CLOSED: A poll...what are your biggest complaints

I'm new too and I know exactly how many new folks feel about trading seeds. Antoinine, Please don't let this thread upset you. I's intent is not to critize but to gather information for an article. This thread is only a means for the poster to get ideas on the best ways to write her article on labeling seeds for trade. The "complaints" therefore on this thread have been specifically asked for by the poster in order to poll the majority right/wrong ways to label seed packs.

Its all good folks
I was a newbie once too.I wish we had this thread yrs ago, it would have saved me some grief. :)
Toni don't let it scare you. Go with the flow. Just follow a simple common courtsey and no one should get hurt lol :)
Anytime one has good intentions you can't go wrong. Those who question your good intentions , you just dont trade again with . :)
ITs all good people . :)
sue

If I only write the genius that is all the info I got when I received the seed. I like surprises. I also like a lot of different seed (not greedy)nor especially a lot (count in pkg)of the same kind of seed. I try to plant all the seeds I have or trade them off. Robbi, I don't plant for database because I hate record keeping. I plant to share at RUs.I go to several. I also have very large areas to fill and love to do it different every year. I am not a landscape designer(so no rhyme or reason to what I plant) just a lover of flowers. So if I seem to be greedy in jumping in there asking for seed rest assured I am going to try and plant it. I already have around 70 different types under lights. I also use it for learning experience. Last year I was totally green but learned a lot. This year still learning. Robbi what will you do with your 400 hundred pots? You could always sell on the new Daves auction when he gets it up and running. Cindy
Sorry getting a bit off topic again.
edited for spelling my bad

This message was edited Feb 12, 2008 9:14 AM

This is off topic sort of, but want to hear something funny??? My very first round robin, the kind where the shoe box comes to your house and you put in the same that you take out? well, I took out a pack that just said, "flower seeds" and I put in one that I packaged that said, "yellow flower seeds".

Thanks for the laugh Cordele!

LOL Cordele I have one that says "real pretty flowers planted next to the garage".

Antoinine

You are Just my kind of person, honest and what appears to take some responsibility for your own trading. Sometimes the one's that do all the compaining are the NEW experts that have only been here a year or two. I too feel like they are missing the whole point. Newbies and a couple of Oldies have dmailed me saying "Thank You" for saying what I wish I had the guts to say.

Please stop these complaining threads, you scare everyone away. Jeesh. There has been enough threads stating what they want, need, require. If you want to write an article, it also takes research. So read thru the COMPLAINT threads, they are everywhere lately. You all are not responsible for making the whole seedtrading experience an absolute horror. New subscribers will not be coming here, that is for sure. What happen to our helpful community??? IF you want packaged seeds, by golly , go buy them. They will be labeled with everything you can think of, and if they are not, by golly, write them a letter and tell them you want it all in Latin.. then ... give us the response you get from those companies... you can add that to your article too.

Please, everyone stop it.



Antoinette

I got some antique roses seeds years ago, maybe they were from the same yard:
"old roses next to the garage"
LOL!

Being a newbie on DG myself, I've learned a lot from these threads. I try not to take any of the complaints personally, even though I KNOW I've made mistakes along the way. I hope everyone takes these compliments and complaints constructively and with a grain of salt (or sugar), and we can all learn form our (and others') mistakes.

By the way, the "old roses next to the garage" seeds that I got were probably the best pack I ever received since that's how my gram referred to a lot of her plants, and every time I see a seed labeled as such, I think of her. :-)

Cathy

. . . uh , , , this thread was started by my good friend grampapa as research for an article she is writing. I am pretty sure a variety of opinions is useful for her article.

Cathy,
I understand that... but just imagine being here on your very first day, or week! You already know people here, enough to be able to laugh it off. Newbies do not. Just consider these people. I understand where all of you are coming from.. but, these treads need to stop, enough is enough. We Get It Already...


edited to add: I'll be off the puter for a little bit, gotta work on some chores.

