MIgardener, baker creek, and botanical interest (kinda pricey). MIgardener just shared your video! Woo! Also, for anyone who wants additional sales MIgardener has done lives where he does special discount codes for those participating while the stream is going.
MIGardener, I've been buying about 99% of all of our seeds from there for a couple years now. What I can't find at their online store I just purchase locally at various greenhouses here in Madison, WI.
Seeds 'n Such, Hoss Tools, Kitazawa Seeds (mostly Korean, Japanese, and Chinese varieties), and Garden Hoard in addition to the ones you mentioned. Occasionally, I will try other seed companies for "onsies, twosies", but these are my favorites.
MIgardner is my absolute favorite. Luke has completely changed my gardening game and I love his commitment to keeping gardening accessible for everyone.
I used to feel the same way until I had a lot of problems with their seeds in 2022. I made at least five attempts to contact the company through emails to their customer service and comments on their TH-cam videos but they absolutely, completely refused to respond. I discovered that is how they do business as many other people online have had the exact same complaint that when their products are not good, they do not stand behind them, or even respond to customers. I’ll never do business with them again.
Botanical Interests! Their seed packets have so much useful information to help planning and germinating seeds. They have tips to help germination. Prices are reasonable and I did not notice any increases over the last few years. Second fav is Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. I find heirloom varieties that I can’t find elsewhere.
I watched Migarder for several years but never ordered from them until last year. The prices were very good and the germination rates were fantadtic. I ordered most of my 2024 seeds and caught them on the end of season 1/2 price sale. They are definately my favorite seed company!
My second year on MI Gardener seeds in the books and I've already bought my 2024 seeds from them as well. Great quality and price! Used to buy Burpee and my check book would cry for weeks. MI Gardener has really done me well in that respect.
I buy a lot of my heirloom and OP seeds from Territorial seeds. They have some unique varieties and always good pollination rates. I absolutely love their "Peacevine" cherry tomatoes as I get an abundance of produce & the flavor is great. Thanks for all you do with these videos. I will definitely be checking MIgardener out this year.
I have five packets of tomato seeds saved in my Territorial Seeds cart and when I attempted to check out, it gave me a shipping charge of $22.70!?!! For maybe two ounces of seed packets sent to the Upper Midwest, not a ten-pound box shipped to Tibet. I e-mailed them to ask if that was an error and to ask if they would remedy it with a reasonable shipping charge and they haven't gotten back to me.
I am so surprised you didn't mention Seedsavers Exchange or Southern Exposure. Both carry heirloom/open-pollinated seeds at a good price, and I always have a good germination rate.
I love Southern Exposure. They are definitely my go-to especially since I live in the South. Germination is always great and if it’s not, they give you extra seeds. They’ll note germ rate on the packet.
I love Fruition because of their plethora of info and helpful email reminders. They let you know what to grow and what to resist growing depending on the season. I don’t like to get seeds from places that the flap on the packet doesn’t have the gummy re-close stuff, such as some of the big name places do not and then…seeds everywhere! I wish Johnneys ink on their seed packets was a bit more waterproof as just a bit of water makes it run.
I got caught in the rain with Johnny's seed packets and oh my goodness! I couldn't hardly tell one from the next! A really bad deal when you have a bunch of varieties of tomatoes and peppers!!
Just in case anyone is new to gardening, an F1 or hybrid, just means it was a cross from two different kinds of plants. You CAN save seeds from those plants, but you might not get a result that is the same as the parent fruit you harvested. It just means it isn’t a stable cross yet. Sometimes you get a hardier plant with these crosses, because of that variation. You would get the same result if you saved seeds from a flower you hand pollinated with the pollen of another plant (F1), then saved and planted the seeds from the fruit that formed from that flower. Back crossing the F1 seeds from that same fruit produces additional generations, F2 or more, and stabilizes the line. A stable seed variety, if crossed with the same plant type, will result in the same fruit you harvested the seeds from.
@@rjaquaponics9266 Hybrids aren't GMO. For that matter, you'd pretty much have to specifically search for GMO seeds, and they're generally very expensive.
Even among gardeners I've seldom come across anyone who knows about hybrids and pla t genetics. I would say it's only cannabis enthusiasts know this sort of stuff. 😂😂
It’s sooo cool to see two people who have inspired and helped my garden and chicken game immensely supporting one another! MIGARDENER is the number one reason i am a successful gardener. And YOU are the number one reason I had the confidence to jump into chicken tending! I love you both!!
My biggest tip is spend wisely. I love a lot about Baker Creek and the selection is fantastic, but I realized (after about 5 years sadly) that, given my context and inability to save seeds on a ton of crops, picking out the "perfect" or "coolest" heirloom for my garden was just throwing money away. Now I can justify picking up a new BC Heirloom Pepper, Tomato, Squash, Bean, etc that have readily savable seeds, but for things like carrots and chard I just stick to what I can get cheaply from sources like Burpee.
They also have huge packet sizes for a very very small amount of seeds. I feel like they could also sell their seeds for $2/packet if they used like 60% less packet.
I’m a seed hoarder. I can’t help myself 😂. I love Baker Creek, and even bought their big catalog for ‘24. Some of their stuff is a little exotic for my taste, but it’s interesting to look at and read about. They have free shipping and always include a free pack of seed. They don’t have hybrids, which means I have to go elsewhere for my tomatoes. Disease and nematode resistance in my tomatoes is necessary for me down here in the Florida Panhandle. I’m exactly like you about Johnny’s. Great varieties and high quality, but expensive especially with shipping. I still occasionally use them. I’ve actually had good luck with Dollar Tree seeds (which are from American Seed Co. I think) especially for things like radishes, turnips, collards, and their Paris Island Cos has been great for me. Those seeds stay viable for years, and it’s hard to beat 4 packs for $1.25. 😊. Dollar General also has cheap seeds. They become available in the spring, and I always go load up. Usually by June, they’re sold out and don’t restock until next year. I’ve used a couple of the Seed Savers’ Exchanges and had pretty good luck with them. I used to use both Parks and Burpee, but have gravitated away from both, especially Parks, due to shipping costs. Parks would advertise free or discounted shipping, and after loading up my cart, find that they added a “fuel surcharge,” at check-out. Nothing wrong with that - it’s their company - just don’t tell me I get free shipping only to slip in a shipping charge but call it something else just before I’m ready to check out with $25 worth of seeds. It wasn’t the money as much as the principle of the thing. I have not tried MIGardener, but will give them a look. Thanks for the video. Merry Christmas!
I like Renee's garden, Territorial seed, seed savers exchange, Johnny's, MIgardener, and this year also trying out botanical interests via epic gardening.
If you buy directly from botanical interest instead of through epic, the the shipping is half or just about. it's like ten dollars from epic and about six dollars from botanical interest.
Been buying botanical interests locally for about 7 years now, off and on, and their seeds have been solid. Nurseries and supermarkets may have them in stock, which will save on shipping as well.
Botanical Interests is a fave of mine. I watch MI Gardner on TH-cam but never tried the seeds. After watching this video I think I’m going to order some-thanks!
Also Baker Creek has a free catalog that you can get. Or you can look at the one online. The one you have to pay for has descriptions for everything they have and how to grow it, so it's much thicker than just the catalog for buying seeds. And of course free shipping in the u s .
