Migrating a seeds and microgreens store from WooCommerce to Shopify (2026)

Seed retail is a specialist market serving home gardeners, allotment holders, small-scale commercial growers, and microgreens enthusiasts. The UK has specific seed marketing regulations requiring variety registration and germination rate standards. The market divides between commodity vegetable seeds (high volume, competitive) and heritage/unusual varieties (specialist, higher margin). Microgreens have grown as a separate market serving both home growers and food businesses. Migrating to Shopify suits seed retail, with attention required to regulatory compliance.

Product categories

• Vegetable seeds: Tomatoes, courgettes, beans, brassicas, salad leaves. By variety name.
• Flower seeds: Hardy annuals, half-hardy annuals, perennials, wildflowers.
• Heritage and heirloom seeds: Open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties. Seed saving potential.
• F1 hybrid seeds: Commercial hybrids with high uniformity and yield. Cannot be saved.
• Microgreens seeds: Radish, peas, sunflower, broccoli, cress for indoor growing.
• Sprouting seeds: Alfalfa, mung beans, lentils for sprouting — food product.
• Herb seeds: Basil, coriander, parsley, dill. Culinary herbs.
• Seed collections and gift sets: Curated sets by theme (salad garden, pizza garden, cut flower).

UK seed marketing regulations

The UK Seed Marketing Regulations 2011 govern the commercial sale of seeds:

• National List registration: most vegetable and agricultural species must be registered on the UK National List or EU Common Catalogue before commercial sale
• Variety name: the registered variety name must be used in marketing — trade names may be used alongside but not instead of the registered name
• Germination rate: seeds must meet minimum germination standards by species — these are stated in the Regulations; germination rate must be tested and meets standards
• Analytical purity: seeds must meet purity standards (proportion of seeds of the intended variety vs other matter)
• Labelling requirements: official seed labels must include: variety, species, batch reference, germination rate, net weight or seed count, and supplier details
• Heritage seed exchange: seed libraries and heritage variety exchanges operate under exemptions — note if selling heritage seeds outside the registration framework

product.metafields.seeds.species = "Lycopersicon esculentum"   // botanical name
product.metafields.seeds.variety = "Alicante"                  // registered variety name
product.metafields.seeds.f1_hybrid = "false"
product.metafields.seeds.germination_rate_pct = "90"
product.metafields.seeds.seed_count = "25"
product.metafields.seeds.weight_g = "0.5"
product.metafields.seeds.harvest_days = "75"                   // days from sowing to harvest
product.metafields.seeds.sow_months = "Feb-Apr"
product.metafields.seeds.harvest_months = "Jul-Sep"

Organic certification

Organic seeds command a premium and serve certified organic growers:

• Soil Association and OF&G (Organic Farmers and Growers): main UK organic certification bodies — certification number must be displayed
• Certified organic growers: commercial organic growers are required to use organic seed where available — significant B2B demand for certified organic seed
• Untreated seeds: note if seeds are untreated (no fungicide or pesticide coating) — important for organic and allotment growers
• Demeter biodynamic: some retailers also carry Demeter-certified biodynamic seed

product.metafields.seeds.organic_certified = "true"
product.metafields.seeds.certification_body = "Soil Association"
product.metafields.seeds.cert_number = "SA-ORG-12345"
product.metafields.seeds.seed_treatment = "Untreated / Primed / Film-coated"

Microgreens seeds: food safety considerations

Microgreens seeds are grown for consumption — additional considerations apply:

• Food-grade seeds: microgreens seeds sold for consumption must be food-grade — untreated, not coated with fungicides or pesticides not approved for food use
• Sprouting seeds: seeds sold for sprouting (alfalfa, mung) are consumed raw — higher food safety risk; note sourcing and testing
• Pathogen testing: commercial microgreens businesses require pathogen-tested seed; offer food-safety documentation for commercial buyers
• Growing instructions: detailed growing guides on product pages reduce support queries and increase customer success

Plant Breeders Rights (PBR)

Some varieties are protected by Plant Breeders Rights:

• PBR-protected varieties: protected variety names cannot be used for commercial seed without a licence from the rights holder
• Seed saving restriction: PBR-protected varieties cannot be saved and replanted commercially without a licence — note on F1 hybrid and PBR-protected varieties
• Open-pollinated heritage varieties: no PBR — seeds can be saved and regrown; strong marketing point for allotment and heritage growers

Post-migration checklist for seeds and microgreens stores

• Species and variety: botanical species name and registered variety name on all seed products
• Germination rate: stated as percentage; meets UK Seed Marketing Regulations minimum standard
• F1 hybrid: noted clearly; note that F1 seeds cannot be saved
• Organic: certification body and cert number on certified organic seeds
• Seed treatment: untreated/primed/film-coated noted — critical for organic gardeners
• Microgreens: food-grade status noted; growing instructions on product page