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JayPoc
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irksome new trend - "mix" seed packs
Seems like everywhere I look I see variety packs of seeds...who likes these? Seriously, I plant like 1 or 2 banana pepper plants each year, and I can't find a pack of seeds of just banana peppers....just the "sweet fancy mix", etc. Same thing with bell peppers. Both my local Home Depot and Lowes...both had "sweet hybrid mix" bell peppers (with 5 different varieties....none green, for what its worth), but no regular green or red bell peppers. Variety is nice, but not when you have no idea what you're going to end up with. So lets say I start 4 plants...they could all be red, or yellow, or purple, or orange....but I'll have no idea how they'll turn out until they start to ripen. This makes no sense to me.
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jal_ut
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I can only say: If you don't like it don't buy it!
You can order directly from several good seed companies and have seed shipped.
Here is one example.
You can order directly from several good seed companies and have seed shipped.
Here is one example.
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JayPoc
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- Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:00 pm
- Location: Virginia, The mountains Zone 6a/6b
yeah...that would require more planning and more money. Just trying to understand who would actually want this product...lol....jal_ut wrote:I can only say: If you don't like it don't buy it!
You can order directly from several good seed companies and have seed shipped.
Here is one example.
Actually, the seeds from the catalogs can be cheaper especially if you shop around and pay attention to the seed counts. You will have a much better selection than what the stores stock.
The seeds usually arrive in about 1-2 weeks. It is better to order more than one packet because there are minimum shipping charges. I share my catalogs with my gardening friends and see if we can get a bulk order from a company. A lot of times the package contains more seeds than I can use, so I can trade them with other gardeners for seeds or plants I don't have.
By networking I can get a lot of seeds and plant stock by trading or knowing where to shop. I just picked up a ghost pepper from the orchid club sale and they sold all of the rosemary, strawberry, tomato, and bay leaf plants I gave them.
Two of my neighbors have asked me for cuttings from my Euphorbia cotonifolia. It is not a pretty plant in its' natural form but I shape mine regularly so the leaves stay bright red. My neighbor has a gorgeous picottee amaryllis and the best part is I get to enjoy it everyday and I don't have to take care of it.
The seeds usually arrive in about 1-2 weeks. It is better to order more than one packet because there are minimum shipping charges. I share my catalogs with my gardening friends and see if we can get a bulk order from a company. A lot of times the package contains more seeds than I can use, so I can trade them with other gardeners for seeds or plants I don't have.
By networking I can get a lot of seeds and plant stock by trading or knowing where to shop. I just picked up a ghost pepper from the orchid club sale and they sold all of the rosemary, strawberry, tomato, and bay leaf plants I gave them.
Two of my neighbors have asked me for cuttings from my Euphorbia cotonifolia. It is not a pretty plant in its' natural form but I shape mine regularly so the leaves stay bright red. My neighbor has a gorgeous picottee amaryllis and the best part is I get to enjoy it everyday and I don't have to take care of it.
Maybe I am alone in this, but I enjoy mixed seed packets, for certain things: Swiss chard, carrots, beets, celosia, marigold, etc. I also bought a packet of mixed bush type summer squash seeds this year.
They work out for me because I have limited space and they allow me to try out different varieties without buying an entire packet of seeds I won't possibly be able to use all of.
After the first year I try to save my own seeds as much as possible, so if I don't like one type or it doesn't do well in my climate, I just don't collect those seeds.
I also try new things I otherwise might not, this way. For instance, I usually only grow zucchini or yellow squash. This year I selected three squash seeds at random from the mixed packet and now I have a bush loaded with scalloped squash (too immature to tell what kind) which I love eating but probably would not otherwise have grown. This is a good thing.
Some things don't do well here, and I therefore have to be choosey about the varieties. I will probably never buy a mixed packet of tomato seeds in AZ. I can see the pluses and minuses here.
