Seeds at Walgreen's

[MYellowRose]

In the Walgreen's ad in the Sunday paper there was coupon for gardening seeds, $10 for $1. I think the brand was American, or something similar. Has anyone here bought and planted them? I thought I'd see if I could find the ones I need there as that's a good price for me.

[leera]

The American Seed Company has been around a long time....we get the same seed display at my store......

Read up on the ones you want and go see if they have them there........at least if nothing grows,you won't be out much.

The main thing I don't like about those packets,is that there isn't much in them.....but for you,they might be just right. :)

[Smoky]

Cheap is good. And any seeds is better than no seeds. I myself am trying to get everything in an Open Pollinated version, and save the seeds so I can have them from year to year. It's been more work for me but less cash paid out. Goes back to the "a penny saved is a penny earned" thing.

[leera]

Smoky,I did some research on this company when a friend sent me some seed packets from them.

A lot of what they offer are pure,OP seed types.
Not bad for a cheap seed company.

They do have some hybrid seed too,you just have to read the packet to see which it is.

I still grow some hybrids,due to my uttter lack of gardening space.......but once we get on our property and get established there,I will go with all OP,organic types.

[Smoky]

Yeah, I still grow hybrid zuc znd yellow squash most years, because of the bug problems I have when trying to let a squash grow to full maturity in order to save those seeds. So it's easier that way, but I WANT to go to all OP, just that I'm still working on it, lol.

[Terri]

I buy a lot of seeds through them. The germination rate is not ALWAYS as good as I like, but it USUALLY is!

To do a germination test, roll the seeds in a damp paper towel and check them in a couple of days.

True, the packets are a bit light, but how many tomatos were you intending to plant?

If I want a LOT of plants, I just buy more than one seed packet. For something like zucchini, I only want a few plants anyways!

Oh, yes.

I USED to spend $30 a year on seeds, now I spend much less and my garden is much bigger. On-sale is a good thing!

[leera]

Terri;

I like LOTS of plants...........last year I started(8 flats plus some) enough for my garden,a friend's garden,and still had some left over.

I think with me,it's more about the satisfaction of growing them from seed than it is about planting them in my garden.

I like to watch them grow.......I even had to add more lights last year to my set up so I had room for them all. :D

When we get our property it may different,as I will have more garden space than I do now.

Now I still have to buy tomatoes from the farmer's market because I just can't grow enough for my canning needs.

I've also experimented with growing houseplants from seed,some good results,some not so good......but it's fun anyway.

[bookwormom]

excuse my ignorance, but following my reasoning, wouldn't it take less effort to raise OP seeds so they theoretically should be cheaper?
we don't have a walgreens but that is a good price. Last year I ordered some from shumway and got a whole bunch of free seeds enclosed, with the remark that they were experimental varieties. So I threw them all out, as I was afraid they would be genetically modified. I grow hybrid cucumbers, it is the most difficult to grow cucumbers here and I have to get some that are resistant and even then it is nip and tuck and a gamble and I have to dust them with rhotenone or they die.

[Smoky]

I would think powdery mildew would be more of a problem for you, bookwormom. Is it the Cuke beetle you're fighting? Striped or spotted?

[zebraman]

Hey Bookwormom;You are going about this in the wrong way.The Whole point of growing Organically/BioDynamics is to produce really healthy soil with balanced nutrients to grow plants that are so healthy that insects cannot attack your plants.Any Book by Eliott Coleman or John Jeavons will explain everything in Great Detail.Also check out
http://www.azomite.com/ Contact them to find a distributor in your area.-

[Faye]

I have bought quite a few packs of those seed at the Fred's store. Germination was ok and I like the number of seed in the pack because I can only use so many squash, cucumbers and tomatoes. I am not planting as much this year because neither Roy nor I want to work so hard in the garden this year. It is really hot here during the summer and as I get older I get lazier. We are doing raised beds only and I am going to incorporate the square-foot method. Sorry for rambling.

[bookwormom]

why thanks Zebra. I know my soil is not in the greatest of shapes yet. I am working on it. however, I am not the only one who has trouble with cucumbers around here, word is, you can not grow cucumbers here and my neighbors up the road do not even try anymore. . I have organic neighbors down the road who keep planting cucumbers continuously as they keep dying off and you may get a couple of fruits off a plant before it dies and that way you have some cucumbers. They do not have powdery mildew, as I recognize that. they without fail get mosaic, wilting disease and heaven knows what else. I figure since those striped beetles are involved in spreading viruses I have to go after them , hence the rhotenone. Long time ago in Indiana I used to raise marvelous cucumbers, when I lived in Germany I had to raise them in my little greenhouse and they did just fine, they were those long, thin cucumbers and we had them until November. I used nothing unusual on them, had compost, horsemanure, mulch and I used ground up iron slake(or is that slag?) and ground limestone. I totally gave up on zucchini here, and not just I, and like I said, cucumbers are a real problem. as a substitute for zucchini I use green butternut, as they and cushaw seem to resist whatever it is that ails the others .

[GrannySueD_in_IL]

American/NPK are pretty good, at least for germination. I've never had a problem with them. They are always great for things you forgot and have to do "last minute" - I'm always doing that lol.


If you are saving seeds, though - read the packets VERY carefully - sometimes it's hard to figure if they are open-pollinated, F1 or other hybrids. The other hybrids don't bother saving, and F1's are a gamble - some come true, others don't fruit.

[Smoky]

I'm with you, Faye. I don't like to work too hard in the garden either. I find if I go out the first hour and the last hour of daylight, I can get most everything done without ever being out there in the blazing sun. I have a good garden every year too. I also wear a big straw hat when I do have to be out there in the sun, like picking my berries or something. Makes a difference.