Avoid These Seed Buying Mistakes 

Let’s be honest. Most gardeners are seed hoarders. We can’t help it. 🤣🤣🤣

When my son was younger, I was a very poor single mom. Even though I worked I still qualified for food stamps. One blessing is that you CAN buy vegetable seeds and even plants with food stamps. I fed us every summer with fresh veggies and canned soups and beans for the winter with dollar tree 4/1$ seeds. Spinach, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, ect. Thankfully I am in a much better position now, but I will always be grateful for being able to buy those cheap seeds.

My mistakes: buying much more then what fits in my small garden and buying seeds of vegetables I don't really eat.

Just an FYI to the folks saving seeds beyond the year dates on them, don't dispare nor dispose of them, chances are, even seeds 10 years beyond that date will still germinate if stored properly. Just keep growing 💗

American Seed Company... I remember selling those door to door back when I was a kid when they used to still have those selling programs where you got credit for how much you sold and could use that credit to trade for prizes... I ended up getting a nice little camping tent from that one summer... I was soo proud :)

LOL! I just spent an entire $10 at dollar tree getting a very respectable garden's worth of seeds, and I'm proud of it. With inflation hitting getting so bad and so much uncertainty in the supply chain it's fairly reasonable to go a little overboard just in case. I still get rarer seeds from Bakers and other seed companies, but it's great to get a variety of basics for so cheap.

When buying those dollar store seeds, be sure to check how much seeds it contains. The cucumber seed pack I bought had two seeds in it.

😂😂😂that does it, I’m sending you some yellow crook neck squash!😂😂😂 We all do it. My lesson was to check online as well as packet instructions. It would be nice to get all seeds from one company, but there is always a few that are not available and I have to try and find them without paying high shipping elsewhere. Best shipping at low cost seed and amount ordered has to go to MI Gardener! $12 worth of $2/packet seeds gets you FREE shipping AND a point system giving you cash off your next order.

My biggest gardening mistake has been trying to grow things that don't grow in my area! Know your zone and your micro climate, and always check that your seed is rated for your zone.

These days, Gardener Scott, I feel like it's a good thing to have so many seeds around.

The most productive yellow summer squash I ever grew was from Dollar General. Each plant produced at least 40 squash per plant. But I'm a lifetime gardener, since boyhood. 25 cents a package, 4 plants cost me about 10 cents, to get about 160 squash.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who accidentally bought the same seeds from more than one place 😅 or bought it at the end of season sale and then again at the first of the year. We're having a seed swap in my community in a couple weeks and I'm more than happy to share though. I've amassed a collection, don't have a tight budget and just love trying new things so I'll probably always have "too many" seeds. I figure there's worse hobbies to have 😁 But these are fantastic tips for the new and tight budget gardener!

Instead of seed packets I check my local Ace Hardware store. They have bins of seeds sold by teaspoon, tablespoon, ounce, etc. Cost is maybe 1/4 the cost of packets.

Cheaper seed packs generally smaller amount in pack. Always check weights. Some stores sell smaller amounts for same money, also different stores different prices. Something to watch for.

I purchased 2 packs of radish seeds at the dollar store . We were giving radishes to many neighbors for a month . We had $1 invested .

My neighbors and I talk about what we are planting, but we make sure we are doing different veggies…therefore we can share. But I understand your idea about going in on seeds.

Too many seeds? Plan a seedling sale to support your gardening habits!

My late night 'pretty picture' seed shopping extravaganzas are a running joke with my friends. We won't talk about my almost hundred varieties of tomato seed. Tho lately it's been dahlia tubers. I have a spreadsheet - it doesn't always help... 😜

The Denver Public Library branch near me has a seed bank for sharing seeds. You can contribute and you can “check out” seeds. Pretty neat idea for sharing excess.

I feel ya, sometimes we are more concerned about how much we are "saving" then how much we are spending.

My grandpa always made the mistake of buying deals. He had 40 packs of cherry tomatoes at one point.

