Return quality seed that is well labeled. Use our envelope labels (make a copy) or see if the variety you are growing already has a label pre-made on our Grow Out Program list.
NOTE: Some plants readily cross pollinate, such as sunflowers, corn, and brassicas. If you are saving seeds from these plants and did not cage or hand-pollinate them, write "Crossed?" on the packet.
NOTE: Some plants readily cross pollinate, such as sunflowers, corn, and brassicas. If you are saving seeds from these plants and did not cage or hand-pollinate them, write "Crossed?" on the packet.
Returning or Donating
You may donate seeds you grew or commercially grown seeds. Donated seeds are put in the yellow colored "Donate" box in the glass cabinet.
Please do not donate commercial seeds that are hybrids will be labeled hybrid, F, or F1.
If you are sharing seeds you saved yourself, read our guidelines for returning seeds. Here are the basics on returning seeds you grew:
1. Return well labeled seeds. We encourage you to print out the envelope label (PDF) at home and fill it in completely. This makes it super easy to put all the information on, and if you grow and save the seeds yearly, this will make it easy for you to share seeds for years to come. Extra copies of the label can be put in the envelope or jar with the seeds you are returning for borrowers to take. This is a nice courtesy to borrowers and the extra labels allows them to take home seed that is well-labeled.
As a bare minimum, labels must have the common name, variety name, and year grown.
2. Enter the returned or donated seed information in the orange "Membership" binder located in the glass cabinet.
3. Put seeds in the yellow "Donate" box in the glass cabinet.
Please do not donate commercial seeds that are hybrids will be labeled hybrid, F, or F1.
If you are sharing seeds you saved yourself, read our guidelines for returning seeds. Here are the basics on returning seeds you grew:
1. Return well labeled seeds. We encourage you to print out the envelope label (PDF) at home and fill it in completely. This makes it super easy to put all the information on, and if you grow and save the seeds yearly, this will make it easy for you to share seeds for years to come. Extra copies of the label can be put in the envelope or jar with the seeds you are returning for borrowers to take. This is a nice courtesy to borrowers and the extra labels allows them to take home seed that is well-labeled.
As a bare minimum, labels must have the common name, variety name, and year grown.
2. Enter the returned or donated seed information in the orange "Membership" binder located in the glass cabinet.
3. Put seeds in the yellow "Donate" box in the glass cabinet.
- Dry: Make sure seeds are dry.
- Clean: Have seeds reasonably cleaned by removing as much of the chaff as possible.
- Properly saved: Only return seeds from plants that you know how to save properly. "Super Easy" seeds can be fairly reliably saved without cross-pollination (and unintentional hybridization). "Super easy" seeds include tomatoes, beans, peas and lettuce. Do not return seeds from the brassica (ex. broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts, cabbage) or cucurbit (ex. cucumbers, squash, melons) families unless you have taken appropriate steps to prevent cross-pollination, such as hand-pollinating.
- Label! Label! Label! Write as much information on the packet as possible. Typing can help by typing directly into the form. Remember that people only have what you have written on the package to decide if it is a plant that they would like to grow. More info is better. We also have some labels for specific varieties that we offer in our collection on our Grow Out document.
- Share the abundance: If you have lots of seeds, considering making multiple packets of the same seeds or put them in a jar with extra labels.
- Put seeds in yellow "Donation" box in the glass cupboard.
Need to find the scientific name?
The USDA has a search system that will help you find the current scientific name of different plants.