Comments regarding Pinetree Garden Seeds

Late in 2010 I ordered ten different flower seeds. This was shortly after I received their catalog. Some of the seeds I used for winter sowing and perhaps being new to winter sowing, the results were mixed, some germinated, some didn't. But even when I resowed the seeds, the germination was poor. Several of the packets held a skimpy amount of seed. The hibiscus seeds, all five, produced one weak seedling that died. The laurentia, Blue Star, did very well, and some seeds did germinate when I resowed them later. But I won't order from Pinetree again. Even though their prices are moderate as well as the shipping, I want seeds that I know will germinate.

Posted on March 27, 2010, updated April 9, 2011
Posted on July 9, 2003, updated March 27, 2010
Did my first order with Pinetree for books after seeing the rave reviews for Pinetree. Just to test the waters. Though I didn't get an email confirmation of the order, the books came promptly. Customer service was very helpful when I asked about status of shipment. Will definitely order again for their other products as well.

They're not the fastest shipper around, but their seed is reasonably priced (often downright inexpensive) and I've found their germination rate to be good. I received a confirmation email immediately upon placing the order, and received seed within 2 - 3 weeks. Great choice if you're on a budget.

First order with Pinetree, was concerned when seeds came in packages with no instructions, I have been starting seeds in my greenhouse for many years, had never seen seed packages with no information to speak of. Germination has been very poor, maybe 40%, very disappointing considering I enjoy mass plantings of annuals such as Asters (powder puffs) germination in that case has been 0% I have not contacted company yet, but am not sure that I want replacements, as I have gone up to my local nursery and bought replacement seeds and started them already. Just wanted to put in my 2 seeds.
Happy Growing

This is the first year I've ordered from Pinetree Seeds. They are a little bit slower than the other companies I have ordered from because it took almost 3 weeks to receive my order---but their prices are awesome. I will order from them again as long as these seeds germinate well.

I have ordered from Pine Tree for a number of years. Sometimes if the order is late they can be alittle slow. This has been stated in the catalogue though I think they have made an effort to improve.
Generally I have had no problems with the seeds growing and the amount in the packets is usually more than stated in the catalogue. Studies have shown that most people buy way mopre seed than they ever could use.
Several years ago, it had been several weeks and my order had not arrived. I was quite patient and I don't beleve it was late in the season. I finally called to see if they had been shipped. The staff was friendly and informed me of the ship date(several weeks earlier) and stated they would check to see what they could find out. I also looked around. I found my seeds still in their package in the neibors yard. They had been buried in the snow after blowing off my mailbox. Upon opening they looked fine and grew fine that season. I called Pine Tree to report that I had found my package. They offered to replace the seeds without even being asked and when the issue was clearly not their fault. I placed my order today. Thanks Pine Tree.

I continue to order from PT year after year. They are a lot like Fedco being a small company with their own way of doing things and not so great customer service to rely on. But when you know that ahead of time, both companies are ok.
Believe me that PT's prices are exceptional. I am little miss calculator all winter and some things PT have that stand out are their baby green mix (way cheaper than elsewhere) and their mix packets like broccoli, cauliflower and summer squash. I also like their Point One cauliflower. Another wonderful item is Big N alfalfa; Johnny's charges way more for it.
Another thing I like is that they don't figure shipping by weight but total cost. So you can order things like seed starting mix without paying per lb.

Awesome company. Been ordering for a decade from them, never any problems. My order this year was placed online at night last Monday, and received the package on Thursday of the same week (ME to CA!). I appreciate that they have kept their prices down, while everyone else's prices have become ridiculous. I used to mainly order from Territorial, a fine company for northern growers, but they've priced themselves out of my garden. For most items, I use Pinetree now. As for all the internet order screw-up complainers out there - grow up and read the directions! They plainly state that the order is only held for 30 minutes in their system. I used excel to make a list before I used my dial-up connection - no problems! As for germination - I think this is a personal problem. I use a heating pad, the best organic potting soil, and proper sanitation and never have a problem - no matter what company the seeds come from. Thank you Pinetree - I can afford to garden because of your company!!!!