With Johnny Seeds, to the left of the page (say, the "tomatoes" page) you can select "seed Type" and look specifically for Heirloom, Hybrid, etc. Also, under the seed name it will say (F1) if Hybrid. Johnny Seeds is also 100% employee owned and operated, which is a nice bonus. They are pricy though. Thanks for the insight on the different seed companies. It's always helpful to get as much info as possible.💕💕
I ordered from MIgardner for the first time last year and was also pleased. One fault I did find with him was that he had at least one variety of pea listed as a bean. Peas (sometimes called cowpeas) are different from the various varieties of beans, just as they are different from garden peas, sometimes called English peas. I also ordered from Southern Exposure for the first time last year and was happy with what I got. A seed company I have not heard others mention, but I have been happy with over the years is Willhite.
I ordered from True Leaf Market for the first time this year, they had a really nice variety of open-pollinated and heirloom seeds that I couldn't find anywhere else. I don't know what the germination rates are yet, but the prices were decent (not cheap, but not as expensive as Baker Creek).
My favorite over the years is Fedco. Excellent Quality free shipping with 30 dollar order and refuse to sell seed from GMO companies. Others I buy from Pinetree, High mowing, Territorial, Nichols, and for heirloom flowers Select Seeds. For wildflowers Prairie Moon Nursery and Fellabees
I'm really happy to see so many young people getting into gardening, I've been at it for 60+ years (yea, I'm old as dirt lol). We used to have a small farm in Southern NJ, but now I garden on a small island off the coast of SW Fl, our seasons are reversed, so many of the vegetables are grown in the winter. I'd like to recommend Urban Gardener, I've bought from most all the seed companies you've mentioned with the exception of Migardener, which I may try this year. We grow strawberries here, the best for those are Ison's in Ga, also Browns Omaha plant farms in TX for onion sets. Try Urban Gardener guys, you won't be disappointed!
I would definitely agree with your list but add Botanical Interests. Love the variety and the artwork on the packaging is beautiful. They are about middle of the road price wise.
Botanical interest also has High germination rates Because they test all the lots of seeds. They get in before they package them up and accept them from seed Farmers.
Ditto on the others' recommendations of Botanical Interests, plus, unlike MIgardener which refuses to provide customer service and stand behind their products, BI has great customer service. When they switched labels on my order and another customer's order, and the other customer wouldn't cooperate on shipping me my seeds with a new label BI had provided (as I had done with her seed order), BI promptly shipped my entire order to me again.
Like you mentioned, I had lower germination rate for my Baker Creek seeds last year. They were started inside same as all my other starts and it was fairly common across the different veggies and flower. Flower germination was particularly poor. But I did find a new favorite tomato from Baker Creek at a seed swap where they donated a ton of seeds. I'm in WA and Territorial Seed Co is my go-to.
I got my stevia seeds from them. Kinda pricy for so few seeds and Stevia TYPICALLY has a 30% germ rate but out of 15 i got 2 germinated. A terrible ratio for the cost.
I buy most from Johnny’s and Pinetree because I’m in the Northeast and usually look for varieties they recommend for this area. I will supplement with some from High Mowing, Botanical and Burpees that I normally pick up at our local garden center. Burpees is very expensive in the catalog but they do a good job of describing their items. I love the pelleted seeds from Johnny’s that were mentioned in the video, but they need to be used that season.
My favorite seed company is Territorial Seed. They are local to me here in OR, and I find that the varieties they are developing and propagating here in the same climate work best for me. I can also usually find them in local feed stores and garden centers easily, though I do often order online, especially for things like seed potatoes and garlic. However, I do use Baker Creek, Seed Savers, Johnnys and a few others if I'm looking for something special or or my favorite companies are sold out.
Adaptive seeds is also in Oregon. They are all organic, open pollinated, and carry Rose de Roscoff Keravel onion seeds. These are the famous pink onions grown in Brittany. The best onions. They also keep well and can be braided. I have not found anyone else in North America who sells these. It's worth checking out their catalogue. They go on trips to Europe (Seed Ambassadors) and bring back all sorts of very interesting vegetables.
I tried to place an order with Territorial this week for five regular packets of tomato seeds and Territorial's shipping calculator wanted to charge me $22.70 to ship two ounces of seeds to the Upper Midwest.!?!?!? I tried to contact their customer services to see if this was a glitch and get a reasonable shipping charge, but no response to my e-mail.
Some perennial seed companies I used so far with good results: Prairie Moon Nursery, Swallowtail Garden Seeds, Dianne's Seeds (US), Special Plant Seeds (UK), Oro Seeds (Serbia).
Thank you for the recommendation of Oro Seeds! They have some really interesting varieties, and I've just ordered from them! I'm in North Macedonia and I've had trouble finding local(ish) seed companies, so I'm really happy with this!
Patricks pepper patch is my favorite small shop, lot of interesting options and he included as many free packs as I paid for! Ornamental, sweet, and super hots that I'm excited to try
I’ve ordered from Morgan County Seeds multiple times and found it to be a terrific inexpensive source for my main crops, with good germination too. Not a huge selection in comparison with some other companies, but the price is unbeatable for ordering in bulk. One small downside is they charge actual shipping fees, meaning you don’t know the total cost until they’re shipping (because you can buy up to 50 lb bags of some seeds) but they do send an email letting you know.
If you garden in the south you're gonna need some plants that are hybrids, bred for heat tolerance and with good disease resistance. Hybrid does not mean GMO by the way, it's just selective breeding. The disease and pest pressure is just too high and weather too harsh here for heirloom tomatoes for example. Burpee has a few good options for that, or a number of other seed companies that are higher priced, like Johnny's or Hoss tools. More expensive but you get what you pay for sometimes.
I love Baker Creek and MIGardener......and one you didn't mention, Fruition Seeds. I also like Southern Exposure seed exchange, Seed savers and Botanical interests. There are a bunch more but that Ive used and enjoyed but these are the main ones
I have ordered from Baker Creek, MI and Johnny's and - unless there's something specific that they don't carry or are out of - I always go back to Baker Creek. All these companies are buying their *basic* seeds from the same producers (in huge bulk quantities) and repackaging them under their own labels. The differences that I appreciate - and that keep me going back to - Baker Creek are that: 1) they seek out & source organic, open-polinated seeds from around the world, offering a huge variety of seeds that are not available anywhere else - thus supporting small farmers world wide which encourages biodiversity and makes everything else in the garden stronger 2) they offer *free shipping* on orders as small as 2 packages of seeds and *always include free seeds* in each order - and yes, they have frequent sales too 3) they *consistently give back to the (world wide) community*, regularly sponsoring fund raisers in which 100% of the sales goes to (non-partisan/non-religious) support &/or relief efforts
I love open pollinated heirlooms but I am also thinking about going with some hybrids now due to pest pressure. MIGardener is by far my favorite. The price is great. Luke just does a nice service for new gardeners so I like to support him. Most of the stuff he teaches, I already know, but I'll still watch his content lol. I mean you can just tell he is a nice guy, and the prices are so low it just feels good to spend your money there.
The more seeds you can buy from one company the better because you will save on shipping! With that said Baker Creek has free shipping and Pine tree Gardens has reasonable shipping. I use Johnny's for quality and the information they provide. Baker Creek because they have free shipping. Some others I use are True leaf market, Seeds & Such, High Mowing, Tomato Growers Supply Co,Fedco etc and my local Burpee stands at the big box stores. Burpee has quality seed and your not paying for shipping. I do save some of my seed from the plants I grow and will start saving more of them this season. I must say I'm really impressed with True leaf markets packaging. They package their seed in wax paper inside of a foil envelope. Nice! And they tell you the country of origin, germination percentage and date. Their packaging is better than any other I have seen.
I just started some of my MIGardener seeds and all of them germinated so quickly! They are affordable and a great variety offered. Plus the invaluable info on Luke’s TH-cam channel!
If you order from hoss and have any problems you can just call them and get it taken care of no questions asked. And their youtube videos are great if you grow in the south.
