We do not offer any GMO based seed products and all of our stock originates from open pollinated plants.
We steer clear of companies such as Monsanto.
The vast majority of our products are heirloom, aside from a couple of hybrid varieties.
Please do not confuse hybrids with GMO's.
On all orders of $20 or more.
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August 08, 2019
Oh, yay! An article about tulip bulbs!
Nope! We're a seed company, after all, and though we love tulips as much as anyone — and resist physical labor whenever possible — our fall gardening chores go beyond cleaning up dead and frost-killed foliage and planting bulbs for spring blooms. We’re giddy for anything that makes spring gardening easier. Knock out these projects now, and you'll lighten the springtime workload and have a more vibrant, productive garden!
Fall is the best time to add nutrients to your garden soil. By the time spring arrives, the nutrients will have had a chance to break down and reinvigorate the soil's microscopic ecosystem. Once you've pulled out the last of your annual crops, use a home soil test or send a soil sample to your state's agriculture extension office, and work in any necessary minerals, fertilizers, and compost.
Early fall or late summer is ideal for dividing perennials. Most species do best if they're split three to five years. Use a digging fork to gently lift perennials from the soil, and either pull apart or, with clean shears, cut the roots and plants. Replace one plant in the original spot, and find a new home for the other.
Here are just a few plants that benefit from fall division:
For a comprehensive list of plants that benefit from division — fall, spring, or either — download the University of Minnesota's perennial division chart and stick it in your garden planner. And while you're dividing those alliums, you might as well go ahead and plant more blooming bulbs, like those recommended in The Spruce's "Top 10 Bulbs for Fall Planting."
That's right — we said, "garden planner"! We completely understand impulse purchases at local nurseries and garden centers. We wholeheartedly encourage vodka-fueled midnight shopping sprees on our online seed catalog. But the thing is, if you don't do a bit of homework in advance, you'll miss those simple-but-essential chores that keep your garden healthy.
If you group plants according to bloom time and color, you'll avoid your garden looking as though a cracked-out, pre-cryogenic Walt Disney chirped on the wrong side of your picket fence. Plan next year's garden layout to break pest and disease cycles, group complementary plants together, and extend your bloom and harvest.
Pick up a graph paper tablet or use an online garden planning tool to visualize your designs. Be aware that your USDA Growing Zones may have changed since your last garden guide came out, and if you're not on a well, keep municipal and state water restrictions in mind. Keep everything together in a three-ring binder if you're the type who would accidentally drown their iPad in the birdbath after one too many mojitos.
If — after creating your garden designs for next season — you realize you're tight on space, fall is the time to get started. See our post on breaking ground for gardens, and you'll have more room for those freshly-divided perennials and sprawling melon vines.
Soft, rain-dampened earth is easy to clear and excavate. By planting time, your soil will have had a chance to absorb amendments and welcome the microscopic flora and fauna needed for a healthy garden.
Wind, heavy rain and snowmelt will compact or wash away your topsoil. Deep mulch helps stabilize and protect your beds, adding nourishment in as it decomposes and shelters beneficial bugs. Fallen leaves and herbicide-free straw are easy to rake up and compost when you're ready to plant in the spring.
We know some raised-bed gardeners who put layers of cardboard on top of the soil to inhibit early season weed growth and one who staples black water-permeable ground cloth over his raised beds for the same reason. He claims that it helps warm up the soil in his short-season region.
If you've noted how surface water travels in your garden during heavy rain or snowmelt, berm up areas where runoff might deplete your topsoil.
Did you score a bunch of free patio pots? Have you been stockpiling plastic nursery trays? Stop the spread of plant pathogens and remove built-up salt and mineral deposits by washing and sterilizing planting containers in between use.
Hose or brush off as much debris as you can (sorry, spiders!) and soak them in one part bleach to nine parts cold water. Leave them there for no fewer than 15 minutes before setting them in a sunny spot to dry. Bleach neutralizes quickly; a bucket of bleach solution loses its sterilizing power within a day, and unglazed pots left to dry in the sun for an hour or so are safe to reuse after a martini or two. (Plastic and sealed pots are good to go after hand-drying.)
