Like I did for years, are you searching online for places to buy Indian seeds in the USA? All I could find is some third-party vendors selling Indian-type vegetables, herbs, and flower seeds through online stores like Amazon.
Over the years, I have tried ordering through them ALL. Really. I was desperate to try my hands on Indian Chili pepper seeds, Tulsi (Holy Basil) seeds, Bottle gourd seeds, and those cute, tiny round eggplant seeds. Our Indian backyard vegetable gardens are just not complete without them, are they?
What Indian Vegetable seeds are hard to find online in the USA:
You may find a similar-looking variety of some of the Indian-type vegetables online. Still, the taste is just not the same. For example, many online sources sell ‘Round Purple Eggplant seeds.’ They look pretty like the Indian variety of small, purple eggplant but are very different in taste (Thai eggplant). One is excellent for stuffing, while the other turns mushy when cooked.
Do your research when ordering online. Don’t just order seeds because the picture of the plant or vegetable looks the same as the one you are used to from India. Read description. Ask questions to the seller. Read review.
Here is a list of the most popular Indian vegetable seeds that are hard to find online.
- Indian type chili pepper seeds
- Dosakai seeds
- Moringa seeds
- Tulsi (Holy Basil) seeds
- Bottle gourds seeds
- Bitter gourds seeds
- Ridge Gourd seeds
- Gongura seeds
- Malabar Spinach seeds
- Kheera (Indian cucumber) seeds
- Cluster Beans
- Small Purple eggplant seeds
- Small Purple eggplant seeds
- Hyacinth Beans
- Indian Pumpkin seeds
Why is it hard to find Indian vegetable seeds in the USA?
Out of all the orders I placed for Indian vegetable seeds through different websites, I had mixed luck: Some seeds were just dead. Not even one germinated from the entire packet. Some were very low in germination rate (Germination rate is a percentage of actual seeds sprouting out of the number of seeds sowed). Those experiences were very frustrating.
At the height of my frustration, I decided to order seeds from an Indian Agricultural University directly. I was ready to order and pay for the minimum quantity required for each seed variety, even though the minimum amount needed for the order was in Kilogram!! Yes, I know that is ridiculous, but I was that serious!
However, I knew ordering seeds from India was not that easy (otherwise, many of us adventurous type must have done it by now!). Sneaking in some seeds in the baggage while coming back from a trip to India was out of the question as well. Who wants to be questioned at the US agriculture checkpoint at the arrival for unpermitted seeds?
Then I researched a little deeper; why is it hard to find seeds from other countries in the USA? Here is what I found.
1 Seeds imported from other countries need to be abiding by Government requirements.
Most of the seeds entering the USA require an upfront APHIS permit that meets the US Department of Agriculture requirements. Refer to USDA guidelines for more details.
2. Seeds from a hybrid variety will not produce the same plant as the parent variety.
Have you ever tried planting seeds from a chili pepper you got from the Indian grocery store? Most of the chili peppers sold there are of hybrid varieties. Will the seeds from them germinate if you plant them? Most likely. Will you get the same peppers as you planted? Most likely not. The peppers from the new plant may not be the same as the parent pepper. The new generation may differ in taste, length, color, disease resistance, and spiciness.
Seeds must be saved from the Indian-origin vegetable variety to get the exact characteristics of the parent plant. (For more information, research about Hybrid vs. Heirloom varieties.) How will you get the heirloom plants to get the seeds with the import restrictions? It’s like a catch 22!
3. Seeds need to be saved at the right time.
Seeds saved from an un-ripe or un-mature fruit may not be viable and most likely won’t produce healthy offspring. That’s why farmers and gardeners leave their best fruits on the plant to ripen and save seeds from them. So even though you sneak in a tomato or green chili pepper through US custom, their seeds may not be the best to start the next generation from.
4. Seeds need to go through proper cleaning and curation process.
The seeds saved from a ripe fruit need to go through different processes based on the plant variety. For example, tomato seeds are fermented for several days before cleaning and drying for storage.
5. Seeds need to be appropriately stored for long-term storage.
Not all seeds are stored the same. Cleaned and dried seeds need to be stored based on their native environment. For example, some seeds need to go through a freeze cycle before being planted. In contrast, some seeds will just die if exposed to freezing temperatures. Even though saving seeds in a dry, cool place is enough for most home gardeners, it is not enough if you plan to sell the seeds commercially.
6. Seeds can’t be sold without a government permit.
Like importing the seeds, selling seeds in the USA for financial gain requires licenses and permits from local and/or state government and the USDA. Just because you saved a bunch of seeds from last year’s peppers doesn’t mean you can sell them for money without these permits.
7. Seeds can’t be sold without proper labeling and recordkeeping.
There are stringent recordkeeping, packaging, and labeling requirements that each seed seller is legally required to follow.
