When my son was younger, I was a very poor single mom. Even though I worked I still qualified for food stamps. One blessing is that you CAN buy vegetable seeds and even plants with food stamps. I fed us every summer with fresh veggies and canned soups and beans for the winter with dollar tree 4/1$ seeds. Spinach, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, ect. Thankfully I am in a much better position now, but I will always be grateful for being able to buy those cheap seeds.
Well you might have been poor but you definitely wasn't stupid. Glad to hear you grow your own. I do it mostly for the feeling of being more self sufficient. Although everything you grow yourself is better than anything at the grocery store.
😂😂😂that does it, I’m sending you some yellow crook neck squash!😂😂😂 We all do it. My lesson was to check online as well as packet instructions. It would be nice to get all seeds from one company, but there is always a few that are not available and I have to try and find them without paying high shipping elsewhere. Best shipping at low cost seed and amount ordered has to go to MI Gardener! $12 worth of $2/packet seeds gets you FREE shipping AND a point system giving you cash off your next order.
Just an FYI to the folks saving seeds beyond the year dates on them, don't dispare nor dispose of them, chances are, even seeds 10 years beyond that date will still germinate if stored properly. Just keep growing 💗
I started gardening two years ago with seeds that my mother bought in the 70s, that I found in the attic in a box that was literally deteriorating from not being moved for so long. On average I have about a 90% germination rate with them.
American Seed Company... I remember selling those door to door back when I was a kid when they used to still have those selling programs where you got credit for how much you sold and could use that credit to trade for prizes... I ended up getting a nice little camping tent from that one summer... I was soo proud :)
I'm glad I'm not the only one who accidentally bought the same seeds from more than one place 😅 or bought it at the end of season sale and then again at the first of the year. We're having a seed swap in my community in a couple weeks and I'm more than happy to share though. I've amassed a collection, don't have a tight budget and just love trying new things so I'll probably always have "too many" seeds. I figure there's worse hobbies to have 😁 But these are fantastic tips for the new and tight budget gardener!
I am guilty of that too! I bought a packet of Rosella cherry tomatoes last year and when I went to put it in my tomato seed container, I already had 2 packets of the Rosella cherry tomatoes 😂 Guess I better check what I have before I order
Thats a little unusual but they are usually pretty small amounts... Think about it though 4 packs for a dollar... even if they only have 2 seeds you could potentially get 20-30 cues out of 2 seeds :-)
@D Max That's assuming I have 100% germination. I'm not too mad since I bought about a dozen seed packs total and that was the only one with almost no seeds in it. But considering that other places I buy from cucumber seeds end up being 3-6 cents per seed, those dollar store cucumber seeds I bought are 2-4x the cost.
They probably fell out. I bought some from the dollar tree the seal wasn't secure so a bunch fell out and I just put it back. I didn't realize people don't check next time I will give it to the cashier so no one can mistakenly pick them up
Instead of seed packets I check my local Ace Hardware store. They have bins of seeds sold by teaspoon, tablespoon, ounce, etc. Cost is maybe 1/4 the cost of packets.
@@ale347baker they are usually available all year round. You just have to ask in the off season because they put them in the back. And they are usually within a year old because they get sold quickly.
The most productive yellow summer squash I ever grew was from Dollar General. Each plant produced at least 40 squash per plant. But I'm a lifetime gardener, since boyhood. 25 cents a package, 4 plants cost me about 10 cents, to get about 160 squash.
My biggest gardening mistake has been trying to grow things that don't grow in my area! Know your zone and your micro climate, and always check that your seed is rated for your zone.
Guilty 😂 Cherry tomatoes are so prolific! one volunteer cherry tomato turned into a jungle of cherry tomatoes in my gardens. Have been playing whack a mole with volunteers for years. I will never need to buy cherry tomato seeds ever again.
I once picked up Texas grano onion seeds at my local hardware - in Massachusetts. At the time I didn't know about long day and short day onions - that these won't grow here. Why they were sold here I don't know.
It’s especially hard around times like this with everything being so overpriced and not knowing if it will be there tomorrow so when you do find a deal you snap on it. I always buy two or three packs of everything I buy then look and it has 300 seeds per packet😂
LOL! I just spent an entire $10 at dollar tree getting a very respectable garden's worth of seeds, and I'm proud of it. With inflation hitting getting so bad and so much uncertainty in the supply chain it's fairly reasonable to go a little overboard just in case. I still get rarer seeds from Bakers and other seed companies, but it's great to get a variety of basics for so cheap.
I use a excel spreadsheet, break seeds into their family, allium, brassica, cubits etc then list each packet in alphabetical order under each. I have a column for when to plant by frost date, germination time/mature time, add notes for special instructions. I also have a spot for wanted seeds if I empty a pack or see I am low I add to want list. Works out great
Nice! I have a similar spreadsheet system where I break mine down by full sun, part shade etc. Columns for latin name, common name, sun preference, soil preference, resistance to deer/rabbits and if it s a larval host plant. This year I am focusing more on native plants, and it's been challenging to find straight native species of the plants I want to grow. 😄 Happy growing!
I did something similar but did it in google sheets so that I can access it on my phone while standing in the store and debating internally whether or not I need/want more tomato seeds. I list how many seeds are in the pack (rough estimate is fine) so I know when I'm running out of a favourite type too
I was going to start some old watermelon seeds and put them in a container to float them. They all floated so I planted them all hoping to get at least one. Almost all of them grew. I ended up composting many of them.
I hear ya and my 8 year old Okra seeds still sink, though also helps that you are supposed to submerge Okra seeds before germination can happen anyways but that's besides the point lol
My late night 'pretty picture' seed shopping extravaganzas are a running joke with my friends. We won't talk about my almost hundred varieties of tomato seed. Tho lately it's been dahlia tubers. I have a spreadsheet - it doesn't always help... 😜
My BFF always share seeds and our harvest. I purchase my seeds from Baker Creek because they offer free shipping and give you a free packet of seeds. Great video Gardener Scott 🥰💚🙏 Kendra
Shipping costs are not in line with actual cost of shipping and handling when they’re charging 6+ dollars for one envelope of seeds. It is more of a profit margin than a delivery service, if you’re not careful shipping handling while cost more than the seeds do and it comes in an envelope.
You are paying an AVERAGE, not for YOUR seed packet $6 or so bucks. Now if it like $10 and/or up without other reasonings (rare, location of provider, etc) then I would worry. I had to pay $5.85 or so for very basic shipments (one for a 10 gallons' grow bag (really though, it's not THAT fancy it's just a fabric pot really) and another 9 seed packs from Texas).
Wow, very exciting to see that me weeks of research actually paid off! This is my first year gardening, on a (decent sized) balcony no less! And I've done so much research and put a lot of thought into exact how, what, where, and when I will be growing things. I managed to avoid all of these mistakes apparently. It was very nice to have them laid out so clearly though, and fortified that this is the correct amount of thought and effort to put in. The only thing I'm already guilty of is seed hoarding lol. I even got a nice container to organise all my extras into.
