Pacific Seed Bank is one of the largest U.S. seed banks. Additionally, the bank is one of the few in the U.S. distributing seeds from across the globe. Many growers also appreciate that all Pacific Seed Bank stock is feminized or autoflower. The Pacific Seed Bank store also delivers a 90% germination guarantee on all seeds. These plus a large assortment, make Pacific a very popular choice for growers.
Pacific Seed Bank Overview:
- 90% germination guarantee
- Only feminized and autoflower strains
- Almost 1000 seed options in the store
- $9.95 flat-rate shipping to the U.S. (free for orders over $500)
- Accepts bitcoin and other discrete payment options
- 50+ high CBD strains available
- Seeds sourced from breeders in the U.S., Canada, and Europe
Continue reading our Pacific Seed Bank review below to learn more about their features and benefits.
Topics
Market Position, Reputation, & History
Pacific Seed Bank is one of the oldest online seed banks in the United States. While formally headquartered in Spain, it operates a warehouse in California. Additionally, Pacific Seed Bank began selling internationally n 2018. Therefore, they’ve been selling seeds to the U.S. for 5+ years.
Unfortunately, Pacific also has reputation issues. Customers complain about slow or poor customer service. There are also many reports of shipping delays. And, with some growers complaining that seeds are small and grow poorly, PSB definitely has issues. However, the seed bank also maintains a large, loyal following. Their seeds are legitimate and sourced from mostly in-house breeders. At the same time, they do have a lot of complaints regarding seed quality, germination rate, and customer service.
Therefore, you might want to review other seed banks before choosing Pacific. They might not be the best fit for you. This is especially true if you’re concerned about shipping times.
Selection of Seeds
Pacific Seed Bank claims to offer 150+ strains. In fact, they likely offer more. Their shop lists 980+ different products for sale. However, unlike most competitors, all options in the Pacific Seed Bank store are feminized or autoflower. That does mean pricing is more expensive than some competitors. However, it might be a positive for growers who want to avoid the risk of male seeds.
Additionally, PSB sources seeds from across the globe. The Pacific Seed Bank store claims to have breeders in the U.S., Canada, and parts of Europe. That means you can access diverse genetics and strains in one place. However, most listed on their site are reputable, U.S. breeders.
Autoflower
Autoflower seeds are strains of Indica or Sativa (or hybrids) bred with Cannabis Ruderalis. Indica and Sativa strains don’t mature until autumn, when days get shorter and most natural light shifts to a bluer frequency. These are “Photoperiod” strains. Cannabis ruderalis can flower throughout the year. Mixing Cannabis ruderalis with Indica and Sativa transfers this “autoflower” trait to the larger plants.
While autoflower strains normally have a lower yield than photoperiod, many grow quickly and easily enough that it doesn’t matter. PSB offers a large selection of autoflower feminized seeds. In fact, the shop has over 300 listings. These seeds are from breeders like Willis Farms, Dutchman Farms, CBD Depot, and other heavy hitting breeders.
Femininized
Feminized seeds are bred to be entirely female. This is achieved by stressing a female plant to produce male sex features, mainly pollen. This is then used to pollinate another female plant, creating seeds with no male chromosomes. The result, every seed is guaranteed female. Because you need female plants to grow cannabis, that’s ideal for many growers. While the question of how feminizing seeds impacts the plant and harvest is a big one, feminized seeds are incredibly popular.
The Pacific Seed Bank also only offers feminized seeds. Every seed in their shop is feminized. That means you can rely on getting bud from any plant you grow to maturation. Like the Autoflower strains, feminized strains are bred by an impressive array of growers. For example, Norcal Farms, Mendocino Farms, Dutchman Seeds, and DNA Crew all sell through PSB.
Pacific Seed Bank also stocks a wide range of seeds. For example, you’ll find classics like Afghan Kush, Amnesia, and White Widow. You’ll also find modern favorites like Wedding Cake, Skywalker OG, and Rare Dankness.
CBD
CBD seeds are bred to contain high CBD content. In most cases, they’re also bred to have a lower THC count. That’s ideal for medical users looking for stress relief or pain relief with minimal high. Pacific Seed Bank also has a relatively large selection of CBD seeds. At the time of writing this review, their shop contained 50 different options. Of these, most are hybrids. However, about 20% are pure Indica.