I'm a big fan of Fruition. Their seeds are organic, open pollinated, some heirlooms. Ive had great germination & loved everything I've grown from them. Lots of info, they are big on teaching how to grow & how to save seeds.
Ordered from Territorial, Pinetree and Botanical Interests. The last one is local to us in Colorado and they have beautiful pictures on their seed packets and a lot of information inside the packet. Pinetree is also quite inexpensive compared to some other compainies and I have had good luck with their seeds.
My first go-to is MIgardener. My second go-to is Botanical Interests. I also like Baker Creek. Others not mentioned that I also like, Pinetree Seeds and Sow True Seeds (my local NC seed shop). I recently ordered from Kitazawa Seeds for asian veggies and got their King Ka Ae squash....which I'm hoping is vine borer resistant as I read in a random comment on an IG reel.
I highly recommend Morgan County Seeds. They have an old-fashioned black-and-white catalog without photos of most products and somewhat limited selection, but their prices are outstanding and usually get very large numbers of seeds. I have had excellent results with their cayenne peppers and purple tomatillos. They cater more toward the homesteader and smaller farmer with a lot of their seeds in bulk quantities. When I eventually retire, buy a small farmette where I can put in a couple of acres of garden, I’m going to be buying a lot of seed from Morgan County Seeds. I also really like Pinetree Garden Seeds, Seed Savers, Botanical Interests, and Seeds ‘N Such. For hot pepper seeds, I’ve had good results from Matt’s Peppers, White Hot Peppers, and New Mexico State University Pepper, labs
Great video. I've had iffy results with Rareseeds but they get me every year with their new varieties. We've had numerous seed packs not sprout at all. Have you ever thought of doing an exercise as a mother and homesteader video? Are you still doing cross-fit? That is my biggest struggle is staying active and fit.
My go to is MI Gardener because I live just over 1 hour from their store, also I get a lot of seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, reasonable prices and very helpful over the phone
FEDCO is great! You can choose organic, heirloom, and open pollinated, or hybrid varieties. Everything is well priced and you get a good amount in the packages. Shipping is reasonable and they have a wide variety to choose from.
+1 MIGardener but also Victory Seeds (I've used them three years now) and Hoss Tools (two years). Victory Seed has some good options plus a few interesting lines. I've gotten specific targeted seeds from a few other places but just recently so can't say for sure how battle tested they are yet. Do a video on Joseph Lofthouse and Landrace gardening because that's where I'm at with a lot of seeds, rather than fight powdery mildew on cucumbers or vine borers on squash, buy large samples from many places to grow together and start choosing the strong ones that don't need weed/insect/fungal/disease coddling. I'm one to three years in on several plant seeds.
I totally agree with you your choices, MIgardener is my top choice too. Are you going to share your seed choices? I love watching those kind of videos because sometimes they remind me of something I was going to order but forgot, or or it just triggers interest in something new. Thanks for your videos….Oh guess what’s in my Freeze Dryer…My first back of Eggs! I can’t wait to try them out, I put them in yesterday afternoon. Have you tried fermenting your own Kefir? I’m new at this…about to try my first (second ferment)! Look at me a Grandma learning new things from you “Young’ens” ! Thank you! 💕🥚🐥🍅🥕🫑🫛🧄🫚🧅❤
I've had great luck with Park Seed. They've got good deals every Wednesday and like with anything else, just be smart with your money. I liked Burpee too, but didn't have as good of a germination rate as with Park Seed.
TRULEAF MARKET!!!! I actually purchased $2000+ (yes THOUSANDS) from them in 2009 and 2011, and 2013.....each year! (They were under the name Mountain Valley Seed Company at the time...sent me a t-shirt!.)And, I am not far from Johnny's Seeds in Maine. I have saved seeds from what I have produced since then, and added to my collection. BUT...BUT...BUT....I STILL buy from them to do my sprouts, because I just don't have the space/labor for that amount of seed production. TrueLeaf Market....you can buy bulk!
I had a very bad experience with Baker Creek - out of 12 different seeds, only 2 grew and they did not respond at all when I emailed them for help. No customer service whatsoever. *And I did everything right to get them to grow.
Wow! I am shocked & surprised by all the positive comments on MIgardener. That's great, and I hope you all continue to have success with his seeds. I had such a terrible experience with all of the seeds that I planted from him, that I threw out the ones I didn't plant. Out of over 100 onion seeds planted, I got 6 onions. They are good, yes - but all that wasted effort. A dwarf red cosmos was neither dwarf, nor red. To me, knowing that I'm putting my energy into nurturing good seed is worth the extra $. I'm now a Johnny's fan (tried them because of their equipment & supplies). Also, I've been gardening for over 50 years. Burpee was known for their marigolds when I started gardening. They had a contest in the 70's for the whitest marigold.
I typically use Jung's and Totally Tomatoes, both curiously in Randolph WI, and browse the end of season racks at Menards (.10 per pack) and Home Depot. Jung's also offers a large variety of fruit plants including some hard to find items.
Other than the "Homestead Collection" seeds, all of them are $2.00 at MIgardener, and he's guaranteed that price throughout this year at least. I agree with the high seed count and germination rate. And when it comes to customer service, they can't be beat. Plus they have that awesome store and greenhouse. And I bought my 2024 seeds on their live 2024 opening day and got them in THREE DAYS!!!. Also, when they sell out, they often restock them shortly afterward. Since I'm a new subscriber, I don't know where you're located, but if you're ever in Michigan, you MUST stop in at their store! It's incredible.
Wow! Thanks for the MIGardener tip! I primarily buy from SESE whose prices are great. I got their catalog and burpees, whose prices have skyrocketed. I won't order from them anymore. Ordering from MIGardener saved me over 50% and SESE doesn't offer free shipping. Thank you!
Seedsavers exchange is also a good spot for heirloom and hard to find varieties. Bit expensive but you support the organization. Also, baker Creek has had some weird dude take over their social media. It's not offensive (yet) but somehow he gives a weird vibe when it used to be grower-centric content before
Have you ever tried Park seeds out of South Carolina? These are seeds that are designed specifically for the southeastern United States. They also have heirloom varieties. But like Johnny select seeds, they are a little expensive.
One of my favorites that doesn't get a lot of exposure is Strictly Medicinal Seeds. They have seeds, plants, and roots for so many herbs and vegetables. And their catalogue is always an interesting read.
