Someone recommended Marketmore 78 (I think that's the name of the cuke). I bought them from Dianes Seeds. She has a good reputation on DG. I've had terrible results with cucumers.
Do you buy seed on Ebay?
Link didn't work for me either...........
Darn it doesn't work for me either. Not sure it will work if I do it again. seedsandsuch can you give us the link please? I don't know what I am doing wrong.
Sure thing. You can see the store at http://stores.ebay.com/White-Oak-Valley-Farm or search for it through eBay. The eBay store is called White Oak Valley Farm. I hope it will work OK for you!
Although you can get many varieties of flower seeds on Ebay that isn't available anywhere else, most who buy don't realize that most plants, especially hybrids do not come true from open pollinated (garden) seeds. This is true of Tomatoes, Iris, Daylilies, Gaillardias. Daturas, and many more. The plant from those seeds have the genes from the parent plants. You never know what you will get. A few plants may be what you wanted, most will not be.The variety Gaillardia sp. "Fanfare" is a good example. I had one sprout from seeds as a sport from my other Gaillardia varieties I had growing. Only through divisons. I had the same plant come up as a volunteer. It does not come true from seeds. I know that from personal experience. Any good garden book can tell you the same thing about seeds.
Commercial growers isolate the plant they want to get seeds from and hand- pollinate from the same type of plant. If you have only one variety of a specific plant growing in your garden, then the seeds most likely will come true.
Another comment. Seeds do not have to be fresh to germinate. They all need a time for dormancy before they are ready to sprout. There are some seed, especially tree seeds that will not sprout if fresh when planted. They will lay in the soil for a long time before sprouting. If seeds had to be fresh to germinate, what is the explanation for weed seeds that spring up anytime you stir soil. Certainly, these are not fresh seeds. It is how seeds are stored that is the important factor, not the age of the seeds. Mother Nature looks after her own.
I have successfully ordered repeatedly over the last 3-4 years from the following. I've ordered from others, but these are ones I've marked as favorites. They are established, have exceptional feedback and good customer service/communication. That said, you can't beat www.Summerhillseeds.com for off ebay.
I now only use ebay for specifics I can't find elsewhere.
Not in any order:
Another 39again
josam5
josie_1955
lavieenrosegardens
janie2011
I prefer to order from commercial seed companies so that I know the seeds will come true to variety. I did have a favorite seller on Ebay, but she is no longer registered due to illness. Now my favorite are:
www.parkseed.com
www.tmseeds.com
The last one is Thompson & Morgan. I like that site because it offers germination info with each variety, along with hardiness.
The few times that I order plants when I can't find seeds I have had luck with www.highcountrygardens.com
My daughter and I both use that company. Beautiful plants and excellent packing. They specialize in xeric (water thrifty) perennials. Order online, or request free catalog.
My actual order of preference:
Summer Hill
T& M Seeds (Thompson & Morgan Seeds) (be sure you are on the USA site, not the Canadian)
Then ebay vendors...
What does having a great feedback on Ebay have anything to do with seeds. The seeds can be perfectly packaged, in nice clean condition, high germination, etc. The feedback doesn't guarantee that you get what you pay for since open (garden) pollinated plants---especially hybrids---do not come true from seeds. This is true of tomatoes and other vegetable, and some perennials like Gaillardias, Iris Daylilies, and annuals like Petunias. Consider that by the time you discover that, it's too late to leave feedbacks since it takes months for the plant to bloom, or set fruit.
Actually the only seeds of plants that are open pollinated that will come true are those that are not hybrids since they only carry their own genes.
Example:
Some years ago, Wal-Mart carried a cherry type tomato called "Sweet Things" in their produce department. It was the sweetest tomato I have ever tasted. It was only 1" diameter. I bought quite a bit over the summer. I also saved the seeds from one tomato since I wanted to start my own. The seeds germinated extremely easy. I gave some plants to my son-in-law and kept 4 for myself since I had a small garden. Out of my 4 plants, 2 produce larger cherry type on 4ft plants. The fruit was very sweet and the plant very productive. One produced regular sized tomatoes. The 4th plant grew fruit that were shaped like Italian paste tomatoes. All grew tall yet originated from a bush type tomato and the seeds came from one tomato. All tasted good but not what I had wanted. My son-in-law's plants came out similar to mine.
