Comments regarding Territorial Seed Company

Posted on March 6, 2007, updated April 13, 2010
Fourth year in a row ordering seeds from Territorial and once again very happy with their products. A class act company with great customer service.

I have been buying plants from Territorial Seeds for about 10 years. I only purchase things that aren't available locally, and I like that they are located in the Willamette Valley, so I am familiar with the climate there. I have consistently good luck with their plants. I like being able to select a shipping date. I ordered the "Escargot" begonia this year and it arrived in very good shape and is doing well after transplanting to my pot. On the rare occasion when something doesn't make it, Territorial is very cooperative about refunding the cost of the plant.

Great prices, FAST shipping at a low cost. I received my order in less than 5 days from ordering. Free seeds, highly recommend.

We ordered a variety of seeds, mulches (green, black, red), netting, and trellises. I was originally wowed by their very thorough seed catalog, which enticed me to try out their products. Not only did the products come more quickly than expected, but the prices were very fair on the products and shipping (a huge order for just $7.50 shipping!!! crazy!), and everything appears to be in great shape. I am eagerly awaiting the plants they will be shipping to me when it is safe to plant in my area, and to see how the seeds turn out once they are planted.

Posted on February 6, 2010, updated February 10, 2010
Posted on February 6, 2009, updated February 6, 2010
I ordered 18 packets of seeds on February 4 and received them on February 6 which I think is outstanding. I ordered from another company on the 3rd and I don't think they have even shipped them yet!

None of the seeds were out of stock. The seed packets are lovely and appear to have a lot of information. Their catalogs are full of great, detailed information and their website is easy to order from. The cost of seeds are a bit on the pricey side but I decided to order from them based on reviews on this site.

I, too, think their shipping rates are high. I was charged $7.50 when actual shipping was under $3.00. I understand a handling charge but in my case, over $4.50 for a padded envelope and the time spent shipping is overblown. I have a small mail order business and would never dream of that handing charge. A sliding scale would be great with perhaps an incentive for free shipping after a certain price limit.

I ordered garlic last fall from them and will find out in June how that fares. I may consider ordering or buying it elsewhere next fall if their shipping prices don't come down a bit.

I will update this review after planting!

Posted on February 2, 2010, updated February 9, 2010
I placed an order with them for a few flower seeds, onion and leek plants, and garlic. I received the seeds quickly though I was charged $7.50 shipping. I am assuming that I will not be charged the same price for the rest of my items as I ordred them at the same time and paid shipping then. So, I will report back when I received my onion and leek plants. Everything good so far.

I love this company! I use online catalogs but sometimes I just need to talk to a live person. They are always super nice. Their shipping is reasonable to me, about the same as most other good companies.
The seeds I've ordered from them germinated fast, were consistant and produced healthy plants.

I would order some seeds but the shipping cost is too high. May I suggest to the company that they have a special shipping rate for people who just want a few packets of seeds?
It would be a bargain if I wanted 1001 seed packets, but unfortunately I don't.

Territorial thinks it knows what should go in your garden better then you do. Note that there is no place to put "substitutions not allowed". If you know what needs to go in your garden, and chose carefully, remember to put in the comments section "NO SUBSTITutions, and i mean potatoes TOO!". In 2008/2009, I ordered in Dec/Jan, months later, when the potatoes showed up, just ahead of their planting dates, they were all the wrong potatoes. They were niether the types, nor had the mix of maturities, that I had ordered. I had ordered well ahead of the crush, I had routinly spent over $1000 a year between Territorial's summer and winter catalogs, so I was extremely mad. They had MONTHS to tell me those potatoes were not available and instead they sent generics and I was supposed to take them and shut up. I didn't. Despite the squeeks of protest from the woman on the phone, I sent them back at my own expense, because I don't have room for things I don't plan for, and I don't throw living things in the garbage - let Territorial watch them rot. This is a neutral, not negative, because despite Territorial giving itself an out with a sneaky little disclaimer about no refunds on substitutions, they did, in fact, refund the money fairly quickly. I still order from Territorial (about 10% of last year) but not onion starts (they substituted without telling me, and I did not know they were wrong until I pulled them in the fall) or potatoes, or tomato plants (spindly, tiny, I bought a seed cart and my own looked much better). I wrote this now because if you are looking for Buttes and the other potato varieties Territorial used to offer in the kitchen collection, the ones that loved Werstern Oregon, a quick search online will show you there is another place that sells all of those at the same prices Territorial used to.

