Comments regarding Pinetree Garden Seeds

This was my first time ordering vegetable seeds from Pinetree Garden Seeds. I had procrastinated until February to place my order, so I paid the extra $4.50 processing fee and I received my seeds three days later. In fact, the seeds were here before my credit card was billed. I didn't notice any obvious discrepancies in the seed count per packet and everything we have planted has had a great germination rate.

I have had the same problem with Pinetree as the 2 previous people. I have emailed them TWICE for the status of the second half of an order that I placed in February! The first half of my order came quickly (seeds-were great with good germination). On the invoice the second half said that they would start shipping plants in April. Was told by email that it was shipping out on a Friday - nothing, emailed again and was told "soon". It is now May and I would have liked to have planted already. I would just like an answer as to when they will ship. I even gave them an out saying that if they were backordered, I would like to cancel and to just let me know. At least they have not charged this portion to my credit card. Fantasic for seeds, but so far not for plants, onion sets, or seed potatoes.

This is the first year I have ordered from them. I placed the order in mid December, thinking that should be early enough to get a reasonable ship date. After all, their web site says that orders received through December generally go out in a day or two. The seed part of the order did come quickly, and I have had no problems with them. However I am still waiting for the plants that I ordered. I mail ordered from 6 different companies this year, and most of it was delivered by mid April. On April 14, I emailed them to get an order status. They replied promptly that they had everything in stock, and it should go out in a week or two. I waited, and called on April 26 to get another order status. I was told that they would check, and if it hasn't shipped, they would get it right out. Again, I waited, and emailed them. I got a reply May 4 promising that the remainder of my order would ship out this week. If it doesn't, I'll try to add more information later.

I realize that gardening companies are busy this time of year. That is why I place my orders early. I would just like to know why this order is taking so long. I don't know if they prioritize shipments by the size of the order, and my $45 order wasn't important to them. I also noticed that for an extra $4.50, they offer 24 hour processing of orders. Maybe everybody but me pays the extra fee.

Next year, I will not be ordering from this company. Right now, I'm hoping to get my plants before too much more Spring goes by.

ORDERED MANY SEEDS, WAITING FOR DAYS...WEEKS...WAITING, WAITING, EMAILED, NO RESPONSE...EMAILED AND GOT A NASTY REPLY SAYING IT TAKES 3+ WEEKS TO FILL THE ORDER!!! IT'LL BE TOO LATE TO PLANT BY THEN!!! SO I CANCELLED MY ORDER AND ORDERED FROM A COMPANY WHO SHIPS WITHIN A DAY OR TWO. I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH 3 WEEKS TIME...WAITING FOR THE SEEDS TO GROW TO MAKE MORE SEEDS TO SELL?

TERRIBLE SERVICE, TERRIBLE ATTITUDE, TERRIBLY SLOW. I JOINED THIS WEBSITE TO AVOID COMPANIES LIKE THESE. FOUND OUT HERE I WOULD HAVE ONLY GOTTEN A FEW SEEDS VERSUS A PACKET OF THEM....HOW MANY NEGATIVES DOES IT TAKE UNTIL A COMPANY IS OFF THE WATCHDOG 20 LIST???? BY THE WAY, I ALREADY HAVE MY NEW SEEDS THAT I ORDERED THIS WEEK FROM BURPEE.

Very inexpensive and sensible selection of seeds. I've ordered from them for 6 or 7 years and have always been happy with the results. I enjoy the simple layout of the catalogue and the seed packages are resealable and good for saving year to year. They're not quite as rigorous about their selection as Johnny's, but they're only 1/3 the price.

This was my first year ordering from Pinetree and I was very impressed with the quality of the seeds. All of the vegetable seeds germinated extemely well and the plants are doing great.

I did have a little problem with the poppy seeds, but the company addressed this issue to my satisfication. In the future I will only use this company to purchase seeds for my veggie garden

In Feb I ordered several items from Pinetree.Most were received on good time, however the seed potatos did not arrive until April 20. I had given up and purchased locally and the plants were well up. I sent a complaint e-mail to pinetree and received, not an apology but what I consider a Smart attitude reply.

