o.k. you all received your seed books.. NOW CAN YOU HELP ME

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Now that you all received your seed pricing.. Where is the cheapest place to place an order for veggie seeds?? I live in mMaryland and planning to start seeds next week.. I buy alot of the basics.. I do alot of canning... Thanks alot.. Carrie

-- cARRIE (onemaur@olg.com), February 27, 2002

Answers

I was over to Wally-World and noticed they had a rack of Flower and Veg. seeds priced at 10 small packages for a dollar. Not lots of seeds in each package, but they were marked for planting this year. Beats getting them from the big mail order places for 1 or 2 bucks for the same amount. Possibly from the same grower.

-- Okie=Dokie (tjcamp6338@aol.com), February 27, 2002.

southern states if theres one near u i found cheapist

-- Grizz in Western Maryland (southerneagle@yahoo.com), February 27, 2002.

It's hard to beat Pinetree Garden Seeds and Fedco Seeds here in Maine. They are 2 of my favorite catalogs. Pinetree sells small packets of seeds at very low prices (many in the $.60 -.95 range). They're great for things like tomatoes and peppers when you'd rather plant several plants of different varieties rather than lots of 1 variety. Fedco's prices are also great. They have things in larger amounts than Pinetree. I've also found R.H. Shumway and Gurney's to be reasonable in price.

-- Murray in ME (lkdmfarm@megalink.net), February 27, 2002.

Murray wheres pinetree seeds in Maine? Iv been to fedco !!What part of Maine are u from?

-- Grizz in Western Maryland (southerneagle@yahoo.com), February 27, 2002.

Hello Carrie,

If you do not really care about whether the seeds are open pollenated or hybrid, you can find a lot of the "basic" seeds at the Dollar Store.

If you are more particular as to planting open pollenated (heirloom or regular), I would recommend Shumways www.rhshumway.com

If you get the open pollenated varieties you can let a few of your plants go to seed and replant them in the next season. That is what is try to do, and it saves me lots of money by not having to buy ALL my seeds each year.

Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), February 27, 2002.



Pinetree seed is located in New Glouster, Maine. Their mailing address is: Box 300, New Glouster, Maine 04260 and their website is: www.superseeds.com

They're much less expensive and here's the best part... shipping for garden seeds is only $1.50. Johnny's is almost $5.00.

Good luck

-- Ken in Maine (Kenjan@pivot.net), February 27, 2002.


Man... I must be getting old... It's New Gloucester... not only can't I spell but I guess I can't read either

-- Ken in Maine (Kenjan@pivot.net), February 27, 2002.

I agree, Pinetree Gardens is great! I've ordered seed from them for about 5 years now. Had a problem last year with some seed that didn't germinate; they sent out some new seed. You should try their Carole variety of potato. It has a wonderful buttery taste.

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), February 27, 2002.

I like Nichols Garden Nursery, www.nicholsgardennursery.com, as they have good selection and since I save my seeds from year to year, I want good seeds to start with. They and several other seed companies are having a two free packets of seeds up to $5.00 value, Pinetree is participating, found this on motherearthnews web site. Also Johnny's seed was participating.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), February 27, 2002.

Carrie,I used to buy the 10 for a dollar and found out they are mostly male seeds.You do get female, small percent thats why they are this cheap.dont rely soley on them.I grow alot of stuff in small places.I dont always use up the seed so.I found a place that has .30 sample packs of seed its LeJardin du Gourmet,St. Johnsbury Ctr.,VT. they also have normal size packs for .99.Gurneys and Henrey fields are offering $20.00 in free merchandise when you order $20.00.You buy one fruit tree you get one free.Pam

-- Pam (pams65@hotmail.com), February 27, 2002.


If you order from Pinetree make sure you try the Dragon Langiere beans-WOW what a bean.I too like Pinetree.Foxhollow in McGrann,Pa. is also great and Baker Creek,stupendous.Happy gardening, Terry Lipe

-- Terry Lipe (elipe@fidnet.com), February 27, 2002.

Pam65, we'd be curious as to learn more about those "male" seeds that you encountered. All vegetable seeds can be deemed as female inasmuch as they can produce a plant. Some hybrid cucumbers have been developed to produce all or a large majority of female blossoms but whoever told you that there were male vegetable is seeds is very wrong!

The 10 for a buck seeds are packed for small gardens that most people plant today. Buy 3 packets of them and you've got the same amount of seed that you'd get in a .99 packet. And if you check as to what company packed them, you might find that they've been around for a long time and are a branch of a better known company. They take on packing those smaller packets just to keep their staff busy during the off season. If you want a special variety of a certain vegetable, then you must get it from a large supplier but if you want just good vegetables and don't care what they are as long as they produce something, then the 10 for a dollar seeds are perfect.