PS- Jaypoc, if you only want banana pepper seeds, try collecting your own this year. You could get more than enough for your needs from just one pepper and then you have the advantage of knowing the plants will likely thrive, since the seeds came from happy plants grown in your climate.
They work out for me because I have limited space and they allow me to try out different varieties without buying an entire packet of seeds I won't possibly be able to use all of.
After the first year I try to save my own seeds as much as possible, so if I don't like one type or it doesn't do well in my climate, I just don't collect those seeds.
I also try new things I otherwise might not, this way. For instance, I usually only grow zucchini or yellow squash. This year I selected three squash seeds at random from the mixed packet and now I have a bush loaded with scalloped squash (too immature to tell what kind) which I love eating but probably would not otherwise have grown. This is a good thing.
Some things don't do well here, and I therefore have to be choosey about the varieties. I will probably never buy a mixed packet of tomato seeds in AZ. I can see the pluses and minuses here.
PS- Jaypoc, if you only want banana pepper seeds, try collecting your own this year. You could get more than enough for your needs from just one pepper and then you have the advantage of knowing the plants will likely thrive, since the seeds came from happy plants grown in your climate.
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JayPoc
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- Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:00 pm
- Location: Virginia, The mountains Zone 6a/6b
You know....Since I grow several varieties of peppers, all hybrids, I'm afraid to save any seed....I'm sure there's a lot of stray pepper pollen that gets sloshed around....lol...sepeters wrote: PS- Jaypoc, if you only want banana pepper seeds, try collecting your own this year. You could get more than enough for your needs from just one pepper and then you have the advantage of knowing the plants will likely thrive, since the seeds came from happy plants grown in your climate.
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cedillamuerta
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- Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2012 4:42 am
- Location: South MS
I can definitely see why someone would not like mystery mixes, especially when it comes to plants like peppers where you can't tell what you have until it fruits. I purchased a 'Carnival Mix' packet of pepper seeds from Burpee, and people seem pretty excited to hear about the (at least to us) strange varieties I'm going to have. This is only my first year of real gardening, though, so everything is experimental at this point.
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ReptileAddiction
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applestar
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My response would depend on the size of the mixed seed packet.
If it's the same smaller size and same price and single variety packets, and if the varieties being mixed has no consequence, then I might buy it.
I actually like mesclun seed packets this way because I don't have that much space to grow. I don't need to buy 5 packets of seeds. I particularly like "gourmet" mesclun packet that lists the individual varieties and contains the varieties I would have liked to grow any way.
For plants that have complete flowers and can self pollinate, I may not mind mixed varieties as long as they are NOT hybrid. Its easy to collect seeds from heirloom or open pollinated stable varieties of tomatoes and peppers to plant again next year.
Criteria here would be that the varieties are known. I had an OLD -- maybe 12-15 yr old -- unopened souvenir from Arizona packet of mixed heirloom hot peppers with the 4 or 5 varieties contained clearly listed. Due to the differences in the peppers, the seeds actually looked different -- some were much larger, some were described as light colored seeds and dark colored seeds... So I was able to more-or-less sort them into groups and pick out most likely individuals to grow out. I saved seeds from each of the resulting fruits 3 years ago and now have individually enveloped and labeled seeds to plant.
If it's the same smaller size and same price and single variety packets, and if the varieties being mixed has no consequence, then I might buy it.
I actually like mesclun seed packets this way because I don't have that much space to grow. I don't need to buy 5 packets of seeds. I particularly like "gourmet" mesclun packet that lists the individual varieties and contains the varieties I would have liked to grow any way.
For plants that have complete flowers and can self pollinate, I may not mind mixed varieties as long as they are NOT hybrid. Its easy to collect seeds from heirloom or open pollinated stable varieties of tomatoes and peppers to plant again next year.