That's my dear MIL. Love her to pieces but when she talks about how much she saved, I have to bite my tongue so as not to say, "Yes but Mother look how much you SPENT." LOL
The Denver Public Library branch near me has a seed bank for sharing seeds. You can contribute and you can “check out” seeds. Pretty neat idea for sharing excess.
Cheaper seed packs generally smaller amount in pack. Always check weights. Some stores sell smaller amounts for same money, also different stores different prices. Something to watch for.
My neighbors and I talk about what we are planting, but we make sure we are doing different veggies…therefore we can share. But I understand your idea about going in on seeds.
I went to Home depot a few days ago. They were selling little plants of lettuces, kales, peppers, tomatoes, herbs... for 5 to 6 dollars each little plant. What I had left over winter from my raised beds could well be over 500 usd if I have to buy them at HD. Just ridiculous how overpriced veggie plants and herbs can be in the department stores. I also had the problems buying seeds that I didn't use ( because I did not have enough space in my desert garden. I spent hundreds of dollars just on seeds and I only have used a partial of them. Some of my seeds still germinated after 10 years storing in the fridge. I grow American veggies as well as the Asian veggies so my collection is quite large. Some of those Asian seeds are hard to find and they don't germinate any more. I'm well aware of the duplicate problem, yet I still got several duplicates, since you just can't be sure about the germination rate.
I have had my fair share of losing plants under my care. But I learned to accept failure and keep moving forward. I often turn to the garden as a form of therapy when I face challenges such as depression or other health issues. Although it may seem silly, gardening provides a free and rewarding outlet. I get to enjoy the beauty of the flowers I grow, the taste of fresh produce, the knowledge I gain, and the opportunity to share it with others. The best part of gardening is the friendships I have formed along the way. Some people are amazing, some are just okay, and others are a bit lost, but I believe that we are meant to cross paths in life. You are correct, Garden Scott, the term "addiction" often has negative connotations, but when it comes to gardening or purchasing garden seeds, it is a positive addiction in my life. I embrace it wholeheartedly and have no shame in saying so. Gardening is a healthy obsession for me. I understand that I might be encouraging you to continue buying seeds, but there are other ways to utilise them. You can be creative and give them as gifts for special occasions such as Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, or even to your neighbours. Sharing is not a waste, and it is a great way to spread the joy of gardening. You also touched on a topic that often causes controversy, which is the purchase of cheap seeds. It is important to remember that when you are hungry or struggling financially, your primary concern is not the quality of the seeds you are buying, but rather finding a way to meet your basic needs. This is not to say that heirloom or high-quality seeds are not important, but they should not dictate one's actions. I have found myself defending this point many times because not everyone can afford to spend a lot of money on a packet of seeds with no guarantee of their performance. The key to successful gardening lies in factors such as nature, the growing medium, skills, and a bag of enthusiasm to boot. So, if buying cheap seeds is all you can afford, go for it. It allows you to grow food, which is the ultimate goal. Right, right. :)
Hahaha....guilty, guilty, guilty and guilty. Since I have been growing edibles for just one year, and have enough seeds to supply a few market gardens.....been there, done that, and will probably repeat. It was a little eye-opening to see my $ store seeds sprout overnight, compared to few days later for similar varieties from boutique seed suppliers with fancier artwork on the pretty packets. Live and learn, and loving the gardening journey.
Ditto...I can relate to you 100%...I started to sow heaps of seeds and sold the plants in front of my house for a small donation toward my work and materials...VERY SUCCESSFULL ..
My library has an old Dewey decimal card cabinet with different herbs and vegetable seed packets you’re free to take some and leave any of your own you may not want
I used to own a Dollar store and sold some of those cheap seeds. What I like is they only have a handful of seeds. No waste just plant those and wait for different ones next year. I have too many seeds. I have 5 packets of Chinese cabbage. It is like yarn I can't stop myself. I like buying from Baker creek, they have free shipping, and the packs usually are filled with twice the amount of seeds promised. If you spend just $10.00 they give you a free pack of their choice. I have gotten my favorites that way. Thanks for the humorous post. But I feel that I worked for my money so if I want to overspend I can do that. I do it so well....
A couple weeks ago I was at my local Jung's store, I saw sugar snax carrot seeds,(one of my favorites and impossible to find past May) and without thinking I bought them. Get home , only to find out I have a unopened packet of sugar snax (500 seeds) I never used last year. Knowing what you have before buying more is a really good idea. Related to seed buying mistakes is planning. I struggled to grow butterfly bushes from seed last year. Well I ended up with 8 plants, with only room for 3. I ended up giving away several last spring, but this year I will have to find homes for 2 more. Really trying to do all open pollinated plants, but there are so many flavors out there. Gardening can become an addiction!!! Stay well Gardener Scott !!!
I have had awful luck with botanical interests! Never had issues like 1 to 5 seeds out of 100 germinating in multiple packets. Even prolific seeds like a radish mix! I’m so disappointed with them. I contacted them and no response. I will never ever bother trying them again. Despite how attractive their packaging is!
Yep! Every year I've made a vow to myself that I will not purchase any new seeds "next year" 😁. And yet here we are again! I probably have enough for the next ten years if only the seeds stayed viable that long.
Heres a good tip scott when buying online Make an acct register Verify the email etc Many companies give you coupons discounts etc for being a new customer Now add some seeds into your cart that you wanna buy BUT DO NOT PURCHASE THEM Let them just sit in the cart Usually ..sometimes in a few hours. U will get an email asking about your unpaid cart and many times will offer you a bit more savings Sometimes it takes overnite ✌🏻🤔
I was pleased to find that the American Seed brand hadn't upped their price this year. They're still 4 for 1$ at Dollar Tree and 5 for 1$ at Wal-Mart. I had expected since everything else had been affected by inflation seeds would too, but pretty much every brand seems to be at their same price point as last year.
I got some of those 25 cent beefsteak tomato seeds last year and I was laughing hysterically at how many massive tomatoes I got out of them. I couldn’t keep up with the fruit; I ended up just letting the possums have them after a while.
I often buy seeds from Dollar General. A few years ago I found "Homestead" and "Delicious" tomato seeds. They are very difficult to find at large box stores and garden centers. I didn't care that they only had 15-20 seeds per package. I ended up paying less than 2 cents per seed for them.
The 4 for $1, I have Shasta Daisies in my garden now, and the Petunias went to town and reseeded everywhere! The Tall Marigolds were Genetic Freaks, they grew too big to support the Bloom and then fell into a big pile; this Season I will be pinching them back. I had a Great experience with those "American Seeds" from the Dollar Store! ...the Coleus too did wonderful!
The Cracker Jack Marigold is tall and gives three or four colors and they do topple over, I just prop/stake them like the tomatoes and other things. The bees and other insects love them! They had a good germination rate for me last growing season.
