Seeds - think about them now

[Arrowwind]

Now, any time now, is the right time to think about seeds.

Before the winter ends, if you have not done it already or if you still have done nothing, now is the time to asses your seed storage and to be sure you are prepared for the summer as well as for lean years that may come.

Do you have enough seed to get you through at least 3 seasons? Do you have enough to trade? Will you plants produce seed that will grow a new crop? Have you tested the seed from the crops you do have for germination potential. If your seed does not at least 50% germinate it might be good to look for a seed that produces better.

Are your seeds the best for your climate, zone, altitude?

Seeds can store for many years if stored in dry and dark places. Refrigeration will lengthen their life in some cases. If in doubt put them in the frige, well sealed to protect against humidity.

Some seed catalogues will take orders now for specific seed and plant start purchases that must be delivered in by a specific time.. like asparagus.

Asparagus is a great food and if you have none in your garden start some this spring. This is the plant that will keep on giving year after year. It is best to purchase developed starts. Although they are more expensive they will save you time in the long run and you will be purchasing less asparagus at the store.

Starting asparague from seed takes two to three years before a crop is produced.

Make sure your orders for garlic are in to the seed company by mid summer for a fall planting.

[Asante Sana]

Where do you recommend buying seeds? I had heard of a company in the US where their seeds are organic, non gmo and have a very long shelf life, but unfortunately, I have forgotten the name.

[Arrowwind]

It is best to purchase seeds from companies that are close to you. These seeds should be best aclimatized to your environment.

Just ask the company. Those that sell none GMO ususally will say so., as well as organic, and organic seeds are generally more expenisve which I do not waste my money on. My garden is organic and I think that is good enough, then the seeds I collect are organic from there.

There are many seed compaines... do a search. They are generally forthright in the type of seed that they carry. If they give no info at all find a different company.

Hybrd seeds may not reproduce for you... but some will... and hybrid seeds can be very good also as the plant is developed to resist diseases and different weather conditions so don't fully discount those. ... hybrids that can produce feritle seed can be an excellent choice but they need to be tested... as over the course of several years of seed collection they can revert back to difficult strains to grow. Some catalogues will tell you what you can expect... but most say nothing on this topic... they want you to keep purchasing

When planting different strains of the same crop be sure to plant them far away from each other so they don't hybridize on their own.

I have found that some people don't understand the difference between GMO and hybrid seed... time to learn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_seed

[tgn333]

arrowwind,

i am in complete agreement thank you, thank you, thank you,

perhaps this thread is a good place to start a list of the best seed companies for folks that need sources.

turtle tree turtletreeseed.org a great source for biodynamic organic seeds

siskiyou seeds for southern oregon varieties or similiar climates siskiyouseeds.com

peaceful valley groworganic.com huge resource for all sorts of garden stuff

many seed companies have been gobbled up by corporations that may not be our friends.

and for converting your yard to food, please check out scottallenmcguire.com
he has a dvd that gets folks up and running.

how to build community: feed each other

much love and happy soil,
tgn333

[lightblue]

heritage seeds have been banned for sale in the EU..i know it sucks, but does anyone know a supplier that would dispacth to the EU without it taking for ever? i wouild like to buy some more..

i had ordered some in the past, and it took a month and a half to reach our shores....when it arrived, the parcel looked as if it traveled many different time lines....honest... :yes4: l

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[Ella]

heritage seeds have been banned for sale in the EU..i know it sucks, but does anyone know a supplier that would dispacth to the EU without it taking for ever? i wouild like to buy some more..

i had ordered some in the past, and it took a month and a half to reach our shores....when it arrived, the parcel looked as if it traveled many different time lines....honest... :yes4: l

.

.

Hi lightblue,

Are heritage seeds the same as heirloom seeds? If so I think I can help. When in England I have purchased seed from www.realseeds.co.uk and now in Sweden i order from http://www.runabergsfroer.se/, both are excellent sites (though the latter is in Swedish - i think you should be able to figure it out). Hope this helps.

Ella.

[Donna O]

Why have heritage seeds been banned? Do you have any other info? Thanks


heritage seeds have been banned for sale in the EU..i know it sucks, but does anyone know a supplier that would dispacth to the EU without it taking for ever? i wouild like to buy some more..

i had ordered some in the past, and it took a month and a half to reach our shores....when it arrived, the parcel looked as if it traveled many different time lines....honest... :yes4: l

.

.

[Arrowwind]

I have not done business with this group but it may be something to look at.
This is were heritage seed folks trade and sell their seeds to one another.

I am shocked to hear that Heritage seeds are now illegal in the EU.