Wow, very exciting to see that me weeks of research actually paid off! This is my first year gardening, on a (decent sized) balcony no less! And I've done so much research and put a lot of thought into exact how, what, where, and when I will be growing things. I managed to avoid all of these mistakes apparently. It was very nice to have them laid out so clearly though, and fortified that this is the correct amount of thought and effort to put in. The only thing I'm already guilty of is seed hoarding lol. I even got a nice container to organise all my extras into.

I got some of those 25 cent beefsteak tomato seeds last year and I was laughing hysterically at how many massive tomatoes I got out of them. I couldn’t keep up with the fruit; I ended up just letting the possums have them after a while.

It’s especially hard around times like this with everything being so overpriced and not knowing if it will be there tomorrow so when you do find a deal you snap on it. I always buy two or three packs of everything I buy then look and it has 300 seeds per packet😂

My BFF always share seeds and our harvest. I purchase my seeds from Baker Creek because they offer free shipping and give you a free packet of seeds. Great video Gardener Scott 🥰💚🙏 Kendra

Shipping costs are not in line with actual cost of shipping and handling when they’re charging 6+ dollars for one envelope of seeds. It is more of a profit margin than a delivery service, if you’re not careful shipping handling while cost more than the seeds do and it comes in an envelope.

Best red & yellow onions I’ve ever grown were seeds from the dollar store! I’m keeping an eye to get more for this year’s garden😊

I have SO many seeds. My biggest mistake, because I tried it year after year, was not knowing there were long and short day onions. And that it makes a huge difference.

I believe in seed soaking. Floaters will never germinate and can be discarded.

I am super fortunate to have a local seed company, if it grows for them I have a fighting chance to successfully grow it myself, Mountain valley seeds rock

I use a excel spreadsheet, break seeds into their family, allium, brassica, cubits etc then list each packet in alphabetical order under each. I have a column for when to plant by frost date, germination time/mature time, add notes for special instructions. I also have a spot for wanted seeds if I empty a pack or see I am low I add to want list. Works out great

20-25c seed packets are a great way for new gardeners to get their feet wet. I love being able to experiment with such little investment.

The public library in my area has a seed library where local gardeners donate their leftover seeds or saved seeds. Save money and grow things that do well in your area.

I have had my fair share of losing plants under my care. But I learned to accept failure and keep moving forward. I often turn to the garden as a form of therapy when I face challenges such as depression or other health issues. Although it may seem silly, gardening provides a free and rewarding outlet. I get to enjoy the beauty of the flowers I grow, the taste of fresh produce, the knowledge I gain, and the opportunity to share it with others. The best part of gardening is the friendships I have formed along the way. Some people are amazing, some are just okay, and others are a bit lost, but I believe that we are meant to cross paths in life. You are correct, Garden Scott, the term "addiction" often has negative connotations, but when it comes to gardening or purchasing garden seeds, it is a positive addiction in my life. I embrace it wholeheartedly and have no shame in saying so. Gardening is a healthy obsession for me. I understand that I might be encouraging you to continue buying seeds, but there are other ways to utilise them. You can be creative and give them as gifts for special occasions such as Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, or even to your neighbours. Sharing is not a waste, and it is a great way to spread the joy of gardening. You also touched on a topic that often causes controversy, which is the purchase of cheap seeds. It is important to remember that when you are hungry or struggling financially, your primary concern is not the quality of the seeds you are buying, but rather finding a way to meet your basic needs. This is not to say that heirloom or high-quality seeds are not important, but they should not dictate one's actions. I have found myself defending this point many times because not everyone can afford to spend a lot of money on a packet of seeds with no guarantee of their performance. The key to successful gardening lies in factors such as nature, the growing medium, skills, and a bag of enthusiasm to boot. So, if buying cheap seeds is all you can afford, go for it. It allows you to grow food, which is the ultimate goal. Right, right. :)

I used to own a Dollar store and sold some of those cheap seeds. What I like is they only have a handful of seeds. No waste just plant those and wait for different ones next year. I have too many seeds. I have 5 packets of Chinese cabbage. It is like yarn I can't stop myself. I like buying from Baker creek, they have free shipping, and the packs usually are filled with twice the amount of seeds promised. If you spend just $10.00 they give you a free pack of their choice. I have gotten my favorites that way. Thanks for the humorous post. But I feel that I worked for my money so if I want to overspend I can do that. I do it so well....