I think the ebay sellers are buying seed in bulk and reselling. I doubt that many are selling seeds that they harvested from their own gardens. So if they're buying from Hazzards or some other seed company, the seed should be ok, right? I guess I'll find out. I bought several seeds from this one ebay seller. Have winter sown a bunch and am starting the annuals inside in the next week or so. The seeds that were offered were unusual. I did ask the seller questions but the answers I got made me sure this person wasn't a gardener but had some knowledge or googled it before she answered me.
Roserairie:
Many sellers do sell seeds from their garden. Some will state that they are open pollinated, which is home grown. And you are right, many sellers are not familiar with the variety they are selling. On the other hand, there are quite a few who do sell seeds they bought in bulk from a seed company.
If someone is selling seeds from one particular variety and don't have any plants growing of the same variety in that genus of plants, then the seeds usually will come true, unless it is a hybrid. Hybrids never come true from seeds.
Seed that I know will come true are Callirhoe, Asclepias, Iberis, Gysophila repens, Lychnis, Oenothera, Centaurea (in variety), Cerastium, Rhus, and some others. I know for I have used my own seeds to get additional plants.
Caption
This is Asclepias incarnata. I bought the original seeds from a seed company. Since then I have saved seeds from that plant and sown the seeds. This is one of the plants from that sowing. It came true from seeds taken from the original plant. Likewise taken from this plant.
I would prefer to buy from someone that saved the seed from their garden although I have purchased my some ebay sellers that had stores. My favorite purchases were from ebay sellers that said they dug the plant up and shipped it. I like to believe they really did that.
Roserairie
I'm sure that those sellers who said they dug up the plant, actually did that. I sell Sempervivums on Ebay during the summer and I too dig up plants to ship. You can't go wrong buying plants since the photo shows what you are buying. Also those sellers are familiar with their plants since they grow them. Seeds are another story.
Blomma,
I've gotten some wonderful things from ebay. It gives me the opportunity to buy things that I can't get here locally.
I purchased seed from E-Bay and no need to give feed back because I have to wait for them to germinate...I only hope I bought good seed!!
I'm with roseraire. I've gotten many things I can't find elsewhere and after hundreds of purchases over the last 3-4 years, I've only gotten one item that was mislabeled. (Out of several from that seller). I've had more issues costing more $$$ buying from some of the commercial sellers. Some of us whose access to variety is limited due to geographic location may be willing to gamble a little bit to get what we want.
My expectation of feedback on ebay (as a buyer and as seller) is that there be a history of delivering what is expected, in a timely manner, with reasonable shipping and answers to any questions I ask prior to buying. Granted you have to take it all with a grain of salt because it is "ebay", but I believe there are and have transacted with some exceptional vendors. A seller with 100% feedback from thousands of sales over a course of many seasons is good enough for me. Confirmed when I have used some of the seeds successfully for 3 plantings.
Last year I bought several shrubs and trees from an ebay seller. I planted this stuff at another property and wasn't there to really watch over them. That was my mistake. The seller delivered, things looked good. I did have soaker hoses on a timer but realize now when you're planting babies, they require more care. I did have some survivors - burning bushes and witch hazel. And someone did destroy some of the plantings with an ATV. But a lot of the stuff didn't survive. It could have been voles or the extreme heat. I did leave positive feedback but I won't be buying that type of product again unless I'm on site watching over things.
I was in the Piggy Swap a few months back and met Tuinkabouter who is here on DG. Her website is amazing. She has pages and pages of beautiful seeds for sale for 25 cents a pkg. She has beautiful things I have never seen before. I can't wait to grow out all I was allowed to pick out in the piggy swap and I picked out so many seeds as the Hurricane Ike victims amd other disasters were allowed unlimited pkgs of seeds. I can't remember if the website is in Swedish or what but the pictures tell the whole story. And she is as sweet as can be. Just like all of my family here on DG.
Her site is listed under her screen name.
I'll have to check her out. I'm always looking for different varieties and good deals!
