FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions — SemiSauvage Permaculture

Find here the answers to the most frequently asked questions about orders, our seeds, and cultivation: times, delivery, billing, phytosanitary passports, sowing, stratification, etc.

🛒 Orders, site & transactions

📦 Orders & delivery

1. What are the average delivery times?

We prepare and ship your orders within 24 business hours after payment validation. In mainland France, delivery times are generally 2 to 4 business days. Internationally, times vary depending on the destination and local postal service.

2. What are the delivery fees?

Delivery fees are free from €35 purchase, both in France and internationally. Below this amount, a flat rate applies, regardless of the number of items in the order.

3. Do you deliver internationally?

Yes, we deliver worldwide. However, since each country has its own rules for importing seeds or plants, it is the customer's responsibility to inquire beforehand about applicable restrictions or formalities. In case of blockage/refusal by local authorities, our liability cannot be engaged.

4. How to track my order?

As soon as the shipment is made, you receive an email with your tracking number to follow the delivery on the carrier's website. Remember to check your spam folder if the email does not appear.

5. I have not received my order, what should I do?

First check the carrier tracking. If the problem persists, contact us by email or via the contact form: we will open a claim and offer you a solution quickly.

6. Can I modify or cancel my order after purchase?

Yes, as long as the order has not been shipped. Contact us as soon as possible. Once the package is handed over to the carrier, cancellation is no longer possible.

💳 Payment & security

7. What payment methods do you accept?

Bank cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay for simple and secure payment.

8. Is the payment secure?

Yes, all transactions are protected by SSL protocol and processed by reliable payment providers. No banking data is stored on our site.

9. Can I receive an invoice with VAT?

Yes. An invoice with VAT is automatically generated for each order, regardless of the country. It is sent by email upon confirmation and remains downloadable from your customer area. No request is necessary.

🔄 Returns & claims

10. What is your return policy?

You have 14 days after receipt to return unused and unopened products in their original packaging. Returns must be reported by email. Exchange or refund once the return is validated.

11. How to make a return?

Contact us by email or via the contact form. We will provide you with the procedure and the shipping address. Return costs are the responsibility of the customer, except in case of our error.

12. What to do if an item is missing or damaged?

Send us a photo and your order number upon receipt: we will process your request quickly (reshipment or refund depending on the situation).

📞 Support & contact

13. How to contact you?

By email at semisauvage@gmail.com or via our contact form. We personally respond to every message.

14. What is your response time?

Generally within 24 business hours. In high season, a slight delay is possible but we remain responsive.

🌱 Our seeds & products

🌿 Types & quality

1. What types of seeds do you offer?

Vegetable, flower, aromatic, medicinal seeds and useful varieties in permaculture (green manure, companion/repellent plants). All our seeds are reproducible, non-hybrid (no F1), and untreated.

2. Are your seeds reproducible?

Yes. Derived from population/peasant varieties, they reproduce true to type from one generation to the next: you can harvest your seeds every year.

3. Do you sell F1 hybrids?

No. We do not market any F1 hybrid varieties.

4. Are your seeds certified organic?

They come from organic farming or untreated peasant seeds, selected for hardiness, genetic diversity, and germination quality.

5. Do you provide a phytosanitary passport for abroad?

Yes. For the species concerned, a European phytosanitary passport is affixed to the sachet, in accordance with EU regulations. Outside the EU, import rules vary: the customer must check locally.

6. Do the sachets contain labels or accessories?

Yes, a small wooden label to identify your seedlings. The sachets protect against moisture and light and remain compostable/recyclable.

🧺 Storage & viability

7. What is the shelf life of seeds?

Generally 1 to 4 years under good conditions. Some species (e.g., lotus) can remain viable much longer. The indicative duration is on each packet.

8. How to properly store seeds?

Place dry, cool, away from light (metal box, airtight jar). Avoid humidity and temperature fluctuations.

🍄 Mycelium & mushrooms

9. How does a mushroom culture kit work?

Each kit contains liquid or solid mycelium ready to inoculate on a suitable substrate (straw, chips, wood…). A detailed manual guides inoculation, incubation, fruiting, and harvesting.

10. How long does it take to harvest the mushrooms?

Depending on the variety:
Oysters / button mushrooms: first fruitings in ~2 to 8 weeks after inoculation.
Forest mushrooms (morels, porcini, etc.): several months to 2 years to establish before fruiting.
Truffle: up to 6 years before the first fruiting.

11. Is it possible to reuse the culture kit?

Yes. Kits can be kept for several weeks in the refrigerator before use to stagger your trials. However, the same substrate cannot be used indefinitely: it becomes depleted over cycles. To extend, inoculate a new fresh substrate from the mycelium.

🌿 Sowing & planting

🌱 Sowing & cultivation

1. When and how to sow your seeds?

Each product sheet indicates the recommended sowing period. On our site, we also specify the ideal temperature, the possible need for stratification, and the optimal period according to the climate. In general: annuals in spring (after frosts); perennials/trees in autumn or spring (sometimes after a cold period). For more information, consult the blog Le Coin des Graines.

2. How to know if a seed needs stratification?

The stratification (cold and moist) breaks dormancy of many perennials, shrubs, and forest species. This is indicated on each product sheet. Also see our guide All about stratification.

3. Should seeds be soaked before sowing?

Useful for seeds with hard coats (lotus, peas/legumes, certain flowers): soaking for a few hours to overnight in warm water. The product sheet indicates if this step is necessary.

4. What is the ideal sowing depth?

Generally: very small seeds on the surface (thin layer of potting soil); medium seeds at 2–3× their diameter; large seeds deeper. Water gently to avoid moving them.

5. What are the ideal conditions for good germination?

Suitable temperature (often 18–22 °C for vegetables), moist but not waterlogged substrate, soft/indirect light and good ventilation to limit mold.

6. Do you offer advice for beginners?

Yes. Clear and illustrated articles: starting a vegetable garden, successful sowing (indoor/outdoor), basic techniques (stratification, soaking, transplanting…). Free access: Advice & Permaculture.

🌾 Cultivation & maintenance

7. Which varieties are suitable for balconies or small spaces?

Varieties for pots/planters (herbs, flowers, compact vegetables). Discover our kits: Terrace & balcony seed kit (flowering) and Balcony/terrace seed kit (vegetable garden). Each sheet specifies if the variety is suitable for pots, balconies, or open ground.

8. What are the sowing periods according to the seasons?

Spring: preferred period for most vegetables, annual flowers, herbs, and fast-growing perennials.
Autumn: ideal for trees, shrubs, perennials, and species benefiting from natural winter stratification.
Summer: suitable for staggered sowing (lettuce, radishes, green manure) to extend the harvest.

9. How to harvest and store your own seeds?

Select the best specimens (shape, vigor, taste). Avoid damaged or late fruits. Let fully ripen, harvest in dry weather, sort and store in paper bags or airtight containers away from moisture and heat. Our varieties being reproducible, you can sow them year after year.