United States Garden Seeds Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The United States Garden Seed Market is projected to register a CAGR of 3.7% during the forecast period (2022-2027). Although COVID-19 had disrupted the supply chain, owing to the restriction on movement placed by the government had resulted in people spending time at home. The people started to focus on gardening to spend time resulting in a spike in demand for garden seeds. Companies such as Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Fairfield, Maine, saw a 270% jump in orders in the week of March when a national emergency over the coronavirus was declared.

A growing interest in sustainability among consumers has led to an increase in the home food gardens in the country. In the United States, a massive influx of young generation, particularly millennials, is showing interest in home gardening. While some of the millennials’ interest lies in food gardening, the young gardeners are also branching out beyond vegetable gardening into flowers and other ornamental seeds. The internet today is providing convenience to a shopper, along with instant satisfaction. It is easier to purchase a variety of options, including seeds, over the internet. Additionally, the growing internet marketing and sales trend, along with consumers’ positive outlook toward home gardening, is boosting the online sales for gardening seeds in the United States.

The vegetable segment is expected to be the fastest-growing segment. Tomato, cusumber and othe vegetables are observed to grown more. With so many people showing interest into gardening for the first time, there had also been a push to pool resources and collective knowledge on home food production. Further, the freshness and relatively better flavor of homegrown herbs are the primary factors leading to the increasing cultivation of herbs in home gardens.

Key Market Trends

The Vegetable Seeds Segment Lead the Seeds Market in the United States

The vegetable seed segment is the largest segment, holding almost 48.3% of the market share in 2021. It is also the fastest-growing segment. Tomato is the most popular homegrown vegetable in the United States during the year. There is an increased interest in edible gardening. This shows the importance of having a good supplier of seeds and seedlings.

Currently, tomato seeds dominate the vegetable seed segment and are anticipated to retain the position over the forecast period. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, four out of five people favor tomatoes over any other homegrown food. The National Gardening Association also stated that 86% of the US households grew tomatoes in gardens. Additionally, 95% of all American gardeners are found to grow 700 different varieties of tomatoes. Increasing consumer preference toward organic foods has also led to an increased number of households shifting to the cultivation of organic carrots and, thus, pushing up the demand for carrot seeds. Moreover, the players of the market are also promoting the sales of organic carrot seeds certified with CCOF & USDA certified organic, non-GMO, and open-pollinated.

Increasing Trend Of Kitchen Gardening

Kitchen gardening or home gardening is a practice of growing vegetable crops in residential houses, to meet the vegetative requirements, which are on the rise in the United States. Most popular homegrown vegetable crops are tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, beans, carrots, summer squash, onions, hot peppers, lettuce, and peas.

The age group between 18-35 years is more focused on growing herbs, with almost 4 of every 10 persons growing their own chives, cilantro, etc. In addition to these factors, the focus on better tasting food, and the need for improved quality of food as well as for saving money on food bills are driving the kitchen gardening practice in the United States.

With people following recommendations to stay home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, stocking up on foods and other necessities is being extremely difficult and is often discouraged as well. The empty grocery store shelves are leaving customers worried about the certainty of a continuous supply of fresh produce in the near future. To tackle such situations, people are increasingly opting to grow their own.

Interest in gardening remains strong in 2021 as gardening trends are driven by the Covid pandemic. In 2021, National Gardening Association conducted a study on gardening statistics in the United States and found that gardening participation ramped up from pre-pandemic years. Covid pandemic created 18.3 million new gardeners, most of whom are millennials.

Competitive Landscape

The United States garden seeds market is fragmented, with major players occupying 26.7% and others accounting for 73.2% of the total share. W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Green Garden, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, and Garden’s Alive are the key players in the market studied. There are more than 100 companies catering to the garden seed market in the United States.

In terms of market dominance, W. Atlee Burpee with around Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Green Garden Products, and Garden’s Alive occupy a notably higher share in the market for garden seed.

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