I’m a seed hoarder , I can’t help but stop at the seed stands and lick out 1 or 2 at the grocery store 😂😂

I save my seeds from plants I use during the winter and dry them out. They grow great.

I often buy seeds from Dollar General. A few years ago I found "Homestead" and "Delicious" tomato seeds. They are very difficult to find at large box stores and garden centers. I didn't care that they only had 15-20 seeds per package. I ended up paying less than 2 cents per seed for them.

this year I am definitely working on getting rid of the multiples of seeds I have, starting with the oldest lol

lol that's me too. Especially when you rattled off the crookneck squash packets

I'm trying not to buy more seeds this year. I have plenty! It's hard, I had to hide the seed catalogs from myself

I was pleased to find that the American Seed brand hadn't upped their price this year. They're still 4 for 1$ at Dollar Tree and 5 for 1$ at Wal-Mart. I had expected since everything else had been affected by inflation seeds would too, but pretty much every brand seems to be at their same price point as last year.

A couple weeks ago I was at my local Jung's store, I saw sugar snax carrot seeds,(one of my favorites and impossible to find past May) and without thinking I bought them. Get home , only to find out I have a unopened packet of sugar snax (500 seeds) I never used last year. Knowing what you have before buying more is a really good idea. Related to seed buying mistakes is planning. I struggled to grow butterfly bushes from seed last year. Well I ended up with 8 plants, with only room for 3. I ended up giving away several last spring, but this year I will have to find homes for 2 more. Really trying to do all open pollinated plants, but there are so many flavors out there. Gardening can become an addiction!!! Stay well Gardener Scott !!!

I rotate my seed by expiratory date, just like food. I store my seeds in photo boxes like Scott, however I always use a sharpie marker to put the year of expiration on the front.

I'm a big fan of having seeds in advance. I'll spend this season buying for next year AND will get most on discount at the end of the season.

Heres a good tip scott when buying online Make an acct register Verify the email etc Many companies give you coupons discounts etc for being a new customer Now add some seeds into your cart that you wanna buy BUT DO NOT PURCHASE THEM Let them just sit in the cart Usually ..sometimes in a few hours. U will get an email asking about your unpaid cart and many times will offer you a bit more savings Sometimes it takes overnite ✌🏻🤔

I made sure to make a document with sections for all the kinds of seed types I'm growing, and where I obtained them. I have it in physical form in my gardening Journal, and also digitally on my Google docs

Some of the best seeds I've grown came from the dollar tree. It's all about care.

The 4 for $1, I have Shasta Daisies in my garden now, and the Petunias went to town and reseeded everywhere! The Tall Marigolds were Genetic Freaks, they grew too big to support the Bloom and then fell into a big pile; this Season I will be pinching them back. I had a Great experience with those "American Seeds" from the Dollar Store! ...the Coleus too did wonderful!

I once picked up Texas grano onion seeds at my local hardware - in Massachusetts. At the time I didn't know about long day and short day onions - that these won't grow here. Why they were sold here I don't know.

I try to buy my seeds locally early in the season.. 1. The gardening stores and big box stores seem to carry seeds that are good for my growing area. 2. I watch for the new display to go up in December or January and buy for the whole year. That way I am able to buy from the whole display selections before various seed types sell out.

4-1$ seeds at dollar tree are still around had more positive than negative experiences with them!

i made a list of what i wanted to grow, then went back over it make sure i had the ones on the list i wanted to grow enough to put up and can .. then as i went to my online seed stores i went through the list and marked off the ones i put in my shopping cart or wish list and then made sure i checked them off of my list .. this helped me make sure i didnt double up, and i found it worked for me ..