Ditto on most of what you said. I only bought from Baker creek a couple times, and only one of those times was it more than 3 or so things, but on almost all of I did not have great going with germination. I'm not awesome at seed starting and am new to dealing with poppies, which were the worst performing, but even when I seemed to do everything right, still nothing or plants just didn't perform that well. Definitely not worth their super high prices, imo. I had mainly bought from Pinetree for years. Low prices, great selection usually, esp. of Herbs, incl. tobacco ! I'm growing my own as I use it ( handfuls of pipe tobacco in the soil at planting or transplanting time) to repel cucumber beetles, works AMAZINGLY and was the only thing that ever did !! Anyway, I only ordered from MIGardener the 1st time this year. Last yr. he was out of too many things I wanted whenever I checked. Also, I actually want the greater numbers of seeds per packet on some things, so, Pinetree it was again, last yr. . For seeds per $, they're among the best after MIGardener and I don't mind paying a little more ( when I can) if that means I get a catalog mailed to me. I want not only to peruse it for winter enjoyment, but I want to be able to go back in following years to read about that variety, esp. if I still have any seeds left, or preserved produce from it ( or, rarely in my climate, the plant itself !). But I appreciate Luke trying to keep costs at the minimum, give folks that option to sacrifice print catalog for lowest prices. I'm all for everyone doing that, actually, and just making those who want it, pay for it. Maybe at cheap subscription price per year, for signing up for 5 years. I think in the Johnny's catalog, it specifies that unless it says "hybrid" or "F1" etc., it ain't one ( and thus IS OP, if not "heirloom"). Benefits of the catalog in hand ;) ! I don't often buy there, but keep the catalogs I have as they have professional-level info on the veg types and varieties and how to sow or grow them, more often and more thoroughly than other catalogues incl. online ones. Plus, they have high performance, high reliability varieties and now and then I need or want that, or the selection of some of the flowers ( HUGE sunflower selection !). I have found the best cantaloupe & muskmelon selection at Seed Savers Exchange, and they are my new favorite, although also expensive. To me, they're a less "click-baity" and over-rated version of Baker creek. The costs in both cases seem justified by their work, and SSEs catalog is also VERY pretty.. but they don't seem like they have to charge you what they do just to pay for the shiny, fancy photos ! Or seem to be trying to sugar coat the attributes ( pros, cons, taste, usefulness) of some varieties or unusual plants ( BC definitely seems to do this a lot). So, I'm very happy to spend a few $ as I can to both support SSE, while grabbing a few more true cantaloupes or other things catching my eye & heart like some of their (heat tolerant) lettuces ! I tried Territorial a few times awhile ago. Really wanted to like them and had high expectations. They were one of the very few ( any ??) who grow a lot of their own seed, right there, in a climate which isn't too disimilar to mine and which they breed to thrive in it. Sadly, the tomatoes types I tried just weren't thrifty or much to write home about, and apparently blue ones take FOREVER to ripen and don't taste worth it, although that part could be my new, sucky-soil garden spot). Also expensive and not the selection as some, I gave up. Everwilde is from WI, is in Cali now, and owned ( last I knew) by my BFF's close cousins. They uniquely offer ( only use ?) mylar, resealable seed packets which they claim helps seeds stay viable for max years. They also offer more size options for most types and varieties, incl. a big, bulk size for several of those. Carrots being nearly impossible for me to save own seed from prob. ever, and a veg I really like, is easily preserved etc. , I got the BIG one. leaving it never-opened for now, as a prepper thing. Have been reasonably satisfied from seeds I have used from E.W. . They have a lower selection tho. I've bought from "nature and nurture" seeds, who specialize in offering seeds bred/landraces being developed for the upper Midwest. Prices ok, service seems super alert and helpful, things I bought did ok I guess. Nothing stood out other than it turns out that the tomato "Rosella" is notorious for growing super slowly and something else, I forget, but dying easily was part of it. My fave just because I fell in love with the melons I tried last year ( as did everyone who ate them ! - and I never used to like muskmelons !!), is SSE. Then MIGardener and Pinetree tie for 2nd. Everwilde & nature & nurture for special offerings for 3rd. Then others out there, honestly, before Baker Creek. Jung's for selection of woody plants hardy to the upper Midwest ! Roses, fruits etc. ! Johnny's if you're trying to go pro !
MIGardener is the best! Runner up is baker creek. You are 100% right on the prices. Baker creek is pretty high on their seeds. Baker creek is my back up to MIGardener.
I've found the best Seed comes from companies that supply the Farmers, Such as Harris Seeds ,Stokes and even Gurney. If Farmers trust their income on these Companies you know they.re going to be good quality seeds .There is a big difference in seed quality, A seed might come up, but that doesn't mean it will produce in the way you expect.Seed quality is a must.
MIgardener is my favorite by far. I’m surprised people always seem To like Baker Creek so much. I’ve tried multiple types of their seeds from tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, different flowers, etc. and most everything did really poorly. Things either didn’t germinate at all or had super poor germination and then the plants just didn’t grow or produce good. The beans I got about 60% germination which was by far the best. I’m an experienced seed starter so know what I’m doing and all my similar seeds from different companies grew great while the BC ones didn’t. Seems to me influencers got paid to promote them so the company got popular through that and not actually because they are good. And I agree they do have pretty pictures which I’m sure helps with sales too. I had a horrible experience with Burpee last year and discovered they have horrible customer service and refuse to publish negative reviews on their website even if they are true so you can’t even trust the reviews.
You are correct regarding the shipping costs from Johnny's, great variety of seeds but your shipping cost added up rapidly. Bakers seeds will throw in a sample depending on your purchase.
Johnny Seeds is one of the only suppliers of the new Prospera Basil (best disease resistance,) and I paid expensive international shipping to get it. I've never paid US$17 to get one pack of seeds before, so I hope this pays off!! 😮
I ordered from rare seeds a few weeks ago. Spent 60 bucks, last week I got the catalog by supirse and free! They are great unless you want bulk or high yield hybrids
What are your go-to seed companies?
MIgardener, baker creek, and botanical interest (kinda pricey).
MIgardener just shared your video! Woo!
Also, for anyone who wants additional sales MIgardener has done lives where he does special discount codes for those participating while the stream is going.
Pinetree Garden Seeds, small inexpensive packets, good for backyard gardeners who want lots of variety.
Bakers Seeds, MI Gardener, and Totally Tomatoes
MIGardener, I've been buying about 99% of all of our seeds from there for a couple years now. What I can't find at their online store I just purchase locally at various greenhouses here in Madison, WI.
Seeds 'n Such, Hoss Tools, Kitazawa Seeds (mostly Korean, Japanese, and Chinese varieties), and Garden Hoard in addition to the ones you mentioned. Occasionally, I will try other seed companies for "onsies, twosies", but these are my favorites.
Heyo! We LOVE your channel. Get in touch with us and we will hook you up with a care package.
Luke! You're soooo amazing!!!
Thanks, Luke!
I live your seeds and channel!
MIgardner is my absolute favorite. Luke has completely changed my gardening game and I love his commitment to keeping gardening accessible for everyone.
Agreed!
I believe his seeds are from China
I used to feel the same way until I had a lot of problems with their seeds in 2022. I made at least five attempts to contact the company through emails to their customer service and comments on their TH-cam videos but they absolutely, completely refused to respond. I discovered that is how they do business as many other people online have had the exact same complaint that when their products are not good, they do not stand behind them, or even respond to customers. I’ll never do business with them again.
Meee tooooo. ~ Tammy
I love mi Gardener
Botanical Interests! Their seed packets have so much useful information to help planning and germinating seeds. They have tips to help germination. Prices are reasonable and I did not notice any increases over the last few years.
Second fav is Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. I find heirloom varieties that I can’t find elsewhere.
I watched Migarder for several years but never ordered from them until last year. The prices were very good and the germination rates were fantadtic. I ordered most of my 2024 seeds and caught them on the end of season 1/2 price sale. They are definately my favorite seed company!
LOVE MI Gardener! Luke’s info is an unselfish gift to us all!
My second year on MI Gardener seeds in the books and I've already bought my 2024 seeds from them as well. Great quality and price! Used to buy Burpee and my check book would cry for weeks. MI Gardener has really done me well in that respect.
MIGardener seeds are such high quality!
Yeah, you can’t beat the price.
I buy a lot of my heirloom and OP seeds from Territorial seeds. They have some unique varieties and always good pollination rates. I absolutely love their "Peacevine" cherry tomatoes as I get an abundance of produce & the flavor is great. Thanks for all you do with these videos. I will definitely be checking MIgardener out this year.
I have five packets of tomato seeds saved in my Territorial Seeds cart and when I attempted to check out, it gave me a shipping charge of $22.70!?!! For maybe two ounces of seed packets sent to the Upper Midwest, not a ten-pound box shipped to Tibet. I e-mailed them to ask if that was an error and to ask if they would remedy it with a reasonable shipping charge and they haven't gotten back to me.
