Wrong Carrot and a Good Seed Company

Each time I trial a new vegetable I take on some form of risk. Perhaps I won’t like the taste of the vegetable or perhaps it won’t grow well in my climate. Most of what I expect in my trials is for a plant to be as advertised, with the assumption that the conditions of my desert climate may be far from ideal. Unfortunately, this last trial of Atomic Red Carrots was quite a disappointment. Some of the carrots turned out orange, while the majority turned out purple on the outside with orange interior – just like my purple dragon carrots. Though the purple carrots from this seed packet were a bit spicier than my Purple Dragon carrots (they were probably cosmic purple), the orange carrots from this packet were reminiscent of the aftertaste of a bland store bought carrot. Fortunately, my family is not too picky when it comes to carrots.

These are definitely NOT Atomic Red carrots

I know that companies occasionally mix up or mislabel vegetable varieties often because a supplier mixed up seed or did not isolate varieties enough. However, when I buy a vegetable variety I exhibit minimal tolerance if a vegetable’s shape or color does not match what is advertised. I would not worry too much about the variety’s characteristics if I did not buy my vegetable seed hoping for specific characteristics – such as carrots that are red.

Good customer service can often make up for mistakes

I did end up talking with the company, and they sent a substitute variety for me. They said that there was probably some mix-up on the part of the supplier. Based on my recent experience I really didn't want to try atomic carrots again, so I decided to try another red carrot variety. While even really good companies occasionally make a mistake, their customer service can often make up for their mistakes. I always give a company several tries to correct their mistakes before I write them off altogether.

When I first find an interesting online seed company, I first try to find more out about it. Because anyone can set up an online company, it is wise to have a healthy dose of skepticism when first dealing with a seed supplier. Dave'sGarden is a good place to look for seed company reviews, and seems to be a pretty good resource for reviews. If 75% of people who buy from a seed company, such as Reimer, have experienced terrible seeds or service - it is probably a good idea to avoid this company in the future.

Though I was hoping for something different - these were tasty.

While I often ignore outstanding reviews such as "This is the best company ever!" I often give consideration to average reviews that tell a story about experiences - and are very specific in their descriptions. By doing so I am being fair to the company that makes a few mistakes while ensuring that I protect myself from an online scam. With all of the seed companies out there, I have often had a lot of good experience with obtaining seeds from a company that produces its seed locally or from a friend who grows in the same climate and conditions as I do.