I heard from her today as I am sharing seed with her and sorry they are 35 cents and the Netherlands but she said postage is not a lot for seeds so still a bargain. You will love her sweet spirit also. Of course she is one of us. :o)
Does she also sell on the DG marketplace?
No but from her website. I am sure it would not be too feasible as her prices are too cheap to pay to sell them on the marketplace.
But http://davesgarden.com/members/Tuinkabouter/is her member page. I loved reading it. Dmail her as I could not find the link to her site.
Thanks for the link - I'm checking her website now. I loved her post about about the small lot and starting seeds indoors. Something I could really relate to living in Chicago. But I have made the most of my space but I did take over the neighbors small garden to plant veggies which I share with the tenants. Otherwise just weeds would grow there. Thanks for sharing this info - I'm going to her website now.
You are so welcome.
I have to admit I bought seeds on ebay recently. So far so good - good germination. The plants are already getting big but they are supposed to be 'Red' Hollyhocks - I won't know if they actually are red until next year probably. But they appear to be healthy vigorous hollyhocks at least. : )
Just bought my first seeds on Ebay a few days ago, so love this thread. As with everything else--if you don't know a seller, just buy a little and see what it does. There are some good folks on Ebay, and a few #Y(#Y% people with no integrity. I like to look on the positive side and hope that everyone is on the up and up. And once I know they are, then I spend larger amounts.
By the way, I bought Alyssum seeds from ' GroCo'. We will see.....
I've bought from several sellers, some unique and hard to find stuff and some just basic stuff. I lucked out once and found a seller who bid in an auction for a business that had been abandoned and won everything in the building. He found a fridge filled with plastic vials of seeds. They were a bunch of named varieties of pelleted petunia seeds--about 20 pellets per vial. I ended up with several that had great germination for me. I had Strawberry Daddy, Blue Daddy, Valentine and Dreams Blue Midnight and some others. He sold them cheap because he wasn't in the seed business but didn't want to throw them out either:)
Yes, I bought seeds on line also. I found some unusual ones, especially for morning glories.
They are potted and comming up...31 in MA. up to 50 today!! Will go out and rake!!
I bought around 20-30 GroCo seeds the year before last and they all had wonderful germination rates. I am still using all the seeds they sent. I even had fruit Kiwano Melons ;) You will be happy with GroCo
http://onaleeseeds.com/
I found her on ebay, bought there - then bought more from her website. I've had a few things, morning glories, some peppers. I've had good success buying on ebay.
GroCo is one of my favorite sellers on ebay, everything I get from them germinates. Plants I get from ebay meadowviewgrowers and bountiful plants. Zanna1 also has great seeds..
I buy alot of seed and plants on Ebay, especially brugs and so far I have not had any really bad experiences. There have been one or two goofs but in the long run I have really done well. If not for ebay there are lots of seed and plants I would never be able to trade, purchase or anything else to get them. I think Ebay is wonderful and I hope we have lots more selling seed and plants there. There are lots of members here that sell on ebay including myself and I do harvest my own seed and I don't buy bulk seed to sell at all.
Also don't forget Emma Grace for Morning Glory seed and a few other things she has. She give's lots of seed to folks but also sells on ebay, so if there is something you really want you can check out her page on Ebay.
She has some of the most beautiful J M G's I have seen and really works hard at improving them and making more that are even prettier.
If your intrested in the unusual she has one posted now that is rare, I know I have never seen one like that in that stunning color..
I agree, she does have awsome seeds.. I have ordered from her myself a few times.. that flower u speak of is awsome!
"Deninimus" is from Australia. He sells the greatest selection of Aussie seeds but I will have to purchase some vermiculite that has been smoked because Aussie seeds are a bit difficult to germinate.
Yes I have found that to be true as well. I've asked Kennedy (sp?) in the Aussi forum for some pointers in the past. She has been alot of help!
Just curious about Kennedy -- where can I see her list of seeds? Ebay or DG marketplace?
Dunno about eBay but I do know that Deninimus sends out good seeds & is honest. I just bought a couple packs of smoked vermiculite so I can germinate these seeds.
here is one of the trays of what I got from bountiful plants on ebay..
wrong picture.. that is my 26 yr old trellis rose there
This message was edited May 19, 2009 2:47 AM
Does anyone have the e-bay name for Emma Grace?