Pacific Seed Bank’s CBD seed selection also includes favorites. For example, they offer Blueberry CBD, Painkiller XL, and Lemon Haze CBD. Additionally, most of PSB’s CBD seeds come from Original Harvest and the CBD Depot.
Quality of Seeds
Pacific Seed Bank appears to be somewhat hit and miss regarding seeds. Some growers rave about them on social media and forums. Others quote small seed size. Because good genes contribute to plant size, growth, and disease resistance, this could be important. However, Pacific Seed Bank does source from a large number of very reputable breeders. It’s unlikely that those breeders send a lower quality of seed stock to Pacific than to other seed banks. Therefore, if you’re concerned about seed quality, you might want to avoid PSB’s in-house breeders.
Otherwise, it may be a good idea to look at reviews before you buy. Stories abound of seeds not being quite what was expected. Some sellers also claim to have received something other than ordered. That may make buying from this seed seller less attractive for many.
Seed Pricing
Pacific Seed Bank offers normal-to-high pricing in comparison with most competitors. While Pacific Seed Banks claims their higher pricing relates to feminized seeds, that isn’t always the case. For example, if you compare the price of feminized seeds across some of the top seed banks in the U.S., Pacific Seed tends to top the list for price.
For example, if you take White Widow feminized seeds:
- Pacific Seed Bank Feminized White Widow – $99 for 10 seeds + $9.95 shipping
- I Love Growing Marijuana Feminized White Widow – $119 for 20 seeds + Free Shipping
- Seedsman Feminized White Widow – $73.45 for 10 seeds + Average $10 shipping
- Ministry of Cannabis Feminized White Widow – $54 for 10 seeds + $15-$40 (express) shipping
- Marijuana Seeds NL Feminized White Widow – $110 for 10 seeds + $7-$25 (guaranteed stealth) shipping
So, while Pacific Seed bank is far from the most expensive option, it’s also far from the cheapest. That may or may not impact your choice of seed bank, depending on your priorities and what you’re looking for.
Additionally, the Pacific Seed Bank store normally standardizes pricing. That means you can expect to pay an average of $99 per 10 seeds, no matter what they are. This can be advantageous if you’re looking for something that’s more expensive on other sites.
Please note: Prices quotes were correct at the time of writing (June 2021). These prices were taken from the official webshops of the seedbanks mentioned. Additionally, these prices do not include any additional costs the vendor may levy, if any. All pricing is subject to change at any time. Therefore, our research should be considered a ballpark of final pricing, not a guaranteed total.
Germination Guarantee
Pacific Seed Bank offers a 90% germination guarantee on all seeds. However, to qualify for the germination guarantee, you have to completely follow the PSB germination guide. This means if you use a different germination method, you don’t qualify for a refund. Additionally, it’s a good idea to document the germination process with photos.
Additionally, the guarantee is placed on a 2 seed minimum. If you order just one seed, there is no guarantee. This also means that not all orders will be guaranteed. For example, let’s say you order 10 seeds and 8 of them germinate. That means you have 2 duds. PSB will replace both. If you order 5 seeds and 4 germinate, you only have 1 dud. PSB will not replace it. Additionally, if you order 100 seeds and 90 germinate, PSB will not replace the other 10.
Finally, PSB limits their guarantee to seeds ordered within the previous 60 days. After the 60-day limit, you can no longer apply for a replacement.
Plus, if you do request seed replacement, you are responsible for paying shipping. In some cases, that’s almost as or more expensive than simply buying a new batch of seeds.
Pacific Seed Bank Shipping & Delivery
Pacific Seed Bank has a poor reputation for fast shipping. However, it does provide fairly standardized shipping. For example, anyone living in the U.S. can have a discreet package mailed to them for $9.95. That’s comparable or cheaper than most other seed banks.
However, if the order is lost, you are responsible for contacting USPS. If that fails, PSB offers to intervene. However, they do not offer to replace the order. In fact, Pacific Seed Bank is one of the few of the large seed banks to not offer a shipping guarantee.
Shipping Times
PSB ships using USPS. Additionally, all packages include a track and trace number. And, Pacific states that most packages arrive within 5-7 days. However, many reviewers state that delivery times often take twice that time. While that’s likely a USPS issue, it may be important to keep in mind.
Shipping Costs
All U.S. orders are shipped for a flat fee of $9.95. There are also no expedited or rush options available to U.S. customers.