I am so surprised you didn't mention Seedsavers Exchange or Southern Exposure. Both carry heirloom/open-pollinated seeds at a good price, and I always have a good germination rate.
I'll have to check them out!
Agreed these are both super solid options!
We love southern seeds get a lot from them David the good on TH-cam recommended them
I agree. Both are great places to get seeds.
I love Southern Exposure. They are definitely my go-to especially since I live in the South. Germination is always great and if it’s not, they give you extra seeds. They’ll note germ rate on the packet.
I love Fruition because of their plethora of info and helpful email reminders. They let you know what to grow and what to resist growing depending on the season. I don’t like to get seeds from places that the flap on the packet doesn’t have the gummy re-close stuff, such as some of the big name places do not and then…seeds everywhere! I wish Johnneys ink on their seed packets was a bit more waterproof as just a bit of water makes it run.
I got caught in the rain with Johnny's seed packets and oh my goodness! I couldn't hardly tell one from the next! A really bad deal when you have a bunch of varieties of tomatoes and peppers!!
Just in case anyone is new to gardening, an F1 or hybrid, just means it was a cross from two different kinds of plants. You CAN save seeds from those plants, but you might not get a result that is the same as the parent fruit you harvested. It just means it isn’t a stable cross yet. Sometimes you get a hardier plant with these crosses, because of that variation. You would get the same result if you saved seeds from a flower you hand pollinated with the pollen of another plant (F1), then saved and planted the seeds from the fruit that formed from that flower. Back crossing the F1 seeds from that same fruit produces additional generations, F2 or more, and stabilizes the line. A stable seed variety, if crossed with the same plant type, will result in the same fruit you harvested the seeds from.
she intends they are non-gmo without saying it
Thank you so much for explaining! I never knew seeds were so complex. It can get reallly overwhelming!
@@rjaquaponics9266 Hybrids aren't GMO. For that matter, you'd pretty much have to specifically search for GMO seeds, and they're generally very expensive.
Right? If its not nearly $100 per seed... its not gmo... @burntorangehorn
Even among gardeners I've seldom come across anyone who knows about hybrids and pla t genetics. I would say it's only cannabis enthusiasts know this sort of stuff. 😂😂
Thank you! I’m under contract for a home (renter for 15 years!) and I am so excited to be setting down roots literally ❤
MIGardener and baker creek are my favorites.
It’s sooo cool to see two people who have inspired and helped my garden and chicken game immensely supporting one another! MIGARDENER is the number one reason i am a successful gardener. And YOU are the number one reason I had the confidence to jump into chicken tending! I love you both!!
My biggest tip is spend wisely. I love a lot about Baker Creek and the selection is fantastic, but I realized (after about 5 years sadly) that, given my context and inability to save seeds on a ton of crops, picking out the "perfect" or "coolest" heirloom for my garden was just throwing money away. Now I can justify picking up a new BC Heirloom Pepper, Tomato, Squash, Bean, etc that have readily savable seeds, but for things like carrots and chard I just stick to what I can get cheaply from sources like Burpee.
They also have huge packet sizes for a very very small amount of seeds. I feel like they could also sell their seeds for $2/packet if they used like 60% less packet.
I’m a seed hoarder. I can’t help myself 😂. I love Baker Creek, and even bought their big catalog for ‘24. Some of their stuff is a little exotic for my taste, but it’s interesting to look at and read about. They have free shipping and always include a free pack of seed. They don’t have hybrids, which means I have to go elsewhere for my tomatoes. Disease and nematode resistance in my tomatoes is necessary for me down here in the Florida Panhandle. I’m exactly like you about Johnny’s. Great varieties and high quality, but expensive especially with shipping. I still occasionally use them. I’ve actually had good luck with Dollar Tree seeds (which are from American Seed Co. I think) especially for things like radishes, turnips, collards, and their Paris Island Cos has been great for me. Those seeds stay viable for years, and it’s hard to beat 4 packs for $1.25. 😊. Dollar General also has cheap seeds. They become available in the spring, and I always go load up. Usually by June, they’re sold out and don’t restock until next year. I’ve used a couple of the Seed Savers’ Exchanges and had pretty good luck with them. I used to use both Parks and Burpee, but have gravitated away from both, especially Parks, due to shipping costs. Parks would advertise free or discounted shipping, and after loading up my cart, find that they added a “fuel surcharge,” at check-out. Nothing wrong with that - it’s their company - just don’t tell me I get free shipping only to slip in a shipping charge but call it something else just before I’m ready to check out with $25 worth of seeds. It wasn’t the money as much as the principle of the thing. I have not tried MIGardener, but will give them a look. Thanks for the video. Merry Christmas!
I like Renee's garden, Territorial seed, seed savers exchange, Johnny's, MIgardener, and this year also trying out botanical interests via epic gardening.
If you buy directly from botanical interest instead of through epic, the the shipping is half or just about. it's like ten dollars from epic and about six dollars from botanical interest.
Been buying botanical interests locally for about 7 years now, off and on, and their seeds have been solid. Nurseries and supermarkets may have them in stock, which will save on shipping as well.
Mary’s Heirloom seeds is a small business out of Texas that is great to work and grow with also 🌱🥰
also love MiG !❤
Her seeds have a phenomenal germination rate as well!
Southern Seed Exchange has been my favorite. The question is do we buy seeds in order to garden or do we garden so we can buy seeds?
It really depends on the day you ask me 😂
Both lol
Both 😅😅
Botanical Interests is a fave of mine. I watch MI Gardner on TH-cam but never tried the seeds. After watching this video I think I’m going to order some-thanks!
I definitely lovr Baker Creek for the free shipping, free seed packets and user friendly websites. And as you mentioned, the beautiful photos! ❤
Also Baker Creek has a free catalog that you can get. Or you can look at the one online. The one you have to pay for has descriptions for everything they have and how to grow it, so it's much thicker than just the catalog for buying seeds. And of course free shipping in the u s .
With Johnny Seeds, to the left of the page (say, the "tomatoes" page) you can select "seed Type" and look specifically for Heirloom, Hybrid, etc. Also, under the seed name it will say (F1) if Hybrid. Johnny Seeds is also 100% employee owned and operated, which is a nice bonus. They are pricy though. Thanks for the insight on the different seed companies. It's always helpful to get as much info as possible.💕💕
I ordered from MIgardner for the first time last year and was also pleased. One fault I did find with him was that he had at least one variety of pea listed as a bean. Peas (sometimes called cowpeas) are different from the various varieties of beans, just as they are different from garden peas, sometimes called English peas.
I also ordered from Southern Exposure for the first time last year and was happy with what I got. A seed company I have not heard others mention, but I have been happy with over the years is Willhite.
I ordered from True Leaf Market for the first time this year, they had a really nice variety of open-pollinated and heirloom seeds that I couldn't find anywhere else. I don't know what the germination rates are yet, but the prices were decent (not cheap, but not as expensive as Baker Creek).
You're right, True Leaf is another fantastic one. I love them for bulk seeds, especially.
Mumm's is my go to for bulk sprouting seeds. They have excellent germination rates and their prices are very reasonable.