I was growing some Dwarf Bolero Marigolds last year that got tall enough to fall over. What I liked is trimming those back and using the trimmings to start new plants since they root from the stem. Just more plants to enjoy! Plus a packet of about 20 seeds grew over a dozen plants and I got hundreds of seeds from them for this years' planting, many of which are already sprouting in the yard from the flower heads I didn't bother harvesting. You've got me wanting to try Shasta Daisies now!
I try to buy my seeds locally early in the season.. 1. The gardening stores and big box stores seem to carry seeds that are good for my growing area. 2. I watch for the new display to go up in December or January and buy for the whole year. That way I am able to buy from the whole display selections before various seed types sell out.
I am super fortunate to have a local seed company, if it grows for them I have a fighting chance to successfully grow it myself, Mountain valley seeds rock
Onions are one of if not THE most mis-purchased seeds due to the short, intermediate, and long-day varieties. All of my local seed suppliers have long AND short-day varieties, one of which is not viable where I garden. They all have Walla Walla in their displays and it's a long day onion and I live in short -day Florida. Check the package and if it doesn't say, a quick google will reveal if it's long or short day before you risk it.
The public library in my area has a seed library where local gardeners donate their leftover seeds or saved seeds. Save money and grow things that do well in your area.
Dollar General has a clearance on seed that's about expired for 5 cents a pack. I bought bagloads and they all sprouted well. I've planted 2 year expired seeds and they still grew. I won't pay 3-5 dollars a pack, no way. I'll also collect and preseve the seeds from my garden.
I started my garden for the first time last summer 2022. I had all my food from doller tree seeds and I didn't have 1 not grow!! My dahlias were from big lots and walmarts and they were gorgeous, they were not what the pictures showed on the packaging BUT they were better lol looking I had Thomas Edison, a mother's Love and that huge all yellow one!! Than after taking seeds from your crops you don't have to buy seeds again!!
Your videos are so clear, concise and helpful! You do a great job and I’m so thankful to have you as a source as I prepare for my first garden. Thank you!
I rotate my seed by expiratory date, just like food. I store my seeds in photo boxes like Scott, however I always use a sharpie marker to put the year of expiration on the front.
I have made a few of the mistakes. Buying to many packets at the Dollar Tree is one. Buying something I may not end up growing this year is another. But being a budget gardener, I buy mostly open pollinated plants to save seeds. I store what I have to much of correctly so I can use it next year. I go to the cheapest site first and buy what I can, then Baker Creek or MIGardener for a the rest since its always nice to grow at least one new thing.
@@ImpatientGardenerOhio My cheapest online source is Dollar Seeds. The packs are only $1. That being said, the seeds come in little plastic bags with little planting info on them. I really dont mind as I am mainly buying thing I have grown before from them. The absolute cheapest is Dollar Tree at 4 seed packs for $1. You dont get a ton of seeds in each one, but enough for most home gardens. I mainly use MIGardener and Baker Creek for hard to find seeds as they have a lot of variety.
I made sure to make a document with sections for all the kinds of seed types I'm growing, and where I obtained them. I have it in physical form in my gardening Journal, and also digitally on my Google docs
I've bought those American Seeds brand many times from my Ace Hardware. Every time I've bought that brand the germination was terrible. The varieties haven't performed well either. It's the only brand I won't buy now.
In my opinion the biggest seed mistake is not buying seeds from local companies. With locally grown seeds you are getting varieties that have grown well in your area, in your local soil conditions, and that do well with your local weather. Buying seeds from half way across the country you get none of these benefits and instead are just depending on being lucky.
I bought cucumber seeds from the dollar tree two years ago and all of the cucumbers were round and yellow. It was definitely not what was pictured on the package but they still tasted good
Always the key to gardening is knowing how much you want to produce and how much room you have. I have grown tomatoes for 30 years but when I retired 3 years ago I "branched out" so to speak into more herbs and different fruits and veggies because #1 I have time and #2 I have space, but I also recognize our families limit of how much we can eat each summer. I do grow extra tomatoes and basil and run them thru the blender and cook them to kill enzymes then I freeze them in 1 cup increments and they last until the next summer for sauces for chili's and spaghetti's etc thru the winter. Thanks for the video, I also buy seeds from Seed Saver Exchange, they seem reasonable.
A while back I traced the origin of some different packets of seeds from several Brand Names. Most of them traced back to the same seed company! Some cost 25 cents and some cost over $2 a packet. Just different packaging. " What a world!"
i am guilty of seeing seeds on clearance at the dollar store.....for 7cents a packet!! i bought them all.......spent about $12 total....you do the math lol!! now what???
Seeing the amount of seed in front of you I have not got to many seeds, I have a 6x10 box to hold my extra seed. I do have some of the mistakes mentioned on my list that need to be cleaned up.
You can buy the fruit at a grocery store and plant those seeds. I did that with eggplant and tomatoes and had good luck with those. I have a mango tree from seed. Seeds are seeds. Need green onions? Plant the stalks. The grow new green onion plants and is completely disease and freeze resistant. Cheap radish seeds always work. Did you know you can make a salad out of the leaves? Cheap lettuce seeds always works. I grow them in small pots and harvest new leaves weekly. Got drought? No problem. Plant coyote cherry tomatoes--they thrive in drought. When adult water once a week an inch of water. You will have TONS of cherry tomatoes. Google drought resistant and plant of choice and see what you got.
I have also realised the pound shop seeds are just fewer in the pack and I'm glad for it. I don't need 4,000 carrot seedsMr. I I could eatthem but I can't grow oso many carrots. nor kale nor ....
You have me ROTFLMBO about the repurchasing the same seed. I've never been that bad, but.....No matter how hard I try, I always seem to do it with at least one packet every year. I even found a database app and started cataloging my seeds in there. It helps, when I actually remember to use it. And splitting seeds with friends in my area = lazy friends that want you to do all the sprouting for them. I don't have that much room in my grow area. So, no I don't do that. It prevents hurt feelings. As for saving seed, it depends on what the plant is. Some plants are biennial, and I just don't want to deal with that. Others need to be the only variety of that plant in the garden otherwise I'll get cross pollination.
It is nice to see, not too mention immensely helpful, to have gardening channels such as this one. It makes one consider and discover more smarter, better, efficient ways to garden. So with many people passionate about growing heir own vegetables and ornamental plants, channels such as these are inevitable. Thanks.
