posted 7 years ago
well i have been working on building up to this same idea. i have been selling small amounts of seeds for a while, here and there.
it's true theres a big learning curve, and it is different than just learning about regular seed saving for yourself. i think just taking it one plant at a time is a good way to go, slowly gathering knowledge about each type that you want to sell. seeds of different plants all have their particular ways. some like to be kept moist, or frozen, for others that would be bad. some can be very dry and keep for 3-10 years, many are really best within a year or 2.
thats definitely an issue with seeds, especially if you want to sell them, they are only good for so long. you want to build up a stock on hand, but they will only be good for so long. if you have some larger perennials that can be great, cause you know you will always get more the next year.
theres some things i won't ever collect, carrots, brassicas are two examples. i have found that swiss chard and beets don't turn out to well either.
i do save some brassicas for myself sometimes, but since i like to grow so many types of brassicas the results vary a lot with how easily they cross pollinate.
unusual herbs are good, wildcrafted herbs are great, but first you will want to try them out yourself. some herbs are very hard to germinate and maybe you wouldnt want to sell them if it just leads to frustration, because they are very difficult to germinate.
theres definitely a lot of details to get to know, so one at a time is good. pick stuff you already like and want to grow and grow them out yourself first...
obviously theres the hybrid vs heirloom issue, most hybrids are not worth saving especially if your goal is to have something reliable for sale.
tomatoes are a good one to start with, perhaps. they almost always come out true to type unless you go out of your way to cross them.
i am interested in selling fruit tree seeds too. they are harder to find but there is interest in them. mostly plums and peaches.