Seriously, it's really helpful to me to know if something doesn't germinate or doesn't grow out true... I don't always start every seed, every year, and this way I know what's what in my stash.
CLOSED: A poll...what are your biggest complaints
You are right, and I don't know anyone who sometimes don't have a plant that doesn't put out good seeds. We take a chance just like we do at the garden store. Can't tell you how many I've bought some and none came up.
But I do want to know if they don't come up or come up true, just don't yell at me, I get hurt easily, ha ha ha Everyone who knows me is laughing
So much talk about packaging seeds when sending them out on a trade!!!!!...So much complaining!.....Is all this really necessary? This topic has been driven into the ground!
I feel that the easiest way is to send them in those little (2"x3") plastic zip baggies. At Walmart--100 package for 97 cents. Or--you can buy very small, manila envelopes at any Office Supply place.
If your seeds are tiny-tiny and may stick all over the plastic envelopes because of static--just place a small piece of any dryer sheet (like Bounce) in there. No more static!
Another option---you can cut a small piece of "fun foam" (from any craft store) that would fit snuggly into the envelope. This should keep the seeds from scattering around.
Also--on DG, under "Extras", you can go to the printing out of seed packets option. They are cute, colorful, AND--yes!! the edges fold up. Besides--it has pre-printed lines for ID'ing the seed, who it is from, the date and so on...
I just don't know what all this fuss is about!!!! Too many Posts on all this for my taste! Use your common sense and let's all be done with this complaining......
After all! This Thread is CLOSED!!!!!! Get it!
Gita
We like living on the dangerous side, so going on the closed ones make us feel like we're getting away with something. We're just having fun.
WOW -- all i gotta say is "YIKES"
we're not complaining... we are conversing.
cute lorrainne--about living on the wild side--i guess the site is not closed until everyone is done conversing--which is as it should be!
Gita, I think this thread has been more about passing along positive tips than about complaining. I appreciate your passing on some tips despite your apparent need to stomp your feet. :-) We're just talking!
I've wondered about putting a scrap of dryer sheet in with seeds, because I generally do stick with the plastic zip top baggies... I know that with tiny seeds I should be putting them in a fold of waxed paper or something and then into the baggie, or switching to a glassine envelope... but when I'm trying to fill a lot of different packets for a swap or for a bunch of SASBE offers, I admit I sometimes let the seeds take their chances with static. I guess I figure if worse comes to worse the envelope can be cut open, and at least the seeds will be usable.
But I'm not sure if any of the chemicals or scents on a dryer sheet might hurt seed germination. I'll have to try the grain of rice trick that somebody mentioned -- that sounded really easy!
(See, I take shortcuts even when I know better... hardly anybody is a perfect packer of seeds.)
(Except Weezingreens! Ever gotten a packet from her? Wow!)
yes -- Weezin's packets are awesome.
for next year, i plan on using some of the printable envies.
Paul's are awesome too ... ive printed a few, but have not used any yet.
If there is someone who has not seen the printable seed packets yet... do check this out
http://davesgarden.com/files/seedpackets/
We all "stomp our feet" in different ways! Mine is just more concise and direct.....
However--I NEVER march to the same drummer as everyone else if I don't like the "beat"...
Nuff said! G.
LOL! And don't worry, I'm not so distracted by this thread that I haven't been bagging and tagging plenty of seeds for our swap on Saturday... speaking of which, don't forget to post on the swap thread and let me know what to put in your goodie bag!
o.k. i may be the only one that is bugged by the tape but how about if you're going to use all that tape how 'bout turning it down a quarter inch on the end so i can have something to pull. i have 2 kids and nothing, esp. scissors, is ever where i left them so i prefer tool free packaging. lol.
yeah, lorraine, we're getting away with something but i'm not sure what.
i must admit i am having a hard time understanding why anyone finds this thread "threatening" or looks at it as complaining. it was a request for information, wasn't it? i guess that's why we are hanging on. just to see what happens next. lol
Well, what if we weren't here and something happened. Someone had a meltdown or something. I want to see it!!!!
I'm probably the worse offender about the tape on the packets. Since I had a couple where the seeds got out of the packet on the way, I went overboard on taping them up. No seeds gettin' out of these babies, but I WILL do better, cause I've gotten some like mine and I have to run around finding something to open it with. My problem isn't kids putting things where they aren't supposed to be, it's me!!!
BTW, If you use plastic ziplock baggies: put some grains of rice in with your seeds. They soak up moisture and your seeds won't cling!
OK, I think that's the second person who's mentioned grains of rice... I'm going to have to open up some of my baggies where seeds are clinging and jumping around and stick in a piece or rice! Thanks.
this is the first time I've heard about the grains of rice. very cool tip and I will try it asap. I've always used it in the salt shaker...learned that from my great-grandma. the dryer sheets probably work well, but I'd be worried about the chemicals. anyway, I don't use them.
