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

mamajack that sounds more like just pure lazy on the person you traded with . That would be a let down. I can see your point. I think in that case it was a matter of no common curtisy

no she was very nice. she was just ignorant of all plants. she didn't even know what a daffodil was. that's what i mean about communication. when you are talking to someone you can tell if they have the same kind of interest in plants as you. if it's REAL important to you maybe you should go with the sure thing and just buy your seed/plant.

i didn't leave that person negative feedback. she didn't know. i blamed myself for not trusting my gut instinct about the trade. but that was back when i was kind of new and didn't know how to say "no thank you" when i really didn't want to trade.

Well, Grampa, with all this information I suppose you can write a whole BOOK instead of just an article....

Lala, I don't think I could have put it better if I tried. The idea of the thread and corresponding article, to me, is to enlighten newbies, which I am Definitely one of, and to discuss trades that are more specific, 1 to 1's, and what people like. There is no intimidation and I appreciate the fact you are trying to make newbies, such as myself, realize we are not expected to be held rigidly to certain standards. I have yet to read anything that would make me NOT want to trade, just sound advice. Thank you. No one here has said I WILL NOT TRADE WITH NEWBIES. It is an understanding, I have learned, that most newbies are given a little more freedom as we are all learning. At least that has been my experience with wonderful traders, such as Robbi/Distantkin and this wonderful lady who sent me at least 20 different seeds with no botanical name, which thrilled me beyonds all means.

As for being embarrassed, I am right there with you. The first trade I did, I realized I made many rookie mistakes. I thought, these people will never trade with me again. I could not have been more wrong. So, I think a certain amount of embarrassment comes when you first start trading, simply because you don't know what is expected. As time goes by and we learn more, the embarressment fades and you become more confident in trading. I believe that is what you are trying to say. If I were not to trade with someone because I was embarrassed from the first time, then I would not be able to trade at all. I believe that was misread earlier. You were making a point as to how MOST feel when we start out.

And as for being nice, I can tell by reading, whether there is a negative tone, without knowing the poster personally. Reading is a very powerful thing and people can place a negative vibe by simply writing something. I have yet to get that vibe from this very informative thread. Thanks Gram for starting it. You may be the most obnoxious person in the world, but it doesn't matter as long as the post is in a positive manner, which I found yours to be. I don't have to know your personal life to figure that out and I am not here to judge anyone. I go by the merits of what is written and your post was meant to point out how helpful this has been and also points out the fact that everyone has been "nice" throughout the post.

I have been know to tape up tiny little packets, especially when I hosted a seed swap, and people sent in large amounts of seeds, which I broke down into smaller ones. I never even thought about it. I bet those suckers were hard to open. See, learned something new today.

Thank you everyone for all the sound advice, it will come in handy in future trades. Many of these ideas I have learned to impliment, but some are new and valuable information and I thank you. Off to buy some rice ... :^)

Can't wait to see the article Gram!!!

that's all good pupil. shoot--- i would trade with a newbie, any newbie. even if they did all the things that aggravate me most. lol. i think we all sort of have a soft spot for newbies anyway. i don't NOT TRADE because people don't do it the same way as me. the purpose of this whole thread was just collecting advice for anyone who cared to know about it. and that doesn't even have to be a newbie.
on the latin botanical names...i like 'em. because i google everything. but i can google common names too. i like to know where it lives naturally. does it live on a slope or is it in a bog? BUT........if you tell me you have chinese houses when i google it i am going to see that there are several plants named that. THEN....i am going to ask you which you have. and if you don't know i might still trade but i might not. each person gets to choose. if i do trade then i get what i get.......THE WAY I GET IT. i'm certainly never going to write a person complaining that the seed name was inside the bag and i couldn't see it easily. lol. and if i get a seed that wasn't what i THOUGHT it was then my opportunity to ascertain that was when i was working up the trade in the first place. MY FAULT, not yours.
the thread is closed and we all continue. obviously, gram, we all want to talk about this. lol.

Here, here mamajack. That's why I was saying I don't find this thread as a deterent from trading for newbies. We can all see that newbies are given a certain freedom to learn.

As I have learned, from trail and error, I too like the latin name. It helps tremedously, as butterfly vine can be trumpet vine (invasive) or cardinal vine (easy to pull up). In the end, when it comes to trading for what you really want and trading off something lots of people want, it is necessary to get as much info as you can. It is disappointing when you don't get what you asked for. That is why communication is key in these sorts of trades. You stated it perfectly.

