Garden Seeds

Gothor · Tar Sands Joined: Apr 14, 2008 Posts: 89

Greetings everyone. First off I'd like to state: I've been aware of PO since 1995, so the whole subject Isn't knew to me. Just wanted to get that out of the way.

Here's the thing: I live in Central Florida (Melbourne), which is the east coast of the state. I garden; 8'x16' only atm. I've left my plot empty for 2 months now to burn out the nemetodes in the soil. I recently decided to start my own plants for the coming fall crop last week. Tomatoes, peppers etc. So off I go to Home Depot to buy peat pots and go through their tomato selection; I wanted to see if they had any heirloom varietals rather than ordering on-line. After looking around the garden section of my local HD for 20 minutes I finally asked a store employee for help in locating the seed displays. This man (employee) looked all over, my partner and I just stood there while he ran around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to find seeds. Finally he approached us and said, “there aren't any seeds. The company 'pulled', all the seeds and the peat pots.” Naturally I said, “WHAT?” He nervously shrugged and said, “ we don't have any seeds or pots.” I looked at my partner with amazement, and whispered WTF. We decided to leave our cart with other items there and get everything we needed at Lowes, for surely this was a SNAFU with Home Depot only. Our local Lowes is right next door to Home Depot so off we drive. I stride confidently into the garden section of Lowes and ask to be shown to the seed and peat pot section. The woman scanner drone that manned the checkout promptly informed me there were no seeds or peat pots in the store as I wasn't planting season yet. I just about crap right on the spot. I asked her when Lowes had decided for me when and where I could choose to plant my garden. The silly woman just laughed and turned away. I then asked here if she could read my mind and tell me which plants to put in my planters. She failed to laugh this time , and quickly walked away. I just looked at my partner with an open mouth—speechless for several moments. Finally I say, “ let's go to Ace Hardware”, (the small independent close to our home. We arrived to a woman wearing a Bluetooth Headset, who opened the door for us and I smiled and walked in. Just inside I asked her where the seeds and peat pots were. Guess what? She smiled at me and said, “it's not planting season yet we have no seeds or peat pots? Guys I have to tell you In my entire PO life I never felt like screaming and heading for the hills than I did on this day. It was beyond Big Brother. I just got pale and left. But I did ask her on the way out when I lost control of buying seeds...and who controls that for me now...she nervously smiled and closed the door. In my entire life I've always bought seeds for the coming season and held on to them until it was time to plant. I spent the rest of the day looking at my garden, without seeds to plant anything, wondering what had just happened to me. Has anyone else encountered this?

manu · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jul 26, 2006 Posts: 752

Monsanto will issue seeds to those deserving of them sometime soon. They will decide what you want to grow.

Gothor · Tar Sands Joined: Apr 14, 2008 Posts: 89

kpeavey · Expert Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 1243

I'm a couple of hours north of you, same situation here. Seed displays are set up for March and April sales. By the time May comes around, the people that garden have already bought their seeds, whats left is shipped north to Vermont or wherever the frost is melting. The shelf space is needed for BBQ grills and charcoal. The big box stores move seasonal volume for the ignorant masses. If you want something specific, they are of little help.

If you look long and hard, you may find some stores still offering seeds and plants. For good quality, heirloom seeds, shop online, by them ahead when you have the opportunity, and learn to save your own seeds. If you must buy locally, try the feed stores, local garden stores, mom and pop shops.
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Gothor · Tar Sands Joined: Apr 14, 2008 Posts: 89

Cog · Heavy Crude Joined: May 17, 2008 Posts: 139

I ran into this same situation in Illinois. I had planted some okra that failed to germinate. When I returned to Wal-Mart to buy some more 3 weeks later, no more seeds to be found. Same thing at Home Depot and Lowes. They had all been shipped out.

I won't be caught short like this again. Crying or Very sad

Thanks for bringing the issue up.

jlw61 · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:31 am Post subject: Re: Garden Seeds

With shrinking sales, higher costs, and soaring problems facing every retailer, you have to understand that they are there to make money! If they can sell a few more grills by pushing the seeds north, they will do it. They are not there to provide a service, but to exchange items of intrinsic value for cellulose based symbols of value.

So, grab your phone and make some calls. If nobody can help you, then grab your keyboard and check out a few of my favorite sites.

The Cook's Garden
Territorial Seed

And get this book.

