I have ordered three times this year and so far have been happy with the experience. Some seeds perform better than others, and I am not sure whether I can attribute to the growing conditions vs the quality of seeds. I am in zone 6a. The Atakama onion seeds are problematic, with very low germination rate (only one out of 9 pots) but very happy with the Hamburg Rooted Parsley - it never bolted the entire summer with several weeks over 95F. I can pick the tops and recently started digging up the roots. Such a wonderful plant. Overall the seeds I ordered are above average.
By Fly G.
Wrong variety in packet
I planted seeds from a packet of Connecticut Field Pumpkin seeds. They did have good germination and are growing well.
However, its clear that one plant is a different variety. All pumpkins on each plant are similar to the others on the same plant, but very different between the two plants.
I wanted to include pics but don't see that option while using this site from my Android.
By PNW G.
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds· Aug 20, 2026
We are so sorry to hear there was a problem with your seed! We clean our packing machines thoroughly between each variety, and do not pack the same type of seed back to back to help prevent this issue. That being said, a stray seed may have gotten stuck and deposited in a different packet. We do offer a 2 year guarantee that seeds will germinate, and be true to type. Please email us at [email protected] with ATTN: Lisa O in the subject line, and you can include the picture you have there, and we'll work with you to make things right.
I have gotten seeds in the past that I…
I have gotten seeds in the past that I grew successfully....I got aronia plugs from them that have grown into beautiful bushes....
But, this year, I got those alpine strawberries...I had sprouts indoors and when it was warm enough, I put them outside and they died..... Not so much as a single sprout left.....and, I bought cucumber seeds and the plants barely grew and I got no cucumbers....AND, they have reviews on the website, but people who are verified buyers cannot leave reviews...
I will never order from them again....
By Niki K.
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds· Aug 13, 2026
We're so sorry to hear you had trouble with your seeds this year. We do offer a 2 year germination guarantee, but it sounds like the seeds did germinate. There are several things that could affect growth and bearing fruit that are out of our control, but if you will email [email protected], we'd be happy to have one of our horticulturists work with you to try to determine what the issue was, and how to get you growing. Customers do have the option to leave a review on items they have purchased, if you have an account. Log in, go to your account, and you'll see a list of items you've purchased, and click to review them.
Seeds should have a disclaimer!
First off, I don't like that their website doesn't allow reviews. The reviews the company finds favorable are the ones they choose to put on their website. I bought some tomato seeds from them not knowing that heirloom tomatoes don't bloom over 80 degrees, and we've had zero days this summer below 80 degress, therefore, I've had 2 tomatoes, and it's well into August! I've been trying to figure out what was wrong, and I finally came across a video and I did some more research. Rareseeds or Baker seeds needs to have a note on their website warning people that live in hot areas about this aspect of their seeds. I won't be buying from them any tomatoes or bean seeds because the beans have been terrible production-wise too. It's been a frustrating summer all because of this company withholding valuable information!
By Brandon M.
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds· Aug 6, 2026
Greetings,
We don't withhold reviews from our website that provide feedback on a variety's performance, such as taste, yield, days to maturity, or how it performed in a particular environment. We believe this information is a valuable resource that helps customers in similar climates and growing regions make informed purchasing decisions.
There are many heirloom tomato varieties that perform well in temperatures above 80°F, including Black Cherry, Barry's Crazy Cherry, Principe Borghese, Costoluto Genovese, and Ozark Pink, just to name a few. If you're looking for beans, our long beans are exceptionally heat tolerant and will continue producing even in temperatures approaching 100°F. Other beans that perform well in warm weather include Hidatsa and Dragon Tongue Bush Bean.
You're always welcome to reach out to us for recommendations. Our experienced horticulture team is happy to help you select the varieties best suited to your climate and growing conditions. We also try to highlight standout characteristics, such as "heat tolerant," in our variety descriptions, and you can use the search function on our website to quickly find varieties with those traits.
