FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS

We are excited to be able to offer you seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

We choose our variety selection based on what does well in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, USDA hardiness zones 5 - 10. Our seeds generally will also do pretty well in the Midwest. If you live in the Deep South, look for pepper and tomato varieties with good disease resistance, and for southern peas that are vining types. If you live in the Northeast, North, or Pacific NW, when looking for summer crops like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, melons, peanuts, and okra, choose ones with early maturity dates (listed at the beginning of the variety descriptions). In the Pacific NW, some especially heat-loving crops like cotton, okra, and roselle don’t grow well. It is also good to ask. your neighbors what is growing well for them or ask your local gardening group. There are a lot of resources available to help you determine what seeds grow best in your region.

Most seed will last for 2-4 years if stored in a cool, dry, dark place. For best quality, seed needs to be fully dry before storing. Most seeds will keep best if stored in an airtight container in the freezer. Be aware that germination goes down over time, so you may need to sow more of your older seed to get the number of plants you want. We do recommend you invest in seed saving supplies. This will help keep your seeds for a longer period of time. Some types of seed, like onions and parsnips, lose viability much more quickly. For these it is best to buy or save new seed each year.

Store your seeds in a cool, dry, dark place, and keep them protected from insects. An airtight container in the freezer works best for most seeds. A good rule of thumb is that the sum of the temperature (in Fahrenheit) and the percent humidity should be less than 100 (the seed storage index). For example, seeds stored at 50% humidity and 40 degrees Fahrenheit will have a seed storage index of 90 (50 + 40 = 90). In general, the cooler and drier you keep your seeds (the lower the seed storage index), the longer they will last.

Days to maturity is generally given at the beginning of the description for each variety. Maturity will vary with your own location, time of planting, weather, etc. The days to maturity shown on the seed variety packet and in the description is based upon zone 7a (Central Virginia) For example, beans planted in June (when it’s hotter and days are longer) will mature faster than beans planted in April. For most crops we give the number of days from sowing. For certain crops, like tomatoes and broccoli, we give the number of days from transplanting to harvest.

The most conservative definition is: any variety dating to 1940 or earlier. This is the definition we use for our catalog. After 1940, most new plant varieties were bred for large-scale chemical agriculture - for regular irrigation, chemical fertilization and use of chemical pesticides. Newer varieties are often less hardy than heirlooms. However, this is a complex question, and some folks think that "heirloom" can be applied to some post-1940 varieties. ("Heirloom," like "antique," is a term than is often adjusted over time.) With each of our seed catalogs we have an heirloom category which tell you which seeds are heirloom. This section is continually being updated with heirloom varieties being added. If for some reason we have missed categorizing a seed in the "heirloom" filtered category, it will be stated in the description of the seed variety.

Yes, the seed varieties in our online catalogs are all organic.

This is something we hope to be able to offer in the future. We are a small company and we just don't have enough inventory/storage space to sell large seed orders at low bulk prices. However, please sign up for our newsletter below to stay update on what's happening around the homestead.

We do not allow customers to pick up their seeds as we do not have a store front. We will from time to time have a pop-up market stand at various local events. When we offer these, they will be advertised as an event on our website.

At the present time, we do not ship seeds outside the United States.

Yes, we provide tracking numbers for all order we ship. You will receive an email stating that your order has been received and is being processed. After your order is processed you will receive another order stating that it is has been shipped. Your tracking number will be included in that second email.

We are very sorry, but at this point we can’t add items to orders after they’ve been placed.

Please refer to our returns policy on our website.

Yes, upon request we are often able to donate seeds to organizations including seed libraries, school garden programs, food pantries, historical societies, and various organizations working for sustainability and equity of our food systems. Send an e-mail to donations@oldoakhomestead.com. Please include: (1) the name and address of the organization, (2) a brief description of your mission and goals, (3) the numbers of people/ families/ schools/ etc you work with, and/or the amount of land you cultivate, and (4) whether they are particular crops they’d be most interested in. We can’t fulfill requests for particular varieties. Our supply of donation seed is greatest in late fall and early winter. It may take up to 8 weeks for us to get back to you.

Sometimes we can, sometimes we can’t. Send an e-mail to noplacelikehome@oldoakhomestead.com

If you only add a Grow it Forward purchase to your cart, you will notice that a shipping charge is added to the order. The reason why this charge is added is because we mail out seed packets to families and individuals receiving your generous donation. This helps to pay for the cost of shipping for the Grow it Forward seed program only. Thank you for you kindness in helping to feed our communities.