100% Michiana Grown Staple Crop Seeds that Empower Your Plant-based Lifestyle Goals

Germination Requirements


We dedicate our efforts during the growing season to ensure the seeds we harvest and offer to you are top quality. After harvest, every batch of seed is tested to determine its germination percentage. The seeds sold by Great Lakes Staple Seeds must meet or exceed federal germination standards set forth in the Federal Seed Act and if they do not, we do not include them in our inventory. An example is our 2017 Blue Hubbard Squash crop - their germination percentage is just 72%, so that year we did not sell their seeds.

Section 201.31: Germination standards for vegetable seeds in interstate commerce. The following germination standards for vegetable seeds in interstate commerce, which shall be construed to include hard seed, are determined and established under section 403(c) of the act:

Crop Germination percentage
Bean, garden 70
Bean, broadbean 75
Bean, lima 70
Cowpea 75
Cucumber 80
Okra 50
Pea 80
Pepper 55
Pumpkin 75
Soybean 75
Squash 75
Tomato, husk 50
Watermelon 70
All other vegetable seed not specified 50

 

 

pdf file of the Federal Seed Act