Other Veggie Seeds..Where do you go?? - Page 3

Doug9345 · February 3, 2014

I'll second Nourse Farms for plants. They have excellent customer service. I ordered 100 strawberries from them and had 7 that didn't appear to be alive. Since I'd had to hold them a few days I may have killed the 7 and explain that to Nouse Farms. I emailed Nourse explained the problem and would have been happy with a credit for 7 plants on another order as I mostly wanted to let them know that I'd had a problem in case others were also. I had 25 replacement plants the next day. Not something I expected, but I now go out of my way to recommend them.

Another place I want to try is Diane's flower seed.

rws-NH-45 · February 5, 2014

When it comes to seed buying, I like to get more seeds for my money. Take a look at Gourmet Seed International (Arizona?) also Pinetree Seeds in Maine. Both have good seed prices. Ditto to what others said about Fedco, Southern Exposure.

One place that doesn't have a very wide selection, but great prices is Main Street Seeds in Michigan. They must sell mostly to farmers, but their packet quantities and prices have been great.

One thing I do and recommend. Put your extra seeds in a glass jar with a rubber sealing strip, like a peanut butter jar, throw in a couple of moisture absorbing packs -- they come in a bottle of vitamins, etc. Screw the lid down tight and your seeds will stay dormant for another year. Just what they need to have a good nap -- cold and dark.

When you take the jar out of the fridge, let it warm up for a few hours, and do it on a dry day so you don't get condensation all over your seed packs.

Good luck
Dick

shelleybean · February 5, 2014

Another place I forgot to mention was www.growitalian.com for mostly European varieties. Some nice things that are otherwise difficult to find.

JLJ_ · February 8, 2014

What I do is keep a running record of items I want from (wherever). Sometimes it's a list with my garden records, but what's worked best for me is to make a seed sources folder in my bookmarks, and within that make a folder for any seed source that has things I want.

Sand Hill, Victory, heirloomseeds.com, Baker Creek, Pinetree and several others that I order from only occasionally, or haven't ordered from yet, but probably will at some point -- Nourse Farms has joined that group as a result of this thread . . . and I do include Burpee and Parks. I find saved lists for those two especially useful when I occasionally run across a really good discount offer -- I know right away what I want that I can only get from them. I would have had Miller Nurseries on the list but since they were merged with Stark . . . don't know.

When I am browsing a source and see an item I want, or run out of something I use, I save a link to that item in that source's bookmark folder. In fall or early spring, when I order seeds, I browse through the source folders, see which sources have items I *really* want, and then see which of them can best supply whatever else I want. So most years I place orders from two or three sources, not necessarily the same ones from year to year.

This year I ordered from Sand Hill and Victory, and had a couple of other orders planned, but have almost decided that I may place another order from Victory as they have a couple of things I want and can't get elsewhere that I missed on the earlier order, so I may just fill in another Victory order with my remaining "get about anywhere" items.

Or I may decide that most seeds keep pretty well here and place two or three more orders from various sources

chiefbeaz · February 8, 2014

The local farmers coop here has a large selection of seeds for most vegetables. Most farmers markets also have selections of seeds other than tomatoes

Mark0820 · February 8, 2014

I like several of the companies that have already been listed: Fedco, Sand Hill, Sample Seed Shop and Glecklers (somewhat limited varieties of non tomato seeds).

Doug9345 · February 8, 2014

It's sometimes limited, but last fall I bought a whole handful of mostly flower seeds at a Dollar General. They start discounting I think to 50% off, then 70% and finally 90%. This means that I bought 36 packs and 6 large packs of seeds for $1.66 plus about 13¢ tax. I also bought the American Seeds from Walmart. At 20¢ each they are cheap and have always grown well for me. Don't expect a big selection or the latest varieties.

drew51 · February 8, 2014

I tend to like the unusual, and it has cost me some bucks. Which i don't have. So I can see getting them cheap! Back to Nourse, also look at Indiana Berry Company, that nursery i actually like better than Nourse. Both are excellent though. They sell similiar items. Sometimes Indiana is cheaper, but only in price. the products are top rate quality.
I grow a lot of berries I have 21 raspberry cultivars, 12 blackberry and 6 blueberry. And also 8 currant cultivars. 1 Chinese Magnolia berry vine, 1 serviceberry, 3 gooseberries. And about 4 wild Rubus berry plants. Oh I forgot the three Honeyberries too. I know the fruit companies well, also where to get great fruit trees. I have about 25 fruit trees.
For fruit trees
Fruit Tree Farm - super cheap! In the south
Grandpa's Orchards In the Midwest
Adams County Nursery Midwest
Bay Laural if you can handle bare root in March. West coast
Many more are really decent. Many decent smaller places too. Some with very rare trees.