This message was edited Feb 12, 2008 8:34 AM

I don't think any of this was meant to scare anyone off. I for one am fairly new and I'm not scared. I also appreciate some honest criticism that was in no way meant to hurt. All of us are going to do it our own way anyway. Thanks Grampapa for this thread. I have learned a lot and why someone does what they do.
sorry thought Jill was researching

This message was edited Feb 12, 2008 9:37 AM

Being here over a year (almost 2 years for you), is not a newbie.. I'm talking about new subscribers. Please do not take all of this out of context. I've been asked for information for an article, but it was done by D-mail, not on the public forum. Although, this really doesn't matter, but, just because these people are silently reading this, that doesn't mean it doesn't affect them and that they don't go away.

I am a newbie to seed trading. I did not participate until this year.

Riverland, maybe so... but you already know allot of these members and feel comfortable with your communications with them. It is not your first day here.


edited to say: this time I've really got to run, it you want to, you can direct your responses that are directly to me via d-mail and I will be happy to answer you. I've mean't no harm, but you must be able to get responses from both sides.

This message was edited Feb 12, 2008 9:05 AM

Heh, I'm sure some of my first trades were probably not satisfactory to folks, because I had no idea what I was doing. But I'm learning, as all new people are. And since I've only been a member of DG since October '07, I still count myself as a newbie.

My hints?

1. Don't put fewer seeds into a packet than you would want to receive. If someone likes a seed, they want _enough_ seed. So unless the trader specifically says (for example) "I will trade ___ seeds of this for six of your ____ seeds", then you should put in as many as you can part with, or as many as will fit in the envelope. What would make you dance for joy when you received it? Go for that reaction in everyone!

That goes for other things too. At one point, I had a trade thingy with LazLo, for example. He sent me a number of cloves of elephant garlic - more than I'd expected when he mentioned it! I danced for joy over that lovely box. That's the reaction you want from _everyone_ you trade with.

2. Tiny packets are for mice! I've literally LOST packets that were sent to me on one or two occasions, because they were made of the tiny corner from a commercial packet, or a small folded-over bit of paper. I could barely read the writing, and there wasn't room for anything but the common name.

3. Latin names. I've been guilty of ignoring this one myself, usually when I didn't know it and didn't feel like looking it up - but that's no excuse. Asking for Marigolds and wanting Calendula is very different from asking for Marigolds and wanting Tagetes - and both are "Marigold". And boy, are the seeds different to look at! :D

4. DG Names. Let me say it again, more clearly: PUT YOUR DG USERID ON YOUR PACKETS! No matter what else is or is not on the envelope, being unable to figure out who sent a packet (especially in larger group swaps) makes it almost impossible to ask questions.

5. Test your seed. Yes, this takes extra time, and isn't for everyone. But if you want to be a stellar trader, rather than just a trader, testing is good stuff. It will show you if something doesn't germinate well. It will show you if (as happened with some traded seeds I received), when you put them into Jiffy wafer thingies, they will grow long white hairs everywhere instead of the plants you were hoping for. Test your seed and you can guarantee that at the very least, stuff will come up.

6. On that note, tell people if you grow more than one variety that might cross-pollinate. As an example, if I grow two different types of Cucurbita maxima, it may cause some problems. Noone wants to get "Dill's Atlantic Giant" Pumpkin and have it grow up as a "Dill's Atlantic Hubbard", simply because I had a hankering for hubbard squash in my garden. So if you'll be trading seeds and they might cross-pollinate, hand pollinate or SAY SO. I don't mind Dill's Atlantic Hubbard, if I know that's what I might be getting. :D

7. If you use plastic baggies to hold seed, please add a bit of rice or something. Static cling stinks. If you use handmade paper packets, use a glue stick for the flaps and make ABSOLUTELY sure they are all fully folded over, no holes in the corners. The easiest way I've found to do that is to fold them a little too far, so both edges fold together.


Just a newbie's take on it, I guess.
-Sev

Wishing Princess Tammy the easiest and happiest of trades


This message was edited Feb 12, 2008 11:26 AM

Quick story about all this:

A couple of weeks ago I posted some seed for trade and got a lot of responses. One lady said she didn't have anything to trade me back and just sent the envy which was cool with me. Inside that envy though was a piece of paper that said "tomato in a bucket" that had a little plastic envelope and about 20 or so seeds in it with it. It said something about it had different shapes sizes and colors of tomatoes (no names) and was even taped (horrors) to the piece of paper. It also had some plain English planting instructions.

I stuck it in an envelope and sent it to my grandson in California.