Posted on May 11, 2009, updated December 14, 2009
My infant bay laurel arrived when promised, was securely packed and is now making itself at home. It looks to be very vigorous and I have great expectations that it will live up to its promise.

If there was a rating higher than 'positive', I'd give it to Territorial Seed.

OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE in a difficult pinch!

My first two orders were without issue, prompt and perfect.

With my third, their payment processor and my credit card provider collided, creating problems at both ends. To resolve the problem, knowing that a birthday present was included in the order, they upgraded the shipping to UPS 2nd day. Then, faced with a holiday, they further upgraded to UPS next-day. I didn't request either; they just did it!

They were as unfailingly polite and courteous as I was cranky and difficult.

Kudos to Territorial Seed!

The plants I have ordered from Territorial Seed Company are among the healthiest I have growing in my garden this season. The plants arrived in excellent condition.

Customer Service is superb as well. Lori responded right away (a couple of hours) on an email query, and when she could not help me further, she relayed my question to Mr. Josh Kirschenbaum who is also equally fast in responding.

Thank you TSC. I will be a returning customer.

The seeds from Territorial are far superior to any other. They are more expensive than Burpee, but they offer a different selection and so far everything I have grown is very vigorous. That said, their shipping costs are EXORBITANT!! Shipping for a small bubble envelope is $7.50. According to my Stamps.com account it should cost 1.20 for the postage. I can allow something for the supplies and the time, but I can't get to $7.50. I have even mentioned it politely to them, and gotten no response. In the last few months I have placed several orders for specialty lettuces and now winter harvest items. For about 15 packs of seeds I have spent $23.00 in shipping!! I must be out of my mind.

I placed a large seed order with the company in Spring 09. I have had success with every seed type I ordered (and I ordered a lot) with the exception of their little loup cantelopes. These grew for a short time and then shriveled and died. I'm most pleased with the peach envoy impatiens. They have an unusual color and are larger than what I see in the nurseries around my town. Overall, I've found the seed yields to be high and the resulting plants to be large and healthy. I'm still waiting to taste the vegetables, but the plants are growing nice and healthy right now and I'm sure they'll be delicious when ready to pick. I have ordered from Burpee in the past and the quality from Territorial is by far superior. I will be ordering again from Territorial next spring.

Months ago in the winter I placed an order for two echinacea. They offered a shipment time selection which I selected mid-May. It was late May and I hadn't heard from them. I phoned in to the number located on the web site and was given another number to call because evidentally the order number on the web site did not deal with existing orders.

I did reach someone on the number I was given and was told it would be a week or so before they would be shipped. My order arrived mid June with only one of the plants. The plant that was shipped has to be the smallest plant I have ever recieved by mail. It barely had roots. The second plant said it was discontinued on the invoice.

It would have been nice if they would have let me know in some way, that the second plant would not be shipped. To pay $9.95 to ship one tiny plant would not have been worth my trouble.

Unfortunately I will not likely be ordering from this company again. First experiences are worth their weight in gold and one miniscule plant and one missing plant with a large shipping fee do not weigh in much. They came in highly recommended by the Watchdog as a top rated company when I placed my order. I just did not find them to be worthy of that spot, having ordered from several of the Watchdog favorites in the past and being 100% satisfied with those companies....not this one.

This was the first time I purchased from Territorial Seed Co. I just received my order today and my little hellebore seedling plant arrived safely and in excellent healthy condition. Super bargain, great communication and exceptional packing. I only regret I did not buy more to save on shipping. I definitely look forward to purchasing from Territorial again in the future.

Territorial Seed is a real favorite with me. I love their seed and equipment selection, and am favorably impressed with their service. I had a genuine problem with one of the products they sell, and they immediately gave me credit for it. Any mail order company can, without meaning to, sell a product that is inferior - the acid test is how they deal with an unhappy customer. The woman who had to listen to me whine was courteous and patient. I'm very pleased and relieved, and wholeheartedly recommend this company to other gardeners.

My seed order arrived quickly and I had good germination. I'm glad to see more organic items are being added to the catalog, but I agree with a previous poster that I'd like to see more OP and fewer hybrid choices. It's disappointing to see a plant I'd like to try and then realize it's a hybrid. That being said, I ordered their Sun Gold Tomatoes (hybrid). I tried a few last summer that someone else had grown, and they were the best I've eaten.

