Ferry morse seeds

[River]

I think at one point they were the largest seed supplier. As u know all the box stores carry them.
1.28 a packet for the non gmo is hard to beat providing they are what they say they are.

I checked a few reviews on Amazon and they were positive but some of the forums like ours were negative but with no facts. I like johnnyseeds and others, but I wonder if the cliche u pay for what u get applies here.

Please speak up thanks

[imafan26]

I get Ferry Morse seeds. They are cheap and available through outlet stores. They don't have a lot of seed in them, but hardly anyone sells seeds by wt anymore but by count and they are like half the price. I have had no problem with their seed. I order from TGN pumpkin nook since the big box stores carry seeds from different suppliers and they keep changing them. I have never had a problem with their order. An occasional empty packet but I get that from other seed suppliers too. They will replace it if that happens. Just remember to feel the packet first. I haven't had the wrong seed in them which has happened with seeds from other sources.
They do not carry anything really unusual, but they have most of the heirloom and popular varieties. If you want specialty seeds then you really need to go to a specialty site. The number of seeds in a packet is reasonable for a small home garden, but I don't think they sell bulk seeds. They do have organic and heirloom seeds as well as pretty reasonably priced supplies. Best yet if they ship to Hawaii and Alaska, you will have no problem. I have a lot of issues with companies that do not ship to Hawaii or slap on extra charges to do so. Most companies will not ship plants, bulbs, crowns, or beneficial insects, beneficial nematodes, or anything "live" because of the state's Ag restrictions. Sending things out can be even worse.

http://www.goestores.com/catalog.aspx?S ... ptID=29148

[JC's Garden]

Try this link. I've been doing business with these guys.
http://www.seedway.com/store/Pages/Home.aspx
I get a lot for my money and the germination rate is always better than with seed packets from retailers.
You might want to split an order with friends. I don't bother doing that because even when they're a year or two old I still get good germination.

[rainbowgardener]

Personally, I've never been able to tell any difference between seed from different companies. A seed is pretty much a seed. The difference between different companies/ catalogs is whether they carry the plants/ varieties you want. Some catalogs have much more variety than others or specialize in something like herbs, heirlooms, etc so have many more choices in their specialty area than stores or other catalogs. But if you want a California Wonder bell pepper, I don't think it matters where you find it.

[imafan26]

True, but would you want to pay $3.99 for 20 seeds or $1.39 for the same variety?

[River]

True, but would you want to pay $3.99 for 20 seeds or $1.39 for the same variety?

That was my point
I ordered my specialized seeds from johnnyseeds and totally tomatoes recently.

Now if I the Genovese basil and sweet etc are the same as the other seed companies carry why spend more?

[rainbowgardener]

Right, that was basically my point as well. Since a seed is a seed, why buy the expensive ones. I buy mine cheap in bulk, since they can usually be stored for 5 yrs or more.

[applestar]

Here are a few things I do think about though....

I've heard that most commercial vendors buy wholesale seeds and repackage them so it's true that they are quite possibly exactly same.

It's rumored that most of those seeds are grown in China or here or there, this company or that conglomerate. True? False? I don't know. Is there something about those possible sources that I might have objections enough to not want to finance them?

Many conventional seeds are treated in some way with fungicides and/or pesticides. While the amount is minuscule, is that something I want if some seed vendors offer untreated seeds for same amount and untreated organically grown seeds for a little bit more?

If at all possible, do I want seeds from crops that were and have been grown for several generations in climate similar to mine? -- Yes.

Do I want to buy seeds if I can grow some of the crop I grew in my own garden under conditions of my own choosing to maturity and collect seeds that will grow true? -- No.

[rainbowgardener]

Right, best is your own collected seed from plants that did well in your garden! And it is free!

[imafan26]

Some seeds are treated, it usually says that on the package. Some seeds do also list the country of origin. I haven't gotten anything from China yet, but it is actually a good idea to have the country of origin. I do have to think twice about getting seed grown out in Holland or France. Mainly because the climates are so different from my own that the plants may just not do well.

There is also the issue of seed borne diseases. Downy mildew entered the US through Florida from contaminated seed imported from France I think.

I have some seeds from China, Korea, and Thailand. They have been fine. It is just hard since except for the name everything on the package is more or less in Chinese or Korean. Sometimes there is an English label pasted on to the package. Most of the foreign seeds are also labeled for export. I suppose they have different standards to comply with for export vs local distribution.

Saving seed is a great idea, locally grown seeds are likely to do well in your area. However, it does not eliminate the risk of seed borne disease. There are a few ways seeds can be treated but there is no way I know of to tell an infected seed from a good one.

Try to get certified disease free seed if you have had a problem. They will cost more.
If you save seeds, only save them from disease free plants. Dry and store them properly.

Some seed borne diseases of crucifers like black rot will contaminate the soil for years.
Some seeds are sold pretreated and usually dyed pink or green as a warning that they are not edible. They are usually dusted with captan to reduce seed rots. It is not organic, but not a bad thing either as it does protect the seed.


http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell. ... tment.html
https://ipm.illinois.edu/diseases/rpds/915.pdf