Seed Trading Crash Course: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

So, you want to expand your seed collection, but you don’t know how.

Or, you have thousands of one type of seed that you’ve saved (shout out the the Marigolds!), and you don’t want to see them go to waste.

You only have so much gardening space and time, meaning your seed just keeps getting older.

As seed ages, viability drops; the seeds will die.

Trading is one of the best ways to rotate aging seed, spread freshly harvested seed, and expand your own seed collection.

It’s also a great type of community for making new friends, as those who are trading with you are just as crazy about seeds as you are!

If you’re new to seed trading, this is going to be the guide to follow; we’ll take you from making contact, to receiving your completed trade in the mail!

Where to Find Seed Trading Sites, Swaps, and Groups of Seed Traders

When it comes to seed collecting and trading, it’s important to remember that the “audience” you’re searching for encompasses a very wide demographic. Women are far more likely to collect seeds, grow gardens, and trade seeds than men; in addition, the ages of this audience will vary significantly.

With the homesteading movement, young women are taking the seed trading groups by storm; however, it is commonly women who are in their 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s who are avid gardeners. A combination of maturing children, retirement, and a simplified life all contribute to this. It’s easy to find seed trading sites, but there are not very many; social media is largely the answer to this.

This means you will have to look in many different places for seed trades, making the opportunities endless! Some traders may not be comfortable using the internet, so in-person trading events are still common today. Here are some places to find seed trading events or communities:

Facebook Groups
Instagram Accounts
Craigslist (or other classifieds site)
The Local Newspaper
Gardening or Homesteading Blogs
Gardening Forums
Flea Markets
Craft Fairs
Local Farmers’ Markets
Local Gardening Groups or Classes
Local Nurseries

My Favorite: Facebook Groups

This is where I most commonly trade seeds: right on Facebook! There are several seed swapping groups on this social network, and I strongly recommend joining some of the biggest ones that you can find. In these groups, you will find a wide assortment of flowers, herbs, vegetables, bushes, trees, and so much more. You will find both rare and common plants, which will significantly reduce the cost of seed that you plan to buy during the winter months.

Putting Together a Trading List

In order to trade, you’re going to need to put a list together. Your list tells others what you’re in search of (ISO), and it tells others what you have available for trading. When putting together a list, be sure to include some basic descriptive information. For example, you don’t just write a list like this:

Marigolds
Watermelons
Tomatoes
Peppers

Instead you’ll want to write a list like this, if all applicable information is available:

Marigolds, Orange/Yellow Crackerjack, 2019 (saved seed)
Watermelon, Tom Watson, 2018 (Baker’s Creek)
Tomato, Cherokee Purple (Slicing), 2019 (Seed’s Now)
Peppers, Sweet, California Wonder, 2018
Peppers, Hot, Ghost, 2018 (saved seed, possibly crossed)

You want to include the following information, as you see above:

Plant Type
Variety
Color (if applicable)
Year of Seed (Expiration for Purchased OR Year of Harvest)
Seed Source, Optional
If seed has potentially cross pollinated, always note this! (especially important for squash!)
For tomatoes, it’s helpful to include whether they are slicers, paste, cherry, etc
For peppers, let people know if they’re sweet or hot

I highly recommend adding unusual varieties to your trade lists, as these varieties are going to be the best trades for obtaining items on your wish list. If someone has a rare or hard-to-source seed, you likely won’t be able to get your hands on it by offering Crimson Sweet Watermelon or Delicious Tomatoes. If I were to be in search of something hard to find, I would offer up (from my own collection) White Nighting Corn, Sakata’s Sweet Melon, or perhaps my Lavender seeds.

Building an ISO Seed List

Now comes the fun part: assembling your ISO list! Your “In Search Of” list lets others know what seeds you need or want. This list should be as big and as specific as possible. Some seeds can be hard to find, especially if you’re looking for rare colors or variations.

In order to keep yourself available for as many trades as possible, it’s important to have a rather large ISO list if possible. Personally, I have hundreds of types of seed; however, I keep a varied list in order to keep my inbox open for trades. I highly recommend bolding or highlighting the varieties that are most important to you, so that others know which wants have priority.

