Choosing a crop group order for your first wholesale seed enquiry

A first wholesale seed selection can feel overwhelming when the catalogue contains thousands of entries across vegetables, flowers, herbs, and microgreens. This guide helps a small seed shop decide the order in which to approach these crop groups, using the catalogue's structure and the non-binding enquiry model as practical evidence. The aim is to move from random browsing to a deliberate, low-risk first enquiry.

Why the order of crop groups matters

The catalogue is organised by seed group, species, and variety. Each group has a different depth and different naming conventions. Approaching them in a considered order keeps the first enquiry focused and makes it easier to compare what you selected with what the quotation confirms. Starting with a group you understand well reduces the risk of misreading botanical labels or mixing price bases.

Start with the vegetable group

Vegetables are the broadest group in the catalogue and include familiar species such as tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and kale, lettuce, and root vegetables. Because these are common retail lines, a small shop can usually judge which species its customers expect. Within vegetables, begin with species you already stock or plan to stock, and note the SKU and the recorded unit for each variety. This gives you a concrete first selection before moving to less familiar groups.

Approach peppers and brassicas with care

Some vegetable subgroups need extra attention. Pepper pages distinguish Capsicum baccatum and Capsicum chinense references, and the catalogue explicitly warns against inferring sweetness or heat level from the category alone. Cabbage and kale pages group Brassica greens and named Brassica oleracea selections, with some records using horticultural group names rather than a single accepted species name. When you include these, preserve cultivar and leaf-type qualifiers and check the SKU, rather than treating similar names as interchangeable.

Add herbs as a compact second group

Herbs form a smaller, well-defined group with familiar species such as basil, mint, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, and lavender. For a first enquiry, herbs are a useful second step because they let you test the enquiry process with a modest number of references while still covering a distinct retail category. Select a few herb species that complement your vegetable range, and record quantities in the unit shown on the product page.

Consider flowers after edibles

Flowers are organised into annuals, biennials, and perennials. They can broaden a retail range, but they also introduce seasonal and ornamental considerations that may not match every shop's core customer. Treat flowers as a later addition once the vegetable and herb selection is settled. This keeps the first enquiry manageable and avoids spreading attention across too many unfamiliar species at once.

Treat microgreens and sprouts as a specialist step

Microgreens and sprouts appear as their own group with dedicated seed entries. They suit shops with a specific demand for fresh-growing products, but they are not a default part of a general seed assortment. Include them only if you have a clear reason, and keep the selection small. The catalogue's structure makes it easy to return to this group in a later enquiry once the core range is established.

Use the non-binding enquiry as a low-risk checkpoint

The enquiry basket lets you collect varieties and quantities without placing an order. Submitting an enquiry does not commit you to purchase; availability, pack sizes, final prices, and shipping conditions are confirmed in the quotation. This means the order of crop groups is not a permanent decision. You can start with vegetables, send a first enquiry, review the quotation, and then decide whether to add herbs, flowers, or microgreens in a subsequent enquiry.

Keep units and qualifiers consistent across groups

As you move between crop groups, watch for differences in how quantities are recorded. A price per kilogram is a different basis from a price for a stated number of seeds, and the catalogue asks buyers to use the product's recorded unit. Carry the SKU, the cultivar name, and any qualifiers from each group into your enquiry. This consistency makes the later comparison between basket and quotation more reliable, regardless of which group you started with.

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