Posted on March 23, 2004, updated January 27, 2011
The order came more slowly than I had hoped (about 3-4 weeks, compared with less than 10 days for four other companies, including two with marginal ratings on Garden Watchdog). The one item I was particularly interested in, the Opalka Tomato (#414) was substituted, with an explanation that events of last fall ruined the crop, even though the item is still featured in the on-line catalog. I would have ordered it elsewhere, had I known. Now it's too late. It's my first experience with Pinetree. Given the overwhelming positive experiences noted by others, I will probably give Pinetree the benefit of the doubt and try them again next year, but not ready to fully switch to them.

mailed order on jan 15th
check was cashed on jan 20th
seeds arrived jan 22nd (mildly impressive for maine to pa)

not sure what all the complaining about shipping times is about, but i do order seeds fairly early and perhaps they were understaffed in previous yrs during peak ordering periods. my shipment was quite prompt, though.

they were out of 'black egg' eggplant seeds, and sent an insert along w/ my seeds and the book i ordered stating they would send me them when they have stock.

chose to give a positive rating since the shipping time was so fast, however it will obviously be a little while before i can testify as to the germination rates. all packets had the minimum amount of seeds guaranteed.

To address the shipping concerns-I placed my order last Sat. evening and received my seeds today (Wed). Considering that Mon. was a mail holiday-I'm impressed! Two working days, WOW! It IS mid Jan and I guess it's still early, but so far so good. I can't speak about the germ rate because I've only had the seeds about 3 hours (I'm such a slacker!) but I've never had a problem in the past. I'll update later if there is anything more to report.

Posted on December 24, 2009, updated January 11, 2011
I have ordered from Pinetree Garden Seeds for many years and have always been pleased by their prices, hardy varieties for my northern garden, ability to buy small amounts of seeds for my small garden, and their timely delivery. Last year however, they were very slow. I ordered some seeds that need to be planted inside in mid-winter to be ready for transplant in early spring. The order did not come when I needed it. After a couple of months had passed, I wrote to them and to their credit, my order arrived immediately, but it was already too late to plant some of the seeds, and they did not do well in the garden, as we have a short growing season.

I will order from them again, because after years of good service, they deserve another chance. I ordered very early last year, and that didn't expedite my order as I had hoped. I hope they will do better this year.

I ordered my 2011 seeds from Pinetree on 1/03/11, and received them in the mail 1/07/11. I ordered 45 different seed packets, plus a book, for a grand total of $82. 44 of the 45 seed packets were correct. The one mistake: they sent me a winter squash mix instead of plum radish. Ironically, I had the squash mix in my shopping cart, waffled on it, and finally removed it right before check out. And then it shows up anyhow. I'm just taking it as some karmic sign :0)

I've been ordering from Pinetree for years, and have always been happy with the prices and germination rates. As a result, they are my primary mail order seed company.

I'll post updates when I get my seeds in the ground.

I ordered some products for soil amendment and some of their books. Am very pleased with my order.

I have ordered from Pinetree many times, and have always been happy with their products. They have great descriptions of their seed varieties, and their prices can't be beat. They also have a lot of nice hard-to-find gardening products. And, I like that they are in a cool climate (Maine), because I am, too (MIchigan.)

In 2009, Pinetree was overwhelmed with orders from new gardeners. (Lots of people tried to grow their own food in 2009, due to the poor economy, and many of them probably ordered from Pinetree due to their great prices.) The negatives here for Pinetree seem mostly to be due to slow shipping in 2009. I always pay for the 24-hour express order fulfillment, and get my orders very promptly, including in 2009. Because Pinetree's prices are so low, I still get excellent value for my money, even with the extra charge for express order fulfillment.

(I will make one small complaint. They are now selling seeds for smoking and chewing tobacco. This is their right, but I wish their catalog wouldn't imply that 'naturally grown' tobacco is somehow healthier. Tobacco is toxic no matter how you grow it!)

Posted on April 29, 2009, updated April 6, 2010
Placed two orders, late in the season and despite the warning message on their homepage (and before seeing the issues here)

Order 1: 03/23/09
Order 2: 04/03/09

Have not received either. My rating is neutral because I've been a customer of Pinetree Garden Seeds since high school (18 years ago!). I haven't ordered in a few years, and this is the first time I've had such a negative experience. I'm hoping to receive my seeds soon.

They should make an effort to respond to their customer's concerns, either posting here or updating messaging on their site daily. I understand that creating an online order status system is time-consuming and possibly expensive. Even if they manually updated the homepage message to show status, maybe saying: 'We've filled xx of yy orders this season' or 'Shipping Delays: zzz backorders' it would give me a sense that they are making progress and understand the daily inconvenience their backlog is causing.

I placed an order on the Web March 16th. I received no email confirmation - and no warning about how long my order could take. I called to find out about my order March 27th - and was told that the seeds should be shipped out by the END of this week. That means over two weeks before they even go out. I was also told curtly that this information was clearly presented on the website. The information is presented under policies (I just checked) -- which talks of backlogs during peak times of two to three weeks. But who reads policies when you are ordering!!! I should have paid extra for immediate handling. I could end up waiting 4 weeks for seeds at the start of growing season!!!! AGGGH. I am spoiled by Territorial Seed where I would have had the seeds in a week.

