Seed Cost!

[Donnyboy]

Inflation really hit the seed market this year. Many stores have a seed rack up and stocked. Walmart only had one tiny "American" seed rack of mostly flowers up and a couple of racks of name brand seeds. The American seeds were $0.20 each. The name brand seeds were $1.99 per pack. I was walking the isles when I suddenly realized I was clutching about $25.00 worth of seed in my left hand. I returned every packet to it's proper place. Seed used to be an incidental item to my shopping trips. Today, food is the incidental item when I go seed shopping. I'm going to blame it on my COVID recovery.

[Paulf]

Between on-line seed purchases and point-of-purchase seed rack buying the dollar amount is pretty high this year. But then not all that much more than other years. Thank goodness we are at a time of life where the enjoyment of growing is worth more than worrying about the small cost. With no expenditures for nicotine, alcohol, candy (for me anyway), junk food and expensive food in restaurants, the only vice is diet soda and that is now Wally World 2 liters.

Neither do we rely on what we grow for a major portion of our food supply. Not bragging or putting anyone down but we are in this position because of 55 years of frugality. Seeds for raising food or flowers to enjoy is a minor inconvenience in the scheme of things.

[Tormahto]

My local WalMart has a good display, so far this year, with Burpee and Ferry-Morse.

The organic seeds are in the 2.50 to almost 3.00 range. Others are under 2.00. A big part of the display this year is seed starting trays. I don't like the 72 cell, thin black plastic ones (an accident waiting to happen). They have 16 (XL size) and 32 (regular size)) cell pop-out and reusable trays that I will try. Every time they get grow lights in stock, they sell out in a week or less. Next time I see them, I think I''ll get another one.

I've yet to look at the stack of catalogs. I remember past catalogs having some small packets of hybrid corm at almost $8, and 10 seeds of a few hybrid cucumbers for almost $10.

[bower]

I had a little extra cash in the past couple of years and really enjoyed the special seeds I bought from small seed producers, even at $3.50 to $4 (CDN) a pack. Shipping is the bigger ticket, and if you want something special from 3 different vendors, it adds up quick. But during leaner years I learned to save and clean all kinds of seeds. I really enjoy that, and I grow some kind of seed every year regardless to keep a fresh supply of most of my needs. With the price of seeds going up, I'm not likely to stop. Home grown seed is always the freshest you can get, and I find it really disappointing to part with dollars in exchange for something that barely germinates, which is what I've seen from time to time off the local seed racks.
$0.20 a pack for seeds is something I haven't seen in decades. Bargain seeds that used to be 99 cents are now 1.99 minimum, but most are more than that.

[Tormahto]

I had a little extra cash in the past couple of years and really enjoyed the special seeds I bought from small seed producers, even at $3.50 to $4 (CDN) a pack. Shipping is the bigger ticket, and if you want something special from 3 different vendors, it adds up quick. But during leaner years I learned to save and clean all kinds of seeds. I really enjoy that, and I grow some kind of seed every year regardless to keep a fresh supply of most of my needs. With the price of seeds going up, I'm not likely to stop. Home grown seed is always the freshest you can get, and I find it really disappointing to part with dollars in exchange for something that barely germinates, which is what I've seen from time to time off the local seed racks.
$0.20 a pack for seeds is something I haven't seen in decades. Bargain seeds that used to be 99 cents are now 1.99 minimum, but most are more than that.

I don't think that I've seen American Seed since Covid. Three years ago their packs were .20 cents each. About 7 or 8 years ago they were .10 cents. They had an OK amount of different veggie/flower/fruit seed, but usually limited to one or two very common varieties of each type. Think Beefsteak for tomatoes, Danvers Half Long for carrots, Black Seeded Simpson for lettuce, etc.. But, for those just starting out, or those not deep into gardening, it was perfect. What amazed me is that I basically had almost 100% germination with everything that I trialed.

I was a bit skeptical at first, thinking, is this the Columbia Record Club of seed vendors?

[rusty]

Most packs are $1.99 either @ wally world or other big box stores around here. I would rather give my money to the little guy / back yard grower that saves seed on the SSE- most tomato varieties are $2 or $3 but you usually get about 20-30 seeds from each. Unfortunatly I like some hybrids and have no other option than to buy from established big companys

[karstopography]

Seeds are so worth it.

[rxkeith]

sandhill preservation is still pretty reasonable in price. i just wish i could hold a catalog in
my hands instead of going back and forth on line trying to make my selections. mailing costs
are just too high for glenn, so what you gonna do. i may still pick up some seed packets locally,
but nothing major. i would like to be able to save broccoli for seed, but it just hasn't happened yet.
snow is always flying before the seeds mature. i could try some broccoli in a pot so i could move it to
a warmer place.
anything you can save seeds from is one less thing you have to buy.
and there are hobbies or interests to pursue that cost a lot more than seeds, true?


keith

[Tormahto]

sandhill preservation is still pretty reasonable in price. i just wish i could hold a catalog in
my hands instead of going back and forth on line trying to make my selections. mailing costs
are just too high for glenn, so what you gonna do. i may still pick up some seed packets locally,
but nothing major. i would like to be able to save broccoli for seed, but it just hasn't happened yet.
snow is always flying before the seeds mature. i could try some broccoli in a pot so i could move it to
a warmer place.
anything you can save seeds from is one less thing you have to buy.
and there are hobbies or interests to pursue that cost a lot more than seeds, true?


keith

Many places seem to have their S&H equal to that of a flat rate small box of the USPS. I don't know why Glenn doesn't charge more. It wasn't long ago he charged $2, and I haven't looked for this year, yet.