Here are my tips for building & discussing your ISO list with fellow traders:

Have a list of 3 to 5 varieties of each plant type. For example, if you’re looking for slicer tomatoes, list at least 3 slicer varieties (such as Purple Cherokee, Pink Brandywine, or Mushroom Basket Tomato).
Have a general understanding of what a group’s trading limits are. Most groups consider a “trade” to be 10 seeds of each variety. However, some groups may have higher or lower limits. 10 seeds is usually more than enough for a home garden when it comes to most vegetables, fruits, and herbs; you likely won’t need more than a few plants of each tomato variety, more than one or two mint plants, or more than 10 ghost pepper plants or Asparagus plants.. For others, such as carrots or radishes, 10 seeds would be just enough to grow a “seed crop.” If you need more seeds, opt for purchasing the varieties that you need in higher quantities, while trading for the items you need in lower quantities.

Research each variety, ensuring that the plants will thrive in your local area. If you have very short or cool summers, you may not want to trade for winter squashes that require a long growing season.
If someone is interested in a trade, be sure to trade as much as you can within that exchange. One trade will cost you $0.70 or more in most cases; when you’re only trading one variety at a time, this can add up quickly. I enjoy trading with others who have large collections, as I can usually get away with trading as many as 6 varieties at a time. This isn’t always possible, however.

Always ask if seeds have potentially crossed pollinated when trading. Some plants, such as squash, cross easily. If you have a seed that produces a hybrid, you will not get the fruit that you’re after.
Crosscheck seed age with viability charts.
If you harvested the seed yourself, be sure that you saved it properly. Tomatoes and other fruit seeds should be fermented, or they might mold during storage.

Preparing Your Seeds for Trading: Always Be Courteous When Trading!

Before you can complete a seed exchange, you have to prepare your seeds. We’re going to assume that you already have the seeds fermented and dried, if you harvested them yourself. Generally, I do not pack up seed lots until shortly before I take them to the post office. This is because I never know whether or not all of the seeds will get a new home; it takes me quite some time to divide up seeds, so it is much more efficient for me to wait until I have a concrete trade in front of me.

Be sure to be courteous when trading; don’t throw a few seeds into an envelope and call it a day. Instead, you want to include the proper amount of viable seeds in a clean, resealable (and properly labeled) envelope. Seed trading is a really fun experience- doing it properly ensures that everyone has a good time trading!

Get Your Seed Baggies or Envelopes Ready

You’re going to need some envelopes or bags to place your seeds in before tucking them into a mailing envelope or bubble mailer. Luckily, most department stores carry tiny, clear zip storage bags! You can usually find these tiny bags in the jewelry section, near the beads. These are perfect for all of those tiny seeds.

Fill and Seal Packets Properly!

Grab your trade seeds, and add the appropriate amount to the bags. For tiny seeds that you may have hundreds of, I recommend opting for a “pinch” rather than counting them out. These are usually the seeds to be generous with. Make sure that the envelopes or bags are sealed well, so that the contents do not spill out during transit. If you are using paper envelopes, try using tape to seal them well.

Labeling Seeds for Trade

At this point, grab a permanent marker and write the seed name, date saved, and any important miscellaneous information on the plastic bag; other markers may smudge or fade in transit. Of course, pens and pencils can be used with paper envelopes. If you have any identifying stickers, website addresses, or phone numbers to add, place them on the back of the packet.

Some miscellaneous information may be:

What class a tomato is (slicer, paste, cherry, etc)
The heat of a pepper
Possibly cross-pollination
Year saved
Size/weight of fruit the seed was harvested from (in the case of carefully managed plants, such as giant pumpkins)

Notes and Envelopes

Once your seeds are ready, choose a suitable envelope that will fit the seed packets, any notes or cards, and bubble wrap or foam. I use the traditional #10 sized security envelopes as they are cheap, they fit large trades, and well… I already have them on hand! I also include a card for two reasons:

You’re sending physical mail to another person, something few people do anymore. It’s sweet and nostalgic to receive a handwritten note within a card!
The card is actually able to provide additional protection for the enclosed seeds. I close the card with the seeds inside of it- along with the bubble wrap. It protects against rough handling during transit.

Bubble Mailers: Are They Necessary?

If you are doing a very large trade, or if you’re mailing large seeds, you might want to opt for the bubble mailer. I avoid trading particular seed varieties unless I need to, as it can be much more expensive. Where I pay $0.70 for shipping most trades in a standard envelope, you may pay over $3 just to ship larger, fragile seeds in a bubble mailer. Even when trading 6 to 10 seed varieties at a time, I generally do not need a bubble mailer.

