My discounted seed order from Botanical Interests arrived yesterday and I couldn’t be more excited! I purchased 104 seed packets for about $150 shipped. Now I have nearly all the seeds I’ll need for my 2024 garden.
I say nearly all the seeds I need because c’mon, does one really ever have enough garden seeds? 🙂
Yada yada yada…
One Hundred Dollars a Month reader Laura asked a great question the other day. It is “I’m trying to learn more about gardening and add a little more each year. I see that there is a good deal on seeds. If I bought those now, would they be good for next year?”
When is the right time to buy seeds?
I took that question as basically, when is the right time to buy seeds, and if I did buy them now, how would I store them?
Well Laura, I’m going to tell you what I do {and I hope others will chime in too}.
Because I like to save money wherever I can, for me, the best time to buy seeds is when they go on sale. And typically, that’s during the summer when the seed buying rush is over and the seed companies are trying to tell their remaining inventory to make room for next year’s stock in their warehouse.
Not all seed companies will offer discounted prices, but over the years Botanical Interests has consistently offered a deep discount on their end of season inventory.
This time around its 40% off + you can save an extra 10% off if you sign up for their newsletter on the prompt at the bottom left of their website.
So for me, the best time to buy seeds is as soon as they go on sale. 🙂
I like the company, I like the selection and I’ve had great success with using their seeds over the years.
And also, I’m not afraid of buying seeds and storing them for later use.
To me, storing seeds for the following year’s garden has become second nature for me. I think I’ve been doing it for about 15 years now and don’t even really think about it anymore. It’s just something I do.
But… For those of you who have never stocked up on garden seeds before and are wondering how I store my seeds every year, I’ll let you in on a little secret.
Storing seeds for next year’s garden {and even longer} is a piece of cake.
Here’s how I do it:
- First, you need to keep seeds cool and dry. Put them in a plastic ziplock bag, or even better and canister/jar of some sort with a tight fitting lid.
- Next, decide how long you want to store seeds. If the answer is for a couple of years, the refrigerator is your best bet. It’s best to throw a packet of silica gel in the container to help keep the seeds dry.
- Put the canister in the back of your fridge, and forget about them until you need them.
- This method is a pretty safe bet for up to 3 years. When you are ready to use them, take the canister out and KEEP IT CLOSED until the seeds come to room temperature.
If you are wanting a more indefinite seed storage, put your seeds in the canister with the silica gel {make sure your container has a tight seal} and put them in the freezer.
I know, I know, you’ve heard you shouldn’t put them in the freezer, but it is not the cold that is the enemy here, it’s the moisture. So as long as you allow the seeds to come to room temperature BEFORE you open the canister/container again, your seeds will be good to go.
If you open the canister straight out of the freezer, moisture will be pulled into the seed packets, making them no longer fit for storage.
Without the moisture, you can store seeds for 10+ years in the freezer.
How to Store Your Seeds
To store your own saved seeds, spread them out and allow them to air dry. Then put them into envelopes and label them. You can then put them in the fridge or freezer as you would a regular store bought seed packet.
The one thing to keep in mind is that no matter how diligent you are, your seed germination rates may go down slightly with long-term storage.
Also, some seeds, like sweet corn and parsnips, simply do not store very well. But, saving your seeds long-term is a great way to keep seeds that are well-adapted to your area AND provides a lot of peace of mind.
Do YOU save seeds for more than a year? How do you do it?
~Mavis
Botanical Interests is having a 40% off sale on over 300+ seed varieties through May 29th, 2023. Also, if you sign up for their newsletter {there should be a “save 10%” pop up that appears on the bottom left of your screen, you’ll be emailed a 10% off code as well}.
Aimee says
Mavis,
I planted lettuce seeds over 10 days ago and I don’t have anything sprouting yet. Do you think these seeds are duds and I should replant? Should I wait?
Thanks!
Mavis Butterfield says
I just checked the back of one of my lettuce seed packets and it says lettuce can take 5-14 days to emerge. So, assuming your seeds have light and moisture… I’d wait. 🙂
Sharon says
OMG, my order from Botanical Interests was just delivered – about 75 packets and 22 different seed types – and am sitting on the floor with all spread around me, looking them over. Even though I will have to do my growing in a vertical planter on the balcony, visions of these seeds coming to full growth is mesmerizing!
Christy says
I don’t have much luck with lettuce seeds regardless of whether they are new or leftover seeds. Think I am giving up on trying to start lettuce from seeds and buy from the nursery 🙁
I have used year+ old seeds and they usually sprout. If uncertain, put the seeds in water and see if they plump up. If yes, they are good and ready to plant. I also use the water trick when planting extra beans during the warmer summer months.
Rosemary says
If you have chickens and also have seeds that you think might be too old, you can sprout them and feed them to the chickens. Zero waste! Our chickens love sprouts. I usually sprout lentils, but I have also sprouted old seeds. The chickens don’t care!
KC says
We’ve started saving our own pepper, tomato, and dill seeds, and it is dirt easy and basically free. The tomato and dill have worked really well (we only grow romas, so minimal worries about cross-pollination) – I haven’t tried the pepper seeds yet, but the tomato and dill have extraordinarily high germination rates.
But yeah. Somewhere cool and dark and dry, and many seeds can last for ages!
I don’t buy them a year in advance, though, because our garden plans vary based on what’s going on with life, and it’d be a pity to buy $150 worth of seeds and then move into an apartment somewhere with no garden before the next growing season! But if you have good odds of knowing what you’ll want to plant the following year, it could work; just… maybe do not be *very* optimistic about how much garden you can cope with. Seed catalogues are very tempting but we do not actually need to plant 12 different types of tomatoes every year…
Laura says
Thank you very much for the information, Mavis! I said to my family, “I made Mavis’ blog!” (They hear about you.) It made my day. I’m working on a seed order. Fun!
Sharon Steere says
I enjoy reading your blogs and wanted to thank you for your article about the sale on seed. I bought @45.00 worth. I haven’t counted how many packs that is. I’m 73 tears old and a bucket gardener so I save my seeds for quite awhile because I use so few. It was time to stock up again and I as glad to hear about this sale! Thank you. I was delighted to hear the company is from Colorado not fa from where I live near Omaha, Nebraska. I find your blogs inspitational. I don’t have the energy you have but in my younger years I had more energy and accomplished more. I’m an artist too, and appreciate your rug hooking. I’m a painter. I’m in the process of starting a blog ad tryingto learn thr ropes! Keep up the good work, I look forward to receiving my seeds. I haven’t seen any discounts like the one you shared. Many Thanks Mavis!