I thought EU was in general anti GMO... so only hybrid seeds are permitted?

http://www.seedsavers.org/

[lightblue]

lelah
Why have heritage seeds been banned? Do you have any other info? Thanks

lelah, i shared your surprise whan i first read it last year and i saw in in garden shops...usual high street outlets do not offer it any more..they sell engineered ones..i am happy this does not apply to online sellars..

it's sad i know, the uk was at the forefront of resisting GM crops at the time..

thanks ella and arrowwind, i definately want to order some for my mother's little veg garden..

another thing - ella, i am not sure if i know the difference between heritage and hairloom seeds...or if there is one..


thanks again :yu: l.

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[sister]

Tutorial on saving tomato seeds from the Victory Seed Company:
http://www.vintageveggies.com/information/seedsave_tomato.html

You can also purchase top quality heirloom seeds from them online:
http://www.victoryseeds.com/aboutus.html

[Heartsong]

www.territorialseed.com
Check out this site and search for "heirloom". They also have a catalog.

[Muzz]

Hi
Ive ordered from these guys before. http://www.realseeds.co.uk/

Just been out in my garden, what a great way to spend the day.
Cheers
Muzz

[Nenuphar]

For heirloom/non GMO seeds in Canada, I highly recommend:

Salt Spring Seeds
http://www.saltspringseeds.com/

Heritage Harvest (they sell several very rare and unusual heirloom seeds. I believe they also ship to the USA.)
http://www.heritageharvestseed.com/

Annapolis Seeds
http://annapolisseeds.com/

[lisalu]

here in Maine is a good seed company www.johnnyseeds.com they have heirloom and organic seeds

[toad]

Seeds are great, what a wonderful thing. I have one question, that perhaps someone can enlighten me on; Do you store all seeds the same? Should certain seeds be stored differently? In nature you'd think that depending on location all the seeds would be viable on the ground for a long time, I would imagine cold and dark would be ideal, but is this the same for everything? To ensure longevity? I'm an avid mushroom hunter/wild edible hunter I feel very confident in my skills if shi* were to hit the fan I could survive from the wild alone, the forest shall provide. Less of course something happens and the forests are no more, but that would imply a whole new vicious scheme of surviving.

[Kristin]

Toad,
Every seed is different, though many are similar. I've needed to read up on seed preservation and storage but here is a helpful place to go with great answers: http://www.seedsavers.org/Content.aspx?src=heritagefarm.htm Now, I do not know what region you live in, however, there will hopefully be a local seed bank that you can use for information that you can find on line. Your particular environment will have it's own challenges. I honestly pick up the phone and dial these places directly. They are a wealth of information! Good luck with this and keep checking in. Happy farming!
From the Heart,
Wormhole

so you don't have to search through their site, here's the direct link. Just type in the seed you want to save...
http://www.seedsavers.org/Content.aspx?src=helpfullinks.htm

I would suggest printing hard copies of this info just in case we no longer have the internet to depend on.

[astrid]

And for Aussies this is a great site, i use them personally all the time.
They are big advocates on the no GMO trail, and often post articles about Monsanto.

http://www.diggers.com.au

[nomadguy]

Hit up your local farmers first,
Next neighbors and friends then maybe buy something to fill in the blanks. I am also suggesting that people begin to learn how to create heritage seeds of your own for the next seasons planting. Seeds need to be reborn and reseeded to stay viable, so you actually need to grow them every year and then save them for the net. If you have a Food Coop maybe start there.

[nomadguy]

http://www.navdanya.org/
http://www.navdanya.org/images/stories/nine-seeds.jpg
Nine Seeds -
All forms of nature are believed to interact and influence one another, be they are of this earth, or of space. This interaction and influence is often reflected in the linking of cosmic influences of planets and starts to life forms on earth.

:pizza:

[wolf_rt]

Seeds, think about them now..... +1

really people.. this is where your security is at.

Consider splitting your seeds with friends and neighbors, as there are often too many in a packet to use in a timely fashion.

In Australia, i use www.edenseeds.com.au and find there service and germination rate very good.

[nomadguy]

seeds - http://www.reneesgarden.com/seeds/newfor2012.html

[Nenuphar]

For heirloom/non GMO seeds in Canada, I highly recommend:

Salt Spring Seeds
http://www.saltspringseeds.com/

Heritage Harvest (they sell several very rare and unusual heirloom seeds. I believe they also ship to the USA.)
http://www.heritageharvestseed.com/

Annapolis Seeds
http://annapolisseeds.com/

Just wanted to update - these businesses all have nice Facebook pages now (with great pics of the seeds they offer!)

Salt Spring Seeds
https://www.facebook.com/saltspringseeds?ref=ts&fref=ts

Heritage Harvest
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heritage-Harvest-Seed/390348220999168

Annapolis Seeds
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Annapolis-Seeds/227934577397?ref=ts&fref=ts

Also, the link to Seeds of Diversity, a "Canadian volunteer organization that conserves the biodiversity and traditional knowledge of food crops and garden plants." An excellent resource for books, information on seed saving, seed sanctuaries, and Seedy Saturday heirloom seed exchange events,

http://www.seeds.ca/en.php



:yo:

[palehorse]

I could not find any specific thread about growing from seed until came across this old one, so lets bring it up to life :)

I received my new seed batch week ago, I bought what I know is growing around my area, also a few exotics to try out, I visited a large commercial garden where they were growing many varieties in different houses, some of it I never seen before, like Kiwano cucumber (aka horned melon) so I got 5 seeds from them to try.

