smokeeater360
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seed suppliers

Who's your favorite go to seed supplier?

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MoonShadows
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Location: Stroudsburg, PA - Zone 6a

Johnny's at https://www.johnnyseeds.com/. Get a free hard copy catalog here: https://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog-request/

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Gary350
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Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

I buy most of my seeds from Ebay they often come from, Ireland, China, Russia, etc 99¢ per pack 500 seeds free postage.

I save seeds from grocery store vegetables like spaghetti squash, melons, others.

I save garden seeds, corn, tomatoes, beans, melons, squash.

Some of my original, corn, beans, okra, seeds came from Farm Supply store.

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rainbowgardener
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Personally, I have never found very much difference. The difference between catalogs is the amount of variety/diversity. If you are looking for something unusual, rare, heirloom etc, some catalogs are better than others for finding it. But if you are looking for a Better Boy tomato, it doesn't matter where you get it from.

I have used a variety of catalogs: Jung Seeds, Park Seeds, Pinetree, Johnny's, Territorial, and others. When I was starting between 500 and 1000 plants from seed each year, I used HPS Seed. They sell seeds in bulk quantities. Instead of getting a packet of 30 seeds for $2 (or more) from a regular catalog, you can get a packet of 500 for $7. (If you are really a commercial grower, you can also get a packet of 2500 seeds) Since seeds almost always last for three seasons, if not more, I just saved the extra for the next year.

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jal_ut
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Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

Here the local Mom and Pop garden store sells seeds. The man at the counter will give you the amount you require in a paper bag. This has been a great way to go for me. His prices are great!

https://www.andersonseedandgarden.com/

Though I get several mail order catalogs, I seldom order seed from them. Johnny's, Baker Creek, Pinetree......

dragonthumbs
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I usually go to https://www.rareseeds.com for my seeds. I have also gone to https://migardener.com and am recently trying https://parkseed.com

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ElizabethB
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Location: Lafayette, LA

I have ordered from Johnny's before. I placed an order yesterday for 7 varieties of heirloom tomato seeds and a pack of seeds for Asian Long Eggplant. I will get the rest of my seeds from our local Feed and Seed store. Starts I purchase from a favorite nursery - not a big box store.

Each pack of seeds provides much more than I can use. Brother suggested that I start seeds and sell the plants at the Farmer's Market. I may just do that.

xtron
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Location: christiansburg virginia

I just finished this years seed order. I really like seed savers. they have most of what I want, in the quantities I want at a price I like. but they don't have some of the specialties I look for. for black beans, and navy beans, I ordered from Vermont bean.
I did a one time order of sun chokes from jung seeds, one time because they are perannual so should not need to order again.
I have ordered potatos from maine potato lady with good results, but now get them locally. trees, bushes, and vines I prefer stark brothers. if the plants die in the first year, they will replace them or refund your money.
the local southern states farm store gets my busness for the simple stuff like peas, onions, potatoes, and anything else that fell thru the cracks. if it's not on their shelves, they can order it delivered to the store in 3-5 days, same price.

PaulF
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Sand Hill Preservation, Sample Seed Shop, Knapp's Fresh Veggies, Tatiana's Tomatobase.

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digitS'
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You are in Wisconsin.

Is your home anywhere near Randolph? That's where Jung's Seed is located. They have a garden center and that must be quite a place. Jung's is a major mail order seed company but it could be very interesting to walk the aisles and see everything on racks. They also have farm seed, so all packaging sizes and probably a local orientation for those.

Western Wisconsin ... does that mean close to St Paul Minnesota? Jordan Seed and Ranch is near by. That's somewhat of a farm source with larger amounts. Still, seed lasts and you might have a big garden. We often make combined orders from Jordan with a friend.

Steve

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ElizabethB
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Xtron - thanks for the reminder. I want to plant Sun Chokes along the fence. Pretty and tasty AND gassy.

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MockY
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Location: Sacramento, Zone 9b

I exclusively order from Baker Creek www.rareseeds.com since 2 years back.
I have ordered from many in the past such as Territorial Seeds, Bountiful Gardens, Tomato Growers, High Mowing and so forth. But couple Baker Creek's fantastic selection and me saving seeds each year, I have no desire for any other sources.

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Albert_136
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Location: Nevada (Sunset 2b)

As we got older and planted less we came to increasingly buy from he Dollar Store in the fall or late summer.

pepperhead212
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Last season, just to see, I kept all of my catalogs, and received almost 80, probably more, once fall came around! Usually, I do one thing wben I get them - I look at the shipping costs, and if too high, I toss them! Most have gotten outrageous, and if you only wanted a few seed packs from that company, you may pay more for the shipping. Wow - I get free shipping if I buy $200! Unless you are a commercial grower, not many do this.