Criteria here would be that the varieties are known. I had an OLD -- maybe 12-15 yr old -- unopened souvenir from Arizona packet of mixed heirloom hot peppers with the 4 or 5 varieties contained clearly listed. Due to the differences in the peppers, the seeds actually looked different -- some were much larger, some were described as light colored seeds and dark colored seeds... So I was able to more-or-less sort them into groups and pick out most likely individuals to grow out. I saved seeds from each of the resulting fruits 3 years ago and now have individually enveloped and labeled seeds to plant.
I can understand why it can be inconvenient especially if you only want one kind of pepper or flower.
Most of the stores only carry the jewel mix nasturtiums, instead of the single colors and it is hard especially if you are planning a color garden and you want to choose your colors and where they are to go.
Pepper mixes can be a surprise, especially after they start fruiting and you still can't figure out which ones they are. But, sometimes it is also fun to try to figure it out.
You can get a better selection of seeds and choices including single varieties by catalog. Reputable seed companies send seeds out as soon as a day later and most will arrive within a couple of weeks. Sometimes, they have sent me the wrong seed. This has happened with Burpee a couple of times that I ordered from them. The good thing is that if they send you the wrong seed, whether you find out or they get complaints from other customers, they will send you replacement seeds and sometimes bonuses as an apology.
Shopping online catalogs you can find the best prices and many more varieties than you can get from the local store. If you do buy seeds locally, you should pay attention to how they are stored. I prefer to buy seed that is displayed in the air conditioned store and not displayed outside in the garden area where the temperature varies all day, there is moisture from exposure to rain and the watering of plants across the aisle. This is especially a concern when packages are not coated, or seed is not in foil pouches to keep the moisture out.
Sometimes, it really is not bad to get seed mixtures. As mentioned already, mesclun has a variety of lettuce and that is not a bad thing. I wish there was a vegetable seed garden mix, complete with garden planting plan. You'd think somebody would have thought of that already. I really don't need or use an entire packet of zucchini, pumpkins, watermelon, squash, peppers, or beans.
Some seeds keep a few years, others don't.
You also have to be careful whether you buy seeds from a catalog or from Walmart to get cultivars that are best for your growing conditions. Box stores order for all their stores all over the country and they usually buy the popular varieties. Most will work, but not all of them will have nematode, heat, or disease resistance you might need for your area.
Even when ordering from catalogs, you need to research varieties and choose what will do well in your area. Pay attention to seed origins. Seeds grown in Holland may not do well in Hawaii.
But you may get surprises too. I got a letter from Gurney after I ordered asparagus crowns from them. They weren't sure asparagus would grow in Hawaii. I knew that asparagus does grow here with summer watering. You just have to know that you can cheat a zone up or down and still get away with it if you can create the right micro climate.
You could also save seed, trade plants, cuttings and seed with other gardeners. Most are very willing to share if you just ask. If you can get together with other gardeners and order from the same catalog, you can split the cost of packets, get a better price on bulk seeds and share the shipping costs. I can get a variety of things very reasonably this way.
Most of the stores only carry the jewel mix nasturtiums, instead of the single colors and it is hard especially if you are planning a color garden and you want to choose your colors and where they are to go.
Pepper mixes can be a surprise, especially after they start fruiting and you still can't figure out which ones they are. But, sometimes it is also fun to try to figure it out.
You can get a better selection of seeds and choices including single varieties by catalog. Reputable seed companies send seeds out as soon as a day later and most will arrive within a couple of weeks. Sometimes, they have sent me the wrong seed. This has happened with Burpee a couple of times that I ordered from them. The good thing is that if they send you the wrong seed, whether you find out or they get complaints from other customers, they will send you replacement seeds and sometimes bonuses as an apology.
Shopping online catalogs you can find the best prices and many more varieties than you can get from the local store. If you do buy seeds locally, you should pay attention to how they are stored. I prefer to buy seed that is displayed in the air conditioned store and not displayed outside in the garden area where the temperature varies all day, there is moisture from exposure to rain and the watering of plants across the aisle. This is especially a concern when packages are not coated, or seed is not in foil pouches to keep the moisture out.