In addition to growing our varieties through the hot, humid summers and cold winters in Missouri, we also trial them at our tropical farm in Jamaica. We collect growing data and feedback from many other regions around the world as well. We understand that climates vary greatly and that heirloom varieties can perform differently depending on local conditions, so we are continually refining our variety descriptions and growing information to share as much of those observations as possible with our customers.
Please know that we never intend to withhold valuable information. Our goal is to help every customer achieve the best possible results with our seeds, and we're always happy to provide recommendations and growing advice tailored to your area.
Slow or no germination of seeds
Except for some gourd seeds most of the packets I've received have been very slow to germinate, if they germinated at all.
By JustAnswer C.
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds· Jul 6, 2026
We are sorry to hear you have had trouble with our seeds. We take our seed program very seriously, and we want our customers to get the best possible seeds.
To that end, we practice strict adherence to the Federal Seed Act, which requires that we test the germination rate of all lots of seed that we sell. While different crop types have different minimum germination rates, all must test at or above the minimum standard for that type, or be clearly marked otherwise. Most of the seeds that we sell are tested by SGS, the world’s premier testing, inspecting and certification company. No seed is packed without a valid germination report. Additionally, we regularly grow most of the seed varieties we offer in our trial gardens and greenhouses to assess their essential qualities such as flavor, hardiness, growing profile, and whether they grow true to type.
There are many variables outside Baker Creek’s control that may affect your seeds’ performance, including weather, soil composition, light, and pests. Additionally, seed packages may be subjected to irradiation by the postal service or be exposed to excessive weather conditions during shipping.
Baker Creek is committed to customer satisfaction. If you are unsatisfied with our seeds for any reason, we will cheerfully replace them with more seeds of the same variety, a different variety of your choice, or issue a refund. Just email us at [email protected] and let us know which you prefer, and we'll take care of it.
Ordering heirloom peppers and tomatoes…
Ordering heirloom peppers and tomatoes this year since e last year's tomatoes from bakers was excellent. Exactly what I was looking for when it came to diversifying my types for different flavor notes. I ordered atleast 4 different distinguishable varieties. 3 bloom great 1 did average. Im hoping for a unique experience with the peppers ill be buying this year from the company, update with my findings as growing season progresses. Thank you baker creek!!
By Brandon B.
I ordered seeds in mid February and as…
I ordered seeds in mid February and as of March 17th, I haven’t received anything. I see on other reviews that several people have paid and not received what was ordered. I knew better than to order from a social media site and should have looked at reviews before I ordered. It’s a shame you can’t trust anyone anymore especially in America.
By Brian
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds· Mar 18, 2026
We are so sorry to hear you have not received your order! Please reach out to us at [email protected] and we'd be happy to work with you to make sure you receive what you ordered.
You have to pay for tracking info, Really?
I am going to start by saying this, I order from this company every year, and never had issues however after this last order, of $200, not so sure I will order from them again because they will not provide you a tracking number with your order, you have to pay extra to have that information, it says, “Doesnt include-slower.” Ok, I never have received these seeds anyway other than USPS, however, to not include a service that should be automatic, because a person orders from your company, is pure stupidity! The USPS loses stuff all the time, and they lost 2 items this year, and it took me 7 months to fight them to get my money back. I am going to be frank here, why would a company not provide a necessary service, because they are lazy, or I font know, maybe you want to lose customers, or you want to charge them more for information that is rightfully theirs. Shame on you guys, charging for a tracking number, doesnt include one, Not the same company I started ordering from years ago, and probably would not recommend now on any level!
By E J.
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds· Dec 23, 2025
We apologize for any confusion! We ship smaller orders with smaller seeds using our free shipping method by USPS flat rate shipping, which does not include tracking. If there is ever an issue with your order not arriving, please contact us and let us know, and we will work with you. If your package is shipped by ground advantage, and has tracking, if there is an issue with the package, we will provide it to you on request, and work with you to ensure you receive your order.
Our paid shipping option not only provides you with a tracking number, but that order is given priority picking and is shipped using an expedited method, like UPS.
