Dollar Store Seeds: Worth Growing? Are Cheap Seeds BAD for Your Garden?
Dollar Store Seeds: Worth Growing? Are Cheap Seeds BAD for Your Garden?
Let's talk about those cheap dollar store seeds, the $0.25 cent to $0.50 cent packets that pop up in discount stores and dollar stores across the country.
Are they worth it?
I mean, they're impossibly cheap.
They have boring packages.
The varieties are plain and run of the mill.
How could they possibly be good for a family who's trying to rely on their own garden for summer produce?
For food security?
Or, are folks missing out on a crazy good deal during this economic climate?
These cheap, dollar store seeds cost as little as $0.25 per pack!
You Can't Beat the Incredibly Cheap Price of These Budget Friendly Seeds
First, the price is incredibly cheap. You won't find cheaper seeds to start your herb garden, for sure!
I highly recommend them as a first stop for your basics so that you don't break the bank- you could buy 5 of these packets for the cost of an average packet from other vendors.
Don't be deterred JUST because they're incredibly cheap. Money's tight for a lot of us, and they're perfect for keeping the costs of gardening down!
I'm a big fan of budget-friendly seeds, and I'm always looking for high quality seeds at a low price. For you tomato-heads, I highly recommending reading my review about my recent order experience with Tomato Eden seeds. Those seeds were both great quality & highly affordable, too.
As you read further down in this post, you might just find that you've possibly been overlooking some true gems in the gardening section.
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| You can find flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruits in these budget-friendly packs of garden seeds. |
Here's the Vlog (YouTube Video) Where I Discuss These Seed Packets:
Watch Out for Seed Size & Packet Weight; They May Not Be What You Need for ALL Varieties....
For your large seeds that you need a lot of, such as green beans, peas, corn, or sunflower seeds, it's not as much of a good deal. It really depends on what else is available to you in your local area.
These larger seeds weigh more, and you're only going to find a few in these cheap packets.
You'll usually get a better deal buying the heavier packets at other stores, which typically run about $2-3 per packet. Compare packet weights if you want to find the best bang for your buck.
Typically, the better deal is in those larger packets with the larger seeded varieties. If you're only growing a dozen plants of a given variety- you'll likely find enough in these cheaper packets.
If you're growing a family bean or corn patch, you'll come up a little short- don't rely on these cheap packets for huge gardens, unless you're buying multiples. When I grew my corn in hay from an old hay bale, I used probably 4 packages of corn- and those were the larger packets, if I'm not mistaken. This year, I purchased a half pound of seed for a much larger patch, for roughly $10.
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| Corn seeds are quite large, and you typically have to grow a lot of corn seeds for a family corn patch. You may need several packs of corn; me? I just bought my sweet corn in a half pound packet- we need a lot of corn seed, here! |
The BEST Value for Smaller/Tiny Seeds! (Especially Herbs!)
The quantity in these dollar store packets is perfect for tiny seeds, though! Basil, thyme, oregano, onions, and many others. You'll have more seeds than you could use. Most of the thyme that I grow and dehydrate has been from these cheaper packets, so I can personally vouch for quite a few of their varieties.
The quantity is a little lower for medium seeds, such as melons, cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes. However, the packets usually contain more than enough for the typical family garden still for these varieties. If you're learning to grow Butternut Squash, you likely won't need more than 6-8 seeds, and you'll usually find more than that in these packets.
You could get away with starting an entire garden for less than $10 this way.
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| Rosemary is a great example: people typically only grow 1-5 plants. Therefore, it makes more sense to buy less seed at a lower price. It's easier on the budget. |
The Varieties May Seem Boring... But You Might Be Missing Out On Very Valuable Crop Traits & Characteristics
Boring varieties? Perhaps, but hear me out: most of those varieties are tried and true heirlooms that possess a large number of great characteristics that you'd want in a garden:
- Crack resistance and heat resistance in tomatoes.
- Production and early maturity in peppers.
- Disease resistance in many varieties.
- Burpless cucumbers.
- Uniform pumpkins.
- Stringless, productive beans.
- Slow bolt spring crops.
- And so much more!
Most new gardeners skip right by these important characteristics. They go for flashier varieties. And, I get that, I do! I mean, take a look at my Etsy Seed Shop and you can see that I love to collect lots of different varieties.
But these? These varieties were produced to pop up and show out. They're solid workhorses in the average family garden- this is exactly what you'd want if you're a new gardener or a gardener on a budget.
Less loss, bigger harvests.
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| High performing, easy to grow heirlooms and hybrids are the best choice for a first-time gardener, or a gardener who is trying to maximize harvests. |
Seed Quality: Yay, or Nay?
The seed quality is a huge concern for most folks, and I'm going to tell you: the seed quality has always been great for me!
I've never had an issue with germination unless the packets were on the older end, and that's to be expected. Old seeds lose viability.
Organic? No.
But that doesn't matter to me- I'm not eating the seeds.
What matters is how I tend the plant that grows from that seed, in my opinion. Organic seed isn't mandatory here.
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| Beautiful carrots that I grew from seed and harvested in January! |
Final Verdict: Are These Cheap Seeds Worth Buying and Planting in the Home Garden?
Are they worth it?
From someone who gets their seeds from many different vendors, ABSOLUTELY.
If you're on the fence due to quality concerns, I encourage you to give them a try to save yourself a few bucks.
The lower price doesn't translate into lower quality for these seeds.
Don't let folks tell you the seeds are bad because they're cheap and aren't certified organic; these have been very reliable in germination, growth, and production.
The packets may be a little lighter, but sometimes, we only need a few seeds; and it works out perfectly, especially if you're growing on a budget.
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| Overall, I consider these cheap seeds to be a solid starting point for a productive, budget-friendly garden. |
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