I'm learning how to save seeds and while it does tend to lower productivity on the beds (veggies like carrot, lettuce and radish go to seed in a different stage from production), it will teach you a lot and do you a lot of good. Also, it will help reduce your need for seed purchases.

I expect my need to purchase seed packets to reduce each year until (I hope) I can do without and just trade between neighbors.
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Fishman · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:59 am Post subject: Re: Garden Seeds

Never heard of seasonal sales there buddy? Don't get so pissed as this is a NORMAL occurance. Did you ask for a christmas tree in March? Lowes is not there for the one in a thousand person who needs something out of season, go online, go to a local nursery/ gardening store. But please don't whine about "big brother".

Ludi · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:03 am Post subject: Re: Garden Seeds

JL Hudson Seedsman

Pinetree Garden Seeds

Bountiful Gardens

Native Seeds/SEARCH
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Specop_007 · Expert Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 6235

Thats pretty normal you know....

Heres an example. come up north a bit and try to buy a swimsuit in the winter. Or a winter coat in the summer. Or a snow blower in the summer.

Point being, seasonal items are sold, well, seasonally. Theres no big conspiracy or master plan at work here, its simple maximization of store space.

If you want something out of "season", buy online. Theres dozens of retailers that can have any seed your little heart desires on your dooorstep within days.
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DoubleD · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:16 am Post subject: Re: Garden Seeds

It is generally a good practice to keep a reserve of viable seeds. If you depend on your garden for food production, trusting that you will be able to get seeds when you want them is risky at best.

I purchase seeds and save seeds (both) and the current year purchases and savings are used to replace the "seed reserve" and the reserve is then moved into "current use" inventory and used up. Rotating this way keeps everything in good order but also ensures a redundancy of supply.
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hippiema1 · Coal Joined: Jul 27, 2007 Posts: 18

So it is not just us! We have planted a fall garden of cabbages and broc and the like for years after buying seeds this time of year at our local independent hardware or at our natural foods coop. Neither have seeds this summer.

We're learning to save seeds right now--and ordering our fall seeds this time.

WisJim · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:10 am Post subject: Re: Garden Seeds

Yesterday the local Fleet Farm store still had half-a-dozen seed displays in the store, 2 or 3 brands. But we always buy our seed from Fedco, in a group buy with some friends.

CorduroyBlack · Coal Joined: Jul 07, 2008 Posts: 4

I don't mean to make my first post sound snobby... but I want to make sure no one makes the same mistake I did my first year of planting!

If you're planning on saving your seeds for planting the next year, make sure you're not buying hybrid seeds, which is what most seed companies put out nowadays.

Hybrid seeds are bred specifically for hybrid vigor, which is basically the positive results of combining two parents plants with desirable characteristics (i.e. tomato plants bred for certain tastes and disease resistance are often hybrids). While this makes for a productive plant, it often causes the plant itself to be basically sterile in that it can't reproduce itself.

Also, many seeds and plants you can buy in stores are also significantly altered by human beings at a genetic level. Many plants, especially those from big companies like Monsanto, are bred with "terminator genes" that specifically prevent any offspring from baring viable seeds/pods/etc for replanting. Obviously, this is done to ensure future profits by requiring further purchases of Monsanto products!

Anyways, that may have been abundantly clear to everyone, but I wanted to be clear and helpful! Very Happy

blukatzen · Intermediate Crude Joined: Apr 11, 2005 Posts: 586

Hello, I am"Blu" and I've been on this list for quite awhile as well. I run garden centers here in Chicago, and have done so for quite a number of years. We are a seasonal business, and are what is known as an "Independent" garden center. We had 19 of them this past season.

I read the first post and said "aha" here is the problem. You are doing it NOW when we've all had our initial springtime sales, and we are mostly sold out of our springtime seed sales. However, there are independents that sell seeds year round. I've even found some seeds at Whole Foods, organic and Heirloom at that.

The reason you want to shop Indepedent garden centers is that out growers, our nurserymen are what's driving the industry with growing heirloom or organic varieites.

Most of the big boxers are out there to copy US...and the innovations we bring.

Most times, no one can answer a question at Home Depot or Lowe's, because no one is a trained Horticulturist there, able to answer an in-depth question. I am one, and we have them or Master Gardeners (and I am that as well) on staff at our stores as well.

Many independents also grow their own stock, we have ours grown to spec.

Your first mistake was shopping at the big boxers. Stick with the "Ma's and Pa's of the industry. We could use your support.

Blu