Cutting to the chase, last night when I was talking to my grandson on the phone he said "Thank you Granny now i can grow my own tomatoes just like you! My dad gave some of the seeds to Todd down the street so he can have is own tomato plant too".

This is what I thought seed trading was about. Passing it on, turning people on to something new, and not letting seed go to waste.

Is it really important if a seed gets stuck to the tape on the envelope?

To whomever is writing the article tell them I have no complaints about trading, NONE.

I feel blessed if I get something new and am happy to share what I have. And if it can make someone else smile that's an added bonus.

Everybody have a good day!


This message was edited Feb 12, 2008 11:30 AM

that is true gourd and none of this is meant to scare or criticize or harm in any way. I sure hope I have not offended or scared anyone because I was a dummy here myself.
If you are a newbie and have been reading this please realize these questions and answers were asked and answered to make a good primer article with good manners of trading. I personally don't care if I have to look up a seed sent to me. Please do not let this thread scare you off. I think it was meant more for the experienced trader to make suggestions. I have definitely learned a lot.
If you are a newbie and have seeds to trade do it and have fun cause I want to meet you. Also if you are new and looking for a home base to post we would love to have you at MIdsouth forum. You will find a lot of caring helpful people there to help you with seeds plants or just life in general. It does not matter where you live all is welcome. Sorry that is totally off topic but I wished when I was new here that I had one place to post and meet friends that would help me without being technical are botanically uppity. lol Come join me there anytime or you may dmail me and if I can help I will. Cindy

Eyeing the back-and-forth, I'll say: Yes, I was scared a bit. People have high standards.

But - and this is the kicker - Communication solves all ills in those things. If I'm new, and I say so, and I say I don't know the variety, those I trade with won't have complaints about it.

If I send in packets to a trade with my DG userid and all they say is "Flower seeds", people can ask me. If I don't know the ID, maybe they can even help to ID it for me. If I don't put my DG userid on, though, noone will know where they came from and "Flower seeds" will wind up sent to whomever has space to grow a surprise. Or tossed. Or something.

As long as I talk about it, and we communicate well, things seem to go fairly well - so that's probably the most important tip any newbie can receive.

-Sev

Hooray for Princess Tammy!

This message was edited Feb 12, 2008 11:25 AM

Core,

Re the "Tall Perennial Hibiscus" thing.......(99 posts ago....:o) )
I got seeds for these maybe 6 or 7 years ago from someone in NJ. She had NO name for them other that they were an older variety that took 3 years of growing before they bloomed for the first time. And that is what happened with mine. They are easily 5' tall.

Your picture of the white one looks like the red one i have. It is unique as it has the 5 single petals rather that the big "dinner plate" size ones. The white one looks like the regular, not too tall, hardy Hibiscus.

I too usually post a picture of the plant for people that will be getting my seeds. It helps.

I will try to look into PF to see if I can be better at ID'ing plants I offer seeds of.

Gita

Here's the red one.

Here's the White one

Sev, thanks for the great list!
I just made a bunch of plastic zipper bags for a swap and I didn't put any kind of rice in the bags with the seeds. :-( With our high humidity here in FL I never even thought of it! Now, I'm one atom smarter and will start adding a couple of grains of rice to each little bag.
Thanks for the helpful info!
Cathy

Here's the both of them.

Anyone know the names?

sv, welcome. I think it came from Tuink, actually. One of the swaps I was in recently had a discussion about it, and the rice seems to help immensely when getting the seeds out of the bags. Not to mention being great for absorbing excess moisture. It seems a silly thing, but it took the plastic baggies from being an annoyance for me to simply being another form of packaging - and that was a big step. :)

-Sev

May Princess Tammy always have happy seeds!

Short answer trade away, you'll figure it out. People who are cranky, don't worry about them. No one forces anyone to trade. You do need to figure out the basics if others are looking for specific things they should and some do in their post or in a D-mail. I've had a couple of people say they didn't want to trade because I didn't have anything they wanted. Fair enough. I know if i get 30 seeds of something far out of the ordinary I probably won't be trading those for pumpkin seeds. LOL.

Worse case someone a thousand miles away is not happy with you and they don't want to trade with you any more. So be it. The more you do it the better you'll get at it. I thought this was all for fun.