Yesterday I bought lots of seed, from 24 cents to 95 cents each pack. It was on sale but the seeds will not be old until 2027. It was a big selection to choose from so I bough like 50 different packages. One of them was Blauhilde beans (95 cents). 😊
On hybrid seeds: Hybrid seeds get a bad rep in the gardening community. The argument always being "you can't grow these next year, it's a trap to make you buy more and more seeds." While I do agree with not resowing the seeds you get from a Hybrid (F1)-Variety, I don't agree with the other points. What most people don't understand is the genetic side behind it. Hybrid-Varieties are ALWAYS the "Children" of two very different, homozygot parents, so they are always cross pollinated. This results in the so called heterosis effect, which makes your plants much more vigurous, productive and resistant. You can expect at least a 50% increase in tomato-yields, sometimes much much higher. There is a good reason more and more crops on our agricultural fields are hybrids now, they simply have an edge over traditional varieties. If you have little space and simply want a good yield go for hybrids! The drawbacks are: 1: you need to buy seeds every year. (But $3-4 isn't too much and will fill up your whole patio or balcony) 2: There aren't many special looking, or otherwise exciting varieties available. But if you are fine with a standart red tomato or squash this is no problem. On seed prices: Yes they often are waaaay to expensive, I mean one tomato alone contains like 50 or so seeds, why am I paying so much for just 15 seeds or so? But the quality of your genetics CAN be dependent on what you spend. You might get lucky and have the exact same result, you might not be. If you want vegetables you can sow for generations and resow each year, you might want to spend some more. That is because breeders need to pollinate a plant with its own pollen for a few years to even get to a stage of homozygosity where you can resow without splitting in the F-Generations. Cheaper seeds might not be selfed for enough generations. Also you might not get the variety you are looking for with cheaper seeds. Tomatos for example very rarely pollinate each other but it happens. This accidental crossing results in a different hybrid than you were looking for, and also is very heterozygot. That means in the next generation you will get the splitting again. Good seed producers will make sure to isolate varieties from each other to avoid this. Their hybrids will also be of a higher standart, higher yielding and more resillient.
Do check your local feed and seed store picked up Georgia Collards 1 Oz I'm guessing 10k seeds in the pack for $3 tried the germination looks really good, using this for my chicken cover crop, they also have kale and cabbage and other vegetables seeds.
Oh my goodness, buying seeds, or especially bulbs is a real issue! One year I bought 180 gladiolus bulbs for my husband for our anniversary! I was so tired of looking for places to plant them! The good thing about seeds, is stored properly they last a long time.
I do seed caches once I get too many, or if I get a good deal at the dollar store. I save big plastic gallon jugs that have a screw off lid. I put seeds of different varieties in there (herbs, veggies, fruits, etc) and seal the lids with silicone and bury them all over my property essentially to never be opened again. If shit hits the fan though, or if they just get lost in the ground and found in 100 years, I hope they’d find some cool heirloom varieties that have went extinct lol. All in all, the seeds cost $3 for 12 different kinds or they’re free because I saved them from years past, and the jugs I get free from work so it costs $3 to create seed caches that could potentially help me or my friends and family in the future, or potentially help any future civilizations. And if they get lost forever, I only lost a couple bucks.
Good pointers thought within points. Unless you are buying in bulk or the shipment/they are charging you other fees, I wouldn't chase down by prices alone. I would just look at your options and see what fewest stores YOU LIKE to purchase from and go from there. It doesn't make it for you to be frustrated about worrying about saving a nickel or so for a packet.
I'm laughing because my dollar store had a bunch of seeds left over at the end of the season. They were on clearance for $0.10 a packet and I went crazy. I will never use all these seeds.
Perfectly timed video for me! Last year I bought way too many seeds for just starting out and made several of the mistakes you're discussing. This year I've made a seed shopping list and am trying to stick to it. Your video is helping me to be more aware of the seeds I have, the seeds I think I need, and the seeds I actually need to get.
I buy the dollar tree seeds because they're *open pollinated heirloom seed*. I grow them and save some of the seeds. Especially for perennial flowers, 25 cents for permanent plants is a deal.
Grow what you like to eat and the space you have. All vegetables are good for you nutritionally, so if you delete some from your menu the one you pick for your space you probably will still be a healthy choice and more enjoyable to eat.
I'm guilty of buying too many seeds but at 4/$1 if I don't need all of them I'm not out anything since one healthy mature plant is worth the price of the packet
I have learned to look closely at the zone and variety info . Of most of the other sins , I am still guilty . INCLUDING having 5 packs of yellow crook neck squash , from American Seed Company .... Yeah , I cannot pass up a bargain , lmao .
i made a list of what i wanted to grow, then went back over it make sure i had the ones on the list i wanted to grow enough to put up and can .. then as i went to my online seed stores i went through the list and marked off the ones i put in my shopping cart or wish list and then made sure i checked them off of my list .. this helped me make sure i didnt double up, and i found it worked for me ..
Let’s be honest. Most gardeners are seed hoarders. We can’t help it. 🤣🤣🤣
😅😅😅
😂😂😂 yep
Yep I have too many and nor will I ever stop collecting more
I’m sure there is a 12 step program
😳🤣
When my son was younger, I was a very poor single mom. Even though I worked I still qualified for food stamps. One blessing is that you CAN buy vegetable seeds and even plants with food stamps.
I fed us every summer with fresh veggies and canned soups and beans for the winter with dollar tree 4/1$ seeds. Spinach, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, ect.
Thankfully I am in a much better position now, but I will always be grateful for being able to buy those cheap seeds.
Well you might have been poor but you definitely wasn't stupid. Glad to hear you grow your own. I do it mostly for the feeling of being more self sufficient. Although everything you grow yourself is better than anything at the grocery store.
😂😂😂that does it, I’m sending you some yellow crook neck squash!😂😂😂
We all do it. My lesson was to check online as well as packet instructions.
It would be nice to get all seeds from one company, but there is always a few that are not available and I have to try and find them without paying high shipping elsewhere.
Best shipping at low cost seed and amount ordered has to go to MI Gardener! $12 worth of $2/packet seeds gets you FREE shipping AND a point system giving you cash off your next order.
Just an FYI to the folks saving seeds beyond the year dates on them, don't dispare nor dispose of them, chances are, even seeds 10 years beyond that date will still germinate if stored properly. Just keep growing 💗
I started gardening two years ago with seeds that my mother bought in the 70s, that I found in the attic in a box that was literally deteriorating from not being moved for so long. On average I have about a 90% germination rate with them.
As a general rule, most seeds have a viable lifespan of 5 years if kept in a cool dark place. However many herb seeds have a much shorter lifespan.
Germinate old seeds indoor first. My mistake was direct sowing, then I had a hard time figuring out they did not germinate or birds got them.
this is true..I germinated seed between 5-10 yr olds
Absolutely!! I have a food bank with seeds that are old, and they germinate. The trick is to store them in the correct climate.
I purchased 2 packs of radish seeds at the dollar store . We were giving radishes to many neighbors for a month . We had $1 invested .
You're not only a generous giver but very smart too. Thanks for contributing to the eco system & oxygen. 🏆🏆🏆🏆
American Seed Company... I remember selling those door to door back when I was a kid when they used to still have those selling programs where you got credit for how much you sold and could use that credit to trade for prizes... I ended up getting a nice little camping tent from that one summer... I was soo proud :)
My mistakes: buying much more then what fits in my small garden and buying seeds of vegetables I don't really eat.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who accidentally bought the same seeds from more than one place 😅 or bought it at the end of season sale and then again at the first of the year. We're having a seed swap in my community in a couple weeks and I'm more than happy to share though. I've amassed a collection, don't have a tight budget and just love trying new things so I'll probably always have "too many" seeds. I figure there's worse hobbies to have 😁 But these are fantastic tips for the new and tight budget gardener!