Gita, the foot-stomping is fine :0). I'm just wondering why you're posting on this 'closed' thread LOL (just teasing you). sorry if we're beating a dead horse. I really just wanted some fresh input for my article. I'd like to help out some newbies so they don't get hit with all the flack.
just a note....on a closed thread... :o) ...as a newbie to seeds, it would be very difficult to list a lot about them. For instance, as a newbie, I don't know the scientific names for the seeds. As a newbie, I don't have suggetions on how to grow them. As a newbie, I could not tell you if they would come true. As a newbie, I would not know that someone might be upset if they received less than 2 dozen seeds in a trade. As a newbie, I may not know yet about Plant files. As a newbie, I would not know how to package the seeds before sending them out. There are many other things that a newbie would not be aware of, that is why we ask questions. I see no need in people getting upset that they got seeds not up to their standards. If you are going to be that specific about trading seeds, then all you need to do is post that you are only interested in trading with people who can uphold your standards. We were ALL new to this at one point or another and had to learn by making mistakes and asking questions. In the end, does it really matter how the seeds that got to you for nothing but postage? You didn't even have to get up from your computer and drive to the seed store. All you had to do was ask, and you received...that should be good enough.
hi Princess Tammy
grampapa,
Good point! Touche!
I guess I keep posting on this "closed" thread because I have it under "Watched Threads". Maybe it is time to update, change, delete and whatever.
When will your article on this come out?
Gita
here's a very nice one by doccat
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/561/
I don't think I've ever been anything but positive and encouraging to people who are new to gardening or to trading seeds... and if you've read anything different into my posts, I apologize. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned one of the very few disappointing trades I've had, but I was trying to make a point about homemade packets and sticky tape. I wasn't disappointed because I'd spent a stamp...
Postage adds up, sure, but my bigger contribution I think is the time I put into gathering and packaging all the seeds. That's why I like to think of seed swaps as gifts between gardening friends... I don't try to make it come out even, and I'm happy to have given a gift regardless of what I get in return. Even a "disappointing" trade isn't really disappointing when I think of it that way. :-)
Sharing ideas on threads like this makes us all better traders, I think. I just learned about the grain of rice trick, which hopefully will make my packaging easier for people to deal with on tiny or fluffy seeds.
I've got an article this Thursday on seeds for SASBE / postage. It seemed to me that folks sometimes hesitated to respond to those offers for fear of doing it "wrong," so I hoped some general guidelines and specific suggestions would help. I hope you'll let me know what you think and post any additional tips or suggestions after the article! Thanks!
Jill -- yanno for things like that... It never hurts to ask.
last year when i was new at this, i had no idea what an SASBE was -- a gal in my area offered a bunch of seeds for SASBE so I sent a med. sized envie inside of a larger envie ... since i had no idea of any other way to do it.
Now i know evnies are reused. live and learn ... but even if someone thinks it's a stupid question ... it never is, because if you don't ask, you wont know.... or you end up searching and searching until you find your answer.
I would have never NOT done a trade in fear of 'doing it wrong'.
as stated above... we were all once new at this.
Terese
Happy Birthday, Critter!!
bhaugh, i liked what you said. to me it's YOUR job to offer me seeds if you have them. then it's MY job to look them up. if i find there are 6 plants named that then it's MY job to ask you what you know about the seeds...whether you know which of the 6 it is. whether you do or whether you don't............i choose if i want to do a trade with you. and if i don't i can do that without hurting your feelings.
seed names ought to be on the packs clearly and large enough to read. that's all i need. the only information i would like if you have it is your experience with the seed. that's just my personal preference but i'll ask you if i'm trading with you and you can just tell me at the time. i don't expect anyone to write a lot of information out for me. i don't send that stuff. i barely know how to use a computer. i don't even have a printer. if you look the seed up it's going to mean more to you. and besides all that, i'm just not going to look up seeds for you!!! lol
this is what you get from me in the up-front transaction:
i have this seed.....Latinus botanicus
i have 8 seeds.
i got them in a trade.
...last year.
i sowed 6 recently.
2 germinated.
i've never grown Latinus botanicus and so can't i.d. the seedlings. but i got the seeds from a reputable dg'er and have no reason to doubt the seeds. if you don't want these seeds it won't hurt my feelings. just lmk.
Very good Mama Jack. I have traded some Black Eyed Susans and since I am new to collecting seeds, I really couldn't tell the chaff from the seeds, so I just had to send it all. I wrote a note to tell what I had done so no one would plant those things 1 or 2 at a time. I've gotten better at telling the actual seeds, so I won't have to do that as much.
But I agree, bblaugh, don't be afraid to send out trades, no one was born with a seed growing gene, well, maybe some of these guys. I swear, they know so much. My poor little brain would fry if I tried to keep all that info.
LOL mamajack & LorraineR.......all I am trying to say is that it can be VERY intimidating to a newbie to think that as their seeds arrive, they will be scrutinized. Wouldn't it be a great loss if people stopped trading seeds or decided not to join a seed swap in fear that they did not do it correctly? I was in a Mayhem RR and worried greatly about how my little packs of seeds would do. I have never heard one bad thing about them.....and all they had on them was the common name of the flower and my DG name. Seed trading is supposed to be fun, and if I have to go through all that other mess then the fun is gone. It seems like it would make it much more like work. I am not trying to offend anyone here, just thought I would give the perspective viewpoint of a newbie. :o)
hi again Princess Tammy
When I started trading, I probably assumed my seeds were subjected to a lot more scrutiny and criticism than was actually the case... people were so nice about it, and I got a lot of helpful suggestions!