I could talk seeds all day. Sorry Gram. :^)

I know this is closed, sorry, couldn't resist...I generally don't trade seeds but only plants, but I have been watching the seed trading forum as I'm trying winter sowing this year...my daughter loves it. As I've usually not been great with seeds, I'm trying to trade seeds for plants or sase's cause I don't have many seeds to really offer.

I can see there are a lot of differences in preference across the board. I've personally ordered and paid for expensive seeds that came in small packets, amounts, with microscopic writing and only with common names..lol. What DGer's have shared with me has been incredible and I'm so thankful. I am so bad about writing my DG name, unless someone reminds me, I'm glad I can remember my own name most of the time...teehee

One thing I'd like to have with the tradelists is the ability to type in a quick narrative as to how I pack plants,etc. If anyone knows a way to do this, I think it would be helpful for everyone to list their preferences for how they would like to trade (labeling, packing, quantity of seeds, etc) up front. It would save us all time explaining our own different way we prefer things individually. For me, follow through and communication are most important with trades.

Maybe the article would be more positively phrased/slanted if it were about what things you can do to be a popular trader, rather that what to avoid :0)

Regardless to what you think I misread or misinterpreted or whatever, I posted MY opinion and I stand by it and take full responsibility for it. If you don't like it don't trade with me. Period. What a way to make someone feel welcome.

If you want to continue chatting, it's ok with me. But I won't be monitoring the thread, and I probably won't continue to collect the information for my article. I really do appreciate EVERYBODY's input. every single opinion is important to me. I just want everybody to have as rewarding a seed trading experience as I have had here.

I too have had so many people be so nice to me and helpful.
I think everyone knows (or should) that those of us who haven't been trading long aren't doing as well as we will later. Even though there are instructions of how to trade, reading isn't the same as seeing and doing and learning.
When instructions say send small bag, what does small mean? I'm afraid I'm guilty of sealing things probably to "well" because when I first started I didn't seal them good enough even though I thought I was and some traders got seeds spilled in the trades I sent. So, now I probably do it too good.
We should probably all be sure and open our seeds from trades over a paper towel or something in case we spill some opening the bag we get.
Anyway, trading is so much fun, I'm obsessed with seeds and trading now
A

lol. and there's a good lesson for "walking in another person's shoes" to understand why we all do it the way we do it.

i think mamajack said it very well earlier when she said there are 2 kinds of traders--those who want a pretty flower and those who are into a latin name and particular plant--------my first impression when i read this was that i wouldn't live up to these standards since i am sort of impulsive and in my excitement i am not a detail person--that could change as i get more knowledgeable about gardening--but i can understand the gardener who is more into the specifics too--i'm not ready to trade with the second type but that's ok--almost like there should be a name for each or something to identify us--as serious or casual

hey, it's just us texas folks left. lol.

Oh -- i'm still here just reading though.

Since i'm new to all this seeds gardening; collecting and swapping seeds.... i'm just having a ball.
While i do find i like to be specific ... i just honestly do not know the scientific names... I look them up all the time, because doing a search with the scientific name will get you the results you are looking for ... i once googled "black eyes susan' and was amazed by how many there were.

as for packaging... i've gotten a few that were folded so small and wrapped in tape [about the size of a dime]
and the only way i could get it open was to cut it .... BUT - i wont ever complain because i wanted the seed. and heck ... what did i pay for all those seeds? postage!! ya just can't beat that!

I do have to admit another thing i do, which i'm trying to chance .... the lil 'info sheet' i put in the seed bag [which is 2x3 zip lock] - i may use a font that is too small. i'm hoping no one needed a magnifying glass to read it.

the ones i did the other day, i used font12 instead of 10.

I wont even complain about the lil baggy that wasn't 'zipped' all the way and half the seeds spilled out.
Just scoop'em up and put them back in the bag. no harm done. but i will always make sure now that mine are all zipped tight before mailing.

learn something new every day.

We always were an obstinate crowd, say it like it is ma'm.
I guess someday I'll be more into the latin stuff. I do know I've seen certain marigolds maybe and If I knew how to get them( by having their name) it might help. But orange marigold with yellow center works for me!!!
I'm trying to figure out if you plant your plants say different impatients with different names and they are all planted together, how the heck do you know which is one name another another name.