I always have money for gardening and seeds.
I am guilty of that too! I bought a packet of Rosella cherry tomatoes last year and when I went to put it in my tomato seed container, I already had 2 packets of the Rosella cherry tomatoes 😂 Guess I better check what I have before I order
This will be my third year planting onion seeds from Johnny Seeds.
I'll get back to you on that.
PS - I freeze leftover seeds each year.
Something else to consider, is looking for local plant sharewap groups where you can swap your extras for something you'd rather have.
Seed packets are a fun thing to put in a BD card, etc.
When buying those dollar store seeds, be sure to check how much seeds it contains. The cucumber seed pack I bought had two seeds in it.
😯 Wow
Thats a little unusual but they are usually pretty small amounts... Think about it though 4 packs for a dollar... even if they only have 2 seeds you could potentially get 20-30 cues out of 2 seeds :-)
@D Max That's assuming I have 100% germination. I'm not too mad since I bought about a dozen seed packs total and that was the only one with almost no seeds in it. But considering that other places I buy from cucumber seeds end up being 3-6 cents per seed, those dollar store cucumber seeds I bought are 2-4x the cost.
That's high wage robbery even for a quarter. It shouldn't have at LEAST TWICE that amount.
They probably fell out. I bought some from the dollar tree the seal wasn't secure so a bunch fell out and I just put it back. I didn't realize people don't check next time I will give it to the cashier so no one can mistakenly pick them up
Instead of seed packets I check my local Ace Hardware store. They have bins of seeds sold by teaspoon, tablespoon, ounce, etc. Cost is maybe 1/4 the cost of packets.
Does it say how old they are? What time of year do they have them?
Wow
@@ale347baker they are usually available all year round. You just have to ask in the off season because they put them in the back.
And they are usually within a year old because they get sold quickly.
The most productive yellow summer squash I ever grew was from Dollar General. Each plant produced at least 40 squash per plant. But I'm a lifetime gardener, since boyhood. 25 cents a package, 4 plants cost me about 10 cents, to get about 160 squash.
Best red & yellow onions I’ve ever grown were seeds from the dollar store! I’m keeping an eye to get more for this year’s garden😊
Supposedly onion seeds are only viable for a year so the date may be important. Don't know if it's so, just read it several places.
@@richm5889 yep
@@richm5889 I agree. The best way to know for sure is to see if they will germinate in the easiest method possible, i.e. paper towel.
My biggest gardening mistake has been trying to grow things that don't grow in my area! Know your zone and your micro climate, and always check that your seed is rated for your zone.
Too many seeds? Plan a seedling sale to support your gardening habits!
My grandpa always made the mistake of buying deals. He had 40 packs of cherry tomatoes at one point.
🤣
Guilty 😂
Cherry tomatoes are so prolific! one volunteer cherry tomato turned into a jungle of cherry tomatoes in my gardens. Have been playing whack a mole with volunteers for years. I will never need to buy cherry tomato seeds ever again.
Get em in the ground, son. No such thing as too many tomatoes
Xmas tree store sells seeds 50% off! I have mint and chives that keep growing and growing BOTH from there.
I once picked up Texas grano onion seeds at my local hardware - in Massachusetts. At the time I didn't know about long day and short day onions - that these won't grow here. Why they were sold here I don't know.
You should see the stuff they sale down here that would never grow. Except for northerners! It’s insane!
It’s especially hard around times like this with everything being so overpriced and not knowing if it will be there tomorrow so when you do find a deal you snap on it. I always buy two or three packs of everything I buy then look and it has 300 seeds per packet😂
LOL! I just spent an entire $10 at dollar tree getting a very respectable garden's worth of seeds, and I'm proud of it. With inflation hitting getting so bad and so much uncertainty in the supply chain it's fairly reasonable to go a little overboard just in case. I still get rarer seeds from Bakers and other seed companies, but it's great to get a variety of basics for so cheap.
I use a excel spreadsheet, break seeds into their family, allium, brassica, cubits etc then list each packet in alphabetical order under each. I have a column for when to plant by frost date, germination time/mature time, add notes for special instructions. I also have a spot for wanted seeds if I empty a pack or see I am low I add to want list. Works out great
Nice! I have a similar spreadsheet system where I break mine down by full sun, part shade etc. Columns for latin name, common name, sun preference, soil preference, resistance to deer/rabbits and if it s a larval host plant. This year I am focusing more on native plants, and it's been challenging to find straight native species of the plants I want to grow. 😄 Happy growing!
I did something similar but did it in google sheets so that I can access it on my phone while standing in the store and debating internally whether or not I need/want more tomato seeds. I list how many seeds are in the pack (rough estimate is fine) so I know when I'm running out of a favourite type too
Make a notebook or download and sell it.
Great idea. I was just looking at my seed packets today to start planning for this grow season and wanted to make sure I don’t buy what I don’t need.
Can you send this to me? 😂😂
I believe in seed soaking. Floaters will never germinate and can be discarded.
I was going to start some old watermelon seeds and put them in a container to float them. They all floated so I planted them all hoping to get at least one. Almost all of them grew. I ended up composting many of them.
@@jennifers7186 that is amazing!
I hear ya and my 8 year old Okra seeds still sink, though also helps that you are supposed to submerge Okra seeds before germination can happen anyways but that's besides the point lol
My late night 'pretty picture' seed shopping extravaganzas are a running joke with my friends. We won't talk about my almost hundred varieties of tomato seed. Tho lately it's been dahlia tubers. I have a spreadsheet - it doesn't always help... 😜
My BFF always share seeds and our harvest. I purchase my seeds from Baker Creek because they offer free shipping and give you a free packet of seeds. Great video Gardener Scott 🥰💚🙏 Kendra
These days, Gardener Scott, I feel like it's a good thing to have so many seeds around.
Shipping costs are not in line with actual cost of shipping and handling when they’re charging 6+ dollars for one envelope of seeds. It is more of a profit margin than a delivery service, if you’re not careful shipping handling while cost more than the seeds do and it comes in an envelope.
True 👍
Park wanted $14 for 6 packets.
You are paying an AVERAGE, not for YOUR seed packet $6 or so bucks. Now if it like $10 and/or up without other reasonings (rare, location of provider, etc) then I would worry. I had to pay $5.85 or so for very basic shipments (one for a 10 gallons' grow bag (really though, it's not THAT fancy it's just a fabric pot really) and another 9 seed packs from Texas).
I made the mistake of ordering late and the company is allowed to substitute and 2 of my packets are varieties of tomatoes that I would never buy.
Yeah, one of the companies he mentions charges an unreal shipping charge so their catalog always gets tossed. Burpee has a flat rate just for seeds.
Wow, very exciting to see that me weeks of research actually paid off! This is my first year gardening, on a (decent sized) balcony no less! And I've done so much research and put a lot of thought into exact how, what, where, and when I will be growing things. I managed to avoid all of these mistakes apparently. It was very nice to have them laid out so clearly though, and fortified that this is the correct amount of thought and effort to put in.
