Putting my 2013 seed order in!!

[rainbowgardener]

It is early for me, usually I would do that in January. But this is an experiment. I got sent an HPS seed catalog (Horticultural Products and Services, HPSseed.com ). It is designed for commercial growers, so most of their seeds are sold with minimum quantities of anywhere from 250 seeds to some fraction of an ounce, which may be thousands of seeds. But only a little more expensive for the large quantity than I would usually spend buying a packet of 50 - 100 seeds.

If you are really a farmer, they also sell seeds in 5 pound lots. I'll skip that, most of mine I'm buying 1/2 an ounce.

The selection isn't fabulous, mainly aimed at all the popular things to be mass grown and the herb section is pathetic. All the new stuff I wanted to try next year (like pineapple sage and tromboncino squash, lemon grass) I will have to get somewhere else.

But I spent about $80 on seeds and it should mean I hardly have to buy any seeds the next couple years.

It's an experiment to see how it works and if I do get good germination in the subsequent years, etc. But I couldn't resist playing with the big boys!

[prettygurl]

Good for you, RG. Seed catalogs are so tempting.

[DoubleDogFarm]

I hope it works out for you.


Eric

[digitS']

Oh, it is sooo early, Rainbow'!

HPS is a Shumway company and is owned by Jung's. You may be able to find the same varieties, in smaller packets here: egardenersplace.com

A search there will be through, I think, every other catalog in Jung's stable except HPS! As you say, it is not geared very much to the home gardener.

Steve

[rainbowgardener]

But what I liked about HPS was the large quantities, meaning vastly reduced price per seed.

I will use most of them up within three years; I start well over 1000 plants from seed each year. I am actually a very small scale (non-profit) commercial grower, since about half of what I grow gets sold as a fund-raiser for my church and some of the rest gets given away.

If I wanted small scale, that would be easy, I've been doing that for 15 years or so...

And yes, it is too early to plant, but I have a freezer full of seeds anyway .. stuff I collected home-grown and stuff left over from this year's seed order. So when this order comes in, I can just throw it in the freezer for a little while. But I will be planting the first seeds within two months...

I'm thinking I may order the exotics like tromboncino squash from Territorial Seed. They seem to have most of what I want. Their website is still showing things like "sold out for 2012," so apparently it IS too early to order from them.

[zebraman]

I order in bulk from a couple of places but this has the best selection-
https://www.hazzardsgreenhouse.com pgs. 28-40 are Tomatoes, mostly OP but many hybrids as well. They also have an extensive Herb selection.
Sign up for their email and get specials too!

[Bobberman]

I even ordered from them earlier two months ago. I got 5 pounds of Burpee green beans for this year. I bought about $40 from them. I also bought from this past year like pine apple tomatoes and purple brussels sprouts & amish tomatoes plus a lots of other things. They also have good prices on flats an inserts !.

[rainbowgardener]

Thanks for the link to hazzards. They do have a huge selection of herbs, unlike hps.

They are pricier though. One where a direct comparison could be made was on purple ruffles basil.

At HPS 1/8 oz (=about 1800 seeds) was $4.95.

At hazzards 1000 seeds was $5.45

In general hazzards seemed to mostly have even larger quantities and so little that I could buy to similar price tags to what I'm used to spending. I liked HPS, because they had a lot of things for sale for not much more than the cost of a regular seed packet, so it still felt affordable.

At hazzard's, lots of things their minimum order (how ever many that was) was in the $10-15 range. At HPS most everything I ordered (choosing for cheapp!) was in the $3 - 5 range.

But you are right, definitely a bigger selection at hazzards.

[Bobberman]

Hazzard seems to be good! I signed upfor their e-mail.Thanks for the link! Hazzard s from Mich. so shipping to m e will be cheap! Do they have a catalog or just on line? I do like catalogs the best!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Here's an interesting link
https://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/#b

Eric

[ElizabethB]

Sounds like you got some good deals. Thank you for being such a charitable person and sharing with those in need. Hope you keep notes on your gardening success and failures to share with the rest of us.

[GardenRN]

All the new stuff I wanted to try next year (like pineapple sage and tromboncino squash, lemon grass) I will have to get somewhere else.

Maybe support a locally owned nursery for those few things? Just a thought...

Good idea on the bulk buying, hope you get a chance to use all the seeds before they expire. You may not have to save any seeds for a few years.

[rainbowgardener]

Maybe support a locally owned nursery for those few things? Just a thought...


I may, I believe in that. However, I live almost in the inner city. We used to have one really nice locally owned nursery very near, but they closed up shop and moved to suburbia with everyone else. So the nearest good garden store to me is about half hour drive each way. It deters me.

[GardenRN]

I see.....I didn't mean that in a snotty way...don't know if it came across that way. It's funny though, how perspective works on things. I regularly drive 30 minutes one way to places. More like 45 actually....but I understand the hesitation if you're used to driving 10 minutes...or even walking.

[DoubleDogFarm]

I see.....I didn't mean that in a snotty way...don't know if it came across that way. It's funny though, how perspective works on things. I regularly drive 30 minutes one way to places. More like 45 actually....but I understand the hesitation if you're used to driving 10 minutes...or even walking.

Even more of a adventure when you add a 1 1/2 hour boat ride.

Eric