FAQ

Are you open for visitors, and can I purchase seeds from you directly?

Can I order seeds year-round?

What are seasonal items?

Are all your varieties non-hybrid?

How long will my seeds last?

How do I save my own seed?

When do I plant?

How many seeds do I get?

How long before I can harvest this variety?

Are you open for visitors, and can I purchase seeds from you at the farm?

Our office, seed gardens and trial gardens are not open for visitors. Although it would be enjoyable to accept visitors, we do not have the necessary facilities, insurance, or staff. Our seeds are available in nearby retail stores and garden centers, but some of our specialty varieties are available only by catalog. If you are from out of town and would like to see our seeds offered in your community, please contact your favorite garden center or health food store and ask them to carry our seeds.

Can I order seeds year-round?

Our seeds and supplies are in stock year-round. Germination testing continues daily and we ship seeds throughout the year. Occasionally a variety becomes unavailable due to a crop failure, short supply, or selling out due to high demand. Sold out varieties are indicated on the product description. The new catalog and prices begin in January each year.

What are seasonal items?

You may order seasonal items year round, but they will ship separately from the rest of your order, when they become available. Potatoes ship in the spring, to southern-most areas first, and perennial onion bulbs, garlic, ginseng and goldenseal ship in the fall, to northern-most areas first. There are seasonal shipping surcharges for these items.

We have found that fall planting of perennial onions gives superior results in most areas of the country, with yields often twice those obtained from spring planted bulbs. Ginseng, goldenseal, and garlic also are best planted in the fall. All fall seasonal shipments come with a growing guide. We begin shipping in late September.

Potatoes ship directly from the farm in Maine where they are grown. Shipments begin in March. Earlier shipments are not possible due to the danger of freezing damage in transit.

Are all your varieties non-hybrid?

More than 99% of our seeds are open-pollinated (non-hybrid). You can save your own seed from these varieties and they will breed true.

We carry a handful of hybrids because they are exceptional performers, have no open-pollinated counterpart, and have been requested by our customers. We offer hybrid sweet corns as a service to customers who want to purchase hybrid corn seed that is free of fungicide treatment. Hybrids are clearly marked as hybrid.

How long will my seeds last?

Most seeds can be saved for planting until the following season. Simply store your seeds in a cool, dry place. For best quality, seed needs to be fully dry before storing.

A good rule of thumb is that the sum of the temperature (in Fahrenheit) and the percent humidity should be less than 100 (the seed storage index). For example, seeds stored at 50% humidity and 40 degrees Fahrenheit will have a seed storage index of 90 (50 + 40 = 90). In general, the cooler and drier you keep your seeds (the lower the seed storage index), the longer they will last.

We recommend placing your seeds in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer. Be sure to let the container return to room temperature before opening. Otherwise, water may condense on the cold seeds and potentially cause rot.

Be aware that germination goes down over time and you may need to sow more of your older seed to get the plants you want. We offer seed saving supplies to help you dry and store seed for longer periods.

Some types of seed, like corn and beans, lose viability much more quickly. For these it is best to save new seed each year. Older seed can be used in the kitchen! Read more about seed saving in our library section.

How do I save my own seed?

We have some seed saving guidelines in our library section. The growing guide for each crop includes recommended isolation distance for home use. Professional quality seed has stricter isolation distance requirements. You will also need to consider minimum population size to maintain genetic diversity and prevent inbreeding depression. This varies over a large range (for home use only a handful of tomato plants may suffice, but broccoli requires 60-100 plants and corn at least 200), with larger populations required for out-crossing crops. Mostly self pollinating crops can be maintained with relatively few plants and better recover from population bottlenecks.

There are excellent free seed saving guides available at SavingOurSeed.org.

We sell several excellent books on seed saving, including Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth and Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties by Carol Deppe.

There are two basic types of seed saving: wet and dry. Wet seed saving includes tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, watermelon, melon, cucumbers, and squash. These seeds must be separated from that fruit and some may have a germination inhibiting coating. We usually briefly ferment these seeds, which helps separate and clean them and breaks down the germination-inhibiting coating. Fermentation simply means letting the seed sit in its pulp, often with added water, and stirring 2-3 times a day. Depending on the temperature and seed type, 1-3 days may suffice. Be careful to avoid inducing sprouting! Dry seed saving includes corn, beans, most herbs, lettuce, and brassicas. Generally these seeds simply dry on the plant, or may be harvested just before they finish drying. Depending on your climate, you will most likely need to bring these seeds indoors to complete drying.

When do I plant?

We provide recommended planting dates in our library. These are for the Mountains, Inland Plains, and Coastal regions of the mid-Atlantic and southeast. They may be used as guidelines elsewhere. Use your own dates of last spring frost and first fall frost to determine which column works best for you.

How many seeds do I get?

The top of each category page gives the typical packet size, how many seeds to expect, and how many row-feet this plants in the garden (above the listing of products). This information is also given at the bottom of the growing guide for each crop.

How long before I can harvest this variety?

Days to maturity is generally given at the beginning of the description for each variety. Please bear in mind that this is approximate and may be affected by temperature and moisture conditions. The numbers of days is from germination, not from planting. Transplant shock mays set plants back one week or more.