The only thing I'm already guilty of is seed hoarding lol. I even got a nice container to organise all my extras into.
I feel ya, sometimes we are more concerned about how much we are "saving" then how much we are spending.
That's my dear MIL. Love her to pieces but when she talks about how much she saved, I have to bite my tongue so as not to say, "Yes but Mother look how much you SPENT." LOL
The Denver Public Library branch near me has a seed bank for sharing seeds. You can contribute and you can “check out” seeds. Pretty neat idea for sharing excess.
Great ifea
What is it called, so I can ask my library, online I couldn't find it at mine.
I'm trying not to buy more seeds this year. I have plenty! It's hard, I had to hide the seed catalogs from myself
😂😂
Cheaper seed packs generally smaller amount in pack. Always check weights. Some stores sell smaller amounts for same money, also different stores different prices. Something to watch for.
My neighbors and I talk about what we are planting, but we make sure we are doing different veggies…therefore we can share. But I understand your idea about going in on seeds.
I went to Home depot a few days ago. They were selling little plants of lettuces, kales, peppers, tomatoes, herbs... for 5 to 6 dollars each little plant. What I had left over winter from my raised beds could well be over 500 usd if I have to buy them at HD. Just ridiculous how overpriced veggie plants and herbs can be in the department stores.
I also had the problems buying seeds that I didn't use ( because I did not have enough space in my desert garden. I spent hundreds of dollars just on seeds and I only have used a partial of them. Some of my seeds still germinated after 10 years storing in the fridge. I grow American veggies as well as the Asian veggies so my collection is quite large. Some of those Asian seeds are hard to find and they don't germinate any more. I'm well aware of the duplicate problem, yet I still got several duplicates, since you just can't be sure about the germination rate.
I have had my fair share of losing plants under my care. But I learned to accept failure and keep moving forward. I often turn to the garden as a form of therapy when I face challenges such as depression or other health issues. Although it may seem silly, gardening provides a free and rewarding outlet. I get to enjoy the beauty of the flowers I grow, the taste of fresh produce, the knowledge I gain, and the opportunity to share it with others. The best part of gardening is the friendships I have formed along the way. Some people are amazing, some are just okay, and others are a bit lost, but I believe that we are meant to cross paths in life.
You are correct, Garden Scott, the term "addiction" often has negative connotations, but when it comes to gardening or purchasing garden seeds, it is a positive addiction in my life. I embrace it wholeheartedly and have no shame in saying so. Gardening is a healthy obsession for me.
I understand that I might be encouraging you to continue buying seeds, but there are other ways to utilise them. You can be creative and give them as gifts for special occasions such as Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, or even to your neighbours. Sharing is not a waste, and it is a great way to spread the joy of gardening.
You also touched on a topic that often causes controversy, which is the purchase of cheap seeds. It is important to remember that when you are hungry or struggling financially, your primary concern is not the quality of the seeds you are buying, but rather finding a way to meet your basic needs. This is not to say that heirloom or high-quality seeds are not important, but they should not dictate one's actions. I have found myself defending this point many times because not everyone can afford to spend a lot of money on a packet of seeds with no guarantee of their performance. The key to successful gardening lies in factors such as nature, the growing medium, skills, and a bag of enthusiasm to boot. So, if buying cheap seeds is all you can afford, go for it. It allows you to grow food, which is the ultimate goal. Right, right. :)
Well said♥️♥️
When my hands are in the dirt and the sun on my back, my worries all float away
@@gingerdurbin2726 me too! I love it!
Hahaha....guilty, guilty, guilty and guilty. Since I have been growing edibles for just one year, and have enough seeds to supply a few market gardens.....been there, done that, and will probably repeat.
It was a little eye-opening to see my $ store seeds sprout overnight, compared to few days later for similar varieties from boutique seed suppliers with fancier artwork on the pretty packets. Live and learn, and loving the gardening journey.
Ditto...I can relate to you 100%...I started to sow heaps of seeds and sold the plants in front of my house for a small donation toward my work and materials...VERY SUCCESSFULL ..
My library has an old Dewey decimal card cabinet with different herbs and vegetable seed packets you’re free to take some and leave any of your own you may not want
Baker Creek. Free shipping. I just got their whole seed catalogue. They have some really unique seeds.
I used to own a Dollar store and sold some of those cheap seeds. What I like is they only have a handful of seeds. No waste just plant those and wait for different ones next year. I have too many seeds. I have 5 packets of Chinese cabbage. It is like yarn I can't stop myself. I like buying from Baker creek, they have free shipping, and the packs usually are filled with twice the amount of seeds promised. If you spend just $10.00 they give you a free pack of their choice. I have gotten my favorites that way. Thanks for the humorous post. But I feel that I worked for my money so if I want to overspend I can do that. I do it so well....
"I have 5 packets of Chinese cabbage." 😄I have 10 packets of dill - all different varieties. Love dill. 💚
I’m a seed hoarder , I can’t help but stop at the seed stands and lick out 1 or 2 at the grocery store 😂😂
A couple weeks ago I was at my local Jung's store, I saw sugar snax carrot seeds,(one of my favorites and impossible to find past May) and without thinking I bought them. Get home , only to find out I have a unopened packet of sugar snax (500 seeds) I never used last year.
Knowing what you have before buying more is a really good idea.
Related to seed buying mistakes is planning. I struggled to grow butterfly bushes from seed last year. Well I ended up with 8 plants, with only room for 3. I ended up giving away several last spring, but this year I will have to find homes for 2 more.
Really trying to do all open pollinated plants, but there are so many flavors out there. Gardening can become an addiction!!!
Stay well Gardener Scott !!!
I save my seeds from plants I use during the winter and dry them out. They grow great.
I have had awful luck with botanical interests! Never had issues like 1 to 5 seeds out of 100 germinating in multiple packets. Even prolific seeds like a radish mix! I’m so disappointed with them. I contacted them and no response. I will never ever bother trying them again. Despite how attractive their packaging is!
Oops probably made all of these😳😂😂 thanks 👍
Yep! Every year I've made a vow to myself that I will not purchase any new seeds "next year" 😁.
And yet here we are again! I probably have enough for the next ten years if only the seeds stayed viable that long.
@@sbffsbrarbrr 😂😂I’m blaming it on all these great RUclips videos! Seed order reveals and past performance of varieties they’ve tried.
20-25c seed packets are a great way for new gardeners to get their feet wet. I love being able to experiment with such little investment.
Heres a good tip scott when buying online Make an acct register Verify the email etc Many companies give you coupons discounts etc for being a new customer Now add some seeds into your cart that you wanna buy BUT DO NOT PURCHASE THEM Let them just sit in the cart Usually ..sometimes in a few hours. U will get an email asking about your unpaid cart and many times will offer you a bit more savings Sometimes it takes overnite ✌🏻🤔
Good tip. I've done that. Thanks!