I agree critter, the people that I have traded with have been VERY nice and informative. If I have a question about something I have never had a problem with getting answers. That is what is so great about DG, everyone is willing to help!! :o)
may Princess Tammy always have help
You learn a lot by going ahead and trading with some of these VERY knowledgeable folks. I know I have. I started with a pretty organized swap which had some rules so it made it easier...follow the rules or don't play. So then it all got to be a habit. When you're doing a one-on-one swap, as I've said before, whatever works for both people is fine. I don't care if you stick the seeds in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich LOL.
mamajack, if you don't have a printer, I can understand you wanting to add less info. everybody works within their own set of circumstances.
Gita, no date for the article yet. I haven't written it yet LOL. Actually Doccat just published the nice one listed above and we try not to do a lot on the same subject too close together.
True... although I think she had her article scheduled for later on and then somebody thought it would be good to move it so it was in the same week as my article on seeds for SASBE... different aspects of related topics. :-)
Please don't send them in a peanut butter sandwich!! I'd eat it and lose the seeds.!!!
When I was really new and still do a lot, I always put a little note in and begged for forgiveness if I messed up. Then they just didn't have the heart to yell at me.
That's not true, everyone has been very nice to me. We need to remember, these are seeds, and although we are addicts, they are just seeds, not children!! Wait a minute, what did I say. Just a minute, I need to apoligize to my seeds
LOL LorraineR.....talk about natural fertilizer!!!!! ok, I apologize for that remark.....couldn't help myself.... :o) as long as trading seeds remains a fun thing to do we will all be happy. It makes no difference to ME if all that info is there or not....they can come to me naked for all I care, the fact that someone took the time to package them and get them to the post office during their busy day is enough for me.
may Princess Tammy always have fertilizer
well now don't we all sound so nice . lol. i think that every one who has ever gotten seeds in a trade is generally happy.
BHAUGH i never scrutinize any seed packaging. i don't think anyone was being ungrateful EVER. grampapa was writing an article and i just wanted to say if people didn't have to tape up those seed packs SO THOROUGHLY that i would appreciate it. but i'll keep looking for my scissors every time i need them. and while there was one or two respondents who decided not to trade any more most people still do it. we were just given the opportunity to say in the best of all possible worlds how it would look..TO US.
AND ALL YOU FOLKS THAT WANT TO ADD THOSE LAST 4 NUMBERS....correct me if i am wrong but there was a sort of scientific study on daves using those numbers. somebody could prob. find that thread. but i think the results were that occ. those numbers might get a package there quicker but sometimes it took longer. i think usually though they arrived on the same day. it was a seed trade and people sent 2 packages to the same address...one with the 4 numbers and one without.
callalily was my first trade ever. i asked her to tell me step by step how to do it. i was so scared. it all went well though in spite of me. and so it shall with other newbies. newbies just need to say they have never prepared seeds or plants for mailing. truly most of us remember the fear of those first trades and our hearts are just immediately softened when somebody says that.
mamajack, I love that last paragraph. may I quote that in my article?
dang, pap-paw, i ain't never been quoted before. if you say i said it folks are just gonna snicker. but it's your article. 'bout how many readers are you expectin'? do you see any money in this for me? i'm just sayin'....hahahahahaha
I might send you a pack of seeds without a latin name on them, but I'll tape 'em up real good LOL but can you call me me-maw? I'm only gram...DH is papa. or just call me jan
Please don't anybody take offense at what I just said...I'm just trying to keep everything light. It's ONLY seeds. Even though they seem like gold dust to us. I have to laugh at myself. I can sit here separating seeds and have a couple hundred of something. If I drop one tiny one, I'll look for it until I find it. garden saints preserve me if it went up the vacuum LOL
~ jan
Gram, I'm more concerned with my dropped seeds actually germinating in the crack of my wooden floor! Talk about sowing seeds inside!
I've forgotten what thread it was on, but somebody's DH suggested I just water the carpet when I complained about tipping over a little paper plate of seeds I was sorting LOL was that you ?
I think that was me, grampapa! LOL
Boy, it sure seems silly when you think about crawling around looking for a petunia seed you're never gonna find, but I do it too.
Just think, that one might be the best one!!!
You're right about being afraid when you're new. I shudder when I think about how I sent out my first couple of trades, (not to mentioned the ones that I send now with all the tape lol)
We all just need to "pay it forward" and help someone else and try and remember those first trades. It's like adults not liking kids, do they not remember they used to be one!!!!
Listen to me acting like I know something!!!! I just started trading a few months ago, so really I still know nothing, but I like to act like I do.
lol. jan it is then. i'll be sure and write you a thank you note in writing so small you'll need your walmart reading glasses to see... for your trouble.
LOL! Good one, mama!
Suzy