These seeds will require more protection and will weigh more when shipping (which is where I’d encourage using a bubble mailer), especially in bulk:

Beans
Corn
Large flower seeds (Moonflower, Nasturtium)

Postage: The Biggest, Most Confusing, Most Intimidating Part!

If you’re new to seed trading, you’re probably just as intimidated by shipping the seeds as I was. Or you had the misfortune of sending (or receiving) a letter or package that had incorrect postage, which meant it was either returned to the sender or the recipient had to cover the remaining cost of postage. Regardless of what is intimidating you, it’s super easy (and fun!) to ship seeds. All you really need is the Non-Machinable $0.70 stamp (AKA, the Butterfly Stamp). Let me break down the easiest method for you:

Address your envelope.
Cut a square of bubble wrap that fits inside of an envelope (regardless of the size you choose).
Place your seed packets over the bubble wrap, being careful to spread out the seed to minimize clumps.
If you are sending a card, sandwich the seeds and bubble wrap within the pages of the card.
Slip the card and the seeds into the envelope, being sure to rearrange things as necessary to minimize lumps, bumps, and exposed seed (perhaps some packets aren’t properly covered by the card or bubble wrap).
Carefully close the envelope, sealing it securely.
Go to the post office, and purchase a $0.70 stamp.
Affix the stamp to the upper right-hand corner of the envelope.
Drop your package into the mail drop-off, and you’re done!

Please note: You need to ensure that all seeds and plants that are traded are done so legally and knowledgeably. These laws are in place to protect habitats across the country from disease or invasive species, to protect different areas from known pests, and to protect endangered species. Shipping the wrong things can cause some pretty serious trouble, like these scenarios:

If seeds containing the spores of a fungus that decimates orange trees make their way to Florida, entire orange groves may face being wiped out.
If an invasive species of vining perennial from zone 5A makes its way to a mild climate (where it is an evergreen), it could out-compete native vegetation which might be critical for the survival of an endangered herbivore.
If a particular type of endangered plant has protections in place to prevent the export of that plant, violating these laws could cause already-struggling populations to die off faster or fail to reach healthy levels of reestablishment.
If the eggs of an incredibly invasive and destructive pest make their way into another state (or across the country), they could become established and cause widespread damage to host plants.

Is Seed Trading Cost Effective? Is It Cheaper to Trade Seeds, Than It Is to Buy Seeds?

This is a really, really good question.

Seed trading can be much, much cheaper, or it could be much, much more expensive; it all depends on:

What type of seeds you are trading, and their postage costs
How many seeds you need
Whether you want organic or non-organic seeds
How important pure seed is
The size/variety of potential trades

How Much Does It Cost to Ship the Seeds?

If you’re in need of seeds such as corn or beans, shipping gets expensive quickly. In addition, most trades are for 10 seeds; thus, you’re going to spend at least $0.70 for 10 seeds. You’ll also need much more than 10 seeds of either of these items if you’re trying to feed a family. It’s kind of high, and you’ll likely find organic corn seed for much cheaper at your local department, hardware, or farm store.

In addition, you could visit a local dollar store and find corn or bean seeds for $0.25 per package, with each package containing 10 to 40 seeds. These won’t be organic, and there will be very limited varieties, but this is the most economical, cheapest, budget-friendly option if you’re not buying in bulk-bulk.

How Many Seeds Do You Need?

Speaking of bulk-bulk: your local farm store will likely have corn seed by the ounce or by the pound, and it’ll be significantly cheaper to buy it at those prices if you’re growing a TON of produce.

If you need a lot of seeds, shipping is going to get slightly expensive, especially as a trade. Now, if you’re going to trade a large amount of seed to the other person (and if you’re

Does It Matter If the Seeds Are Organic?

Organic seeds are always going to cost more. If you require seed that is certified organic, you’re going to have to purchase the seed from a company that offers organically grown and certified seed.

If it’s something that is relatively important but isn’t required, you could opt for trading seeds with someone who uses organic practices. It may not be certified organic, but there are many people who grow their gardens and save their seeds with organic practices in mind.