-- Martin Longseth (paquebot@merr.com), February 27, 2002.


My vote is for Pinetree Seeds, too. Although I do send in an order to Vesey's in Canada for some varieties.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), February 27, 2002.

i put in a order for henry fields and gurneys and got the twenty dollars free on each one. i bought the canning peach special for about 12 bucks and the red and yellow del. special for about 10$ and then got 2 necterines, 1 self pollinating pear and plum for free. 8 trees for about 25 buck(only $3 shipping if you order on line). i bought these from henry fields. gurneys special runs out today.

-- randy in central missouri (rwybrant@coin.org), February 28, 2002.

Yep, another vote for Pinetree. Never had a problem with them and am picking out which kinds I'm ordering from them this year as we speak.

Pam, what do you mean "male seeds"?

-- Wingnut (wingnut@moment.net), February 28, 2002.



AND DON'T FORGET THERE ARE MANY SEED SWAP FORUMS ON THE INTERNET. ROSEMARY

-- (rosemary.lester@citynet.net), February 28, 2002.

If cheap is your only criteria of who you order from you'll get what you pay for. For myself I prefer Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and R.H. Shumway. They both carry seeds that should do well in your area.

........Alan.

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), February 28, 2002.


I've order from Le Jardin du Gourmet, but I go back again and again to Pinetree. They are on-line too.

Please tell more about the Dragon Beans!

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), February 28, 2002.


For several years have been a Pinetree Seeds customer. Great service, great selection, good seeds, reasonable prices.

-- fred (fred@mddc.com), February 28, 2002.

Never mind about the Dragon beans--I read up on them and just ordered them sight unseen. Can't wait till spring.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), February 28, 2002.

Pinetree. Always new things every year, mostly open pollinated, always something no other catalog seems to have, and great prices too!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), February 28, 2002.

ohh,ms carrie try www.wilhite.com , really decent sized packs & bulk +actual shipping costs!

www.rareseeds.com is baker creeks site, wowzer, on selection & good prices.

do you have any hardware stores, co-ops, garden/nurseries, feed stores nearby? check them out, they often carry bulk bins of tried & true seeds for your area. unlike walmart which has been known to sell apple trees in florida & citrus in tennessee!

i get my seed potatoes from a local nursery @.37 CENTS a pound, no shipping costs,& i get to pick out my spuds. seed peanuts @.75cents a pound, crowder peas @ .32-1.50 per pound.

& i also agree on the 10 for a dollar idea. these are mostly open pollenated & heirloom/standards that have no 'patents' on them or expensive fungiside applied. the # of seed is less per packet, but i have had no problems w/ germination rates. so i do as mr.longseth, & buy multiples and still get a deal. i even scored 'armenian cuke' for .99 cents at the world of wally this year, vs. the 2.00 +shipping of a catalogue. :)

Todays Science Lecture: uh-hmm, there are monoecious plants ,corn,squash,cukes,...[both sexes on one plant] & dioecious,asparagus,holly,kiwi,... [ male & female flowers on seperate plants.] basically said, if your plant fruited ms.pam, you had female flowers!

you can select seed for a higher # of female or male flowers if you want to. these types won't be found in the cheap seed racks tho!

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), February 28, 2002.


Just a note to warn you if you are ever tempted to order seeds from a couple of UK "seedmerchants" that pop up regularly on the internet be aware that they DONT stock all they list, rarely confirm an order, and can take up to eight weeks or more to deliver, a fact you only become aware of AFTER you have recieved a "part" order!

-- Ken Duggan (kduggan@mrao.cam.ac.uk), March 01, 2002.

The 10/$1 seeds at Walmart are definitely a bargain - small amount, but sometimes you don't need much, and they are good reliable varieties. Pinetree also gives small pkts. cheap.

HOWEVER, if you want quality and high germination rates try Park Seeds. They cost a bit more, but I have never had a problem with anything I've ordered from them in over 20 years as a loyal customer.

I will always choose them over some of the others because once (a long time ago) when money was scarce and my husband had just lost his job, I found that I couldn't pay for an order of bulbs that they had sent during one of those "plant now, pay later" specials they sometimes offer. I wrote them a letter explaining the circumstances (bulbs were already planted so I couldn't send them back) and said I would try to pay them a little at a time until all was paid back. The president of the company wrote a personal letter to me saying that he understood, that everybody sees hard times once in awhile, and not to worry but repay whenever I felt that we could afford to. I was so touched by that kindness that I will never forget Park Seed when I order my Spring seeds and plants!

-- Deborah Stephenson (wonkaandgypsy@hotmail.com), March 06, 2002.


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