I’ve been using True leaf for the last couple years and everything we’ve gotten has extremely high germination rates
My favorite over the years is Fedco. Excellent Quality free shipping with 30 dollar order and refuse to sell seed from GMO companies. Others I buy from Pinetree, High mowing, Territorial, Nichols, and for heirloom flowers Select Seeds. For wildflowers Prairie Moon Nursery and Fellabees
I'm really happy to see so many young people getting into gardening, I've been at it for 60+ years (yea, I'm old as dirt lol). We used to have a small farm in Southern NJ, but now I garden on a small island off the coast of SW Fl, our seasons are reversed, so many of the vegetables are grown in the winter. I'd like to recommend Urban Gardener, I've bought from most all the seed companies you've mentioned with the exception of Migardener, which I may try this year. We grow strawberries here, the best for those are Ison's in Ga, also Browns Omaha plant farms in TX for onion sets. Try Urban Gardener guys, you won't be disappointed!
I grew up in south jersey... by small farm did you mean to the public? Or just your family had a personal small farm?
MI gardener took almost an entire month to send my seeds! A month is too long in the world of gardening, and I live in MI
I would definitely agree with your list but add Botanical Interests. Love the variety and the artwork on the packaging is beautiful. They are about middle of the road price wise.
Wow! Loving so far, thanks for the tip!
They also have SO much information about the plant on and in the seed packet. They even include recipes in some of them!
Botanical interest also has High germination rates Because they test all the lots of seeds. They get in before they package them up and accept them from seed Farmers.
Ditto on the others' recommendations of Botanical Interests, plus, unlike MIgardener which refuses to provide customer service and stand behind their products, BI has great customer service. When they switched labels on my order and another customer's order, and the other customer wouldn't cooperate on shipping me my seeds with a new label BI had provided (as I had done with her seed order), BI promptly shipped my entire order to me again.
@@WisGuy4 MIGardener has great customer service, sorry you had a bad experience
Like you mentioned, I had lower germination rate for my Baker Creek seeds last year. They were started inside same as all my other starts and it was fairly common across the different veggies and flower. Flower germination was particularly poor. But I did find a new favorite tomato from Baker Creek at a seed swap where they donated a ton of seeds. I'm in WA and Territorial Seed Co is my go-to.
I got my stevia seeds from them. Kinda pricy for so few seeds and Stevia TYPICALLY has a 30% germ rate but out of 15 i got 2 germinated. A terrible ratio for the cost.
I buy most from Johnny’s and Pinetree because I’m in the Northeast and usually look for varieties they recommend for this area. I will supplement with some from High Mowing, Botanical and Burpees that I normally pick up at our local garden center. Burpees is very expensive in the catalog but they do a good job of describing their items. I love the pelleted seeds from Johnny’s that were mentioned in the video, but they need to be used that season.
I like MiGardner, bakercreek and Hoss tools. And Botanical interest 😊
My favorite seed company is Territorial Seed. They are local to me here in OR, and I find that the varieties they are developing and propagating here in the same climate work best for me. I can also usually find them in local feed stores and garden centers easily, though I do often order online, especially for things like seed potatoes and garlic. However, I do use Baker Creek, Seed Savers, Johnnys and a few others if I'm looking for something special or or my favorite companies are sold out.
Adaptive seeds is also in Oregon. They are all organic, open pollinated, and carry Rose de Roscoff Keravel onion seeds. These are the famous pink onions grown in Brittany. The best onions. They also keep well and can be braided. I have not found anyone else in North America who sells these. It's worth checking out their catalogue. They go on trips to Europe (Seed Ambassadors) and bring back all sorts of very interesting vegetables.
I tried to place an order with Territorial this week for five regular packets of tomato seeds and Territorial's shipping calculator wanted to charge me $22.70 to ship two ounces of seeds to the Upper Midwest.!?!?!? I tried to contact their customer services to see if this was a glitch and get a reasonable shipping charge, but no response to my e-mail.
Some perennial seed companies I used so far with good results: Prairie Moon Nursery, Swallowtail Garden Seeds, Dianne's Seeds (US), Special Plant Seeds (UK), Oro Seeds (Serbia).
Thank you for the recommendation of Oro Seeds! They have some really interesting varieties, and I've just ordered from them! I'm in North Macedonia and I've had trouble finding local(ish) seed companies, so I'm really happy with this!
Used swallowtail and just recently discovered Dianne's. Pleased with both :)
MiGArdner is my favorite also. I found out about them thru U Tube videos. Thanks for your input on all the seed companies.
Patricks pepper patch is my favorite small shop, lot of interesting options and he included as many free packs as I paid for! Ornamental, sweet, and super hots that I'm excited to try
Yeeeesssss to MIgardener! I’ve been using their seeds & watching their helpful videos for the last 4 years and they are top notch on every level!
I love MIgardner! I have ordered so many seeds from them to plant this year. Luke is awesome and so helpful. I love the videos.
I’ve ordered from Morgan County Seeds multiple times and found it to be a terrific inexpensive source for my main crops, with good germination too. Not a huge selection in comparison with some other companies, but the price is unbeatable for ordering in bulk. One small downside is they charge actual shipping fees, meaning you don’t know the total cost until they’re shipping (because you can buy up to 50 lb bags of some seeds) but they do send an email letting you know.
Renees Garden is a can't miss, I love all the information about every variety.
If you garden in the south you're gonna need some plants that are hybrids, bred for heat tolerance and with good disease resistance. Hybrid does not mean GMO by the way, it's just selective breeding. The disease and pest pressure is just too high and weather too harsh here for heirloom tomatoes for example. Burpee has a few good options for that, or a number of other seed companies that are higher priced, like Johnny's or Hoss tools. More expensive but you get what you pay for sometimes.
I love Baker Creek and MIGardener......and one you didn't mention, Fruition Seeds. I also like Southern Exposure seed exchange, Seed savers and Botanical interests. There are a bunch more but that Ive used and enjoyed but these are the main ones
Also love Fruition Seeds!
I have ordered from Baker Creek, MI and Johnny's and - unless there's something specific that they don't carry or are out of - I always go back to Baker Creek.
All these companies are buying their *basic* seeds from the same producers (in huge bulk quantities) and repackaging them under their own labels.
The differences that I appreciate - and that keep me going back to - Baker Creek are that:
1) they seek out & source organic, open-polinated seeds from around the world, offering a huge variety of seeds that are not available anywhere else - thus supporting small farmers world wide which encourages biodiversity and makes everything else in the garden stronger
2) they offer *free shipping* on orders as small as 2 packages of seeds and *always include free seeds* in each order - and yes, they have frequent sales too
3) they *consistently give back to the (world wide) community*, regularly sponsoring fund raisers in which 100% of the sales goes to (non-partisan/non-religious) support &/or relief efforts
I love open pollinated heirlooms but I am also thinking about going with some hybrids now due to pest pressure.
MIGardener is by far my favorite. The price is great. Luke just does a nice service for new gardeners so I like to support him. Most of the stuff he teaches, I already know, but I'll still watch his content lol. I mean you can just tell he is a nice guy, and the prices are so low it just feels good to spend your money there.
Totally agree
The more seeds you can buy from one company the better because you will save on shipping! With that said Baker Creek has free shipping and Pine tree Gardens has reasonable shipping. I use Johnny's for quality and the information they provide. Baker Creek because they have free shipping. Some others I use are True leaf market, Seeds & Such, High Mowing, Tomato Growers Supply Co,Fedco etc and my local Burpee stands at the big box stores. Burpee has quality seed and your not paying for shipping. I do save some of my seed from the plants I grow and will start saving more of them this season. I must say I'm really impressed with True leaf markets packaging. They package their seed in wax paper inside of a foil envelope. Nice! And they tell you the country of origin, germination percentage and date. Their packaging is better than any other I have seen.
MI Gardener does have outstanding videos. Good luck with you crop in 2024 and beyond.
I just started some of my MIGardener seeds and all of them germinated so quickly! They are affordable and a great variety offered. Plus the invaluable info on Luke’s TH-cam channel!
