Fresh seeds are better than old seeds and seeds in something that prevents moisture loss will last longer than those just in a paper seed pack. Other than that its just how many seeds to a pack I care about. To me companies like Johnny's are true premium companies that only sell this seasons seeds. If there is crop failure they don't go and get last years seeds to sell. They just don't have them that year. Of course Johnny's is also more expensive.

At this point in my life I have ordered seeds from roughly 40 different companies.

The least expensive ones that I like the best are....

Morgan County Seeds

Fedco Seeds

If I don't need many seeds of a particular variety I would also add The Sample Seed Shop to the list.

Of course these companies don't carry everything I'm looking for but they are the places I look to first. Of course if I'm looking for pelleted seeds Johnny's is the place to go.

By the way for inexpensive seed trays and inserts Novosel and Park Seeds are hard to beat

Do these brands sell in stores? If not which brands in stores do you like?

Is there any real quality difference between seed packets you can get at discount retailers like Walmart...and at specialty nurseries.

Basically, no. The primary difference is the number of seeds in the pack and the limited varieties the less expensive companies offer - they limit themselves to the common varieties.

The 3 brands you will find in most stores are Burpee, Ferry-Morse, and American. American are the discounted brand found in Dollar stores.

Over the past few years Ferry Morse has passed Burpee as the most common store-sold brand. According to the AG marketing news this is due to the increased pricing structure Burpee has begun using while F-M has remained price friendly.

IMO you can use any of the 3 brands without any concerns. Keep in mind that with only a few exceptions most seeds are good for several years when stored properly.

Dave

I'm curious of the opinions of Ferry-Morse seeds. I've only had experience so far with seeds from Botanical Interests and Burpee, and have had good results with them.

I was about to plant some of their seeds, but came upon some negative reviews (and neutral ones as well), that made the seeds look less-than-desirable. Numerous entries about seeds not germinating well, germinating but not fruiting, getting some different plant that was not the desired one listed on the package, and/or ending up with a weedlike plant.

JimR - Ferry-Morse would be my choice of the 3 rack packs mentioned above.

Thanks sooner... I don't think I'll limit myself to seeds that are easy to find. I'm seeking out the best of quality, so I don't mind paying extra and/or even mailing for them. Seeds seem to be ridiculously cheap (compared to so many daily things), that scrimping over a few cents for something important like them seems odd.

Thanks!

I agree with Dave. I started using Ferry-Morse seeds quite a while ago and am very satisfied with the results I've had. I've quit using Burpee for the most part. I have used American seeds and haven't really been disappointed with them. Maybe I've been lucky or maybe I've just been doing things right for ... years. We won't discuss how many. I also like using seeds I've gotten in trades.