I originally placed my order on March 3rd. Last week, on March 17, I placed an email asking about the status of my seeds. They responded the next day that my seed had been mailed the 17th. Today, it is March 23rd. I have not received my seeds. I decided to call because there is no way it should take 6 days even counting the weekend for me to receive my seeds. When I got through, I was told they had been mail the 19th. At this time, I won't believe they actually sent my seeds till I receive them.

Anywho, I extremely frustrated. I'll probably stick to the larger seed companies from here on out. The lady on the phone said she would send me something, but whatever. I just want my seeds. Whatever she sends me will arrive a month later ? Funny part was I received a seed catalog from them yesterday.

Looking at 3 + weeks to receive my seeds is just too long, but the kicker to me is just lying to me about the date they sent the seeds out.

Placed an e-mail order the 2nd of March. Today is the16th and still no seeds?
Decided to call (a non toll free number) to see what happened. Was told that they have not even started filling my order yet but I could expect them to get to it in a day or two. ARRGHH! I've been ordering seed for nearly 40 years now and never remember a delay quite like this from anyone else. I decided to shop from some smaller seed houses this year to help "spread the wealth". Having some doubts.

I just wanted to say, though I was weary reading last year's comments, I decided to go ahead and place an order. The online ordering functioned perfectly for me and I received my seeds in five days. Everything was there and everything was correct. I think whatever might have been going on for them last year has been resolved.

Ordered for the 1st time last year. Not the quickest shipper but did receive all items accurately. Have started last years seeds and germination is still great. Will buy from again.

This is my third year ordering from Pinetree. They have a wide selection, including many hard to find items, and I always find something fun to experiment with that I've never heard of before (this year it's the toothache plant). Thus far I've received every order in less than 10 days, and germination rates have been outstanding. Keep up the great work!

Pinetree Garden Seeds has a very large variety of seeds. I like how they categorize varieties in their catalog by how you use them, in what cuisine, whether it is a container plant, etc. The prices are very reasonable. The shipping is fast and their customer service is helpful.

I have ordered seeds from Pine Tree for several years and have been satisfied with doing business with them >Only one "mistake", just this season, they sent me the wrong bean seed variety. I called them and they replaced it as soon as it was available and I didn't have to return the 2 "wrong" packets sent previously. Also, I always look forward to their catalog. Wonderful selection and I appreciate the personal comments on different varieties.

Posted on December 9, 2008, updated February 22, 2010
Great selection (lots of heirlooms, all the varieties I wanted so I won't have to order from two or three places). Great prices (a few varieties I bought were less than $1 per packet). Great customer service (the rep stayed on the phone with me for almost ten minutes answering all my questions).
I only had two issues:
1. no shipping conformation, so I had to call to see when my order had shipped.
2. they charged my credit card a few days before they shipped. this was to reserve my seeds, but still a bit annoying.
When I called, the lady I spoke with was very helpful. She even gave me gardening advice when I asked her about specific products. I had planned on two hills each of four types of zucchini, but I decided on one hill each as per her statement that "you could feed the world on four zucchini plants".
I plan on posting more when I actually start the garden (peppers in January, tomatoes and herbs in February, direct sowing in May), such as quality of seeds, germination rate, vigor of plants, yields, etc.
I liked the fact that they have plenty of short season varieties! My plant-out date is not until May 15th, and even when I listen to that we still sometimes get sleet that kills everything. (I have a sob story about last year's tomatoes--I had about ten beautiful heirlooms, some I started from seed, some gifts, planted them out on time, and only two made it because of our May 20th storm, the rest froze.) And we've gotten a light snow in September before, so I'm basically growing things that are 100 days to maturity, max. But I'm sure that all these short season varieties that I found through Pinetree will be great! They have such a good selection!

Seeds ordered January 30th, all except one received February 2nd.
There was a slip in the package telling me that one item was backordered - it was received February 18th.
Postage was high as after a bad experience last year, I did pay the $4.50 "Special Handling" fee. I think it's worth it as the price of the seeds is otherwise so low.
Will report back in late spring on germination.
This has been a good year for me, seeds ordered from 10 companies and everything now received.

This was my first time ordering and am very satisfied. Everything arrived in a timely fashion, including the backorder. I ordered online and was impressed with the selection and the ease of ordering. I would highly recommend Pinetree Garden Seeds.

Posted on May 19, 2006, updated February 9, 2010
I've ordered from this company for several years now and I recently received an order last month. Shipping was quicker than expected less than 2 weeks. I also ordered a hops rhizome and I was very pleased with the condition. It has now leafed out and has sent out several runners.