I found seeds that I was not able to find anywhere else on the Web, in our local greenhouses, garden shops or home development centers. I ordered my seeds on Friday the order went out on Monday, and I received them Wednesday. Very Prompt for the order, and really really prompt on the reply to the email I send to them.

I met someone at our local home development center who wanted to know if I found the seeds I was looking for, have given them the companies web site, so they can order the seeds too!

Will I order from these folks again? You bet!
Will I put their name out there? You bet!

Too bad they couldn't fix the weather here in the Everett area :)
so I could put the seed out!

Happy Gardening which ever form it takes!
Beth

My recent order was completely correct and arrived in a very short time. I would definitely order from this company again.

Ordered my seeds online on Tuesday; seeds arrived on Saturday. Seeds germinated quickly and plants look stronger than the ones I ordered from another company. Am very impressed with customer service attitude and quality of product! Did not think their shipping/handling costs were out of line in the least.

Quality seeds and excellent customer service. Every time I go to the store or have ordered online I have been nothing but pleased. Good germination rates, awesome catalog descriptions to help, and the store staff have always been very friendly.

I ordered on the 13th or 14th, received a confirmation on the 15th and received my order on the 20th. I did note that shipping seemed a bit high, though not outrageous. The last time I ordered vegetable seed it was from Parks and I no longer do business with them for all the reason listed elsewhere on this site. Territorial's service, shipping time and the generous amount of seed in each packet will make me a repeat customer. Also, their web site is well organized and easy to navigate.

This was a first time purchase for me, and I am pleased. The customer service rep answered my questions to my satisfaction, the order was shipped quickly and received as scheduled. The items were well packaged, and the shipping charges were reasonable and in keeping with shipping charges assessed by other companies, if not slightly less, and the box was a large one.

I ordered my cold weather greens from territorial late summer, 2008. The tundra blend performed very well, and my early spring crop is germinating as we speak in the cold frame. Arctic King is also doing well. The flat shipping charge is generally to my advantage as I batch larger orders togethor.

I made my order online on Feb. 24th. According to the invoice, it was filled on the 25th and I received my order on the 27th. Everything present and accounted for and all seed packets (and one small jar of pelleted seed) stating, "Packed for 2009". I'm very happy with their promptness and I really, really appreciate not having to wait for my seeds with the planting season coming up. Our garden area is small and I appreciated the "sampler" sized seed packs. They'd be nice if I just wanted to try a small amount of something without planting a ton of it. Thanks, Territorial! Well done!

I ordered my tomato, pepper, bean and flower order on Thursday, Feb. 19 and received the full order on Monday, Feb. 23. Fast and accurate.

I have used this company for many years and been satisfied but this year they are disappointing me on a regular basis. First I ordered seeds. They delivered 5 of the packs twice and I had to pay to return them for the refund on my cc. They said it was my fault because I had made several orders and then asked to combine them (on a Sunday). It was too difficult for them for some reason. They are very nice voices on the other end of the line but they don’t like to admit they have made a mistake, a little patronizing, but that is just my opinion so take it with a grain of salt. Then I ordered peat pots and a heating mat. My local stores didn’t have them in yet and I really needed them. It was a shipping rate that was %50 of the cost and I just figured I had no choice. I have learned my lesson. THREE WEEKS later and I have still not received the peat pots. I learned they were BO only when I called today to ask about them. I bought some in my local store one week ago. So I paid $18 in shipping - what a waste. I still have plants to be delivered and I am very concerned about that now. I will keep you informed.

one of best catalogs i've seen. great, shipping is high to me from most suppliers as i'm in hawaii.most people are offering,usps mailing ether flat rate or priority flat rate.

Shipping is very expensive for just seeds! I won't be buying from them unless the shipping cost comes down.

I had a tough time getting my carrots thinned last year and I was pleased to see pelleted seed in the Mokum carrots from this company. I was NOT pleased to see the high shipping fee for a few seeds, but decided to try them anyhow. The order arrived very promptly even though Maine is a bit of a distance. I was dissapointed to see the carrot seeds were NOT pelleted and that somehow I must have misunderstood the web site information. I emailed the company and was very pleased with their very PROFESSIONAL speedy personal response. They promptly sent me a container of the pelleted seed at no further charge and overall I am happy with them so far. I would like to see a smaller shipping fee offered for small orders since the actual cost was far less than the fee charged. That alone may prevent me from ordering from them in the future. However I am awfully glad to now have carrot seeds that I won't have to thin quite so much this summer!