Oops probably made all of these😳😂😂 thanks 👍

Yesterday I bought lots of seed, from 24 cents to 95 cents each pack. It was on sale but the seeds will not be old until 2027. It was a big selection to choose from so I bough like 50 different packages. One of them was Blauhilde beans (95 cents). 😊

I do buy some seeds at the end of the season. Most germinate fine the next year and longer.

I started my garden for the first time last summer 2022. I had all my food from doller tree seeds and I didn't have 1 not grow!! My dahlias were from big lots and walmarts and they were gorgeous, they were not what the pictures showed on the packaging BUT they were better lol looking I had Thomas Edison, a mother's Love and that huge all yellow one!! Than after taking seeds from your crops you don't have to buy seeds again!!

Oh my goodness, buying seeds, or especially bulbs is a real issue! One year I bought 180 gladiolus bulbs for my husband for our anniversary! I was so tired of looking for places to plant them! The good thing about seeds, is stored properly they last a long time.

Seed packets are a fun thing to put in a BD card, etc.

Hahaha....guilty, guilty, guilty and guilty. Since I have been growing edibles for just one year, and have enough seeds to supply a few market gardens.....been there, done that, and will probably repeat. It was a little eye-opening to see my $ store seeds sprout overnight, compared to few days later for similar varieties from boutique seed suppliers with fancier artwork on the pretty packets. Live and learn, and loving the gardening journey.

Amazon has big seed bundles with a good variety of different seeds for an inexpensive garden. Dollar store seeds are great I agree. I planted my entire herb garden from the dollar store for $3. 3 years ago a friend gave me a whole display of ve seeds ansg

Always the key to gardening is knowing how much you want to produce and how much room you have. I have grown tomatoes for 30 years but when I retired 3 years ago I "branched out" so to speak into more herbs and different fruits and veggies because #1 I have time and #2 I have space, but I also recognize our families limit of how much we can eat each summer. I do grow extra tomatoes and basil and run them thru the blender and cook them to kill enzymes then I freeze them in 1 cup increments and they last until the next summer for sauces for chili's and spaghetti's etc thru the winter. Thanks for the video, I also buy seeds from Seed Saver Exchange, they seem reasonable.

Your videos are so clear, concise and helpful! You do a great job and I’m so thankful to have you as a source as I prepare for my first garden. Thank you!

Second year of gardening and I think I still have mostly enough seed from last year!!

I have made a few of the mistakes. Buying to many packets at the Dollar Tree is one. Buying something I may not end up growing this year is another. But being a budget gardener, I buy mostly open pollinated plants to save seeds. I store what I have to much of correctly so I can use it next year. I go to the cheapest site first and buy what I can, then Baker Creek or MIGardener for a the rest since its always nice to grow at least one new thing.

Seeing the amount of seed in front of you I have not got to many seeds, I have a 6x10 box to hold my extra seed. I do have some of the mistakes mentioned on my list that need to be cleaned up.

A while back I traced the origin of some different packets of seeds from several Brand Names. Most of them traced back to the same seed company! Some cost 25 cents and some cost over $2 a packet. Just different packaging. " What a world!"

I bought cucumber seeds from the dollar tree two years ago and all of the cucumbers were round and yellow. It was definitely not what was pictured on the package but they still tasted good

I keep a google excel sheet of all the seeds I buy. Where I bought them from, category, name of seed, date purchased, and additional seed info. Whenever I want to purchase more seeds, I check the list before I buy them. Helps me avoid buying doubles of stuff. Edit: it’s why I include category so then I can easily sort the table by category and find out if I have the seeds already or not.

Look for local seed exchanges. Our local library has an area for this. You can share some seeds you don't need and maybe pick up a few you want to try.

It is nice to see, not too mention immensely helpful, to have gardening channels such as this one. It makes one consider and discover more smarter, better, efficient ways to garden. So with many people passionate about growing heir own vegetables and ornamental plants, channels such as these are inevitable. Thanks.

