Seeds

[mjciccarel]

Is there really a difference between Wal Mart seeds and seen company seeds? MJ

[Bill who putters]

Interesting question that can garner many answers.

I'd hazard a guess that varieties are limited at Walmart which is not a bad thing if you want a zinnia. But in time you may realize that there are many types of zinnia or squash and that some of the obscure may provide excitement and match your growing clime. Variety is the spice of life comes to mind as does small plants that bloom late and like shade and are edible and . Then saving seed another long trip rears its head and plant propagation and and and.

A complex art /science have fun.

[mjciccarel]

Ok Bill, is that yes or no?

[Gary Woods]

First of all, most seed vendors don't guarantee the age of the seeds, only the germination rate. You'll likely do OK at Wally World for the common varieties, but keeping them for a few years may be dicey. I'd rather support a seed company I like and respect, even if it means paying a bit more. Fedco, for instance, is a co-op, with very good stock and very reasonable prices. Are you looking for cheapest possible, and not too worried about specific varieties, or do you want plants that will do well in your area? Where you are matters, and mass marketers don't always care. The Seed Saver's Exchange has a retail catalog, but the hardcore addictive stuff is in the member's yearbook, due Real Soon Now. It has been known to cause severe outbreaks of Kid in the Candy Store syndrome.

OK, OK, so you asked the time, and we told you how to make a watch....

Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

[mjciccarel]

Upstate NY Where? Lived most of my life in the Binghamton area

[Derald]

Back in the day, I discovered that one did well to compare net contents and determine whether the unit price difference is worth the Walmart experience. I never noticed any difference in germination rate and I don't, as a rule, keep seeds more than a couple of years. Nowadays, I just get the Brand Name easy stuff off the rack at Lowe's (a handy-homeowner chain store in the U.S.) or at the plant nursery. The not-easy stuff, I get from a couple of organic sources on the W3. Where I live, the best seed deal on common tried-and-true varieties, some of which cannot be found on the rack, is a home-ranch-farm store about twenty miles distant where one may purchase seeds from bins by the teaspoon. I partake only when I also need alfalfa and wheat straw, which isn't every year. If you're in the 'burbs, there may be such a store near you. I can't guess how it would be categorized in the yellow pages. Maybe horse stuff or fence posts or hay....