If it doesn’t matter at all to you, you can trade for or purchase any seed; it would be cheaper to buy one type of conventional seed if it is a common variety, yet, it would be cheaper to trade those conventional seeds if you’re trading multiple varieties in one trade. Again, this comes down to the availability of seed and the size of an impending trade. If you can get enough of 5 different seed types for your family for the cost of a $0.70 stamp, then you have found the best deal.

Personally, I don’t think it’s overly important to plant organic seed; it’s only a seed, and that seed’s exposure to chemicals would be minimal. The traces of pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides that they may have encountered would be incredibly minute when introduced to your soil, anyways. The care and management of the plant that the seed produces is what’s important in my own opinion. Thus, if you cannot afford (or locate) organic seed, don’t sweat it. It’s no biggie!

How Important Is Pure Seed?

This can be a slippery slope when it comes to pure seed. Some varieties, when saved by home gardeners, have a strong chance of cross pollinating with other varieties. Squash is a common example. For others, such as peppers or tomatoes, it’s much less likely. It definitely can (and does!) happen, but most seeds will grow true, even when grown around other varieties.

If you’ve got plenty of space in your homestead garden, I wouldn’t worry too much (unless you’re trying to grow a particular variety for competition, or within your market garden.)

If you have limited space, you may want to ask the individual you’re trading with about the risk of cross pollination. This will help you to identify the best trades, as some people save their own seeds while others trade with seeds they purchased.

If you’re growing seedlings with the intention of selling them to others, I recommend trading only for seed that is pure. If a customer buys a zucchini seedling and winds up with an odd squash hybrid, they won’t be very happy after putting in all of that work for an odd product that they didn’t want.

How Big and Varied Is the Trade?

Clearly, you want to get the biggest “bang” for your buck that you possibly can. You definitely won’t achieve that with a trade for nothing more than California Wonder Bell Peppers.

Try to find trades where you can swap multiple items in one go, maximizing the value of the stamps used. Trade for the items that you most desire, that you don’t require bulk amounts of (such as hot peppers, gourds, okra, mints, squashes, etc). You could save more than $20 with a single trade, especially if you normally purchase from Baker’s Creek!

If you can swap larger amounts of seed (and you desire to do so), see if the other party is willing and able to, as well.

What to Do If You Can’t Find a Trade….

Let’s face it: you likely won’t find EVERYTHING that you want or need via trading. As long as you’re pretty lenient in your seeds’ originating sources, I have a few recommendations for you to get your seeds as cheap as possible (I see you frugal gardeners in the back, and I’m sending a virtual high-five!)

Here are some ideas:

Bargain Bins & EOS Clearance: Check out your local farm stores, dollar stores, and even liquidation stores during the fall and winter! Do you have any idea how many packs of seeds I’ve scored for between $0.01 and $0.10? I actually purchased over 200 packs of seeds in the last month for $0.02 and $0.05 per pack. Insane, right? Now, all of these seeds were produced for the 2018 season, but you see not one care coming from me. They’ll grow! I get seeds in this way every year, from many places!

Local B/S/T: If you have some local Buy, Sell, Trade sites or groups, check them for seeds. You could even post ISO ads, asking for seeds that others don’t want or need anymore. Most people don’t list these; they just sit in a cabinet waiting around, because they’re small and easy to forget about. People will quickly offer up their old seeds if they think they have a chance at being used, especially if someone is looking for some.

Dollar Stores: Who hasn’t purchased some 4 for $1 and 2 for $1 seeds from the dollar store? This is a cheap way to get the common seeds, even though they’re not organic. Your best shot with these seeds is in February or March, right as the stores begin stocking them for the year. The displays actually get wiped out fairly quickly. You can usually find staples such as: Bantam Corn, California Wonder Bell Peppers, Banana Peppers, Crackerjack Marigolds, Delicious Tomatoes, Homestead Tomatoes, Russian Mammoth Sunflower, Butternut Squash, or Lisbon Bunching Onion.

Sampler Packs: You can’t get unique varieties at the dollar store- and you can’t get the best price from Baker’s Creek. If you can’t get it from trading, then I have one last stop for you: SeedsNow. I love to buy the odds and ends that I can’t get through trading, as they’re incredibly cheap, they offer just enough in the sampler packs for a home garden, and they’re also organic to boot (as long as they have the variety I’m in seek of, of course). Baker’s Creek is my LAST stop for the varieties I can’t find anywhere else- Usually, I can find what I’m in need of through SeedsNow.

o99

Seed Trading Crash Course: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide