Comments regarding Johnny's Selected Seeds

I ordered a bunch of seeds from this company this spring and am pleased with the results so far.

The Cherokee Purple tomatoes were most impressive--very robust, resilient plants. I've also had good results with the common mint, holy basil, Roman chamonile, and foxgloves. Just planted the Wampum corn (untreated) and Autumn Beauty sunflowers, so can't speak yet on quality. They have a good selection of green manures too and in smaller amounts than many companies sell. It's also worth mentioning that their website is east to navigate, and their catalog is well designed.

Would definitely buy seeds from them again.

I have ordered seeds from this company several times over the years (but in light of the new and sneaky ways theives have I will go get one of those paid temporary cc to shop online with) and I am always pleased. We actually didn't order this year because we had so many seeds left from them, some years old, and decided to try them. Much to our surprise they have all come up under the grow lites so no order this year but I will be back to order from Johnnys at the next cabin fever itch.

We purchased a variety of seeds from Johnny's, including two types of beets, the purple haze carrots, peppers, arugula, and several varietals of tomatoes. I'm pleased to report that within a short time of planting, all of our vegetables were growing and looking great, much better than seeds and plants we had purchased elsewhere. Last night we made our first arugula salad, which was wonderful, and reminded me that I should leave a positive review here. Additionally, I was impressed with their customer service representative over the phone and with their website, which is easy to navigate. And lastly, thanks to Dave's Garden, where I found the positive reviews that led me to Johnny's in the first place.

I was a container gardener until this year. I have been buying a modest variety of seeds from this company for about 3 years, all of which have produced excellently. My orders are always shipped fast. The Sarian strawberry seeds I bought this year actually started germinating in 2-3 days and the hanging planter is now packed, so I am thrilled. I am still using some seeds from 2004 and they are sprouting and happy.

I've always had positive experiences with Johnny's seeds. While
I increased my ordering from a company that immediately dropped
Monsanto variety, I believe that Johnny's is working hard to find
substitutes and will ease out Monsanto seeds as soon as they're
feasible.(Though I have no concrete knowledge of this except for
a brief interview/quote from Rob Johnston). Please don't lose faith
in this company. In fact, most other main seed houses also still
carry the monsanto seeds, (Nichols,territorial,etc....).

"

Hi there -

Johnny's carries a few varieties produced by Seminis Seed, which is now owned by Monsanto. I want to make this distinction because many seed companies had a relationship with Seminis before they were purchased. A part of Johnny's mission is to provide customers with quality, unique varieties. If customers demand varieties that only Seminis carries, we will provide those. However, as Johnny's finds varieties that are in all ways suitable to replace a Seminis variety, Johnny's replaces it with a variety from another vendor. We are slowly phasing out Seminis varieties, without harming customer demand for certain varieties.

If anyone has further questions about this, please feel free to call us toll-free at 1-877-564-6697 and we'd be happy to talk to you about it further.

Sincerely,
Johnny's Selected Seeds"

I ordered several packets of seeds and some seed starting items from Johnny's this spring. Unfortunately, I had some serious problems with the post office - I moved last year and notified the PO, but they changed my address temporarily instead of permanently like I had been told. To make a long story short, when Johnny's shipped my order it was redirected by the PO to the wrong address (I think). Anyhow, I corrected the problem with the PO as soon as I found out, Johnny's re-sent the order to the correct address as soon as they were informed of the problem, and I got everything soon after. I am pleased with the way Johnny's handled my shipping problem, but I did end up receiving the seeds too late for planting cool weather spring crops-I blame that on the PO, not Johnny's. All in all, Johnny's got my order to me in a reasonable amount of time despite the PO's mistake. I would order from Johnny's again.

I ordered Mexican Sunflower (Torch) and Black Dragon Coleus seed from Johnny's in Feb. Seed arrived promptly in the mail, but largely failed to germinate. I ended up with a half dozen Torch, given the size of these plants relative to my yard that is enough. Called customer service to complain on the poor germination of the coleus though. They promptly sent a new seed packet and this time the germination rate was fine.

I am extremely annoyed at the negative dings people have showered on Johnny's because of a matter that wasn't their fault. Their commitment to customer service is clear and of long standing. There is usually not a problem with an order, but if there is, a short phone call is all it takes to straighten the matter out perfectly. The seeds are of the best quality, the planting instructions clear, the growing suggestions are perfect-- and if someone has trouble because of a microclime issue or questions because of some other factor, an intelligent person on the other end of the phone or email will provide good, solid clear guidelines. This is an utterly outstanding company, and people whining because someone else gained access to their credit card information through theft should be ashamed of themselves. I wonder how well they would cope with a problem of this magnitude! A glance at the actual feedback for Johnny's will reveal only the barest minimum of complaint over the years save for this one issue. Johnny's will keep my custom, and they remain the firm I will suggest first when friends ask for advice on where to obtain seeds and gardening equipment.
Mike Connelly
Brunswick, Maine

I ordered some seeds from them last winter. The shipment was fast and seeds are great, very good germination rate seems like 100%. They have very interesting and large selection and nice catalog. I think it is sad that their rating went down because of data stolen from their computers. I also got their letter about my credit card information being stolen, and had to cancel my credit card number. I wish they deleted my personal information after they received my payment. But I hope they've learned their lesson and will get better virus protection for their computers. I'll order again.

I have always been very happy with Johnny's seed but this year we had decided to give up on our old seeder. I looked at all the "walk-behind" and alot of the smaller tractor models. After several phone calls to ask the same questions over and over, we decided to order the "European Push Seeder". It arrived promptly and within an hour my DH was in the kitchen! "I love this thing, What else can I plant today?" We are very happy with the product and with the customer service we received before I ordered it!

I ordered from Johnny's for the first time a few weeks ago and was very happy with my experience.

I had requested a catalog from their website and when it arrived, I couldn't believe the wealth of information on growing just about anything. Their selection was huge! I got several other seed catalogs in the mail from other companies and they all dimmed in comparision to Johnny's!

When I placed my order, the representative on the phone was friendly and helpful and told me that my order would ship the next day!

My order arrived in 3 days from the time I ordered! I was extremely impressed at this speed, especially during this busy spring season.

I look forward to buying again!

I have never left feedback for Johnny's before as I felt that they were in the top 30 and held their own without me.. Now, as someone who actually does belong here on Daves, subscribes and contributes to the threads, has formed relationships with gardeners here, and has a care and concern for truly wonderful plant and seed companies.. (ahhemm), I'm going to leave MY feedback for this truly wonderful seed company.

I am a customer of Johnny's Select Seeds and I appreciate the letter that was sent notifying me that their data was hacked and it included my personal information along with my credit card info. I can understand how some can see that as solely Johnny's fault.... However, after speaking with Michelle in Customer Service for over 20 minutes about the situation today, I sincerely feel that they DO care and are absolutely upset over it and are most disturbed by the ensuing negative feedback that has been left as a result of this online computer heist. Michelle was most forthcoming about what they are doing, how they believe it happened (an email bug) and who they are working with to rectify the situation (FBI) Just in the news... just plugging in your computer away from home or office and checking your financial accounts can now result in the account names and passwords being copied and liquidated immediately. To whom would you ascribe the blame? It is my understanding that the info was not hacked from the web site. It was obtained through an internal computer which was accessed from outside the office, which means someone had a password.

My credit card was fraudulently charged a total of $300 to match.com on Valentines Day and fortunately for me, the following day all charges were reversed. If anything, this has proven the strength of my marriage as my husband immediately knew something wasn't right and that I was not attempting to date when he saw the charges. I hope and pray that the thief has raised enough money to date without having to take it from Johnny's seed customers. It's a good thing to keep some humor and perspective here.

My husband and I have worked hard to take extreme measures to keep our credit clean and our score high. I have canceled that account, and had a new account sent out to me. I have put a 3 month fraud alert on my credit and have heard that it can be quite inconvenient to open credit in such situations, however, we already have all the cards and accounts we currently need. I will closely monitor my credit report, which should be done, regardless of such a situation occurring. While I'm not "happy" about the situation.. I certainly don't think Johnny's was directly negligent, a bad business owner or out to get me.. This was a demonstration of a modern day heist in action and Johnny's was as much a victim as their very valued customers.

As long as Johnny's continues to produce such incredible catalogs and sell quality seeds, which they always have, they can continue to count on me as a customer. Its unfortunate this happened to both of us. Johnny's I believe in you, what you do and what you sell. I believe in your company. I feel confident you will regain your position in the watchdog, your just my favorite underdog right now. God Bless. Susan

The very best seed possible - worth the extra price. You definitely get what you pay for at Johnny's. Their shipping is the fastest in the business. Their customer service is top notch.

After 10 years of purchasing seed from Johnny's however, I am no longer doing so because they continue to carry Seminis/Monsanto varieties. I miss Johnny's, but feel very strongly against Monsanto. This is a personal decision on my part and no reflection on Johnny's. To their credit, when I e-mailed a complaint they e-mailed me a list of the Seminis varieties that they carry so that I could avoid them. This was nice, but not enough for me. I have swithced my loyalties to companies that do not carry Seminis/Monsanto varieties.

I love Johnny's. Always have always will. Seeds and other supplies have always come fast, packaged well... And who can beat their selection?

And for this top topnotch quality, they do not charge top dollar, which they easily could... Their pricing is very reasonable. I know they do a lot of breeding and research out of this money too, and I do appreciate that--as I've dealt with companies that do NOTHING for the future of gardening and charge a heck of a lot more.

More than excellent products though, I appreciate how sincerely committed I feel this company is to wonderful business of growing edibles and beautifuls from the earth.

I will only do business with companies like Johnny's in the future..those I feel that love growing first and second, need to make a living, as do we all...

I work in web development and I have to say, things like this can happen even to companies that are paying attention to security. My credit card was not compromised but my dad's was, because I asked him to buy me a gift certificate this year. (oops, sorry dad!) He and I both called and we felt they dealt with the situation appropriately. It must have taken a few days to uncover the extent of the damage & that's why the letters didn't go out immediately.

I will continue to order from JohnnySeed.com. Going forward their security will probably be much better than a company that has never had a problem and never thought much about it. Just like if you're robbed, then you install the best alarm system you can find.

"

Darcy -

Thank you for your very kind words and empathy. Indeed, our security will become much greater than it was, and not only because we wish it to be that way for our customers, but because when this sort of thing happens, it is absolutely required. Johnny's takes this theft very, very seriously and we will continue to do everything we can to prevent it from happening again. This is not a one-shot update or fix. We will continue to pay attention to it going forward into the future.

Kindly,
Alisa"

I previously lived at 7,000 feet were it was very challenging to garden. Last fall we moved to a small farm at 4,000 feet with many spaces that need and can be filled. I made a good sized sampler order for varied seeds. Next I made an order for weed barrier and row covers. Everything has arrived at my rural location, complete and in record time. I haven't gardened since I was a kid and relying heavily on the thorough growing instructions on the seed packets and catalogue. I can't wait until my parents visit in July, and show off the results.

Unfortunately data theft happens - even to huge corporations. I think they handled the situation well. I will do business with them again because they have a good selection of products and focus on customer service.

Wow. No one seems safe anymore. I received notification just a short while ago from TJ Maxx that my credit card information was stolen, and now a letter from Johnny's.

I do business with Johnny's every year. I'll keep doing business with them every year. No doubt there was room for improvement in overall security, but I don't think any company is totally secure, and if they tell you so, they're probably lying. In 16 years, I've never had a problem with Johnny's and I'm not about to go away because a single lousy meal was served. A company with as good a rating as they have here, and as well as they've treated me over the years deserves a second chance.

I understand the theft happened on the 4th and it was discovered on the 18th. That is not unusual. A lot of people who are stolen from don't find out for a month or more after they get a bank or credit card statement, and let me tell you, the bank never sends a letter to let you know your account was compromised. I think Johnny's responded fairly quickly, given that they no doubt had a lot of information to gather before sending it.

This theft is really incredible and I am angry and sad. Not angry with Johnny's, but with the people who commit these crimes and that credit card companies don't seem to be doing anything to change how they do business to help prevent this from happening.
Credit card fraud is so prevalent these days, you'd think they'd adopt a different technology. I think people should think about that.

Don't be too hasty to judge, lest ye be judged.

I don't hold Johnny's culpable here. I hold the system at large responsible. This is happening in too many places, to too many people, for any unfortunate company to bear the full burden. I have no doubt that security at Johnny's could be made better. And I bet you they're doing all they can to make it better going into the future.