Many individuals currently selling seeds online and through marketplaces have neither researched nor followed the abovementioned requirements. And for the established seed companies, going through all this trouble for a small market segment may not have been lucrative enough.
The result?
Most of the small seed vendors may be selling the seeds illegally or without following the proper seed saving and storage guidelines. This is why when you order from an unknown vendor, most likely, those seeds do not produce the same plant as advertised, produce a weak plant, or, worst, don’t germinate.
Where to buy good quality Indian vegetable seeds in the USA?
After many (somewhat failed) attempts over the years, finally I have found a few good gardening friends and a couple of online stores genuinely interested in encouraging gardeners to grow Indian vegetable seeds here in the USA. They have gone through the all the trouble to bring us seeds of Indian varieties from India and adhere to the licensing requirements to sell seeds in the USA.
One of those online stores is IndianPlantsnSeeds.com. I have ordered many of the creeper (vine type) and Bush type vegetables (eggplants, peppers, etc.) seeds through this website. I have been delighted with the results.
Each seed order arrived on time as they promised. I was notified accordingly when the order delivery was delayed because of the COVID issues.
The germination result was excellent. After starting them indoors, most seeds germinated within 5 to 10 days (except Moringa, which naturally takes a little longer). The germination rate was great at about 75%. This is much better than what I have seen with common garden vegetable seed packets I have bought from Lowes and Home Depot in the past.
8 out of 10 cluster beans seeds germinated successfully = 80% germination rate
8 out of 10 small eggplant seeds germinated successfully = 80% germination rate
4 out of 5 Moringa seeds germinated successfully = 80% germination rate
3 out of 5 Bitter Gourd seeds germinated successfully = 60% germination rate
5 out of 5 Bottle gourd seeds germinated successfully = 100% germination rate
I was so happy with the quality of the seeds; I want all of the readers of this website to know about this great source of Indian vegetable seeds.
For the loyal readers of Pinchofseeds.com, there is a special promotion to buy Indian vegetable, flower, and herb seeds at Indianplantsnseeds.com. Read on for more information on how to order and use coupons.
I am an affiliate for Indian Plants and Seeds, which means that if you make a purchase using the coupon codes below, I’ll receive a small commission. I only recommend products that I love and use myself, and I hope you’ll find the same value and appreciation for the product as much as I do!
How to place an order on the Indian Plants N Seeds website:
- Head over to Indianplantsnseeds.com by clicking this link.
- Browse the wide variety of Indian vegetables seeds collections displayed on the homepage, or click the ‘Shop’ button link in the main menu on top.
- Add varieties you want to the shopping cart.
- Click on the shopping cart icon when you are ready to check out.
- Proceed with the payment.
How to save with Coupon and Discount Codes:
After selecting the ‘Check out’ button and accepting the terms and conditions of the sale, you will be presented with a ‘Discount code’ section on the right side of the screen. Depending upon your payment option, this may differ slightly.
Enter one of the discount codes below and click ‘Apply.’ The discount will be applied to the seed items in your shopping cart.
Continue entering the shipping and payment information to complete the order.
Bookmark this page. Visit it before placing each order for the most up-to-date discount codes.
Coupon [Discount] Codes for IndianPlantsNSeeds.com
With these codes, the more you buy, the more you save.
Notice some of the discount codes are also usable by the return customers.
The discount code starts with 3 letters, followed by one or two digits. POS is a short form of Pinch Of Seeds (there is no Zero in the codes below).
6% Off on seed any seed order. Plus, FREE shipping on orders over $19.99. For NEW customers only. Use coupon code: POS6
16% Off on seed orders above $80. Plus, FREE shipping. For NEW and RETURN customers. Use coupon code: POS16
36% Off on seed orders above $500. Plus, FREE shipping. For NEW and RETURN customers. Use coupon code: POS36
51% Off on seed orders above $1000. Plus, FREE shipping. For NEW and RETURN customers. Use coupon code: POS51
Don’t keep these codes to yourself. Instead, share this page with your gardening friends and Facebook groups so they can save on Indian vegetable seeds too!
Did the discount code work?
Have you placed an order on Indinplantsnseeds.com? Did the discount code work for you? Let me know in the comment section below.
Now that you have your seeds coming your way, check out how to nourish the seedlings for the best production you ever had!
Happy gardening!
Disclaimers:
- These discount codes do not apply to plant orders. These are for seed orders only.
- Coupon codes may change at any time.
- Pinchofseeds.com does not give any warranty or guarantee for seeds sold by the seller.
- We may earn a small commission on the transactions where these discount codes are used.
Can I order Indian vegetable seeds,from Canada.
Hello! Unfortunately, the seeds cannot be shipped outside of the USA at this time.
Hope you find the seeds you were looking for locally.
Best luck!
-Gopi