I was pleased to find that the American Seed brand hadn't upped their price this year. They're still 4 for 1$ at Dollar Tree and 5 for 1$ at Wal-Mart. I had expected since everything else had been affected by inflation seeds would too, but pretty much every brand seems to be at their same price point as last year.
I got some of those 25 cent beefsteak tomato seeds last year and I was laughing hysterically at how many massive tomatoes I got out of them. I couldn’t keep up with the fruit; I ended up just letting the possums have them after a while.
I often buy seeds from Dollar General. A few years ago I found "Homestead" and "Delicious" tomato seeds. They are very difficult to find at large box stores and garden centers. I didn't care that they only had 15-20 seeds per package. I ended up paying less than 2 cents per seed for them.
The 4 for $1, I have Shasta Daisies in my garden now, and the Petunias went to town and reseeded everywhere! The Tall Marigolds were Genetic Freaks, they grew too big to support the Bloom and then fell into a big pile; this Season I will be pinching them back. I had a Great experience with those "American Seeds" from the Dollar Store! ...the Coleus too did wonderful!
The Cracker Jack Marigold is tall and gives three or four colors and they do topple over, I just prop/stake them like the tomatoes and other things. The bees and other insects love them! They had a good germination rate for me last growing season.
I was growing some Dwarf Bolero Marigolds last year that got tall enough to fall over. What I liked is trimming those back and using the trimmings to start new plants since they root from the stem. Just more plants to enjoy! Plus a packet of about 20 seeds grew over a dozen plants and I got hundreds of seeds from them for this years' planting, many of which are already sprouting in the yard from the flower heads I didn't bother harvesting. You've got me wanting to try Shasta Daisies now!
I try to buy my seeds locally early in the season..
1. The gardening stores and big box stores seem to carry seeds that are good for my growing area.
2. I watch for the new display to go up in December or January and buy for the whole year. That way I am able to buy from the whole display selections before various seed types sell out.
That’s what I do! 👍
I made the mistake of waiting too long and by the time I went all the peas and beans were GONE haha I learned my lesson!
My wall of seeds makes me happy tho 😂
Some of the best seeds I've grown came from the dollar tree. It's all about care.
4-1$ seeds at dollar tree are still around had more positive than negative experiences with them!
I am super fortunate to have a local seed company, if it grows for them I have a fighting chance to successfully grow it myself, Mountain valley seeds rock
I do buy some seeds at the end of the season. Most germinate fine the next year and longer.
Onions are one of if not THE most mis-purchased seeds due to the short, intermediate, and long-day varieties. All of my local seed suppliers have long AND short-day varieties, one of which is not viable where I garden. They all have Walla Walla in their displays and it's a long day onion and I live in short -day Florida. Check the package and if it doesn't say, a quick google will reveal if it's long or short day before you risk it.
The public library in my area has a seed library where local gardeners donate their leftover seeds or saved seeds. Save money and grow things that do well in your area.
Dollar General has a clearance on seed that's about expired for 5 cents a pack. I bought bagloads and they all sprouted well. I've planted 2 year expired seeds and they still grew. I won't pay 3-5 dollars a pack, no way. I'll also collect and preseve the seeds from my garden.
I started my garden for the first time last summer 2022. I had all my food from doller tree seeds and I didn't have 1 not grow!! My dahlias were from big lots and walmarts and they were gorgeous, they were not what the pictures showed on the packaging BUT they were better lol looking I had Thomas Edison, a mother's Love and that huge all yellow one!! Than after taking seeds from your crops you don't have to buy seeds again!!
Your videos are so clear, concise and helpful! You do a great job and I’m so thankful to have you as a source as I prepare for my first garden. Thank you!
I'm a big fan of having seeds in advance. I'll spend this season buying for next year AND will get most on discount at the end of the season.
I rotate my seed by expiratory date, just like food. I store my seeds in photo boxes like Scott, however I always use a sharpie marker to put the year of expiration on the front.
I have made a few of the mistakes. Buying to many packets at the Dollar Tree is one. Buying something I may not end up growing this year is another. But being a budget gardener, I buy mostly open pollinated plants to save seeds. I store what I have to much of correctly so I can use it next year. I go to the cheapest site first and buy what I can, then Baker Creek or MIGardener for a the rest since its always nice to grow at least one new thing.
Seems like migardener is one of the cheapest at $2 per pack
@@ImpatientGardenerOhio My cheapest online source is Dollar Seeds. The packs are only $1. That being said, the seeds come in little plastic bags with little planting info on them. I really dont mind as I am mainly buying thing I have grown before from them. The absolute cheapest is Dollar Tree at 4 seed packs for $1. You dont get a ton of seeds in each one, but enough for most home gardens. I mainly use MIGardener and Baker Creek for hard to find seeds as they have a lot of variety.
I made sure to make a document with sections for all the kinds of seed types I'm growing, and where I obtained them. I have it in physical form in my gardening Journal, and also digitally on my Google docs
I've bought those American Seeds brand many times from my Ace Hardware. Every time I've bought that brand the germination was terrible. The varieties haven't performed well either. It's the only brand I won't buy now.
i keep doing that or something that is dang close! lol i was thinking this winter now many cabbages does one person need lol all of them!
Better to have it and not need it! Than need it and not have it! Money, seeds, knife, food, guns , water etc!
lol that's me too. Especially when you rattled off the crookneck squash packets
In my opinion the biggest seed mistake is not buying seeds from local companies. With locally grown seeds you are getting varieties that have grown well in your area, in your local soil conditions, and that do well with your local weather. Buying seeds from half way across the country you get none of these benefits and instead are just depending on being lucky.
Second year of gardening and I think I still have mostly enough seed from last year!!
Great video. I see a future seed giveaway lol Blessings
I bought cucumber seeds from the dollar tree two years ago and all of the cucumbers were round and yellow. It was definitely not what was pictured on the package but they still tasted good
lemon cucumber
Always the key to gardening is knowing how much you want to produce and how much room you have. I have grown tomatoes for 30 years but when I retired 3 years ago I "branched out" so to speak into more herbs and different fruits and veggies because #1 I have time and #2 I have space, but I also recognize our families limit of how much we can eat each summer. I do grow extra tomatoes and basil and run them thru the blender and cook them to kill enzymes then I freeze them in 1 cup increments and they last until the next summer for sauces for chili's and spaghetti's etc thru the winter. Thanks for the video, I also buy seeds from Seed Saver Exchange, they seem reasonable.
A while back I traced the origin of some different packets of seeds from several Brand Names. Most of them traced back to the same seed company! Some cost 25 cents and some cost over $2 a packet. Just different packaging. "
What a world!"
i am guilty of seeing seeds on clearance at the dollar store.....for 7cents a packet!! i bought them all.......spent about $12 total....you do the math lol!! now what???
Seeing the amount of seed in front of you I have not got to many seeds, I have a 6x10 box to hold my extra seed. I do have some of the mistakes mentioned on my list that need to be cleaned up.