Salt buildup looks gross, and it's not good for your plants, either. Salts can permeate porous terra cotta and mess with soil pH. Use a knife to scrape off excess buildup, and wire wool for surface stains. Spray with one part rubbing alcohol to one part white vinegar to help you along.
Do your garden tools take a beating? If you're like us, you leave stuff out in the elements now and again. Or, uhh...all the time. We're human, right? Give your garden tools some love and make them last longer with a little end-of-season maintenance, and they'll forgive you for the abuse.
Take a look at Popular Mechanics' article, "Sharpen Your Lawn and Garden Tools Like a Pro" for easy tips on tuning up tools with nothing more than a vice and a mill file. Sharp shovels, spades, hoes, and picks really do make garden chores more manageable, especially if you're breaking ground on a new garden plot. Clean the tools with bleach water and wipe them down with lubricating oil. This is particularly important with pruning shears.
Smooth, sand, oil, and burnish wooden handles to preserve them and you: Well-maintained tool handles reduce splinters and blisters. For detailed tips and a how-to video, visit The Tool Merchants.
Don't let snow or heavy rain compact and deplete your compost. Even a thick layer of straw or leaves will protect the pile's structure and microcosm. Cold temperatures slow down but don't stop the composting process, so you can continue to add new material if you follow these steps recommended by Kim over at Homestead Acres:
Piles that are at least a cubic yard will remain most active through winter, but that shouldn't be a problem once you've raked up leaves and pulled up spent garden plants. If you have far more brown material than green, look on Craigslist for free manure but be wary of herbicide residues in hay, straw, and manure.
Even though our gardening blog is the absolute best place in the whole entire world to become a horticultural genius, the interactive learning available through gardening classes and club events puts theory to practice. Plus, you'll get to meet other crazy gardeners just like you.
The American Horticultural Society has everything you need to find your local Master Gardener Program, and you can sign up for workshops at local nurseries or home improvement centers. Public arboretums and demonstration gardens rely on workshops for part of their fundraising efforts, and they often bring in fascinating speakers and workshop leaders.
We recently posted “Drunken Slugs and Cozy Toads: Tips for Natural Garden Pest Control” in which we cover easy-to-create habitats for bats and toads. Stock up on materials and choose the best spots to set up these hiding and nesting spots, so you have stuff to do when winter hits. Clean empty bird feeders and shelters with the same steps and bleach solution you used to clean your garden tools. (Vinegar and rubbing alcohol works as well on guano as it does on mineral residue!)
You are keeping orchard mason bees, aren't you? In harsh winter areas, mason bee nest houses can get blown down or raided by rodents and birds. In mild climates, they may emerge during warm spells and die for lack of forage. By mid-October, the pupae have metamorphosed into dormant adults, and they'll tolerate transport and cocoon washing. Store filled mason bee straws and washed cocoons in the refrigerator or in a protected spot that doesn't rise above 50°F.
Now that you have your fall chores sorted out and you've figured out your grand plans for spring gardening, it's time to shop for your seeds! Splash some peppermint Schnapps' in your hot cocoa and browse our online seed catalog. We'll add and re-stock seeds throughout the winter since we only carry as much as we can sell in a single year, and in late summer, we're usually pretty wiped out.
The freshest seeds grow into the healthiest plants, and the Seed Needs family depends on your success for our own. Contact us if we can answer questions about our products, or if you'd like us to carry your favorite non-GMO, heirloom varieties!September 19, 2019
September 12, 2019
September 05, 2019
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Seed Packet Favors are the perfect gift for any event! They are most popularly used in weddings, bridal showers, memorials and baby showers, but are also utilized as a promotional handout with businesses, fundraisers and charity events.
