Does anyone have a favourite seed catalog they order online? I'm in need of a couple more and was wondering what catalogs other people prefer.
Thanks!
Favourite seed catalogs?
Hey
Does anyone have a favourite seed catalog they order online? I'm in need of a couple more and was wondering what catalogs other people prefer.
Thanks!
Does anyone have a favourite seed catalog they order online? I'm in need of a couple more and was wondering what catalogs other people prefer.
Thanks!
My catalogs have started coming in.
Kitazawa seeds for Asian seeds
Pinetree Garden seeds- organic and heirloom seeds. They have a lot of unique products and herbs no one else has and prices are very reasonable. I do have to be careful when ordering because some things will not grow in my zone.
UH seed program (local extension service) has seeds bred for Hawaii conditions including tropical corn and rust and nematode resistant beans.
Johnny seeds- good selection and service.
Pepper joes- if you like specialty peppers
Pepper gal- small home business in Florida. Not a big selection, but good prices.
Baker Creek - quality heirloom and hybrid seeds. Non GMO
Renee's Garden- Usually seeds have been garden tested and are very good varieties. Good articles and recipes too.
Tomato Growers' supply - large selection of tomato, pepper, and eggplant varieties.
Park seed- expensive but seeds are packaged well and keep a long time
TGN pumpkin nook- reasonably priced Ferry Morse seeds for garden staples. Good seed counts and value for the money.
Tatiana's TOMATObase.
Greenhouse megastore- garden supplies
Harris seeds- bulk seeds
Stokes seed- bulk seeds
Territorial Seeds- good selection
High mowing seeds- good selection. reasonable prices organic seeds
Kitazawa seeds for Asian seeds
Pinetree Garden seeds- organic and heirloom seeds. They have a lot of unique products and herbs no one else has and prices are very reasonable. I do have to be careful when ordering because some things will not grow in my zone.
UH seed program (local extension service) has seeds bred for Hawaii conditions including tropical corn and rust and nematode resistant beans.
Johnny seeds- good selection and service.
Pepper joes- if you like specialty peppers
Pepper gal- small home business in Florida. Not a big selection, but good prices.
Baker Creek - quality heirloom and hybrid seeds. Non GMO
Renee's Garden- Usually seeds have been garden tested and are very good varieties. Good articles and recipes too.
Tomato Growers' supply - large selection of tomato, pepper, and eggplant varieties.
Park seed- expensive but seeds are packaged well and keep a long time
TGN pumpkin nook- reasonably priced Ferry Morse seeds for garden staples. Good seed counts and value for the money.
Tatiana's TOMATObase.
Greenhouse megastore- garden supplies
Harris seeds- bulk seeds
Stokes seed- bulk seeds
Territorial Seeds- good selection
High mowing seeds- good selection. reasonable prices organic seeds
I have large gardens and buy fairly large packets of some things, Annalkona. Here are the seed outfits I've ordered from this year and in years past.
Osborne
Harris
Stokes
Tomato Growers Supply
I may get by with one more order and that will be from Jungs. If I do not order from Johnny's, it will be the first time in about 20 or 25 years! It's okay, I've bought lots of things from them in the past. In fact, I have a fair amount of seed already on the shelves. So, the seed orders are "lighter" than most years.
You have West Coast Seed nearby. Their offerings have really expanded lately. I haven't ordered from them before but they do ship to the US.
Steve
Osborne
Harris
Stokes
Tomato Growers Supply
I may get by with one more order and that will be from Jungs. If I do not order from Johnny's, it will be the first time in about 20 or 25 years! It's okay, I've bought lots of things from them in the past. In fact, I have a fair amount of seed already on the shelves. So, the seed orders are "lighter" than most years
.You have West Coast Seed nearby. Their offerings have really expanded lately. I haven't ordered from them before but they do ship to the US.
Steve
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jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
2278 Baker Creek Road
Mansfield MO 65704
Oh, and don't forget Burpee
https://www.burpee.com/
2278 Baker Creek Road
Mansfield MO 65704
Oh, and don't forget Burpee
https://www.burpee.com/
I love Johnny's - they are the best. Great quality seeds and A+ service.
As for catalogs though, I was amazed at the Burpee catalog this year. Wow, it was really well done with awesome large pictures. If you want something for reading, I suggest requesting that one. Also Baker's Creek. Of course, Johnny's catalog is good too!
Harris seeds last year sent me seeds grown in China, and they were treated as well and have a coating over the outside. Not really a good look. I know they claim all hybrids are grown in China for the cheap labor (I have googled this), but I am very skeptical. I would happily pay extra for seeds grown in the USA.
Burpee is ok, but they send mislabeled seeds sometimes, it happened to me with two different seed packets in one year, and they have a reputation for it. And their online prices are outrageous. If you are looking for cheap seeds, I have never used them but I have heard Pinetree is a reasonably priced source.