True Leaf and Hoss Tools are 2 more really good seed companies. Great germination rate with both.
If you order from hoss and have any problems you can just call them and get it taken care of no questions asked. And their youtube videos are great if you grow in the south.
Spending $200 on seeds is hard? You underestimate my power!
Haha!
Also, I like Botanical Interest. There seeds have always germinated well and they have good sales as well, especially end of season.
I'm a big fan of Fruition. Their seeds are organic, open pollinated, some heirlooms. Ive had great germination & loved everything I've grown from them. Lots of info, they are big on teaching how to grow & how to save seeds.
I buy all my seeds from MI gardener and they re great and cheap. I use all theirs stuff,
Pinetree Garden, Baker Creek, Territorial and Adaptive Seeds.
Ordered from Territorial, Pinetree and Botanical Interests. The last one is local to us in Colorado and they have beautiful pictures on their seed packets and a lot of information inside the packet. Pinetree is also quite inexpensive compared to some other compainies and I have had good luck with their seeds.
My first go-to is MIgardener. My second go-to is Botanical Interests. I also like Baker Creek.
Others not mentioned that I also like, Pinetree Seeds and Sow True Seeds (my local NC seed shop). I recently ordered from Kitazawa Seeds for asian veggies and got their King Ka Ae squash....which I'm hoping is vine borer resistant as I read in a random comment on an IG reel.
I highly recommend Morgan County Seeds. They have an old-fashioned black-and-white catalog without photos of most products and somewhat limited selection, but their prices are outstanding and usually get very large numbers of seeds. I have had excellent results with their cayenne peppers and purple tomatillos. They cater more toward the homesteader and smaller farmer with a lot of their seeds in bulk quantities. When I eventually retire, buy a small farmette where I can put in a couple of acres of garden, I’m going to be buying a lot of seed from Morgan County Seeds.
I also really like Pinetree Garden Seeds, Seed Savers, Botanical Interests, and Seeds ‘N Such.
For hot pepper seeds, I’ve had good results from Matt’s Peppers, White Hot Peppers, and New Mexico State University Pepper, labs
Thanks for this recommendation! Morgan County Seeds looks like a really interesting company, with some really amazing stories behind it!
sooo good to know! I'll definitely try purchasing from MIgardener next time
You should try Southern Seed Exchange. They are really good, specializing in medicinal seeds/plants, but they always have bundles and sales 😊❤
Great video. I've had iffy results with Rareseeds but they get me every year with their new varieties. We've had numerous seed packs not sprout at all. Have you ever thought of doing an exercise as a mother and homesteader video? Are you still doing cross-fit? That is my biggest struggle is staying active and fit.
Like is amazing..and their product are so so great...been with him for last 4 years...only joy...and great results..
My go to is MI Gardener because I live just over 1 hour from their store, also I get a lot of seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, reasonable prices and very helpful over the phone
MI Gardener all the way👍👍
FEDCO is great! You can choose organic, heirloom, and open pollinated, or hybrid varieties. Everything is well priced and you get a good amount in the packages. Shipping is reasonable and they have a wide variety to choose from.
+1 MIGardener but also Victory Seeds (I've used them three years now) and Hoss Tools (two years). Victory Seed has some good options plus a few interesting lines. I've gotten specific targeted seeds from a few other places but just recently so can't say for sure how battle tested they are yet.
Do a video on Joseph Lofthouse and Landrace gardening because that's where I'm at with a lot of seeds, rather than fight powdery mildew on cucumbers or vine borers on squash, buy large samples from many places to grow together and start choosing the strong ones that don't need weed/insect/fungal/disease coddling. I'm one to three years in on several plant seeds.
SeedSavers, MIgardner and Pinetree are my top 3 go to seed companies.
I totally agree with you your choices, MIgardener is my top choice too. Are you going to share your seed choices? I love watching those kind of videos because sometimes they remind me of something I was going to order but forgot, or or it just triggers interest in something new. Thanks for your videos….Oh guess what’s in my Freeze Dryer…My first back of Eggs! I can’t wait to try them out, I put them in yesterday afternoon.
Have you tried fermenting your own Kefir? I’m new at this…about to try my first (second ferment)! Look at me a Grandma learning new things from you “Young’ens” ! Thank you! 💕🥚🐥🍅🥕🫑🫛🧄🫚🧅❤
Rare seeds catalog is WORTH it!
I've had great luck with Park Seed. They've got good deals every Wednesday and like with anything else, just be smart with your money. I liked Burpee too, but didn't have as good of a germination rate as with Park Seed.
I use Migardner, Baker creek, territorial seed, and Pine Tree
TRULEAF MARKET!!!! I actually purchased $2000+ (yes THOUSANDS) from them in 2009 and 2011, and 2013.....each year! (They were under the name Mountain Valley Seed Company at the time...sent me a t-shirt!.)And, I am not far from Johnny's Seeds in Maine. I have saved seeds from what I have produced since then, and added to my collection. BUT...BUT...BUT....I STILL buy from them to do my sprouts, because I just don't have the space/labor for that amount of seed production. TrueLeaf Market....you can buy bulk!
Just to clarify, I am a farmer/producer...not just home gardener.
I like Seed Savers Exchange from Iowa. Really like how they explain who they are from and how they got them.
Pine tree is good as well, they also have a lot medicinal herbs.
MIgardner is my top. Plus I like to buy from them in support of all the helpful videos.
I frequently order from Seed Geeks in Missouri and have had great success. Great sales too!
I just learned about MIGardener last year. So cheap! I’ve already started pepper and tomato seeds I got from them with great germination rates.
I had a very bad experience with Baker Creek - out of 12 different seeds, only 2 grew and they did not respond at all when I emailed them for help. No customer service whatsoever. *And I did everything right to get them to grow.
Wow! I am shocked & surprised by all the positive comments on MIgardener. That's great, and I hope you all continue to have success with his seeds. I had such a terrible experience with all of the seeds that I planted from him, that I threw out the ones I didn't plant. Out of over 100 onion seeds planted, I got 6 onions. They are good, yes - but all that wasted effort. A dwarf red cosmos was neither dwarf, nor red. To me, knowing that I'm putting my energy into nurturing good seed is worth the extra $. I'm now a Johnny's fan (tried them because of their equipment & supplies). Also, I've been gardening for over 50 years. Burpee was known for their marigolds when I started gardening. They had a contest in the 70's for the whitest marigold.
I also love MIGardener! Hudson Valley is also a good one as is Botanical Interests.
I typically use Jung's and Totally Tomatoes, both curiously in Randolph WI, and browse the end of season racks at Menards (.10 per pack) and Home Depot. Jung's also offers a large variety of fruit plants including some hard to find items.
Other than the "Homestead Collection" seeds, all of them are $2.00 at MIgardener, and he's guaranteed that price throughout this year at least. I agree with the high seed count and germination rate. And when it comes to customer service, they can't be beat. Plus they have that awesome store and greenhouse. And I bought my 2024 seeds on their live 2024 opening day and got them in THREE DAYS!!!. Also, when they sell out, they often restock them shortly afterward.
Since I'm a new subscriber, I don't know where you're located, but if you're ever in Michigan, you MUST stop in at their store! It's incredible.
Use Migardner and Baker creek. Honestly my bes luck has come from Eden Brothers great selection, great germ rates, wonderful product.
Wow! Thanks for the MIGardener tip! I primarily buy from SESE whose prices are great. I got their catalog and burpees, whose prices have skyrocketed. I won't order from them anymore. Ordering from MIGardener saved me over 50% and SESE doesn't offer free shipping. Thank you!