Seed Needs offers stock packets to choose from, as well as customized packets. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, then check out our blank seed envelopes section.
Blog Content coming Soon. Sorry Folks!
Blog Content coming Soon. Sorry Folks!
Blog Content coming Soon. Sorry Folks!
Blog Content coming Soon. Sorry Folks!
Blog Content coming Soon. Sorry Folks!
Blog Content coming Soon. Sorry Folks!
- Seed Needs LLC is a small, family owned and operated seed shop that is committed to providing all of it’s customers with the highest quality seed products on the market.
- The owner (James) started selling seeds at just 15 years of age. He has continued to grow the business over the past several years and happily works with his family.
- Seed Needs LLC is located in the mitten state of Michigan, and operates out of a single office space, that is less than 3,000 square feet. But don’t let the size of our office fool you, because we send out hundreds of thousands of seed packets to happy customers every year.
- All of our seeds are kept in optimal conditions that are free of moisture and are exposed to virtually no sunlight. Our facility is temperature controlled, which means our inventory stays fresh year round.
- Through the continued success of our business we are able to generously donate to 25 kids all over the world who are in need of basic necessities, such as food, clean drinking water and medical attention. We are blessed to be able to sponsor these children through organizations such as Childfund.org and Compassion International.
Thank you for allowing us to serve you for years to come!
Question: Are your seeds heirloom?
Answer: In short yes, a vast majority of the plant varieties we carry are heirloom. Heirlooms are varieties that have been passed down for generations.
Question: Are your seeds GMO?
Answer: No, we promise to never knowingly carry or supply any GMO based seed products and steer clear of seed producers from major GMO companies, such as Monsanto.
Question: Are your seeds Organic?
Answer: No, at this time we do not sell organic seeds.
Question: What is the difference between a hybrid variety and a GMO based seed product.
Answer: Hybrids are a NATURAL process of cross pollinating two species, thus producing a first generation hybrid (F1.) For example: Mixing a red, double blooming, single stem sunflower, with a yellow, multi branching sunflower might result in a orange-red, double blooming, multibranching plant.
GMO based seed products are a completely different and unatural process of gene splicing in a laboratory. The process entails the introduction of a separate biological kingdom, such as a bacteria, or a pesticide. This bacteria or pesticide is then eaten directly by the consumer when the crops reach maturity. (BAD NEWS)
Question: Do the packages have sowing instructions on them?
Answer: Yes, all of our seed packets have detailed sowing information on the reverse side as well as a QR code that leads to the original product page here on our website.
Question: Why is there no expiration date on your seed packages?
Answer: Our seeds are contained within a temperature controlled facility in airtight containers. When we ship our seed products to customers, we fill a small portion of packets that sell on a weekly basis. We do not print an expiration date on the packets since the large majority of seeds technically do not expire for long periods of time, IF they are stored in the proper conditions. If you plan to store or save your seeds for the following year, we suggest placing them in a ziplock bag, later storing them in a dark, cool and dry area of the home.
Question: Can I receive a catalog in the mail?
Answer: At this time, we are focused on remaining solely online. We do not send paper catalogs in an effort to save more trees, as well as keep our prices low.
Question: I did not receive an invoice for my order.
Answer: We do not send paper invoices with our orders since the invoice can be viewed online with your Seed Needs account. You will also receive an invoice / order confirmation through email.
Question: What if my seeds don't grow?
Answer: If you experience any problems with our seed products, contact us within 180 days of your purchase date for a resolution.
Question: Can you ship these seeds overseas?
Answer: At this time we only ship within the United States and Canada.
Question: How long will shipping take?
Answer: This can sometimes depend on the size of your order, however 95% of our orders will ship within 24 to 48 hours. All orders ship First Class by default and can take 2 - 5 business days to arrive. Orders placed on a Friday may not ship until the following Monday.
If the Questions & Answers displayed here do not prove helpful, please contact us for additional assistance.
We normally respond within 12 to 24 hours after your email has been received.