Comments regarding Pinetree Garden Seeds

I've been reading Pinetree's catalog for several years and we've purchased and used their seed now for two years. I'd give them an A+++ on pricing and selection--their catalog really is a joy. Their service and promptness of delivery has also been outstanding.

After ordering for the first time, I was very surprised by how few seeds were included in each packet we received. Now, I do NOT think that they in any way misrepresented how many seeds we'd be getting, but they really do give you a lot less than any other seed company I know of. As a number of people on this site have commented, though, this can actually be a good thing. You should just be aware of it.

I must also say that I've been only moderately pleased by the germination I've had from Pinetree's seeds. I don't know if the seeds are old or poorly stored, but I consistently get 10-30% better germination from, say, Territorial Seeds or from my saved seeds. Again, though, you get what you pay for and with Pinetree you pay so little.

It's a great place to buy small quantities of stuff that you just want to experiment with.

Interesting variety of seeds, and I appreciate that they offer smaller amounts of seeds at lower prices. Easy to use on-line ordering an prompt delivery of products.

Have ordered for two years as they stock an odd seed variety that I buy,
Always sent out in good time...

I ordered some books via the internet, on Friday, December 17th. I did telephone to verify website info that the books were indeed in stock; the lady on the phone was exceptionally personable and helpful.
I decided to go the cheap route, and opted for regular shipping, even though I was rather hoping it'd make it prior to Christmas. My package was delivered the morning of December 24!!! One calendar week! During the holiday shopping/shipping madness, even. From Maine to coastal Mississippi. In nasty weather. Plus, several of the books were also on sale, to boot.

I am impressed and extremely pleased with this company. (I've also ordered seeds before and gotten great service then, too.)
Keep up the great work, Pinetree!

I've ordered seed twice from Pinetree, and have been exceptionally happy both times. Buyers do, however, need to read carefully the quantity of seed offered for the price. If you buy expecting a "standard" packet of everything you willsometimes be dissappointed. I have found most all of their seeds to be exceptional values, and I suspect only those shoppers expecting a deal too good to be true are dissappointed. I also find germination rates to be consistently good, and sometimes excellent. The only real disssappointment I have had out of about forty varieties tried was the Creme de Cassis hollyhock, which logged in at about 50% -- very low for a typically easy species. On the other hand, I got about an 85% germination rate on Codonopsis, which is typically one I get very little luck with. So I am a happy customer and will continue to be so.

I've ordered vegetable seed from this company for two seasons now. They have become my favorite seed company for several reasons:
- the smaller size of their packets is perfect for my family garden. I'd rather buy a reasonable amount of a lot of different vegetables than a huge amount of just a few things. I'd also rather buy fresh seed every year than use old seed left over from last year. So the small inexpensive packet is perfect.
- being a Northern gardener, it's important to me to know whether a variety is suitable for my climate or not. Pinetree's trial gardens are also in a short-season area, and if a variety can be grown only in a greenhouse or something up north, they always tell you that up front. No trying to pull the wool over your eyes and sell you something that will never grow in your area.
- their catalogue seems to have more detailed and useful information than some other companies. They let you know which varieties can be grown with direct-seeding, from transplants, under cover, or have other special needs. They list the pros and cons of each type clearly, so you know what you're getting. I've always found their descriptions and recommendations to be accurate.
- I also really like the selection of vegetables in their catalog. There are some unusual and unique varieties, including lots of European and some Asian vegetables. They seem to go for a balance between flavor and growability. I want veggies with superb gourmet eating quality, but nothing so tender and finicky that you need to spend every waking moment trying to keep the plants alive. On the other hand, if something is super easy to grow but the taste is dull and bland, then what's the point? Pinetree's whole catalogue seems to consist of varieties that approach this ideal yummy/easy balance.
- finally, everything I've ordered from them so far has had superior germination rate, has done well and tasted great!

I have been ordering seeds from Pinetree for years and have always been happy with their service and products. This spring I placed an order for a fairly large amount and after a month or so my seeds had still not arrived. I finally called the company and told them. They sent a duplicate order to me quickly and asked me if I would mail back the first order if it should arrive, which was a fair request. I appreciated the friendly way they handled the problem. Mistakes can and do happen both with the seed company and the postal service. Pinetree is definitely a great company to do business from my experience.

I have dealt with Pinetree for years and am thoroughly pleased with the service and the products. Over the years I have not had one problem with this company and have always found them to be prompt and the items true to the descriptions. The germination rate of the seeds is excellent, and the packets contain more seeds than the minimum promised. I will certainly continue doing business with them.

Great prices, quick service but where's the seeds? I had my order in just a few days, but was disappointed in the very small number of seeds in each packet.
Alice

We have ordered from Pintree Seeds for many years. The two times our seeds have been delayed were during a bad ice storm (we received a $1 coupon as a thanks-for-waiting) and last year when we ordered late during the late-spring rush. The prices are good and the number of seeds are listed in the catalogue. The lettuce seed mixture (1 oz) is the best and always gets compliments. I used to hate throwing away good seed because the packages were too large (who needs 30 zuchinni plants?) but find that 4 hills are much more manageable.

Except for some specialty seeds (Thai eggplant), they are my one-stop garden seed source.

http://www.superseeds.com

I ordered bulbs. Lots of lily bulbs. The bulbs came last fall as promised. Every single one of these bulbs I ordered came up, and really showed their little blooms off! They were absolutely gorgeous. Anyone that has planted lilies, knows that the first year is rarely the best year for lilies. But these performed as if they had been in the ground for several years with many, many blooms! I would reccomend this company to anyone for their bulbs!

I've purchased from Pinetree a few times. The order was shipped promptly, well packed, and arrived as described. Once I had a question about choosing one product over another and they spent time with me and helped me make my selection. I would be more than happy to place an order with Pinetree again.

Excellent customer service, good prices and 80% or higher germination rates for all the seeds I bought...I will order again!!

Great experience. I ordered some seeds last week. They arrived Yesterday and they all looked good.
I would do buisness with them again.

Ordered a large variety of seeds from Pinetree this year. All were of good quality - my corn did not come up but I think that was my fault! I did notice the small amount of seed you receive but for the price (average .80 per pack) you cannot beat them! They tell you how many seeds you are getting in their catalog so you will not be surprised. I like to grow many things and don't need 2 yrs worth of seeds so it worked out perfectly for me.

Pinetree has a great selection of seeds at prices that can't be beat. The order was correct and arrived quickly.
I will order again.

I ordered some raspberries and some begonias from Pinetree (also known as Superseeds. Bareroot, they did not look great, but I waited. They did not leaf up. I waited awhile, then I emailed them. I got replacements for all the stuff. The raspberries HAD leaves on them by now, so I stuck them in the pots and they look good. The begonias had sprouts forming.
So, I had a bad then a good experiance. I'm Ok with that.

I never need a ton of seed of any one thing. So their package size is perfect for me. It is a great way to get what I want and not have to pay a lot for it. The packages of seed that I have ordered have always had the amount of seed listed or more.

The customer service is great. I got an email response the next day after sending my email. They were so easy and nice to work with.

Over 80% germination rates on the seeds from Pinetree. Excellent!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...