Where to Buy Vegetable, Flower and Lawn Seeds at a Good Price
Variety and hybrid: what is the difference
A seed packet often says F1. This is a first-generation hybrid: it usually sprouts more evenly, gives a uniform crop and is often more resistant to disease, but there is no point saving its seeds for next year, because the traits won't carry over. Open-pollinated seed can be collected yourself and sown again.
So before you buy, decide what matters more to you. For a greenhouse, people choose tall tomatoes and cucumbers, self-pollinating or parthenocarpic hybrids. For open ground, choose varieties that cope with temperature swings. Pickling cucumbers are a different type from salad cucumbers.
What to put in your request
- crop — vegetables, flowers, herbs, lawn grass, cereals or green manure;
- variety or hybrid — a name or traits: early, heat-tolerant, for preserving;
- quantity — how many packets, grams or kilograms;
- growing conditions — open ground or greenhouse, sun or shade, your state;
- sowing area — especially for lawns and field crops;
- producer and pack size — country of origin, hobby or professional packs;
- delivery city and budget.
Example: “I need tomato seeds for a greenhouse: one open-pollinated variety and one early F1 hybrid, 10 packets of each, professional packs. Courier delivery, Auckland. Budget up to $44.”
What to look at in offers
Seeds of one variety from different sellers can come from different producers and in different pack sizes, so compare the price per number of seeds, not per packet. Professional packs hold more and are usually better value for a big planting. Ask about the harvest year and the expiry date: fresh seed sprouts better. It also helps to ask about the germination rate and whether the seed was treated (treated seed is often dyed).
For a lawn, give the area and conditions: shade and sun need different grass mixes. Before you buy, ask what the mix contains and what the sowing rate per square metre is.
How to buy through BlaBlaPrice
Instead of leafing through dozens of catalogues, create one request. Sellers reply in a chat: what they offer, the price, pack size, delivery. Each one sees where their offer ranks and can improve their terms. BlaBlaPrice shows the best-value offer first, with seller reviews next to it. Your contacts stay hidden and are opened only to the seller you choose. More on the “How it works” page.
Common mistakes and the season
The most common mistake is buying at the last moment: popular varieties sell out before the season starts, so order ahead. Another is taking seeds without checking that they suit your region. Also, don't overpay for a “unique” name if its claimed traits aren't backed up by anything.
Next, for growing you will need soil and growing media and fertilisers, and if you don't want to wait for sprouting, look at ready-grown young plants.
