as much as possible i prefer to keep my money in my neighborhood, and i prefer to support local small businesses.

Some folks like to order seeds from mailorder catalogs because they have greater variety or access to heirlooms that they can't buy locally. There is also the issue that some like to avoid companies owned/controlled by Monsanto which is responsible for GMO seeds.

One of our favorite companies to order from is Baker Seed in MO. When I can I like to use heirlooms and could save the seeds although I've not been THAT organized yet.

J in VA

It is my personal preference to only buy non GMO (non genetically modified) seeds. I am fortunate that Territorial and Victory Seed are within a one hour drive in my home state of Oregon. I do buy from catalogs but only from companies that have taken the safe seed pledge. I grow everything from seed and have found that purchasing from a company that grows and sells its own seed (for the most part) pretty much ensures a successful crop for my growing climate in the PNW.

happycamper wrote:It is my personal preference to only buy non GMO (non genetically modified) seeds. I am fortunate that Territorial and Victory Seed are within a one hour drive in my home state of Oregon. I do buy from catalogs but only from companies that have taken the safe seed pledge. I grow everything from seed and have found that purchasing from a company that grows and sells its own seed (for the most part) pretty much ensures a successful crop for my growing climate in the PNW.

Yes, I would definitely prefer non GMO seeds. Is there a way I can tell which companies have only those? Or do I just go and search out each website?

I do not recall seeing anything about GMO mentioned on the Burpee seeds I purchased. Now I have upset myself!

Thanks for that reminder.

I have a great "seed" tip: I started buying seed this year from a "prepper" company that only sells heirloom variety seeds for almost every veggie type you can think of. My Patriot Supply sells heirloom varieties for each and every vegetable and fruit and almost all herbs with some varieties dating all the way back to the early 1900's!! They sell the seeds n resealable foil packets in water-proof cannisters that can be buried in the ground if necessary. The seed can last for a number of years from one purchase and the pricing in terms of SAVING BIG on $$$ is HUGE!!! The company is called "My Patriot Supply" and the seed packets are MUCH LARGER than what Burpees sells seed for 3 to 4 times the price for 1/4 the amount of seed per packet (in many cases for the same type of seed!! No kidding!! The customer service from this company is also AMAZING and they get the seeds out to the customer literally within DAYS of ordering--year round!! So one can order a full range of seed RIGHT NOW for planning fall plantings and get almost every veggie they would be looking to get in late winter for spring planting. Very NICE!!! Check them out!!! BTW cost per seed packet for ALL seeds is $1.95 in US dollars. Check out MyPatriotSupply.Com

Note: I plan to buy ALL of my needed seeds for NEXT YEAR from this company as soon as the season winds down this fall...in case the US economy goes south or runaway inflation as to seed pricing occurs between now and next spring....I will have my garden seed and not have to worry? ALL seed this compny sells is NON-GMO and Heirloom

Don't worry about Burpee. I buy their organic seed packets at the local big box stores when I find something I like. This year it was their burpless cucumber.

I also buy from a couple of favorites online, like johnnyseeds.com, Comstock seeds, and Baker Seeds mostly and swap here thru our seedswapping page in late winter for something I want to try first before buying a whole packet.

If you buy, keep them in your crisper in the fridge if you want them to be viable for a longer period. For example, you can save seeds for 5 years with tomatoes this way and germination will still be high.

Oops, I forgot to respond about innoculants. We tried an experiment at our community garden this year. One section of sugar peas were coated with innoculant when planted, and the other section were not. The ones that were (we also soaked them overnite in water) germinated a week sooner which we attributed to presoaking them and right now they are producing more peas than those that weren't covered with innoculant and this we attribute to the innoculant itself. I'd say it helps. It helps fix the nitrogen in the roots of the peas and beans.

Thanks to everyone for that useful information.

Regarding innoculant, do I just trot myself down to HD, Lowes or the hardware store and buy it? It seems like it should be a small package for something like that. Is it? Any guideline as to what is a fair price? And does it store well? (Seems like a product that would deteriorate with storage but I know nothing, obviously.)

I was amazed at how expensive it was this year as opposed to the year before. Prices have skyrocketed for it around here. I think I spent $9.95 for a small package. It doesn't keep very long but I've used it a 2nd year with good results. Try online at johnnyseeds which carries it. I couldn't find it at Lowe's or Home Depot. I found mine locally at Blue Seal Feeds, a feed and grain store. Tractor Supply must also carry it.