You've got a good way of looking at it TCS,. Why waste all that time complaining when you could be looking at seeds.
I learned to be sure when I open envelope It's over a paper towel or something white. Someone said seeds would go everywhere when a person wrapped them different from her. No biggie, just dump the rest of them in the envelope, then put them where you want them or be careful and open over a paper towel. Try to remember it was probably someone new and she was just being careful so that seeds didn't fall out. They'll gt better (at least I hope I do) I've learned with those little folded things I've got to be carefu. I got some seeds in those a few weeks ago, and I took my time unfolding to gt at the seeds. Didnt take long and I planted them and theya re coming up everywhere. I'd rather have took my time with the envy's than pay $5 for a plant!!
I'm like you , there's too much fun to be had to complain about stuff like that. I know it's a challenge, but so is everything else.
If there is too much tape on ther packet, I'm sure it's because the sender wanted to make sure nothing got out!! Take a pair of sissors and cut the top off, don't get upset.
I just love the seed trades and I want to have fun, I don't care if I get them wrapped up in kitten skin (how gross was that) One of mine are on my computer driving me crazy, so if you gt chicken skin from me you'll know why. NOOOOO, he my baby

lorraine, people that want to remember the names of different hybrids of the same plant can do it several ways.

one: you can make a map of your garden and write the names across a sheet of paper in the order and in the same pattern that you planted them.

two: you can either make or buy name tags for the plants. the penniless gardener can make name tags out of old mini-blinds and write the names in paint pens. metal mini-blinds are best but they are getting hard to find. some people cut up 2 L. soda bottles into strips and write the names on those with paint markers. there are also other things to use and there's a forum on daves that can offer lots of advice on ways to do it. then there are lots of metal markers that are used. and tz tapes are made by brother that last for years for making labels. there are co-ops on daves for both markers and tapes.

honestly, it was a lot more fun to garden when i just planted my pretty pink flower. but i like to trade and lots of people only want to trade for named plants. there are quite a few hybridizers on daves as well as people who sell plants from their home or business. so if i ever hope to trade with any of them i HAVE to know the name of the plant that i am growing.

What about if you just take, holly hock, and plant them haphazerdly to make your bed look like you want with colors and all. I know you can't put a tag on each one, or can you?
A lot of stuff I'll know cause I will just have a few and will probably be from the same source, but I've got 5 different marigolds and I'll want them mixed up. But, I'll bet when they get blooms, hopefully before I put them out, they'll look different, so as long as they are together in the flats, they'll be easy to spot.
I just don't want to harvest and send out the wrong thing, and this is the first year I've even paid attention to the "real" names

well you don't HAVE to keep them separated. but sometimes in a trade someone might be wanting JUST a red one. and with your system the best you could say was that there are some red ones out there "somewhere". but on hollyhocks there are many hybrids and someone might be wanting a queenie, or a peaches and dreams or the figleafed one or a creme de cassis. and that's the only one they want. you might miss a trade that you really want because you can't tell them for certain.

if a person doesn't trade or sell then i don't know why they would go to the trouble of keeping up with all that stuff.
i said earlier that gardening was more fun before i started keeping up with names. but that's not quite true. it is just as much fun but it's a lot more frustrating if your tag gets washed away or the cat scratches it up and you can't tell where your plant is anymore. so more accurately i could say that gardening isn't as relaxing as it once was. lol.

There's nothing wrong with a packet labeled "marigold mix"... if you wanted to list the varieties you started with, you could, but you could also say "mix of red and orange varieties" or whatever. You like the look of mixed marigolds, and other people will, too!

Same goes for hollyhocks, just say it's a mix and maybe give an idea of what kinds of colors were in the mix if you're inclined (eg, pastel mix, mix of pinks and purples, etc)... between the possibilities of cross-pollination and the fact that hybrid varieties aren't likely to come true from seed anyway, I don't see any reason to tag individual hollyhock stalks unless *you* want to keep track of a particular one for seed saving.

lorraine--i loved reading your casual approach to the seeds--reminds me of how you like to mix them up and throw them out to the garden! sometimes i don't feel grown up enough to be a serious gardener! which has nothing to do with my age!!

Oh come on, we're grown up, just not dead yet and still like have a few adventures even if it is with seeds!!! And boy, do I have adventures!!
I didn't understand either why we needed to know the latin, then I really got into this and understood. The word coneflower could mean lots of things, I didn't know there were 2 totally different types of mariagolds.
However, I know myself and I'll starat out knowing where everything is, notice I said "start out"
I will do better, I will do better, I will do better. But hey, Plantolinda, let's not lose that sense of humor and still have fun.

I love surprises. Like what is that I planted? I get a lot of surprises on my seedling because if my attention is disturbed I will have no Idea what I was doing and what was it's name. I blame it on the meds I take they but I really know it is old age dementia. LOL

maybe we can blame it on having so much going on in our heads!

right, I have so much going on in my head, a bunch of it has leaked out LOL

My biggest complaint is when my trade partner is very careful to give all the information I could possibly need and then I lose or can't read the plant tag. Don't you just hate that too?

mao

That does hurt huh?
We're just so smart, our big ole brains are just working too hard so it just forgets throws out some stuff sometimes.