Sometimes, it really is not bad to get seed mixtures. As mentioned already, mesclun has a variety of lettuce and that is not a bad thing. I wish there was a vegetable seed garden mix, complete with garden planting plan. You'd think somebody would have thought of that already. I really don't need or use an entire packet of zucchini, pumpkins, watermelon, squash, peppers, or beans.
Some seeds keep a few years, others don't.
You also have to be careful whether you buy seeds from a catalog or from Walmart to get cultivars that are best for your growing conditions. Box stores order for all their stores all over the country and they usually buy the popular varieties. Most will work, but not all of them will have nematode, heat, or disease resistance you might need for your area.
Even when ordering from catalogs, you need to research varieties and choose what will do well in your area. Pay attention to seed origins. Seeds grown in Holland may not do well in Hawaii.
But you may get surprises too. I got a letter from Gurney after I ordered asparagus crowns from them. They weren't sure asparagus would grow in Hawaii. I knew that asparagus does grow here with summer watering. You just have to know that you can cheat a zone up or down and still get away with it if you can create the right micro climate.
You could also save seed, trade plants, cuttings and seed with other gardeners. Most are very willing to share if you just ask. If you can get together with other gardeners and order from the same catalog, you can split the cost of packets, get a better price on bulk seeds and share the shipping costs. I can get a variety of things very reasonably this way.
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UtahJarhead
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applestar
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Most supermarket conventionally mass grown vegetables are hybrid varieties (F1 cross) that will not produce same quality fruits as the original one when seeds are collected and grown.
There are many varieties with specific traits -- flavor, size, color, size of plants, when mature for harvest, adaptation for local climate, disease resistance, etc. -- that you can choose from when you buy seeds from reputable source. That's the fun part of growing from seeds IMHO.
There are many varieties with specific traits -- flavor, size, color, size of plants, when mature for harvest, adaptation for local climate, disease resistance, etc. -- that you can choose from when you buy seeds from reputable source. That's the fun part of growing from seeds IMHO.
The other thing with commercial varieties, you have to remember is that the grower will plant the varieties that have the best production and ship and store the longest. Not necessarily the best tasting varieties.
"Pretty" is usually selected over taste. That is why once you have a home grown tomato, you can really notice the difference. It is also why you won't find a brandywine tomato in supermarkets. It isn't pretty and it does not keep well.
As far as peppers go, whether you buy seeds or plants from the local outlet, your selection will still be limited. There are so many varieties out there to choose from. Even the same pepper like Jalapeno have many cultivars some hot, some not. Even
bell peppers come in a variety of colors red, orange, yellow, purple, and chocolate and mini bell forms.
Green peppers for the most part are immature versions of red and yellow peppers. Even California Wonder and Keystone which are usually eaten as green peppers will turn red if you let them mature.
If you want to get seeds from grocery produce you can. What you get may be a surprise if it is a hybrid, but it can be good.
Check out this thread about all the different kinds of seeds and some plants you can get from the grocery store.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 11&t=38529
"Pretty" is usually selected over taste. That is why once you have a home grown tomato, you can really notice the difference. It is also why you won't find a brandywine tomato in supermarkets. It isn't pretty and it does not keep well.
As far as peppers go, whether you buy seeds or plants from the local outlet, your selection will still be limited. There are so many varieties out there to choose from. Even the same pepper like Jalapeno have many cultivars some hot, some not. Even
bell peppers come in a variety of colors red, orange, yellow, purple, and chocolate and mini bell forms.
Green peppers for the most part are immature versions of red and yellow peppers. Even California Wonder and Keystone which are usually eaten as green peppers will turn red if you let them mature.
If you want to get seeds from grocery produce you can. What you get may be a surprise if it is a hybrid, but it can be good.
Check out this thread about all the different kinds of seeds and some plants you can get from the grocery store.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 11&t=38529