Stealth / Discrete Shipping Options
PSB offers discrete shipping as a standard. All packaging ships without labels or markers. You can request a plain padded envelope for maximum privacy. In most cases, all seeds are shipped in glass vials. You can contact Pacific in advance to request a different shipping method.
Accepted Payment Methods
Pacific Seed Bank accepts a range of payment methods. However, you cannot pay with card without using Mesh. This may be a problem for anyone who normally pays with card. However, you can pay with:
Check or Money Order – You can mail Pacific Seed Bank a certified or cashier’s check or a money order for payment. If you do so, you’ll get 3 free seeds with your order. PSB does not ship orders until they process the payment.
Zelle – Zelle is an app offering direct bank-to-bank transfers. PSB accepts Zelle. Additionally, it’s the fastest way to get your order if you want to buy online.
Mesh – Mesh is a digital application offering card processing. If you sign up for an account, you can pay for orders of up to $1000. However, mesh has an 8% processing fee.
Cryptocurrency – PSB also accepts various cryptocurrency. For example, they accept Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum.
Pacific Seed Bank Reviews & Ratings
Pacific Seed Bank has a mediocre reputation. However, most complaints relate to poor customer service. Many also relate to the company’s poor and lack of refund policy in case seeds go missing in the mail. For example, the company has 2-star review on the Better Business Bureau. That’s very bad.
Additionally, the store has a 2.5-star rating on Trustpilot. Here, a lot of reviews relate to quality of seeds. For example, several buyers claim the seeds they received resulted in hermaphrodite plants. Others claim extremely low germination rates. Additionally, many complaints relate to poor customer service. However, Pacific does have a 90% response rate. This could mean improvement in the customer service team. In either case, PSB has a reputation which should inspire some caution.
Pacific Seed Bank Coupon Codes, Discounts, & Promotions
Pacific Seed Bank does not offer a lot of discounts. However, you can easily find discount codes of 10-25% off on the web. For example, the web shop appears to reward many customers with a discount code after they leave a review. Additionally, you can always get three free seeds by paying with a check or money order.
Otherwise, PBS has few regular offers. Unlike many competitors, they do not normally offer free seeds with the order. This means you’ll have to pay the standardized full price. That is, $99 for 10 seeds or $29 for 3. You can, however, get cheaper pricing by ordering more seeds at once.
Website Usability
Pacific Seed Bank’s webshop is relatively easy to use. Site navigation is simple. Additionally, the search bar only searches for products. This makes it very easy to find the seeds you are looking for. However, it might make it more difficult if you want to look up policy or shipping standards.
The checkout process is also relatively simple. However, payment can be more difficult than with many competitors. For example, once you click through to place the order, you’ll have to choose one of three payment options. Then, you’ll either have to drop a check in the mail, transfer cryptocurrency, or find an app on your phone.
Overall, we’d rate the full website as a 3.5/5 for usability and a 2.5/5 for payments.
Pacific Seed Bank FAQ
If you still have questions, this FAQ should help.
Is Pacific Seed Bank Safe?
Pacific Seed Bank does not offer refunds. It also does not offer a shipping guarantee. This means that if your seeds go missing in the mail, it is your problem. This makes Pacific less safe than competitors that do offer this guarantee.
Where is Pacific Seed Bank Located?
Pacific Seed Bank officially headquarters in Barcelona Spain. However, the shop’s U.S. headquarters are in Santa Rosita, California.
Where Does Pacific Seed Bank Ship From?
PSB claims that all U.S. orders ship from its warehouse in Santa Rosita, California. If you live in another country, that might not be the case.
How Does Pacific Seed Bank Ship to Canada?
Pacific Seeds does not have an official shipping policy for Canada. Additionally, if you go into checkout, Pacific Seed Bank does not currently offer any shipping options to Canada. However, the webshop does have a custom Canada shipping landing page. This means you may be able to contact them for a custom rate.
Summary
Pacific Seed Bank is one of the oldest seed banks in the U.S. However, its recent reputation leaves a lot to be desired. At the same time, flat rates on shipping and seeds can be tempting. If you do order with the company, make sure you order during a period outside of peak postage use to reduce losing your package, as PSB will not help. Otherwise, look for seeds from quality breeders to reduce the chances of poor-quality seeds.
Harry is a cannabis growing veteran, recognized marijuana seed cultivation expert and founder of GrowReporter. Harry has spent the last 20+ years educating thousands of people about his techniques and methods.