Seedsavers exchange is also a good spot for heirloom and hard to find varieties. Bit expensive but you support the organization.
Also, baker Creek has had some weird dude take over their social media. It's not offensive (yet) but somehow he gives a weird vibe when it used to be grower-centric content before
Have you ever tried Park seeds out of South Carolina? These are seeds that are designed specifically for the southeastern United States. They also have heirloom varieties. But like Johnny select seeds, they are a little expensive.
Agreed thea most seed companies are really getting skimpy on number of seeds in packets.
I love Johnny's! In addition to variety, my favorite aspect of them is that they are worker-owned!
One of my favorites that doesn't get a lot of exposure is Strictly Medicinal Seeds. They have seeds, plants, and roots for so many herbs and vegetables. And their catalogue is always an interesting read.
Wow thanks for the information i just ordered from MIgardener really cheap , I dollar cheaper than seedvilleusa😅
Ditto on most of what you said. I only bought from Baker creek a couple times, and only one of those times was it more than 3 or so things, but on almost all of I did not have great going with germination. I'm not awesome at seed starting and am new to dealing with poppies, which were the worst performing, but even when I seemed to do everything right, still nothing or plants just didn't perform that well. Definitely not worth their super high prices, imo. I had mainly bought from Pinetree for years. Low prices, great selection usually, esp. of Herbs, incl. tobacco ! I'm growing my own as I use it ( handfuls of pipe tobacco in the soil at planting or transplanting time) to repel cucumber beetles, works AMAZINGLY and was the only thing that ever did !! Anyway, I only ordered from MIGardener the 1st time this year. Last yr. he was out of too many things I wanted whenever I checked. Also, I actually want the greater numbers of seeds per packet on some things, so, Pinetree it was again, last yr. . For seeds per $, they're among the best after MIGardener and I don't mind paying a little more ( when I can) if that means I get a catalog mailed to me. I want not only to peruse it for winter enjoyment, but I want to be able to go back in following years to read about that variety, esp. if I still have any seeds left, or preserved produce from it ( or, rarely in my climate, the plant itself !). But I appreciate Luke trying to keep costs at the minimum, give folks that option to sacrifice print catalog for lowest prices. I'm all for everyone doing that, actually, and just making those who want it, pay for it. Maybe at cheap subscription price per year, for signing up for 5 years.
I think in the Johnny's catalog, it specifies that unless it says "hybrid" or "F1" etc., it ain't one ( and thus IS OP, if not "heirloom"). Benefits of the catalog in hand ;) ! I don't often buy there, but keep the catalogs I have as they have professional-level info on the veg types and varieties and how to sow or grow them, more often and more thoroughly than other catalogues incl. online ones. Plus, they have high performance, high reliability varieties and now and then I need or want that, or the selection of some of the flowers ( HUGE sunflower selection !). I have found the best cantaloupe & muskmelon selection at Seed Savers Exchange, and they are my new favorite, although also expensive. To me, they're a less "click-baity" and over-rated version of Baker creek. The costs in both cases seem justified by their work, and SSEs catalog is also VERY pretty.. but they don't seem like they have to charge you what they do just to pay for the shiny, fancy photos ! Or seem to be trying to sugar coat the attributes ( pros, cons, taste, usefulness) of some varieties or unusual plants ( BC definitely seems to do this a lot). So, I'm very happy to spend a few $ as I can to both support SSE, while grabbing a few more true cantaloupes or other things catching my eye & heart like some of their (heat tolerant) lettuces !
I tried Territorial a few times awhile ago. Really wanted to like them and had high expectations. They were one of the very few ( any ??) who grow a lot of their own seed, right there, in a climate which isn't too disimilar to mine and which they breed to thrive in it. Sadly, the tomatoes types I tried just weren't thrifty or much to write home about, and apparently blue ones take FOREVER to ripen and don't taste worth it, although that part could be my new, sucky-soil garden spot). Also expensive and not the selection as some, I gave up. Everwilde is from WI, is in Cali now, and owned ( last I knew) by my BFF's close cousins. They uniquely offer ( only use ?) mylar, resealable seed packets which they claim helps seeds stay viable for max years. They also offer more size options for most types and varieties, incl. a big, bulk size for several of those. Carrots being nearly impossible for me to save own seed from prob. ever, and a veg I really like, is easily preserved etc. , I got the BIG one. leaving it never-opened for now, as a prepper thing. Have been reasonably satisfied from seeds I have used from E.W. . They have a lower selection tho.
I've bought from "nature and nurture" seeds, who specialize in offering seeds bred/landraces being developed for the upper Midwest. Prices ok, service seems super alert and helpful, things I bought did ok I guess. Nothing stood out other than it turns out that the tomato "Rosella" is notorious for growing super slowly and something else, I forget, but dying easily was part of it.
My fave just because I fell in love with the melons I tried last year ( as did everyone who ate them ! - and I never used to like muskmelons !!), is SSE.
Then MIGardener and Pinetree tie for 2nd. Everwilde & nature & nurture for special offerings for 3rd. Then others out there, honestly, before Baker Creek.
Jung's for selection of woody plants hardy to the upper Midwest ! Roses, fruits etc. !
Johnny's if you're trying to go pro !
MIGardener is the best! Runner up is baker creek. You are 100% right on the prices. Baker creek is pretty high on their seeds. Baker creek is my back up to MIGardener.
Love this WE give out seeds all the time on our page and love this video GROW BIG
2:34 Baker Creek catalog is free, I got mine, picked out what I wanted and passed it onto the neighbor! 🤗
Hello! They have two versions. Their Free Catalog and their Whole Seed Catalog. The one you purchase has history, more info, recipes, etc. 😊
I've found the best Seed comes from companies that supply the Farmers, Such as Harris Seeds ,Stokes and even Gurney. If Farmers trust their income on these Companies you know they.re going to be good quality seeds .There is a big difference in seed quality, A seed might come up, but that doesn't mean it will produce in the way you expect.Seed quality is a must.
Harris is great!
Check out Holmes Seed too - I had somehow never come across them, but lots of overlap with Johnnys/Harris and lower prices on many options.
Pinetree seeds is my favorite.
Johnny's, High Mowing, Fedco
MIgardener is my favorite by far. I’m surprised people always seem
To like Baker Creek so much. I’ve tried multiple types of their seeds from tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, different flowers, etc. and most everything did really poorly. Things either didn’t germinate at all or had super poor germination and then the plants just didn’t grow or produce good. The beans I got about 60% germination which was by far the best. I’m an experienced seed starter so know what I’m doing and all my similar seeds from different companies grew great while the BC ones didn’t. Seems to me influencers got paid to promote them so the company got popular through that and not actually because they are good. And I agree they do have pretty pictures which I’m sure helps with sales too.
I had a horrible experience with Burpee last year and discovered they have horrible customer service and refuse to publish negative reviews on their website even if they are true so you can’t even trust the reviews.
I have never had a single seed from bakers creek not germinate below 90% success! I'm sorry that hasn't been your experience
You are correct regarding the shipping costs from Johnny's, great variety of seeds but your shipping cost added up rapidly. Bakers seeds will throw in a sample depending on your purchase.
Johnny Seeds is one of the only suppliers of the new Prospera Basil (best disease resistance,) and I paid expensive international shipping to get it. I've never paid US$17 to get one pack of seeds before, so I hope this pays off!! 😮
MIgardner is great, Botanical interests is also a great seed company from my experience
I ordered from rare seeds a few weeks ago. Spent 60 bucks, last week I got the catalog by supirse and free! They are great unless you want bulk or high yield hybrids
Thank you, thank you, thank you.💐