I buy mine from several sources and usually stick with heirlooms: Seed Savers and Baker creek are two favorites. Lately, I've been buying heirlooms at a bulk food store run by the mennonites. They buy the seeds in large bulk quantities and sell it for pennies on the dollar. I also patronize a local hardware store that caters to Mel's mix.

Cyclone Gardener --

I live in SW Iowa but would love to know your source for Mel's Mix. Thanks!

CC girl. My source doesn't actually sell the mix, but has I feel the best ingredients to make the mix. It's Wasko Hardware, Keosauqua. If you come in the spring, call ahead as he sells out from time to time. A lot of Amish buy from him. Also, Dutchman's Store in Cantril has hard to find manure soils that I use and other amendments, plus some heirloom seeds. We have a lot of Amish and mennonites in Van Buren County.

Thank you! It might be worth a trip over that direction sometime.

Re: inoculant

Some folks swear by it; some never use it.

Here's more info to help you decide:
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t9960-inoculation-yea-or-nay

I buy from a small local supplier Fisher's Seeds. Judy started helping her uncle Ken and became his partner and then took over for him when he died a few years back. Some of the seed she raises herself, selecting for our climate. I especially like the Mountaineer winter squash her uncle developed and she keeps going.
Then i also buy from Territorial and Irish Eyes/GardenCity. They all are small businesses and select for closer to my climate.

I use legume inoculate, it seems to help. But I use it less now because my beds have been around a while and I assume there it is part of the soil ecosystem now.

I bought a small package of innoculant a couple of years ago and stored it in my refrigerator. It seems to still be working well as we had our best peas ever this year.

I store my seeds in my chest freezer in their packets in a manilla envelope and they seem to germinate just as well as last year. Anyone had bad luck doing that?

this is the first year I used innoculant and it seems to have made a very positive difference. I try to buy only from companies that have a close-to-zero carbon footprint--Johnny's, Territorial, and Seeds of Change. I am going to try to harvest seeds this year. Last year, my coriander reseeded herself and was one of the first to start coming up.

Fav's
http://www.nativeseeds.org/
http://www.bountifulgardens.org/
http://www.highmowingseeds.com/
http://rareseeds.com/
http://ohioheirloomseeds.com/ (Good prices, small op)

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/
http://www.jungseed.com/

I also get some great seeds from the dollar store (American Seed Co.). I like their kohrabi, cabbage and muncher cuke. Just because it is inexpensive doesn't mean it is bad.

Middlemomma suggested we ask her to add more companies to her Stickie up there, has she been here since May?
http://www.seedsavers.org/Items.aspx?hierId=8 - Maybe someone could add the SeedSavers Exchange

J in VA wrote:I bought a small package of innoculant a couple of years ago and stored it in my refrigerator. It seems to still be working well as we had our best peas ever this year.

I store my seeds in my chest freezer in their packets in a manilla envelope and they seem to germinate just as well as last year. Anyone had bad luck doing that?

I was fortunate to receive some seeds from another forum member last fall. They came in a manilla evelope, which turned out to be classified as a "coin" envelope, and I kept them in a sealed in a mason jar in the fridge and wondered if they would last till the next spring.
Fortunately the ones I planted all germinated and since I had planted more than I needed I gave some of my plants to my neighbors.

Now I plan to save some seeds this year so I purchased some of the coin envelopes and will be saving and storing the seeds I want for future years....

"LittleGardenerwrote:"
Middlemomma suggested we ask her to add more companies to her Stickie up there, has she been here since May?
http://www.seedsavers.org/Items.aspx?hierId=8 - Maybe someone could add the SeedSavers Exchange

Added Seedsavers to the list.

Floyd, don't save them too long! They do lose germination potency with time.

Ava

What exactly is an inoculate, what do you do with it and is it for certain plants or all plants? Also, is it possible to save seeds from all veggies? Do you exchange seeds amongst each other?

songstriss wrote:What exactly is an inoculate, what do you do with it and is it for certain plants or all plants? Also, is it possible to save seeds from all veggies? Do you exchange seeds amongst each other?

The inoculant helps build up rhizobia that help the plant fix nitrogen. This link will take you to an article that explains it. This is only for legumes.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/00305.html/