Seed Swap Guide

Tips for Community Seed Saving and Sharing at the Seed Exchange

Tips for Community Seed Saving and Sharing at the Seed Exchange at Seedy Saturday. It's THE place to be for gardening enthusiasts and newcomers alike to swap seeds, share knowledge, and celebrate the joy of plants.

Bring Your Seeds

If you have extra seeds you'd like to share, bring them along! Here are a few tips to ensure the exchange goes smoothly:

Clean Your Seeds: Please clean your seed - remove all plant parts, chaff, stems, etc. and ensure the seed is dry and in good condition.
Pack Your Seeds: Place clean seeds into individual envelopes to keep them organized and prevent them from mixing with others. Each seed pack should contain enough seed for a 4ft row of crop, eg. 10 tomato seeds, 25 bush bean seeds etc. For native plants, include enough for a square foot seedling tray eg. 30-80 seeds depending on seed size.
Label Your Envelopes: Clearly label each envelope with the seed type, variety, year collected and any pertinent growing instructions. This information is invaluable to fellow gardeners and helps ensure successful planting.
We have limited space and supplies for seed sorting and labelling at the exchange tables, so we ask that you do your best to come with seeds already individually packed and sorted.

Where: 55 York Blvd - Hamilton Library Central Branch, 4th floor.

When: February 7th, 2026 between 10 AM to 3 PM

No Seeds? No Problem!

Even if you don't have seeds to swap, you're still welcome to join the fun:

Shop the Swap: Browse through the available seeds and take what you need for your garden. Please only take the quantity of seeds that you will actually plant in the year, so we have enough for everyone!
Support the Swap: If you find yourself without seeds this year, consider making a monetary contribution to help keep the Seed Exchange thriving.
Plan for Next Year: Learn how to collect dry and wet seeds and how you can organize your garden for seed collecting next year.

Supporting the Seed Exchange

The Seed Exchange relies on community support to continue flourishing. Here are a few ways you can contribute:

Seed Donations: If you have a surplus of seeds, consider donating them to Green Venture in advance. Our volunteers begin to sort seeds in November in preparation for the swap. Donations can be dropped off at EcoHouse during office open hours on Fridays from 10 am-4 pm, or by appointment at other times.
Monetary Contributions: Financial donations help cover the cost of envelopes, labels and other event costs and ensure the Seed Exchange can continue to grow and serve the community.
Volunteer: Offer your time and skills to help us sort seeds, assist at the event, or spread the word about the Seed Exchange in your community.

More information: [email protected]

TO DONATE SEEDS IN ADVANCE:

Drop off or mail to:

22 Veevers Drive, Hamilton, L8K 5P5

Fridays 10 am-4 pm, or by appointment

TO DONATE FUNDS:

Visit: Donate Online

Via E-transfer to [email protected] [email protected]

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