This is exactly what I needed. I was going through my side catalogs this week and already put some of your ideas to use. But, others, some very important, I have not. Doing some of that tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your knowledge wane experience so freely.

Perfectly timed video for me! Last year I bought way too many seeds for just starting out and made several of the mistakes you're discussing. This year I've made a seed shopping list and am trying to stick to it. Your video is helping me to be more aware of the seeds I have, the seeds I think I need, and the seeds I actually need to get.

Onions are one of if not THE most mis-purchased seeds due to the short, intermediate, and long-day varieties. All of my local seed suppliers have long AND short-day varieties, one of which is not viable where I garden. They all have Walla Walla in their displays and it's a long day onion and I live in short -day Florida. Check the package and if it doesn't say, a quick google will reveal if it's long or short day before you risk it.

I am trying to be conscientious about over-buying seeds. I love snap peas, I love beets, but I just don't get good results here in the desert because it gets real hot real fast. I have TONS of beet seeds, so I'll be planting those for a long time to use them up. I have planted all of my last packet of peas, and will not be buying any more in the future. I need to concentrate on the things that do well for me in this climate. I also make sure I inventory my seeds before I make my seed orders in winter. This year I only made ONE seed order! Still learning after a lifetime of gardening, mostly in cool, moist New England!

My library has an old Dewey decimal card cabinet with different herbs and vegetable seed packets you’re free to take some and leave any of your own you may not want

Dollar General has a clearance on seed that's about expired for 5 cents a pack. I bought bagloads and they all sprouted well. I've planted 2 year expired seeds and they still grew. I won't pay 3-5 dollars a pack, no way. I'll also collect and preseve the seeds from my garden.

Perfect timing and great information! 🎉

Good pointers thought within points. Unless you are buying in bulk or the shipment/they are charging you other fees, I wouldn't chase down by prices alone. I would just look at your options and see what fewest stores YOU LIKE to purchase from and go from there. It doesn't make it for you to be frustrated about worrying about saving a nickel or so for a packet.

Hi Scott Very interesting and informative video. I do not know any gardeners who does not make at least 2 of those mistakes. We go on vacation for 4 weeks in June and I take my seed catalogues with me and spend the second week sorting my seeds out for the following year. Take care 👍👍👍👍👍

I agree with your seed buying mistakes video. I really like the idea of sharing with the neighbors, also keeping in mind cross pollination if you are a seed saver so perhaps the neighbor grows one type of summer squash and you plant another (far away) if you have the space. great video!

i keep doing that or something that is dang close! lol i was thinking this winter now many cabbages does one person need lol all of them!

Wonderful information thankyou Gardener Scott

Thank you for all the tips!

At my local rural king, they sometimes sell seed packets 10 for $10!

I have also realised the pound shop seeds are just fewer in the pack and I'm glad for it. I don't need 4,000 carrot seedsMr. I I could eatthem but I can't grow oso many carrots. nor kale nor ....

First time subscriber..pretty new to gardening..last year was my first time and a few seeds grew while the others never made it.

Thanks for the great tips

Thanks for the terrific information 🙂

Thanks for this video!

Wow, I finally found someone in my garden Zone! I subscribed and will be watching your older videos this weekend.

Great tips, thanks!

Some great money saving tips 😊👍

Great information! Thanks so much!!!!!!

I keep a simple inventory of my seeds in two categories, commercial and saved, on my phone. I know better than to trust my memory

I buy the dollar tree seeds even though lots of folks are recently saying that their parent company's parent company has ties to Monsanto 🤷‍♂️

Xmas tree store sells seeds 50% off! I have mint and chives that keep growing and growing BOTH from there.

Thank you.

I do like the foil packs from Park seeds. Territorial is very good too. I'm giving seeds n such another try this year with the bulk of my order. Quality has been spotty from them in the past in my opinion.

I buy the dollar tree seeds because they're *open pollinated heirloom seed*. I grow them and save some of the seeds. Especially for perennial flowers, 25 cents for permanent plants is a deal.