There are a few items that are almost impossible to find in a pandemic, we’re discovering. Among them are whole wheat flour, sanitizing wipes, toilet paper, and, oddly enough, vegetable seeds! It’s heartening to know that stay-at-homers are entering the ranks of bread bakers and food gardeners … and it makes perfect sense. But many have found that same forces that are keeping them home, with spare time for gardening and baking, are limiting their seed choices. Why is this?

The Home Garden Seed Association can help explain what’s going on behind the scenes in this year of the 2020 pandemic.

Is there a seed shortage?

No, there is no seed shortage. There is, however, a temporary problem with getting packaged seed to home gardeners. The way it works is this: Seed companies project the numbers of seed packets home gardeners will want based on past experience, and fill seed packets based on those projections. All packets are prepared in the months prior to the shipping season, which runs from late winter through spring. If orders greatly exceed projections, as they did this year, the supply of packaged seed will run out. Seed companies are experiencing order volumes 8 to 10 times greater than last year! This is an unprecedented increase.

Why are the seeds I order taking two weeks or more to arrive?

Generally, a seed company will ship your seeds within a day or two of receiving your order and it will arrive at your door shortly after that. Three factors have made that impossible this year:

1. The increased demand is simply too much for the staff to handle. Many seed companies are family owned, with a few fulltime employees and a number of seasonal helpers that tend to return year after year. Even in normal times, increasing the staff enough to deal with a large increase in orders would be difficult. During this year’s pandemic, people are understandably reluctant to enter into an unknown work situation, making new hires practically impossible.

2. As with all businesses, keeping employees safe during the pandemic has taken precedence over efficiency. Social distancing means that fewer people can work in a space. Also, time spent sanitizing surfaces and common areas slows down normal operations.

3. Shipping in general is slower due to the global surge in demand. Seed companies have caught up and are again processing orders in a day or two. Once orders leave seed company warehouses however, shipping delays are still occurring.

Why are many of the seeds I order “unavailable at this time?”

As noted above, in normal times, your order is packed shortly after it is received. The overwhelming numbers of orders have created a backlog this year, so that between the time your order is received and the time it is packed, the seed packets you ordered may no longer be in the available inventory. With the hundreds of varieties most seed companies offer, creating a system that allows for packets to be reserved would be difficult if not impossible.

Can’t seed companies just make substitutions, the way grocery delivery services do?

This is easier said than done, considering the large number of offerings each company has. While seed providers understand the frustrations of seed buyers, going over each individual order and agreeing on substitutions would add even more to the backlog.

Is the problem of unavailable seeds happening with all varieties, or are some still readily available?

Vegetable seed orders account for most of the unprecedented increase. Home garden favorites, such as tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers are especially in demand. “Organic seed, generally produced in smaller quantity, has also been selling out quickly,” notes Robb Baumann of True Leaf Market Seed Company. Flower seed packets are still largely available.

Will this be a problem for gardeners next year as well?

Seed companies will be adjusting their projections for 2021, and will pack more seed. Gardening businesses are thrilled that people are discovering gardening in response to the stresses of this health crisis, and will do everything in their power to enable this. Whether you grow in pots on a balcony or in a big backyard plot, the benefits of gardening are undeniable: delicious, super fresh food; physical and mental nourishment; and an element of control during a very difficult time.

What can gardeners do if they can’t find their preferred varieties?

“Be flexible,” suggests Renee Shepherd of Renee’s Garden. “If you can’t find what you’re looking for, try something else. All of our vegetable varieties have been tested, and are well worth growing.”

The good news is this: “It is not too late to start. There are seeds available and there are plenty of things that can still be started and grown from seed, throughout the summer and into fall,” Robb Baumann reminds us.