I have used Pinetree for years and have received excellent quality seeds and service throughout. The one time I had less than stellar germination on some spinach seeds, I sent them an email asking if there had been any problems with the batch, and they responded promptly AND send me replacements (more than I had ordered originally) at no charge. The prices are excellent also, and they discount many of the gardening books they sell.

I have over the last few years placed orders with this company.I find when you order early in the season,your order is shipped out quickly.As they state on their website and catalog,the longer in the season you order the longer it takes to reach you.My order in Jan took 3 days while my order in March took 3 weeks.So, I keep that in mind when I order.I'm not thrilled with their website. No email confirmation so I wonder sometimes if my order went through.The products I received from them,books,bulbs,and seeds have been healthy and true to advertising.I can't attest for their phone customer service.I would order from them again.Tamarava

I'm not a seed-starting kind of gal, so I can't attest to the quality of their seeds. But I can definitely say that their bulbs are wonderful, even though they're not bulb specialists. I ordered a number of lily, crocus, and dwarf iris bulbs late in the season during their end-of-season sale, and everything I planted has come up strongly--including the things I just shoved into a poorly-prepared corner somewhere because it was getting into December and I'd ordered way too many bulbs and was running out of room. In fact, the crocus I ordered from them was the only patch that the squirrels left alone (of course, I probably can't attribute this to Pinetree, but you never know). Also, the lily bulbs I got from them are coming up so strongly that even my gardening-expert neighbors commented that I had obviously gotten some really high-quality bulbs. Pinetree also answered my e-mails in a reasonable amount of time.

One of my very favorite seed companies. I save a ton with these folks, and get good reliable seed.

I ordered my seeds from PineTree only because they were one of the top 20 companies on this site, and I was glad I did. Their prices are very good. I like that they don't waste money on extra frills like glossy catalog pages or elaborate seed packets, but there are still plenty of color pictures in the catalog. I wouldn't mind a little more planting info on the seed packets though. I also ordered some books-- they have some really neat ones on less common topics. Anyway, I ordered off their website and though I didn't get a shipping notice my order arrived right when they said it would. Everything was well-packed and nothing was missing. I will definitely order from them next year.

I ordered from here for the first time this year. Originally I was impressed with their great prices, and ordered more seeds from them than I ever have with any other company. I now know why they are so CHEAP- I got only a very few seeds. I looked at the catalog again tonight and I cannot believe what I am seeing in black and white print!!! I know for some of what I ordered, I did not get the stated number of seeds.{ I was soo embarrassed in front of my FIL and DH when we were planting on Good Friday.} They thought I had this great cache of seed ready to plant and I had just opened the packs and didn't know!!! I feel their catalog is VERY MISLEADING!!!! They have to get tough on their quality control or folks will go elsewhere- I know I will!!!!!


I am sure I had less than the stated amounts of:
Tendergreen bush bean {cat.says 150-180 seeds- I wish!}
Dusky Eggplant {says in cat. min.30 seeds}
Sweeter Yet Cuke {20 min.}
Clemson Spineless Okra {min. 30 seeds- I think I got a couple dozen}
I want the buyer to beware of this catalog- read very carefully and count the seeds ASAP after getting them!!!!

I will post later to report of germination.

This was my first order to Pinetree Seeds and I can say that I'm quite pleased! Their prices are very, very good, even though you aren't getting the same quantity of seeds that you might get elsewhere. But my garden isn't huge, and the extra seeds would just get discarded. I received my order very quickly, but paid the extra $4.95 for 24 hour processing. IMHO, their "checkout" on the website needs to offer the option there. I had to email them to request them to add the 4.95, but they answered within 24 hours, and told me that the order was on its way! The tomato seeds sprouted in 4 days, and the petunias in 5! Good seed!

I'll definitely order from them again, just earlier next year, to avoid the extra shipping charge.

I submitted a relatively small order on March 27th using their online service which was very organised and easy to use. After submitting the order, though, I read, in their policy section of the site, that orders between February and April would take about 2-3 weeks to ship. After reading this I became a bit panicked because I needed the seeds quickly so I sent an e-mail to them asking if I could add the $4.50 charge to send it 24hr. They e-mailed me back in less than a day and said they did it and already shipped it. I will definitely be buying from here again.