I really enjoy the variety of seeds they offer and the prices are excellent, far cheaper than any other seed company I have used. If you have a smaller garden, this is a great place to order from.

I've noticed a few comments about slow shipping. I've always ordered online and have not had a problem. They do offer an expedited order processing which I have used before and I got the order quickly. It is less than 5 dollars and with the low shipping and product costs I found it reasonable.

Have been placing orders with Pinetree for several years now and overall very happy with them. Germination can be a bit low sometimes but still very reasonable based on the prices paid. I place my orders early in the season (usually in January) and typically receive them within 2 weeks. This year in fact I got my order in just 6 days.

The problems of last year seems to be resolved; I got my order this week in a little over a week.

Last year they had a problem getting orders filled on time. This year 2010 I think they have corrected that. I will know in a few weeks. Have ordered for several years but last year skipped because they warned on their website about delay in processing orders.

Their seeds have always been very high quality with high germination and true to type. They are among the lowest priced suppliers of high quality seeds and have some difficult to find varieties. Two items I regularly order that are hard to find are Tyfon which is an outstanding catch crop for leaf eating beatles and also excellent cooked greens. And RampicanteTrombocino zucchini. The latter is outstanding in the deep south with no disease or bug problems. Will produce 30 foot long vines here and both edible blossoms and myriad squash. Planting tyfon next to cabbage family plants will keep the beatles of the cabbages. They much prefer Tyfon.

Pinetree's seeds, in my experience, are just as high quality as Stokes or Johny's at far lower cost. They have both modern hybrids and many hard-to-find heirloom varieties.

Please remember that the rating system here is not very granular, and people will often leave comments without taking the time to breathe and think things through.

I had a negative experience with Pinetree in Spring 2009, the second year I ordered from them, when I gather they were a little overwhelmed. I didn't receive seeds (esp. potatoes) when I expected them, though they arrived in time for later Spring planting (round about last frost in my area). The people there were VERY helpful and apologetic, and I think I ended up with a lot of freebies. This is NOT one of those "gardening direct" type ripoff sites. This is a smaller to medium size seed place staffed by REAL people. So if you have a problem contact them (email worked fine for me) and I'm sure they will be responsive and helpful.

I had excellent results with their seeds- very high germination rates compared to others I've tried (especially the "big store" brands). Inexpensive does not necessarily mean poor quality. Germination can be affected by numerous factors- not controlling temperature, humidity, light, water, wind, etc- again controlling these factors resulted in excellent germination rates for me.

I am a repeat buyer and haven't had any other problems- get your order in early! I highly recommend this company.

First seed order from them and received it in about a week.

Plan ahead! Pinetree sends out their catalogs early. Who could forcast 2009 would see such an increase in gardening? They're a small shop with excellent customer service. Their simplicity (catalog, packets, e-mails, etc.) keeps prices down. Their info is accurate, they adapt their offerings to what works, and are responsive to any errors. My only regret is that I didn't "find" them until I moved from New England to WA. Many folks stop by my rural yard/garden just to look and talk, and Pinetree is my first recommendation. Get all the fancy catalogs to see pictures and read the hype, then compare to Pinetree. Order early, save a lot, and be able to order more stuff, Pinetree or elsewhere.

I just received my first seed order from Pinetree, and I will definitely be a repeat customer. Reasonable prices and quantities of seeds were my main reasons for ordering here. I received my seeds within 2 weeks of placing my order. The order was entirely correct (about 30 different packs) - nothing missing, nothing substituted, no mistakes. Seeds look healthy and the packets are clearly labeled with the essential details. I cant wait to start them for my garden this spring!

Very pleased with the company's customer service. I received my order in 5 days, except for one backordered packet that arrived a week later. Their selection of heirloom vegetables is great and the prices can't be beat.

12/5/09....I have ordered from this company in the past
with no problems....Received my order very quickly after
placing the order....I did write on the order blank that I
would post a rating on this website about my seed order....not sure if that is important to a staff member who
is sending me the seed order....Regardless, seeds received very quickly....One disappointment was the amount of Harliquin Marigold seeds....only got 50 seeds
for the 2 packets I ordered....marigold seeds are so plentiful when they grow; not sure why they can"t give
more seeds that item....maryanne, zone 5, Ohio

I placed a very large order (over 200 varieties of seeds), books, etc., and am very pleased to have received everything I ordered, save spring planting materials and few back ordered items, in just over a week! Pleasant, responsive, and patient customer service for this first time gardener. Great prices on both seeds and their wide selection of books. A treasure!

I am surprised by all of the negative comments here because I have ordered from Pinetree for many years and have been very satisfied. Yes, it's true, you don't get a lot of seeds, but the packets are priced accordingly.