Here are the places I have gotten seeds from - many with small packets, as well as small prices and low shipping. Also, a few have seeds you won't find in most places.
https://www.seedsnsuch.com/
https://www.victoryseeds.com/dwarf-tomato-project.html
https://www.seedsofindia.com/category/Vegetable-seeds-16
https://www.southernexposure.com/?zenid= ... B5hXaMEjQ0
https://www.kitazawaseed.com/
https://www.sampleseeds.com/
https://www.tradewindsfruit.com/vegetables/
https://www.superseeds.com/pages/vegetable-seeds
https://www.seedman.com/category/vegetable-seeds.htm

thanrose
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I love all these seed sources, including the Dollar Store recommendation. Of course it won't be best choices, but you can buy a cheap pack of wildflower seed (if you read the label and know what's what), or small gladiolus corms (that won't bloom that year), or the very basic corn- beans- lettuce- peas types of packs. I've actually done the wildflower pack a few times, but sort them out under magnification to get the distribution I want.

I've used a number of these mail order places in the past, but since living in Florida it increasingly was a disappointment. I'd look at a giant seed catalog and the first fifteen things I liked would be not suitable for my zone. Plus, new catalogs were always sent six weeks or more after my first planting date. Nope, no peas for me in April.

For some esoteric stuff, eBay was an interesting source. I found a couple of people in Florida selling on there, and though the price per seed would be high, it would work out in the end with connections. Like, "Thanks for the Sweet 100 seeds. Do you know of anyone with Maine Tomato Berry?" Although, with more rarefied seed like native wildflowers or shrubs. That's a caveat emptor sort of thing. People make claims of "very rare" or "unusual color" or "extraordinary vigor" and they know not what they say. And they may be totally off base with ID of what they do have. Plus small batches of seed may be crossed with undesirable parentage.

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I get some seed from my local extension. The cost is $1 a packet and they are varieties bred for my climate. I get tropical corn, Kai choy cabbage, Jalapeno (Wailua), Hawaiian chilli, and eggplant. They do have low bearing papaya and GMO papaya (ringspot resistant only if you watch the video and sign the agreement).
Most of my Asian vegetables come from a local supplier or from Kitazawa Seeds
Other seeds come from Pumpkin Nook (Ferry Morse seeds), Baker seeds, Johnny's, High Mowing (organic), territorial, Tomato growers supply and bean and pea inoculant from Burpee.

I also save many seeds from my garden and people give me seeds and cuttings.

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digitS'
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Imafan, you have reminded me. Don't wait for a Tomato Growers Supply catalog this year. The company has been sold and they are just online in 2018.

Vince and Linda Sapp started the company in the 80's. Vince passed away quite a few years ago and Linda has recently sold the company.

There are several online-only companies that have been doing business that way for years. I order everything that way but it's been okay with me to drag my paper catalog around the house, mark in it, dog-ear the pages, go back thru again and again ... I think I can adjust but I must have been one of the few teenagers back in the 60's with a seed catalog (R. H. Shumway) on my bedside table. Yeah, I can adjust as long as I can still carry the packet out to the garden in my shirt pocket and scratch seed into the dirt.

;) Steve

smokeeater360
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digitS' wrote:You are in Wisconsin.

Is your home anywhere near Randolph? That's where Jung's Seed is located. They have a garden center and that must be quite a place. Jung's is a major mail order seed company but it could be very interesting to walk the aisles and see everything on racks. They also have farm seed, so all packaging sizes and probably a local orientation for those.

Western Wisconsin ... does that mean close to St Paul Minnesota? Jordan Seed and Ranch is near by. That's somewhat of a farm source with larger amounts. Still, seed lasts and you might have a big garden. We often make combined orders from Jordan with a friend.

Steve
We are about 2 hours West of Randolph and about 2 hours Southeast of the cities.

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digitS'
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Well, that is a little far ...

It would sorta be like me driving to Ellensburg Washington to Irish Eyes Garden Seed.

I could save on shipping costs for their seed potatoes... but ... I've never quite been able to be driving by for other reasons during the right time of the year. And, can't bring myself to go otherwise.

Steve

thanrose
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Location: Jacksonville, FLZone 9A

In Maine (Downeast) we had a saying, "Ya can't get they-uh from he-uh."

It would be like, "Ya know Coggin's Fa-hm? Well, you don't want ta go thata way. Ya could try the Newbury road, but only iffen the hay is in. Mebbe up ta the rivah and then wade across, ayuh. But ya can't get they-uh from he-uh."

We also had a saying for any minor repair job, "Ya coulda used a chainsaw. Ayuh." But that's not relevant for seed sources.

Ah, rural life...

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ElizabethB
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Thanrose

Ordering seeds - especially heirlooms - for the deep south is an issue. I call the seed providers and discuss my specific needs. They have always been very helpful. A phone call is much better than looking through a cataog.



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