I ordered from Pinetree on March 5, 2004 from the website. If there was some warning about how long it would take to get seeds, I certainly don't recall it. I use mailorder all the time. I received a confirmation. Other seed company orders came after their's and were shipped quickly. No seeds from Pinetree. I e-mailed them about the 19th of March. No reply whatsoevere. Finally, on March 26, 2004, I e-mailed them to complain about the lack of reply or product and to ask for them to cancel my order and to refund my money. Conveniently, they replied to me on March 29 indicating that my shipment left on March 26, the same day I contacted them. No comments were made about giving me an option of a refund. I had already ordered seeds to replace these from another company. It seems very inappropriate that they did not respond within a week from the first e-mail and even more inappropriate that they can't contact me immediately when they know I have requested a cancellation/refund. There are other comments about similar issues on this site. They are not a TOP 20 company to my thinking. Let the buyer beware and read the other comments of this kind.

In February I placed a very large seed order and ordered a book from pinetree. I had been sent a catalogue by them.
This was my first experience with them and am very happy to say it was one of the best I've had.
I knew up front that it would take a 2-3 weeks to get my order because I had waited until February to order. I read this information on their website before I ordered.
Have already planted most of the seeds and germination is quite well. I was also very pleased with the book I ordered. I already plan on ordering from them next year as well. I recommend this company.

I've only ordered from PineTree once personally as I just add my order to my daughter's or a friend's. This way we each get 4-10 seeds which is all any of us wants or needs. My experience was very good and they have always been pleased with both service and quality/viability of the seeds. You might say I'm adding 3 positive reports in 1 here.

I've ordered online from them twice and never had any problems, although I do not like the fact that you don't get any confirmation. Ordered once in Oct. '03, rec'd seeds within a week. Ordered again mid Feb '04, rec'd seeds within their stated time of 2-3 weeks for Feb-May orders. Have only started the lobelia and the germ. rate for those has been great.

Sent an order snail mail. They cashed my check 19 days ago and still no shipment. I've emailed with no response and also have tried to call numerous times just to get a busy signal. Buyer Beware!

Is Pinetree out of business?
I had several problems with this company.
1: The online ordering system doesn't work very well.
2: I did not receive an order confirmation.
3: I did not receive my order.
4: Both of their email addresses to contact them bounced back to me.
5: I tried calling them...the phone rang and rang with no answer.

I was concerned that the seeds from this company were of poor quality after very low germination rates last year but, as it was possible it was the weather and not the seeds themselves, I decided to try a few packets again this year ... and am incredibly glad that I did. Of those started indoors germination has been excellent, and the young plants appear stronger than even those from my other favorite companies. And I discovered I still had some seed from last year's packets, started them, and they're coming up beautifully as well. I was admittedly biased against this company because of their low prices ("you get what you pay for") and assumed the worst, but my experiences with the company itself -- and now its seed -- have been nothing but positive.

This is about the 5th year I have purchased from Pine Tree Seeds. Each year my experience has been extremely positive from the pleasant phone operators who take my order to quick delivery. Seed germination has been excellent and the number of seeds received in a packet equals or exceeds the number listed in the catalogue. I like the fact that they charge less per packet by providing fewer seeds in a pack. This way I have fewer leftovers and can order fresh seeds each year. When the number of seeds in a packet is similar to other companies they almost always beat the price. I have made them my first choice in ordering seeds and supplies.

This is the second time I've ordered from Pinetree. The first time, I was actually living in Jamaica and they shipped my order well packaged and quick considering mail on a mountain on an island!
This spring, I'm living in Washington state and am happy to have had the same experience.
The seeds are inexpensive, which means I can afford to order lots more varieties than I could otherwise. Germination has been great so far, and I've gotten up some plants I'd never even thought to grow before!
I did have one repeat in my stack and one omited, but for the price and the size of my order, I can't complain!

I've just ordered seeds - amazing selection, amazing
prices, last year's phone order and this years mail-in
order have been perfect.