As for catalogs though, I was amazed at the Burpee catalog this year. Wow, it was really well done with awesome large pictures. If you want something for reading, I suggest requesting that one. Also Baker's Creek. Of course, Johnny's catalog is good too!
Harris seeds last year sent me seeds grown in China, and they were treated as well and have a coating over the outside. Not really a good look. I know they claim all hybrids are grown in China for the cheap labor (I have googled this), but I am very skeptical. I would happily pay extra for seeds grown in the USA.
Burpee is ok, but they send mislabeled seeds sometimes, it happened to me with two different seed packets in one year, and they have a reputation for it. And their online prices are outrageous. If you are looking for cheap seeds, I have never used them but I have heard Pinetree is a reasonably priced source.
Burpee's catalog is well done, but the seeds are pricey especially for the amounts. They contract out a lot of the seeds so sometimes they do end up sending the wrong seeds. They have been very responsive though, if you let them know they replace them and they send things out quickly. I usually get my order within 7-10 days. There aren't many options in the middle of the Pacific. No overnight delivery and a lot of shipping restrictions so some companies won't send a lot of things and I get charged higher handling and shipping fees to boot.
I like Thompson and Morgan too, even though I get charged extra from my bank for international charges.
Johnny's does have a really good selection of greens. There are a lot of choices for organic greenhouse and hydro varieties. My boss orders a lot of the seeds from them for the hydro. The farm grows 31 different kinds of lettuce, about a half dozen beets, kale, arugula, mizuna, chard, cilantro, and carrots with seeds from Johnny's. I like the oak leaf lettuce, and butterhead. The best beets are Merlin, Bull's blood, and chioggia. Our beds are shallow so we grow baby carrots and Nelson is the sweetest even in summer. Local favorites are manoa lettuce, long purple eggplant, Okinawan spinach, Japanese negi, watercress, and ung choi.
I like Thompson and Morgan too, even though I get charged extra from my bank for international charges.
Johnny's does have a really good selection of greens. There are a lot of choices for organic greenhouse and hydro varieties. My boss orders a lot of the seeds from them for the hydro. The farm grows 31 different kinds of lettuce, about a half dozen beets, kale, arugula, mizuna, chard, cilantro, and carrots with seeds from Johnny's. I like the oak leaf lettuce, and butterhead. The best beets are Merlin, Bull's blood, and chioggia. Our beds are shallow so we grow baby carrots and Nelson is the sweetest even in summer. Local favorites are manoa lettuce, long purple eggplant, Okinawan spinach, Japanese negi, watercress, and ung choi.
Annalkona, you are very likely to find favourites which reflect your personal interests in gardening a little better than your neighbor's. Although, your neighborhood garden center may not be doing a very good job for either of you. My local seed supplier is doing much better than years before when they might have had a choice of one variety in 5 different packets from 5 different companies ... and, that's it!
Commitments to a catalog outfit may change as your interests change. As an example, as stir-fries became a more important part of my diet, leafy greens became a more important part of my vegetable gardening.
At one time, Jungs seemed to be the source for just about everything I needed but couldn't find locally. It wasn't always like that. I'm gonna sound like a senile, olde duffer but my use of R.H. Shumway seeds goes back to the 60's. First, they were in Illinois, then they moved to South Carolina, then Jungs bought the company. It was kind of okay by me. The selections didn't change much and I had already become a customer of Jungs. They bought several other companies about that time. This year, I'm a little frustrated with Jungs.
Seeds from the different catalogs could be ordered from Jungs' egardenersplace . com. Shipments were from the same Wisconsin address and in the same box. That has changed this year
. No more egardenersplace . com. Now, there will be shipping charges for orders from each of Jungs' catalogs. I wonder if there is a grandfather clause ...
Steve
Commitments to a catalog outfit may change as your interests change. As an example, as stir-fries became a more important part of my diet, leafy greens became a more important part of my vegetable gardening.
At one time, Jungs seemed to be the source for just about everything I needed but couldn't find locally. It wasn't always like that. I'm gonna sound like a senile, olde duffer but my use of R.H. Shumway seeds goes back to the 60's. First, they were in Illinois, then they moved to South Carolina, then Jungs bought the company. It was kind of okay by me. The selections didn't change much and I had already become a customer of Jungs. They bought several other companies about that time. This year, I'm a little frustrated with Jungs.
Seeds from the different catalogs could be ordered from Jungs' egardenersplace . com. Shipments were from the same Wisconsin address and in the same box. That has changed this year
. No more egardenersplace . com. Now, there will be shipping charges for orders from each of Jungs' catalogs. I wonder if there is a grandfather clause ...Steve
When you buy seeds there are other considerations too like if the catalog contains not only the seeds you like but contain ones that can grow in your climate. In the continental U.S., you don't have the same issues that Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, V.I., and Puerto Rico have just getting anyone to ship anything to them without having to pay for the items to be sent to a transit center that will forward them. Not to mention agricultural restrictions.
