Seed Shortage 2021

[karstopography]

Here in my part of the country, if I want to plant tomato seeds and other sets like peppers for the spring of 2021, I have to get the seeds in 2020. The seed companies don’t tend to get out year of seeds until it’s a little late, for gardeners in our region anyway. I tend to want to start my sets in December 2020 for February 2021 insertion into the ground or beds.

So I’ve been looking at the various online seed vendors and most are on hold on new orders and/or out of most every desirable variety. I do have some local sources, but they mostly have basic seeds of this or that varieties.

Not being an industry insider or terribly experienced in the seed game, do any of y’all have insight to seed availability going into the latter half of 2020?

I know interest in vegetable gardening has exploded with the pandemic. I’m just wondering if we are literally going to run out of seed or is there some reserve that will be available once and if this current rush subsides?

[Growing Coastal]

Seed growers are probably in a quandry over how much more seed to grow this year. Will the huge demand last and go into next year? Did it last after the last time people went gardening crazy after 2008's crash and bought lots of seeds?
I bought another pak of a different type of soy bean to try last week for 6.99! Not many seeds. At that price for sure I will be growing my own but I still had to buy the 1st one.

My neighbour buys lots of seeds and never starts any of his own. He waits for my tomato plants instead.

[Labradors]

Karsto…. Just wait until the seed swaps happen online here. You too will be deluged with tomato seeds! There is also a bean swap, and peppers, and people here swap all kinds of seeds. If you can save anything at the end of the season, I suggest you do so, and you'll have lots to swap .

I'm lucky that I ordered many types of veggie seed this winter, and they should do me well for next season as well as this one.

Linda

[Blackbear]

geese you guys are right ! shortage 2020 AND 2021

I have enough seeds ...but I was looking for a few "non tomato" veggie seeds ..
I went to 3 garden centers and boards and boards of empty cards no seeds ! wiped out ! very scant samples.

who would have thought it ? even the most common seeds availability ….spotty and hiccups of delivery and stock .

[MissS]

Labradors is quite right. Your neighbors here at the Junction are hoarders but very generous ones at that. We all save plenty of seeds to keep old varieties going, to share and to swap. You will find that The Junction has seeds of all sorts flying around everywhere just for the asking. There are a few swaps to watch for in the fall and be sure to save seeds so that you can participate. You will end up with more seeds than you can imagine or ever grow. So don't worry about the vendors you will have very little need of them. Although I must say that even though I have plenty of seed, I still try to help our vendors by purchasing at least half of my seeds each season.

[bower]

[mention]Blackbear[/mention] don't worry about non tomato seeds either - lots of us are saving seed of this that and everything.
Put up a notice in the seeds wanted area if there's something special you were looking for this year. Send me a PM I'll tell you what I have lots of and gladly mail you some if I have what you needed.
Karstopography, Labradors is right, the keepers of tomato seeds are here, and much else!
I bought some seeds this year, but that is the first time I did any serious seed buying in seven years or more... So many cool things I got from Tormato and Nicky, and grew out for fresh seed and sent some back to the next swap, I have saved seed of not quite everything at this point, love doing it, getting better at cleaning seeds too.

[Clkeiper]

geese you guys are right ! shortage 2020 AND 2021

I have enough seeds ...but I was looking for a few "non tomato" veggie seeds ..
I went to 3 garden centers and boards and boards of empty cards no seeds ! wiped out ! very scant samples.

who would have thought it ? even the most common seeds availability ….spotty and hiccups of delivery and stock .

what I notice is that the only seed in stock is one brand mostly ( Ferry Morse). nothing more. only two stores did I find a burpees seed rack. One store carries livingstons every year and it doesn't carry any other ones.
My thought was already this season just because of the price of seeds this year already I am planning on saving as many seeds as I can. growing heirloom varieties as much as I can. I do buy from commercial seed suppliers and those are quite larger quantities of seeds than normal seed packets. but those are also quite a bit more expensive than the small packets available at the stores.

[Blackbear]

Geese you guys are right !...We had such abundance of seeds at stores ...all of a sudden the seeds and choices are not there
even for the most basic varieties. But sometimes you want the non commercial varieties to have and value anyway .