I really like this company, great selection, nice catalog, wonderful sized seed packages for the smaller family or if you just want to trial some thing and dont need a ounce of seed. I do wish they had a bulk section or a buy two and save program. I will definatly order again from pine tree:)

Pinetree, how I love thee. Where else will you find a capped shipping fee -- just $1.95 -- for seed packets? Where else will you find such reasonable prices -- .85 a packet isn't unusual -- for high-quality seed? Germination rates are fantastic. Orders arrive quickly. Catalog makes a great read in the tub!

This supplier really, truly gets it right.

I ordered seeds from this company last spring. This winter I am getting catologs from all over the country. I wrote to them via e-mail and asked them not to sell my name and explained that I believe this is, or should be confidential between a customer and the company. They resonded that I will need to write to an address to get removed from the list. They are missing the point - my name shouldn't have been shared unless I requested it. This is an attitude by too many companies. There is a belief that they own your name and personal information and can do with it as they please. This has to change. I know I won't do business with this company or companies that have this attitude and send my personal information to other companies.

ordered online and received my seeds in one week (jan.2004)...love this place, and thanks to garden watchdog , where i found this company! last years seeds were very productive...

I just found this company last October and ordered from them in January. The seeds came in a week, and out of curiosity, I planted a few of each kind I ordered. I have a germination rate of 99%, not counting the one my cat ate, and I know I'll have a great garden this year! (I'll also have squash in February!) Thanks Pinetree..great seeds, great catalog, excellent service!

I've ordered from Pinetree for 3-4 years now and I think they are the BEST! Very affordable, high quality, and great service! I've ordered seeds, plants, and other merchandise and all of it has arrived promptly and in great condition. I personally like the smaller packets of seeds (i.e. about 20 seeds for tomatoes and peppers). Not only is it cheaper, but it lets me have a greater variety in my garden without having to have a bunch of unused seeds laying around.

I`ve ordered year ago hyacinth bulbs and seeds from this company.They terribly overcharged me on shipping.Hyacinths bulbs came in bad shape , blooms were short and misfigured.There were less seeds in packs than they mentioned in their catalogue,had terrible germination rate,almost all different seeds didn`t sprout at all.
I`m tempted to purchase from them some seeds that are cheaper than everywhere else,but I`ll not do it.I`ll follow an old rule:if you pay less for something and it was bad,you lost all your money,but if you pay more for great quality products you just loose a difference between two prices.
Regards and good luck y`all with this company.

I've bought seeds from them and been quite happy - both with selection and delivery. No complaints.

:o) Judith

I got my seeds in 7 days. They seem to be germinating pretty well. I also bought garlic and egyptian onions. These are growing great too!

Ordered bulbs on the fall sale. Great prices and the bulbs arrived quickly and in excellent condition and size. Will update in spring.

The low prices are reflected in the deliveries. I ordered a collection of daylillies and was disappointed to receive such tiny daylilly roots. If you don't mind waiting a couple of years for a display... I'll definitely go back to ordering from Oakes Daylillies.

I highly recommend their bulbs. I've ordered seeds from Pinetree in the past, but never anything else. This year I decided to add some bulbs to my order. Every single bulb was in great shape, no nicks, no bad spots, and fresh looking. I've ordered bulbs from several different companies in the past and these are the best-looking bulbs I've ever received (by far).

I bought seeds in the past from Pintree and had a good experience. Late in the ordering season, the last week in May, I had an impulse to buy more gladiolas. Pinetree was one of the few that had a selection left. Got them VERY quickly, great price, and the bulbs were in excellent condition. Bulbs come in small, labeled paper bags that were clearly handled carefully.
They are some of the largest and most beautiful gladiolas I have seen. The purple-red, purple and apricot with white are breathtaking. Will buy more next year!

I have been ordering seeds, tools, books and supplies from Pinetree Gardens for many years. Obviously, I'm a satisfied customer. On one occasion when a product did not perform as claimed, I e-mailed the company and was immediately issued a credit toward my next order with no hassle whatsoever. I love the sizes and prices of their seed packets, in particular -- they seem perfect for the home gardener. I would order from Pinetree Gardnes exclusively except that their selections of varieties is somewhat limited, depending on what you're looking for. Overall, however, Pinetree Garden's seeds have been very reliable, no matter what part of the country I've lived in. :-D