Gita that white is a named one. I have 12 hardies and I don't know the names either. Most don't have names and I don't mind. In fact this year I'm going to try and cross a few and see what happens. I post pictures when I trade them and warn they may not come true. That didn't stop anyone from wanting the seeds.

This looks like yours. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/90576/

Here's a pic of another I have, same shape.

Thanks, Core--

The white one I have is not as pink as it looks on the picture. Just seems the camera caught it that way.
Your pink sure looks the same!

G.

my pet peave besides the others already listed:

people who make those little packs and then tape them all over, up and down..........how the heck am i supposed to open that? usually i cut the pack and then have to make a new pack to hold the leftover seeds.

mostly when i trade i say...how many, what year, where they came from, whether germination is reported as hard, what i know as far as coming true from seed...BUT when i trade with someone and they have seeds i want i do my own googling. it's a 2 part trade and each person needs to do their own homework. if i have no experience i say so. if i do have experience i try to describe how i got the seeds to germinate.

and if you got your seeds from a trade...just say so. that way i know that i am taking a chance and i am free to take the chance if i want to and if it turns out not to be what i thought then i am not angry at the trader for sending the wrong seed.

some seeds i am going to send seed heads. i will tell you so and you get to choose if you want them or not. everyone wants to know what they are buying so to speak......so just be as descriptive as possible.

Hmmmm.

Gram started a thread asking what we do and do not like when trading seeds, and direct answers to her question are pretty much what I've seen. I've not seen anyone be mean to anyone else, I've not seen anyone say they would not trade with newbies, I've not seen anyone say they demand X,Y, or Z or they would refuse to trade. All I've seen is people responding to Gram's poll about what they like. Please don't be intimidated or offended by this thread, or the comments that have been made here. It is a simple poll....nothing more, nothing less.

I remember the first swap I was in and how I was a bit embarrassed when I saw how "different" my seed packs were compaired to the ones I received. But you know what? Everyone received them gladly and graciously, and never said a word about the contents OR the labeling. I looked at it as a learning experience, and every time I receive seeds from a new trader I still do. No one is saying you have to do this, or you have to do that, we are only saying what we like.....which was what Gram asked of us.

She also asked us to "be nice" and I haven't noticed where anyone's comments were anything different.

absolutely, what lala jane said. and it thought of something else that peeves me......a little note inside a seed bag with the seed name on it. i have to open the seeds and move them around to find the name. easier if label taped outside.

Gram started a thread asking what we do and do not like when trading seeds, and direct answers to her question are pretty much what I've seen. I've not seen anyone be mean to anyone else, I've not seen anyone say they would not trade with newbies, I've not seen anyone say they demand X,Y, or Z or they would refuse to trade. All I've seen is people responding to Gram's poll about what they like. Please don't be intimidated or offended by this thread, or the comments that have been made here. It is a simple poll...nothing more, nothing less.
_____

I responded to the poll just like any other DG subscriber and I never said that anyone here said any of that. I simply pointed out how I am going to handle my trades and what I like and do not like: namely the tone of this thread. If you "Gram's" or anyone else here does not like it, do not trade with me by all means, feel free to call the seed trading police and have a good life. BTW the adjective "intimidated" is not one usually used to describe me.

I remember the first swap I was in and how I was a bit embarrassed when I saw how "different" my seed packs were compaired to the ones I received.
----------
Though i may be a new DG subscriber, I am not new to trading and I think that if someone you are sending a gift to makes you feel "embarassed" then if I were you I wouldn't send them anything else. That's just me. We are talking about plant seeds not hundred dollar bills after all.

She also asked us to "be nice" and I haven't noticed where anyone's comments were anything different.
-------------
Considering i don't know you and you don't know me I cannot judge whether you are "nice"or not and vice versa.

Wow. :-O

Well, I guess we are all in agreement then. A gift is a gift, and a trade is a trade, and postage is going up another cent on May 12.

If a person wants to trade his or her Penstemon digitalis for a "Yellow" flower, all he or she has to do is set it up. And I am free to pass mine on to a newbie swap because I'm not wasting the potting soil or time and energy on it.

Isn't it lucky we are all so different?