When you look for seeds it helps to look for companies that grow their own seeds or at least tell you the seed origin. If you live in the North, a northern or Canadian seed company will carry more varieties suitable for your growing conditions. In southern states, other seed companies will offer more heat tolerant and regional favorites.
That is why I like Kitazawa seeds. It is located in California but supplies a lot of seeds suitable for growing in Hawaii and some things which are common here, but not commonly found in most catalogs.
When I look at catalogs, I have to look for information on zone, disease resistance, nematode resistance, and heat resistance. Catalogs usually try to tell you the seeds best features so I have learned to look for keywords like superior, excellent, which usually means they will be better seeds than the ones that don't mention anything about flavor or rate flavor as just good. Prices also vary, so it pays actually to shop around and check the weights of the products. If you grow a lot it is always better to buy bulk seed, after you have found varieties you like, especially if the seeds can store for a few years.
Most companies have online catalogs or will send free catalogs for the asking. You will have so much more choices with catalogs than what you will find at the local box store. In my case since the local box stores are not locally owned, they order for all their stores all over the country so they may be selling Walla Walla onion seeds and plants that require chilling or longer days, and few places here are suitable for that. The hardest thing to do is not go crazy and buy more seeds than you can possibly use in a reasonable time. That's how you end up needing an extra freezer just to store them. I usually make lists from several catalogs, compare prices then start paring down. I need to check the seeds I have on hand and consider what seeds I am going to plant when and if I will have planting space for the new seeds I get. If I can't reasonably plant them this year and they are an easy variety to find, I will usually wait on it. If it is something special, I may get it anyway. I hate throwing away perfectly good seeds, but I have decided that if I gave it a couple of tries and it either did not do well in the garden or the taste was not to my liking, it was time for them to go.
When you look for seeds it helps to look for companies that grow their own seeds or at least tell you the seed origin. If you live in the North, a northern or Canadian seed company will carry more varieties suitable for your growing conditions. In southern states, other seed companies will offer more heat tolerant and regional favorites.
That is why I like Kitazawa seeds. It is located in California but supplies a lot of seeds suitable for growing in Hawaii and some things which are common here, but not commonly found in most catalogs.
When I look at catalogs, I have to look for information on zone, disease resistance, nematode resistance, and heat resistance. Catalogs usually try to tell you the seeds best features so I have learned to look for keywords like superior, excellent, which usually means they will be better seeds than the ones that don't mention anything about flavor or rate flavor as just good. Prices also vary, so it pays actually to shop around and check the weights of the products. If you grow a lot it is always better to buy bulk seed, after you have found varieties you like, especially if the seeds can store for a few years.
Most companies have online catalogs or will send free catalogs for the asking. You will have so much more choices with catalogs than what you will find at the local box store. In my case since the local box stores are not locally owned, they order for all their stores all over the country so they may be selling Walla Walla onion seeds and plants that require chilling or longer days, and few places here are suitable for that. The hardest thing to do is not go crazy and buy more seeds than you can possibly use in a reasonable time. That's how you end up needing an extra freezer just to store them. I usually make lists from several catalogs, compare prices then start paring down. I need to check the seeds I have on hand and consider what seeds I am going to plant when and if I will have planting space for the new seeds I get. If I can't reasonably plant them this year and they are an easy variety to find, I will usually wait on it. If it is something special, I may get it anyway. I hate throwing away perfectly good seeds, but I have decided that if I gave it a couple of tries and it either did not do well in the garden or the taste was not to my liking, it was time for them to go.
Imafan, I'm a fan ... of your practical gardening experience and willingness to share .
My thinking is that your gardening environment might not be too much different from a greenhouse. Of course there would be an important difference - yours is outdoors. Still, I wonder if greenhouse varieties are good choices and an outfit like Johnny's has a lot of those.
I have a St. Valentine's Day gift for you and others
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Just click on the picture - taken not too far from here (about half way between here and Annalkona). I hope the audio part is okay. I didn't turn on the captioning, DW was enjoying the scenery and busy talking on the phone.
Steve
.My thinking is that your gardening environment might not be too much different from a greenhouse. Of course there would be an important difference - yours is outdoors. Still, I wonder if greenhouse varieties are good choices and an outfit like Johnny's has a lot of those.
I have a St. Valentine's Day gift for you and others
:- Roslyn.jpg (10.96 KiB) Viewed 1437 times
Just click on the picture - taken not too far from here (about half way between here and Annalkona). I hope the audio part is okay. I didn't turn on the captioning, DW was enjoying the scenery and busy talking on the phone.
Steve