You can buy the fruit at a grocery store and plant those seeds. I did that with eggplant and tomatoes and had good luck with those. I have a mango tree from seed. Seeds are seeds. Need green onions? Plant the stalks. The grow new green onion plants and is completely disease and freeze resistant. Cheap radish seeds always work. Did you know you can make a salad out of the leaves? Cheap lettuce seeds always works. I grow them in small pots and harvest new leaves weekly. Got drought? No problem. Plant coyote cherry tomatoes--they thrive in drought. When adult water once a week an inch of water. You will have TONS of cherry tomatoes. Google drought resistant and plant of choice and see what you got.
I have also realised the pound shop seeds are just fewer in the pack and I'm glad for it. I don't need 4,000 carrot seedsMr. I I could eatthem but I can't grow oso many carrots. nor kale nor ....
You have me ROTFLMBO about the repurchasing the same seed. I've never been that bad, but.....No matter how hard I try, I always seem to do it with at least one packet every year. I even found a database app and started cataloging my seeds in there. It helps, when I actually remember to use it.
And splitting seeds with friends in my area = lazy friends that want you to do all the sprouting for them. I don't have that much room in my grow area. So, no I don't do that. It prevents hurt feelings.
As for saving seed, it depends on what the plant is. Some plants are biennial, and I just don't want to deal with that. Others need to be the only variety of that plant in the garden otherwise I'll get cross pollination.
Some great money saving tips 😊👍
It is nice to see, not too mention immensely helpful, to have gardening channels such as this one. It makes one consider and discover more smarter, better, efficient ways to garden. So with many people passionate about growing heir own vegetables and ornamental plants, channels such as these are inevitable. Thanks.
The dollar store does not have enough variety. You always have to buy more at a higher price.
Yesterday I bought lots of seed, from 24 cents to 95 cents each pack. It was on sale but the seeds will not be old until 2027. It was a big selection to choose from so I bough like 50 different packages. One of them was Blauhilde beans (95 cents). 😊
On hybrid seeds:
Hybrid seeds get a bad rep in the gardening community. The argument always being "you can't grow these next year, it's a trap to make you buy more and more seeds." While I do agree with not resowing the seeds you get from a Hybrid (F1)-Variety, I don't agree with the other points. What most people don't understand is the genetic side behind it.
Hybrid-Varieties are ALWAYS the "Children" of two very different, homozygot parents, so they are always cross pollinated. This results in the so called heterosis effect, which makes your plants much more vigurous, productive and resistant. You can expect at least a 50% increase in tomato-yields, sometimes much much higher.
There is a good reason more and more crops on our agricultural fields are hybrids now, they simply have an edge over traditional varieties.
If you have little space and simply want a good yield go for hybrids!
The drawbacks are:
1: you need to buy seeds every year. (But $3-4 isn't too much and will fill up your whole patio or balcony)
2: There aren't many special looking, or otherwise exciting varieties available. But if you are fine with a standart red tomato or squash this is no problem.
On seed prices:
Yes they often are waaaay to expensive, I mean one tomato alone contains like 50 or so seeds, why am I paying so much for just 15 seeds or so?
But the quality of your genetics CAN be dependent on what you spend. You might get lucky and have the exact same result, you might not be. If you want vegetables you can sow for generations and resow each year, you might want to spend some more.
That is because breeders need to pollinate a plant with its own pollen for a few years to even get to a stage of homozygosity where you can resow without splitting in the F-Generations. Cheaper seeds might not be selfed for enough generations.
Also you might not get the variety you are looking for with cheaper seeds. Tomatos for example very rarely pollinate each other but it happens. This accidental crossing results in a different hybrid than you were looking for, and also is very heterozygot. That means in the next generation you will get the splitting again.
Good seed producers will make sure to isolate varieties from each other to avoid this. Their hybrids will also be of a higher standart, higher yielding and more resillient.
Do check your local feed and seed store picked up Georgia Collards 1 Oz I'm guessing 10k seeds in the pack for $3 tried the germination looks really good, using this for my chicken cover crop, they also have kale and cabbage and other vegetables seeds.
Oh my goodness, buying seeds, or especially bulbs is a real issue! One year I bought 180 gladiolus bulbs for my husband for our anniversary! I was so tired of looking for places to plant them! The good thing about seeds, is stored properly they last a long time.
I do seed caches once I get too many, or if I get a good deal at the dollar store. I save big plastic gallon jugs that have a screw off lid. I put seeds of different varieties in there (herbs, veggies, fruits, etc) and seal the lids with silicone and bury them all over my property essentially to never be opened again. If shit hits the fan though, or if they just get lost in the ground and found in 100 years, I hope they’d find some cool heirloom varieties that have went extinct lol. All in all, the seeds cost $3 for 12 different kinds or they’re free because I saved them from years past, and the jugs I get free from work so it costs $3 to create seed caches that could potentially help me or my friends and family in the future, or potentially help any future civilizations. And if they get lost forever, I only lost a couple bucks.
At my local rural king, they sometimes sell seed packets 10 for $10!
Good pointers thought within points. Unless you are buying in bulk or the shipment/they are charging you other fees, I wouldn't chase down by prices alone. I would just look at your options and see what fewest stores YOU LIKE to purchase from and go from there. It doesn't make it for you to be frustrated about worrying about saving a nickel or so for a packet.
I'm laughing because my dollar store had a bunch of seeds left over at the end of the season. They were on clearance for $0.10 a packet and I went crazy. I will never use all these seeds.
Perfectly timed video for me! Last year I bought way too many seeds for just starting out and made several of the mistakes you're discussing. This year I've made a seed shopping list and am trying to stick to it. Your video is helping me to be more aware of the seeds I have, the seeds I think I need, and the seeds I actually need to get.
I buy the dollar tree seeds because they're *open pollinated heirloom seed*. I grow them and save some of the seeds. Especially for perennial flowers, 25 cents for permanent plants is a deal.
Love you
I buy the dollar tree seeds even though lots of folks are recently saying that their parent company's parent company has ties to Monsanto 🤷♂️
Grow what you like to eat and the space you have. All vegetables are good for you nutritionally, so if you delete some from your menu the one you pick for your space you probably will still be a healthy choice and more enjoyable to eat.
I'm guilty of buying too many seeds but at 4/$1 if I don't need all of them I'm not out anything since one healthy mature plant is worth the price of the packet
I have learned to look closely at the zone and variety info .
Of most of the other sins , I am still guilty .
INCLUDING having 5 packs of yellow crook neck squash , from American Seed Company ....
Yeah , I cannot pass up a bargain , lmao .
I keep a simple inventory of my seeds in two categories, commercial and saved, on my phone. I know better than to trust my memory
i made a list of what i wanted to grow, then went back over it make sure i had the ones on the list i wanted to grow enough to put up and can .. then as i went to my online seed stores i went through the list and marked off the ones i put in my shopping cart or wish list and then made sure i checked them off of my list .. this helped me make sure i didnt double up, and i found it worked for me ..
Too many seeds? No such thing for vegetable seeds when you can use them for micro-greens. Some flowers are edible as well.