Some super nurseries with many fruit and nut items that are decent
Edible Landscaping
One Green World
Raintree Nursery
Stark Brothers established in 1812
Forest Farm

Some really decent smaller nurseries
Tierra Madre Farm
Aboreum

February 3, 2014	#31
Doug9345 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Durhamville,NY Posts: 2,706	I'll second Nourse Farms for plants. They have excellent customer service. I ordered 100 strawberries from them and had 7 that didn't appear to be alive. Since I'd had to hold them a few days I may have killed the 7 and explain that to Nouse Farms. I emailed Nourse explained the problem and would have been happy with a credit for 7 plants on another order as I mostly wanted to let them know that I'd had a problem in case others were also. I had 25 replacement plants the next day. Not something I expected, but I now go out of my way to recommend them. Another place I want to try is Diane's flower seed. Last edited by Doug9345; February 3, 2014 at 10:17 PM.

February 5, 2014	#33
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	Another place I forgot to mention was www.growitalian.com for mostly European varieties. Some nice things that are otherwise difficult to find. __________________ Michele

February 8, 2014	#37
Doug9345 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Durhamville,NY Posts: 2,706	It's sometimes limited, but last fall I bought a whole handful of mostly flower seeds at a Dollar General. They start discounting I think to 50% off, then 70% and finally 90%. This means that I bought 36 packs and 6 large packs of seeds for $1.66 plus about 13¢ tax. I also bought the American Seeds from Walmart. At 20¢ each they are cheap and have always grown well for me. Don't expect a big selection or the latest varieties. Last edited by Doug9345; February 8, 2014 at 08:42 PM.

February 8, 2014	#38
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	I tend to like the unusual, and it has cost me some bucks. Which i don't have. So I can see getting them cheap! Back to Nourse, also look at Indiana Berry Company, that nursery i actually like better than Nourse. Both are excellent though. They sell similiar items. Sometimes Indiana is cheaper, but only in price. the products are top rate quality. I grow a lot of berries I have 21 raspberry cultivars, 12 blackberry and 6 blueberry. And also 8 currant cultivars. 1 Chinese Magnolia berry vine, 1 serviceberry, 3 gooseberries. And about 4 wild Rubus berry plants. Oh I forgot the three Honeyberries too. I know the fruit companies well, also where to get great fruit trees. I have about 25 fruit trees. For fruit trees Fruit Tree Farm - super cheap! In the south Grandpa's Orchards In the Midwest Adams County Nursery Midwest Bay Laural if you can handle bare root in March. West coast Many more are really decent. Many decent smaller places too. Some with very rare trees. Some super nurseries with many fruit and nut items that are decent Edible Landscaping One Green World Raintree Nursery Stark Brothers established in 1812 Forest Farm Some really decent smaller nurseries Tierra Madre Farm Aboreum Last edited by drew51; February 8, 2014 at 08:42 PM.

February 5, 2014	#32
rws-NH-45 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Sanbornton, NH Posts: 27	When it comes to seed buying, I like to get more seeds for my money. Take a look at Gourmet Seed International (Arizona?) also Pinetree Seeds in Maine. Both have good seed prices. Ditto to what others said about Fedco, Southern Exposure. One place that doesn't have a very wide selection, but great prices is Main Street Seeds in Michigan. They must sell mostly to farmers, but their packet quantities and prices have been great. One thing I do and recommend. Put your extra seeds in a glass jar with a rubber sealing strip, like a peanut butter jar, throw in a couple of moisture absorbing packs -- they come in a bottle of vitamins, etc. Screw the lid down tight and your seeds will stay dormant for another year. Just what they need to have a good nap -- cold and dark. When you take the jar out of the fridge, let it warm up for a few hours, and do it on a dry day so you don't get condensation all over your seed packs. Good luck Dick

February 8, 2014	#34
JLJ_ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 759	What I do is keep a running record of items I want from (wherever). Sometimes it's a list with my garden records, but what's worked best for me is to make a seed sources folder in my bookmarks, and within that make a folder for any seed source that has things I want. Sand Hill, Victory, heirloomseeds.com, Baker Creek, Pinetree and several others that I order from only occasionally, or haven't ordered from yet, but probably will at some point -- Nourse Farms has joined that group as a result of this thread . . . and I do include Burpee and Parks. I find saved lists for those two especially useful when I occasionally run across a really good discount offer -- I know right away what I want that I can only get from them. I would have had Miller Nurseries on the list but since they were merged with Stark . . . don't know. When I am browsing a source and see an item I want, or run out of something I use, I save a link to that item in that source's bookmark folder. In fall or early spring, when I order seeds, I browse through the source folders, see which sources have items I really want, and then see which of them can best supply whatever else I want. So most years I place orders from two or three sources, not necessarily the same ones from year to year. This year I ordered from Sand Hill and Victory, and had a couple of other orders planned, but have almost decided that I may place another order from Victory as they have a couple of things I want and can't get elsewhere that I missed on the earlier order, so I may just fill in another Victory order with my remaining "get about anywhere" items. Or I may decide that most seeds keep pretty well here and place two or three more orders from various sources

February 8, 2014	#35
chiefbeaz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Middle, TN Posts: 271	The local farmers coop here has a large selection of seeds for most vegetables. Most farmers markets also have selections of seeds other than tomatoes

February 8, 2014	#36
Mark0820 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 907	I like several of the companies that have already been listed: Fedco, Sand Hill, Sample Seed Shop and Glecklers (somewhat limited varieties of non tomato seeds).