During the last thirty five years I have depended on Johnny's for seeds (vegetable, herb, flower), bulbs and gardening tools while gardening in various parts of the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. Their choice of variety,quality, and service are excellent. They have quickly taken care of the few problems I have had. I am amazed at comments that their prices are too high since we are purchasing quality living seeds (as well as quality tools and gardening materials). Anyone can purchase cheaper seed, bulbs and tools. I consider each season a gift of time in which I want the best for my efforts. That means I carefully select my varieties and expect excellent viability. Who I purchase my seed from is not a casual decision. I have always been proud to recommend Johnny's.

I used to order from Johnny's seeds exclusively and always had excellent results, both ordering and growing. However, I too feel that their prices are steep compared with other seed supppliers as a brief price comparison will easily demonstate. Having said that, they offer some unique products and as reported here by myself and other reviewers, their seed has exceptionally high germination rates. jlw1112

"

JWL -

Thank you for your very thoughtful comment. I'd like to speak to the discussion of higher seed prices if I may.

Yes, Johnny's Selected Seeds prices are higher in some (not all) instances. There are good business reasons why this is so.

In business, you can differentiate from your competitors in a number of ways. Businesses can use the Wal-mart strategy (low-price), a differentiation strategy (based on uniqueness or exclusivity), or a premium strategy (based on very high levels of quality, service, and value-added elements). Most folks know what strategies Johnny's uses.

When you receive a packet of seeds from Johnny's, it is value packed with things that most people don't think about. Johnny's has extensive trial fields all over the US. We trial new, unique, and specialty varieties and those of our competitors. We look for very specific features of varieties that we know our customers want and expect. We like to offer the usual and hard-to-find varieties as well as the tried-and-true ones. Johnny's product management team applies a lot of expertise and research to deliver very high quality, dependable seed that you can count on for great performance and yield.

Johnny's has a state-of-the-art climate controlled storage facility where our seeds are kept at optimal temperatures and humidities. This ensures seed viability and performance. This much to do with seed quality and germination rates.

Johnny's is known for having fast, reliable shipping; at times the fastest in our industry. We are known for the efficiency and quality of our customer service.

Johnny's puts a lot of heart and soul into the business standards it practices and it is borne out in your customer comments time and again about our fast shipping, our excellent seed germination, terrific quality, superb customer service.

Premium service comes at a premium price. We feel good about the prices we charge and we know, resolutely, that you will be pleased with the quality and performance. We stand behind that with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

People should not be afraid or discouraged to pay a little more for a top quality product. You get what you pay for and customers are not shy about detailing their experiences. Our reputation speaks for itself. We are not perfect. We're human after all, but we do try very hard to deliver the absolute best to our customers. And that assurance is reflected in the value-added price people pay for Johnny's seeds.

Kindly,
Alisa Keimel
Marketing & PR Manager
Johnny's Selected Seeds"

I have used Johnny's for 7 years. I grow on about 6 acres and they are my main source for seeds. In my opinion they are unsurpassed for quality and customer service; representatives will offer varietal suggestions and culture tips. Their prices are competitive with other commercial seed suppliers; they are not the only ones with expensive cauliflower (it's worth it, too!). Johnny's has a nice mix of hybrids and open-pollinated varieties, and is expanding their organic options. While I like and plant open-pollinated varieties, I count on hybrids for uniformity and yield.
I have ordered both on-line and via phone. The only time I had problems ordering on-line I called them and they helped me immediately.
Thanks Johnny's for continued excellence!

Great selection of not-so-common seeds. Rapid shipping and good quality seeds. All were ordered from their website easily and a backorder was taken care of promptly by phone. This is a super company!

Very responsive with timely shipping. My criteria are good seeds with good selections. Johnny's carrys some cultivars that are hard to obtain for a small grower else where.

I too have had positive experiences with Johnny's, and their selection - both hybrids and open-pollenated - is excellent. I think KristenMarie's "negative" below is extremely unfair and should have been a "neutral" - Johnny's has to make money, and if that means including hybrids in their catalog, then they should do just that. To quote the guidelines on Watchdog "If your experience was negative, you should try to resolve the matter privately before posting your comments. Use good judgment when leaving feedback, and be certain it is constructive and factual; inflammatory language is strongly discouraged."