I have been lurking on this thread since the beginning and have learned much. The only thing I'd add is 'craft knife'...an Exacto knife will slice open tape in an instant and not have seeds scattering all over. I've been guilty of taping up envies, but never had a prob. opening them myself so I didn't think that others would have problems either:-)
Live and learn, at least for me, lol!
Bev

Good tip, Bev. Did everybody hear that?? lol

yes -- thanks Bev. I used scissors - and cut over a piece of paper. but -- i'll have to get an exacto knife... it's not like there isnt one in this house.

Hope it helps. In the absence of an exacto, use one blade of the scissors and slice the tape instead of cutting the envelope. It's a delicate process, lol!

Just a note... I don't mind envies with lots of tape, just ones where somebody has made a "seed packet" by folding over a piece of paper (no side flaps, just a fold) and taping up the sides... little seeds get stuck to the tape and can be nearly impossible to get out. I've tried planting the tape, but that's never worked for me.
Figuring out how to cut tape, I can deal with, LOL -- and I agree it's better than trying to shake escaped seeds out of the bottom of a bubble envelope!

I can see where somebody would be tempted to take a shortcut and not use the flaps on a homemade packet design... it's not obvious when you tape up the packet and put in the little seeds what could happen to them as they travel... and that's why I mention the problem with tape that seeds get stuck to.

As long as there are seeds in those packets and someone was nice enough to share with me, I can figure out a way to get it open and I can open it over a paper towel to make sure if any do spill, I see them

I do however, hate the folded up ones. But!!! I'll not worry about it too much if there are seeds in there somewhere. Now, sending seeds on a piece of tape, that's a no no. I just can't get them off, and I know people do it to protect the seeds.

I hear what you're saying, Lorraine... but I've had packets where I couldn't salvage a single seed, as they were very tiny and all were stuck to the tape. The only time I complained to a trader is when I'd sent a bunch of seeds in return for the 3 kinds they were to send, they were very late in sending with no communication, only sent one packet of seed, and all seeds were stuck to tape... I don't mind a lopsided trade and often send seeds with no trade needed, but that trade left me bummed. However, the other swaps I made that season more than made up for it! That's the thing about trading here, whether or not things go perfectly in every trade, overall it works out for a more than positive experience. :-)

This is true, but I still can't imagine putting them on tape. I would know it would be hard to get it off.
Oh well, like you said, for every one of those there are tons of good ones, so we probably shouldn't ever complain!! We're just lucky we found the site and are able to use it!!
However, someone needs to tell the tape people, please don't do that

Well this has been an eye opening and informative thread. I agree with Robbie, from about a week ago ;-) I garden for fun, it makes me happy. I get enough stress from work without getting worked up over seeds which I am getting for the price of a stamp. If the seeds and the packaging have to be perfect, I'll spend $1.25 and buy the pack. I'll mention that I am engaging in my first "seeds for SASE". I hope the 15 people I am sending seeds to are happy with what they get but they were told they were only getting 4-5 seeds each. If that isn't good enough for the average trade well I guess I won't be doing much trading. Trudi

I don't think anybody's getting worked up (not me, anyway!), but this thread has been a good way for us to exchange tips on what does and doesn't work so well... a way to make good trading even better.

Thanks for sharing your seeds, Trudi! Like you said, nice deal for the price of postage.
:-)

You are right, no one needs to feel embarrassed about the way they send their seeds. Everyone has to learn and as us "new people" see the kinds of trades we get, we'll figure out the best way. Sometimes the trade you get might just be their first trade. If they feel bad afterward, they probably won't try again. Me, I'm stubborn, so everyone just has to put up with mine till I get perfect, cause I a'int givin' up. I did get my feelings hurt one time and I stayed away for a while, but then I figured "that's one person out of a whole lot, so I don't think I want to let her ruin it for me.

I I sent a trade out and when the other trader got it, it had all spilled in the envelope. Bless her heart, she told me, but in such a nice way and she said it was ok, she just picked them out. Anyway, of course I sent her more and I'm, sure most people would replace if they screw up. Just be nice about it, there's no need to be hateful.

You know, there's only 7 grouchy people in the world, they just move around a lot.

LOL! I'm with you. I want to hear from people, whether it's about a seed that didn't grow out "true" or a packaging thing that I might try to improve. I don't send grouchy Dmail, but if there's something I think I'd want to hear about if the situation were reversed, then I mention it -- nicely, as you said!

I've got seeds coming up already and I try to let people know that I am really happy. I think that's always nice to hear. Most of you are so generous, you need that little pat on the back.
Now, if mine aren't any good, I DON'T want to know lol