Received alfalfa seed shortly after ordering and fall garlic several weeks later in the fall with no added shipping costs (surprise! yay!) Alfalfa seeds did great, garlic sprouted and seems to be doing fine. Instructions on packets are very good too.

I am a third generation Territorial Seed planter, and this year, I just couldn't do it. It seems like every year there are more and more hybrid seeds and fewer and fewer open pollinated seeds available from Territorial. I will admit, selling seeds that aren't necessarily "savable" is a good business decision for a company interested in selling seeds year after year. Now, refer back to my first sentence, my grandmother, mother, and I all plant open pollinated seeds, and year after year, order seeds from the company. Some ask why I bother with OPs if I'm just going to order from somewhere else; I save seeds, yes, but there are so many wonderful OP varieties of vegetables out there, how can I pick a favorite, not try the new ones, and risk dietary boredom?!

Please, Territorial Seed Co., sell more OP seed, and less hybrid seed!

I must confess, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Territorial's descriptions, culture, and growing information... that sort of information is definitely needed for those of us on the west side of the Cascades.

I'll still take a gander at next year's (and this winter's) catalogue(s), but until there are more OPs and less F1s, all I'll be doing is looking.

Oh, and perhaps a sliding scale for that flat-rate shipping (I'm thinking for folks whose seed order is, say, less than the shipping price)... or a list of local stores that are carrying your seed - if I do decide to by an OP from y'all this year, I certainly won't pay ten bucks for one packet of seed - I'll head to the food co-op - they have a large display of your seeds.

Thanks!

I was a long time customer of this company. However I will not pay $7.95 shipping to order a few packets of seeds. Come on, Territorial Seed, become user friendly again rather than making money on shipping costs. I know for a fact that you are losing good customers and they are vocal about why they are ordering elsewhere.

"On Jan 27, 2009 2:27 PM, Territorial Seed Company responded with:

Each year we spend quite a bit of time evaluating different ways to implement the charges for shipping, handling, and insurance. For the vast majority of our customers, the flat fee system that we use is the most advantageous for them. You can purchase one packet of seed or 1001 packets of seed and the shipping, handling and insurance fee will be the same. Furthermore, Territorial offers a wide range of gardening products, which ship at several different times throughout the season. For example, a customer could order seeds, potatoes, blueberry plants and garlic; each of which is sent out separately but are all included in the standard flat fee. You can see in this example how the flat fee of $7.50 would be a bargain.

When it comes to processing orders, there are many steps involved that add up to more than just the cost of postage or UPS fees. For us, it takes about the same amount of time and money to handle a small order as it does a large order. Our staff takes pride in shipping out orders very quickly, accurately, and with care. Your satisfaction with our products and your success in the garden are of utmost importance to us. We sincerely appreciate your business.

Tom Johns
President, Territorial Seed Company
"

Quick seed delivery(7 days after order) most items were in stock. The seeds are for 2009 season. Each packet has detailed information on care. Customer care is great at making changes to any order. Very happy :) will report in on produce taste!

Have not tried seeds from this company.
They have such big shipping cost that i prefer to stay away from trying their seeds. $7.50 to have to ship some seeds, come on, people.

I have ordered from Territorial for the past few years and have never had a problem with customer service or their products. I like to have 'all my ducks on the same page' when the gardening season kicks off in the spring; so I ordered earlier than usual this year. I placed my first order on 12/27/08 and had it in my possesion within 2 weeks. I thought this was pretty good considering the delays from holiday and the weather we had in this part of the country. I work for the post office and am aware of all the road closures between here and there. We have had a lot of them in the past few weeks. I placed my second order(stuff I had overlooked) this past sunday and they were delivered to my door today(wednesday). It's a pleasure doing business with a company of this caliber.

I just had to take some time and write you folks to tell you
> how thrilled I was with two specific hybrid tomatoes. One was Super
> Marzano and the other was Oregon Star. I can a lot of salsa and just
> "hunky" tomatoes for chili and the like. Not only were these tomatoes
> very sweet and flavorful, but they were of a size and number that I
> had to go out and buy four more cases of quart jars! Yikes!

First time buyer from Territorial Seed-

Your seeds have been the most viable and vigorous by far-
I'm getting very, very close to a 100% germination rate and
the plants just accelerate from there to production!!

My current sowing of fall lettuce is up and running!!
For EVERY seed sown there is a plant!!! Incredible!

Very Pleased!!!