Suzy

I guess I should be monitoring this thread a bit more closely. My friends are having to defend the fact that I even started it (thanks, guys) ;0) I'm a nice person...honest

I'm really sorry if it is scaring any newbies (or anybody else) away. that was certainly not my intent. in thinking about it further, I never should have used the word 'complaint'. it was a poor choice. what I was really hoping to do, after getting everyone's input, was take a bit of a lighthearted look at how a newbie could get into trading seeds without making some of the 'mistakes' that draw the criticism. there really are good reasons for some of these things. others just make it easier for everybody.

I haven't been here a long time, although I'm not really a newbie. I only started collecting seeds from my own garden last fall, though. and got hooked on seed trading just as soon as I had seeds to trade. although I read the primer, I guess I would have felt a little better if I had known a little more before I jumped in.

It's all about the seeds and the fun for me, too. I'd never turn down a pack of seeds just because it didn't have a latin name on it LOL But I sure would like to see that info there. Last year a generous person sent me some Chinese lantern seeds. that's all it said. this was not a trade. this person sent me a nice packet of a bunch of different seed they thought I would like just to be nice. If you search PlantFiles for 'Chinese Lantern', you get 'Albutilon' (which I know as Flowering Maple), Erica blenna (a heath), Hibiscus schizopetalus (aka Fringed Rosemallow), Physalis alkekengi (THIS WAS IT!!) and several others. I know several others have made the same point on the thread. It's just nice to know for sure what you're planting so you know whether to put it in sun or shade and how tall it will be, etc.

we're just chatting here, not setting rules. everybody can just go ahead and trade away any way they want. I have an article coming up on 2/29 (Leap Day) about the unbelievable fun some of us had this winter with some BIG seed swaps. stick around and have a read if you don't think we have fun and make friends trading seeds. it was a blast!

anyway, I think enough is enough. thanks for the good discussion and suggestions. I'm going to close this.

(((hugs))) jan

This message was edited Feb 12, 2008 3:22 PM

Technically if you go buy a bunch of stamps, let's say 10 years worth. You might make a fair return on your money. LOL. All stamps are good till used now (A plot so people don't notice raises as much) so if stamps go up a couple of % a year especially if inflation kicks back in, you might make a decent return.

Start hording stamps now.

Gram!!:)

I just wanted to say thank you for the thread itself!!;)

I am new here & some of the things I will do and some I won't. To be honest I didn't read it & was surprised at some reactions I saw today...I started because I want to build my garden w/o spending all my $$ and to share with others, which is what I think everyone else does here as well. I have always welcomed constructive critisism and think that was your point here, just for general knowledge. Isn't that what DG is built on-the sharing of knowledge?? I mean look at all the different forums-they aren't even all based on gardeing-just a bunch of people who have a passion that they want to share.

I can't wait for your article to come out and have a chance to read it!!

Thank you for your time and effort-you are a gem!!!

XOXOXO

well i didn't take any of this as angry complaints. i'm sorry if anyone took anything i said as me being angry. i have enjoyed seed trading very much. but every now and again there is a plant that i really, really want and it is disappointing to get the wrong seeds in trade. latin names are wonderful to prevent this.

the other thing..........i think there are AT LEAST 2 kinds of gardeners on daves. some people just want a pretty flower. they don't really care about a name. but then there is an ever growing number who want names, both latin and hybrid. i might fit either group at any one time. the important thing with trading is that everyone be honest without hurting the other's feelings. be specific. ask for what you want. if the person you are considering trading with doesn't have the answers then you can trade or not with full knowledge---either way.

Here Here!!;)

I just wanna grow pretty flowers. easy to take care of [drought resistance] and that attract wild life [not rabbits, squirrels and deer]

but i'm trying to learn all the neat details about all the plants i have.

Gram -- hope all of this is helpful for your article.

to me this is why i want a latin name. last year i traded plants with a person who said they were sending me tiger lilies. i really, really wanted tiger lilies. i traded more than normal to get tiger lilies. however when i got the plants they were daylilies and to top that they were ditch lilies. i already have ditch lilies as we all do. so from now on if it's important to get THAT ONE plant then i really, really want a latin name. if you tell me you are not for sure i may not trade with you just because i have so many plants and why would i trade for something i already have.

and trading is fun but everyone must admit it's time consuming and expensive. so if i am going to spend 5.00 worth of time and 1.00 for postage lots of time i would rather just spend my money buying my seeds when i REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want a specific plant. i am a gardener but i am also a COLLECTOR of plants.