[rxkeith]

for seeds, glenn charges a flat rate of $3.00. my seed order was over 50 bucks.
he probably should charge more. the vast majority of his seeds are in the $1.25 to
$3.00 range. garlic bulbils are a $3.00 shipping fee.


keith

[Stitchingmom]

I went hog-wild buying seeds last year, because I had a feeling this year they would skyrocket. Burpee has some tomato seeds at $1 each. I'm not spending that, period. Now I'm doing a massive amount of trading, and having so much fun. There are still a few places where I am willing to spend my money, but not nearly as many as before.

[worth1]

I bought 2 packages of mammoth dill seeds and 2 packages of Fordhook giant Swiss chard seeds for a dollar 69 a package.
As long as I do my part I'll more than get my money back.

[Tormahto]

I went hog-wild buying seeds last year, because I had a feeling this year they would skyrocket. Burpee has some tomato seeds at $1 each. I'm not spending that, period. Now I'm doing a massive amount of trading, and having so much fun. There are still a few places where I am willing to spend my money, but not nearly as many as before.

I just bumped the "MMMM non-tomato/pepper suggestions" thread.

[rusty]

I went hog-wild buying seeds last year, because I had a feeling this year they would skyrocket. Burpee has some tomato seeds at $1 each. I'm not spending that, period. Now I'm doing a massive amount of trading, and having so much fun. There are still a few places where I am willing to spend my money, but not nearly as many as before.

$1 per seed is crazy, that will change and come down if they are OP's eventually. The hybrids might be another story though. For me being an old retired guy ( who knows when your last day is ) I would pay the $1 per seed if it was a OP & was gonna be the next " Brandywine" ( in popularity ).
I dont think the rootstock seed prices are ever gonna come down.

[JayneR13]

Saving the seeds that do well for you is almost mandatory these days. It's not difficult and I find it highly rewarding. Another good strategy is buying on sale at the end of the season. Much cheaper.

[Paulf]

If this statement is untrue, sorry, but I have been told by a person close to the wholesale seed business that American Seed will purchase all the leftover seeds from last year (or even more years in the past), package them at a very reduced price because they came at a lower cost than current seeds. I have purchased the inexpensive seeds in the past and had no real germination problems...maybe 75%...all you have to do is plant a few more seeds than usual.

[Tormahto]

for seeds, glenn charges a flat rate of $3.00. my seed order was over 50 bucks.
he probably should charge more. the vast majority of his seeds are in the $1.25 to
$3.00 range. garlic bulbils are a $3.00 shipping fee.


keith

One thing that I do with Sandhill is that if something I order becomes out of stock, I simply tell them not to put it on back order, which would mean even more postage expenses.

I tell them any surplus in balance is a donation. I usually order too much to grow in one season, anyway.

[Tormahto]

I went hog-wild buying seeds last year, because I had a feeling this year they would skyrocket. Burpee has some tomato seeds at $1 each. I'm not spending that, period. Now I'm doing a massive amount of trading, and having so much fun. There are still a few places where I am willing to spend my money, but not nearly as many as before.

$1 per seed is crazy, that will change and come down if they are OP's eventually. The hybrids might be another story though. For me being an old retired guy ( who knows when your last day is ) I would pay the $1 per seed if it was a OP & was gonna be the next " Brandywine" ( in popularity ).
I dont think the rootstock seed prices are ever gonna come down.

I found out, last year, that $1 per seed is quite expensive dining for the birds, when those seeds are direct sown in the ground.

[rusty]

I went hog-wild buying seeds last year, because I had a feeling this year they would skyrocket. Burpee has some tomato seeds at $1 each. I'm not spending that, period. Now I'm doing a massive amount of trading, and having so much fun. There are still a few places where I am willing to spend my money, but not nearly as many as before.

$1 per seed is crazy, that will change and come down if they are OP's eventually. The hybrids might be another story though. For me being an old retired guy ( who knows when your last day is ) I would pay the $1 per seed if it was a OP & was gonna be the next " Brandywine" ( in popularity ).
I dont think the rootstock seed prices are ever gonna come down.

I found out, last year, that $1 per seed is quite expensive dining for the birds, when those seeds are direct sown in the ground.

I had no idea that many folks did direct in ground planting of tomatoes

[bower]

@rxkeith I get brassica and lettuce seeds from crops grown indoors during the winter, or overwintered in the greenhouse. Our season would be way too short for broccoli otherwise. The tricky thing for best brassicas is that you need a decent size of population to prevent inbreeding depression, ideally. You can do it casually with a plant or two and get perfectly good seed most of the time, but not for more than a generation or two before you need to start over with a properly sourced seed. This is one reason I play with brassica crosses, because I don't often have those larger populations to maintain a healthy pure OP line for seed.
Greenhouse is really useful for biennial seed too. Nothing would survive winter or the March Hare here.