I guess I took a year off then I always was "Tomatocentric " in the garden ...so I took the non tomato stuff for granted.
I do have some good supply of volunteers coming up ..but it is a surprise of limited choice . I will have to pay more attention
for procuring the non tomato stuff for 2021 .

Holy doodles I just checked heritage harvest seed (Manitoba) and due to the unexpected surge in demand they are closing their website ? and are 3 weeks behind ….wow !
Holy doodles #2 old news I know..... but I sure miss Tatiana's offerings ….still wahhh !

[PlainJane]

I’m sure us TJ folks will keep each other covered via seed swaps and offers. My guilty pleasure is buying them so I have way more than I need.

[MissS]

I bought seed for this years garden before the Pandemic, so I did get what I wanted. Yes, most online stores are closed or behind a few weeks and are waiting for new seeds themselves. There is a mass surge for veggie seeds and food this year. So, I do have seeds for many things if people need them. Not much, but some. PM me if you need help with that. I will try my best to share with you.
Second, this is a great year to be starting Tomato Junction as there are many new gardeners out there needing our help. For some reason, we still are not searchable when you google vegetable forums. If you have Facebook be sure to add link to our site or mention us once in awhile on your own site. We have to be searchable in order to help all of these newbie gardeners flooding the world. I don't know much more to do to make that happen.

[Blackbear]

I am not really short for seeds …..just shocked at the disruption of the normal supply and selection
many of us just took for granted ….it seems so sudden .
I used to collect the other "non tomato" seeds stuff a decade ago ….but really only tomato seeds and a few other non tomato lately . I guess this bear will have to smarten up ...for non tomato seeds as well.

[MissS]

I am not really short for seeds …..just shocked at the disruption of the normal supply and selection
many of us just took for granted ….it seems so sudden .
I used to collect the other "non tomato" seeds stuff a decade ago ….but really only tomato seeds and a few other non tomato lately . I guess this bear will have to smarten up ...for non tomato seeds as well.

That's what happens when you have been hibernating, as bears will do.

[Blackbear]

I am not really short for seeds …..just shocked at the disruption of the normal supply and selection
many of us just took for granted ….it seems so sudden .
I used to collect the other "non tomato" seeds stuff a decade ago ….but really only tomato seeds and a few other non tomato lately . I guess this bear will have to smarten up ...for non tomato seeds as well.

That's what happens when you have been hibernating, as bears will do.

yup I am not snoozing now and will be appreciating the most humble of seeds more ….even if not tomato seeds !

[habitat-gardener]

I found a rack of Botanical Interests seed at a local Ace hardware store! Good selection, too.

[JosephineRose]

Hello all!

It's been a while.

My understanding is that although some seed companies are out of stock of some items, others are simply too understaffed to restock due to social distancing and have backstock that has yet to be packaged.

I have placed recent seed orders at Uprising Seeds, West Coast Seeds (Canada) Restoration Seeds and Baker Creek, although not for tomato seeds. I also recommend checking out Adaptive Seeds and Nichols in Oregon.

ETA that Johnny's Selected Seeds is taking non commercial orders again, but will be slow to fill them.

[Nan6b]

Two companies who have NOT fulfilled my orders this year are Seeds 'n Such, and NE Seeds. Been waiting since the beginning of April for seeds.

[Blackbear]

I think I will wait till fall and try to procure my non tomato 2021.."wish list" from the suppliers and retailers that are

presently overwhelmed and/or out of stock of the specialty items ….

I will be ready and planned and first in line to procure those seeds for 2021 …. lol

[karstopography]

I’ve made 4 small seed orders since the last week in April. Two from southern exposure seed exchange, one from Reimer and one from Tomatofest. One order from SESE has been delivered, the other order I made Friday. Tomatofest has been delivered p, Reimer order was made April 26th and they offered expedited shipping, but i wasn’t in a rush so it could be up to 18 days to be shipped. Fine, no problem.

In general, some varieties, I ordered various non-tomato seeds, were out of stock at SESE and Reimer, but didn’t notice that so much, all tomato seeds, at Tomatofest.

[Panspermia]

Glad I didn't need much seed this year. Ordered a couple new pepper types from Baker Creek. They (in late April) said they had 10,000 orders in one day.

[Barb_FL]

I ordered seeds from High Mowing Seeds (highmowingseeds.com) earlier this week and they were delivered today (Friday). There was no delay in processing.