I have been buying from Johnny Seeds for over 20 years and I consider them one of the best souces of both hybrid and non hybrid seeds. I don't mind paying a lot for the Sweet Olive tomato seeds, you cannot beat it for taste and keeping qualities. Heirloom tomatoes are not the easiest to grow and usually don't bear as heavy. JS was only trying to be honest. The customer service is nice to deal with and I have never had bad seed. Some seeds are expensive either because they are hybrids, hard to obtain, or other reasons.
Hope to be a customer for many years to come

"

Thank you for your kind words. Indeed, the website can and does occassionally encounter a glitch. The important point is that when we are aware of a problem, we scramble to correct it as quickly as possible.

Kindly,
Alisa Keimel
Markting & PR Manager
Johnny's Selected Seeds"

I have place 4 individual orders within the last month. I received the orders fast. I even called the company once with a question about a product and was handled politely and courteously. I might add that the agent really knew the answers, too. One of the orders was seeds for next year. The information on each packet surpasses any I have ever ordered from anywhere. I am probably going to order from Johnny's solely in the future.

I'll just add a brief note to the overwhelming number of positive comments here. We've been ordering from them for about five years. Can't say enough good things about Johnny's for quality products and reliable, professional, courteous customer service. There are also many other good companies out there, but we keep coming back to Johnny's for at least part of our seed order every year.

I've been ordering seeds from Johnnys for 4 years now and tried their live plants this year. The live strawberry plants did not look very "pretty" when I got them but they are doing great now. I am very impressed by their Blueberry Plant Collection, it was pricey at close to $60 for 6 plants but the plants were 2 feet tall when I received them and they are now close to 3 feet tall. I can't wait 'til next year to see what they taste like! Don't worry, I have both a "sweet" and acidic section soil section in my gardens.

I ordered a lot of flower seeds from Jonny's. The germination rate was 99% I only had two zinnias that didn't sprout. I ordered many types of flowers and all were great! I like their variety and fast shipping.

Very fast shipping, order accurate, very high quality. I got a coupon from my first order that the website wouldn't take for my second. I contacted them and in just a few minutes I got in touch with someone who was able to take care of the situation and my coupon taken. Everyone was pleasant to deal with over the phone, and pleasant over e-mail as well. I will order from them again.

I have been a customer of Johnny's for the past ten years, beginning when I lived in NH. Very knowledgeable and caring staff. Seed germination rate is always listed on the package and you will get at least that. In cases where germination is lower, they include extra seeds. I may be able to find some seeds at a lower price elsewhere, but the consistent quality of Johnny's keeps me a faithful customer.

Be sure to check out their exclusive "Matt's Wild Cherry Tomato, " a Mexican heirloom that produces small but extremely sweet and abundant cherry tomatoes.

It's hard to find soybeans locally, so I have purchased them from Johnny's. I love their catalog, and their email newsletter is so personable and informative. They are more than just seed growers... they're animal lovers too. I would order from them in a heartbeat.

These seeds are awesome. Great germination and performance. I will always order from Johnny's! Tamara

I placed a small order with Johnny's for the first time this spring. They have fast shipping and excellent customer service. I will order from again.

I have ordered from this company for several years.

A very wide variety of seeds at reasonable price.
Excellent germination rate. Prompt shipment.

Never had any problem.

Will order from them again & again.

Seeds received from Johhny's in a very timely manner are all germinating nicely (at about a 98% rate). Will definately order from this company again!

I have purchased from Johnny's for many years and the service and products have always been first rate. The order routinely arrives sooner than stated and the germination rate of the seeds is excellent. The order I placed this year arrived in four days.

I visited Johnny's Catalog Store in Winslow, ME, and ordered some seeds I had forgotten. I planted them Saturday night around 8:00 PM and on Monday morning, 36 hous later, I've got germination of cucumber seeds! I have seedling heat mats, which always aid in germination, but I never expected a 36-hour turn around when the seed packet says 3-5 days at proper temps.

I have had this response before with Johnny's seeds. Absolutely outstanding germination rates and terrific customer service. Since it's now happened twice, I thought I'd share my experience with others. Johnny's is a great company to do business with! I can't wait to start pickling!

Based on my hit and miss experiences of the past 3 years I decided to utilize the Watch Dog Top 30 this year. My first selection was to order my vegetable, herb, and a few flowers to start. I was elated that my seeds arrived within 3 days of my internet order. Everything was as ordered and I am very impressed by the extensive information on the seed packets. If the seeds are as good as the service, I will be in heaven!