I suggest you wait for very early winter and order then.

Seed trading is always good in the fall and winter when people have seeds saved from the toms they just grew.

Later this fall there will be many online seed sales by vendors - 2 for 1 and discounts that make it well worth while buying then. Some will even offer free shipping. Otherwise as Trudi says, order in early winter. Never wait until spring to order as your order hits the seller at the busiest time causing delays and out of stock rejects.

If I order late in the fall, do I get 1 year old seed, leftover from this past spring?

Honestly, that is of no real concern. The seed you buy or order that says "Packed for 2010" on it doesn't mean you are getting seed grown the previous spring. There is usually at least a 1 year turn around from grown to sell and it is often already a couple of years old. Seeds save/store very well and are good for many years with very few exceptions and those of us who grow lots of plants from seed are often intentionally using seeds that are 4-5 years old with no problems. ;)

You can find more info on this as well as a good FAQ on how to store your seeds over on the Seed Saving forum here.

Dave

I agree that late Fall is the time to buy your seeds, but I'm not thinking of sales at that time nor am I thinking about seed age, I'm thinking of the new varieties that many seed sites add to their websites/catalogs, and while you say you know what you want already, you may be enticed by a new variety or two that you hadn't known about before.

Most seed trading occurs at the same time, that is after the folks who do such trading have had a chance to save the seeds from the summer crop that they plan to trade with. I don't trade seeds myself, for several reasons, but it's at that time that I see folks listing their wants and trades at the several message sites where I read/post.

Carolyn

I buy hundreds of seeds, especially tomatoes, and usually wait until early February. Before the spring rush starts but early enough to have in plenty of time to sow them in March.

Mike

I buy when I see what I want and that is usually in late Fall. I also trade for seeds. I find it a fun challenge to sprout so called 'old' seeds. Occasionally I decide not to grow a certain variety because something else looks better. I just save those seeds for another year. I just vacuum pack my seeds (FoodSaver) and keep in a cool, dark and dry place. They really do last much longer than seed merchants want us to think.

DL

Best time to order tomato seeds is late fall, like when the new seed catalogs begin coming out in November. That way you get a look at the most recently released new hybrids, and you beat the rush and get quicker delivery. Also, by ordering when the catalogs first come out, you avoid the vendor running out of a variety you want badly.

Drawbacks to late fall ordering include 1) some vendors are advertising in advance of their actual supply and you will be occasionally back-ordered on a variety or two, and 2) you might run into a situation where a variety you saw available this time of year has been discontinued by the new catalog season next November.

Last year's blight problems awoke/educated the public to tomato diseases, and so, real or imagined in their own garden, people ordered much more hybrids than usually could be covered by seed companies. In very early winter I had ordered several hybrids in bulk amounts, and some they had to back order and/or send a substitute. If you are ordering hybrids I suggest getting them as soon as possible after your catalogue arrives because now hybrids are hot items and they become scarce early on.

So this is interesting: You hold seeds over for subsequent years? I started from seed for the first time this year and assumed that I'd have to throw out all my left overs and buy all new next year. That's not the case?

Tomato seeds can maintain a very good germination for a few years. Store them in a cool and dry spot away from streaming sunlight or fluctuations in temperature. Some people like their sock drawer ;-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Seed Storage Gallery

Woo hoo, what a bonus! I really love Johnny's seeds. Love their catalog and got great results from their seeds, but they're pricey. I was going to only order from them sparingly, but if I can get a couple years out of the seeds, they're now all technically half price!

Do you know about other seeds? Peas, squash, cucumbers, broccoli, peppers, pole beans and sunflowers to be precise. Could I get 2 years out of all of them?

Sorry, I know this info is probably buried in the seed forums and I'm asking in totally the wrong place, but I've got your attention.... ;-)

their age and how well they've been stored. Use the link below to read about common methods for storing seeds and then visit the links on the bottom of the page which will provide more info.

Here is a link that might be useful: Seed Storage Info and Links to more info

You can get far more than "a couple of years" out of them when stored properly. As I have posted before here on several occasions, many of us who grow from seed regularly often use seeds that are 4 or 5 years old or older. I used some dated 2001 this year with no problems at all.

See the FAQs on the Saving Seed forum or the many other discussions here on saving seeds.

Dave

PS: and this isn't just tomato seeds we are talking about. Most all vegetable seeds are good for years. The key is cool and DRY storage.

Thanks so much for the info! This was great news to hear.

And I guess I just suck at searching. I'd typed in "how long will seeds last" and all I get are three pages of "My stupidest garden mistake", "childhood memories", "gardenias", "how do I make a concrete leaf casing" (WTF?) and three more pages of things that have absolutely nothing to do with my question. Sincerely, we aren't lazy newbies who don't want to look up answers. More likely, we are simply inept at knowing the right search terms that will bring up what we're looking for. I appreciate your pointing me to the information.