Here are the seeds I got, that probably/hopefully will grow on tropical savanna climate (Köppen classification Aw).




Sweet Pumpkin
kale
Giant tomato
Bottle gourd
Purple basil
Round red radish
Sweet basil
Yellow passion fruit (Passiflora flavicarpa)
Japanese black pumpkin
White radish
Carrot
red onion
cauliflower
green cabbage
Fennel
Broccoli
Kiwano cucumber
Green Okra
Butter leaf lettuce
Giant green onion
Purple cabbage
Big Jim giant pepper
red long chilli
Coriander
Tall Celery (Apium graveolens)
Shallot
Green long beans
Purple eggplant
Black eggplant
* Bok Choy
Bok Choy Ruby
Italian lettuce
Spinach (bloomsdale)
Oregano
Lemon Balm
Chamomile Roman
Thyme
Parsley
Arugula (Rocket)
Dill
Common German Chamomile
Sunflower Type1
Sunflower Type2
Sunflower Type3
Sunflower Type4
Dandelion
Florida Market Eggplant (black)
Wasabi Mustard
Lavender
Halloween Pumpkin (this one is the only exception, I have no idea if it will grow here)
White Asparagus
Pink Celery (this one is Chinese, I have from last time I bought some seeds, maybe germination rate is low now I will try anyway)



* Bok Choy is already on the go, the germination rate is super high, 1 day after planted was already sprouting, I am doing hydroponics with this variety using those cheap polystyrene boxes, I will post the setup later, it is dead simple and you can do even in your apartment window and the principle works well for many species.

Also I collected dandelion the other day, seeds are really small and hard to collect, my approach was simple, I carried a plastic bag in my pocket when going for a hike and then I just bagged the dandelions and collected the seeds later at home, got thousands of seeds can't really count.

Some I already started in my home, I have little space available for that, the rest I will plant in a vacant land of a friend that allowed me to use it with the condition to give him part of my production, we are going to build a bamboo shade house, this time of the year is the worse for planting, but now we got plenty of water in there so we will start slowly.

For next months I will plant and transplant the following species:

- Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) alongside Blue Pea Flowers (Clitoria ternatea) - it grows like weed in Thailand and does not require any care. good perennials.
- Moringa (Moringa oleifera)
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa) - I already got a lot of it growing in front of my house, it really goes crazy.
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
- Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis miller) - also got plenty of it growing, I will plant by propagation, shaded area the best.
- Taro (Colocasia esculenta) - this one is very trick, would be perfect to plant in a swamp, loves water and shade, just little sun in the morning is ideal.

Bushes
Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa)
Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) - tree spinach - From Mexico, I have no idea if it will grow here, but since it likes hot weather, will try. Loads of nutrients. Must cook the leaves and taste like spinach, NEVER eat raw, it is poisonous.

Trees
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) - got 3 small trees I planted from seeds about 2 years ago, it is almost 2 meters tall now.
Avocado - also got 3 small trees need transplant to a definitive place in the land, already 1.80m tall in a large vase.


My strategy is as simple as possible based on what I already experimented and know, I tried Fukuoka's approach (seed ball) in our land in the country side, not everything worked well, some seeds started to germinate but got into the wild competition for resources and end up dead, planting directly on soil or in basic beds with or without compost, with or without plastic canvas to stop weed growing (competition again) only the strongest species survived, so it is waste of time and money (most people using this method are using chemicals to keep pest away), here is clay soil, very compact when dried, it also retains lots of water when watering which is bad for many species, so it is a no go for me, already lost far too many seeds and time, so my next strategy is very mixed: I will build the bamboo shade house (the sun here is stupid strong) with raised bed for the softer species that won't grow directly in the soil. For resistant species will all be in the open, they adapt well. For green leaves (salad) I will be working with hydroponics techniques and that is it.

Sooner I will be focusing more in perennials that grows in my area, so I can keep a concise list of varieties that I know work well here.

Remarks: when getting supplies try to buy everything you can with your local suppliers to help small business survive, use Amazon and the likes as last resort only. Doing it you can always ask questions to these people already growing, they will be happy to answer any questions.


This book has very useful and practical information, I did read a while ago and I have a copy in PDF if anyone need, let me know and I can upload somewhere.
"Seed to seed - saving and growing techniques for vegetable gardeners" by Suzanne Ashworth.

[Nenuphar]

Thanks for bumping this thread. Gardening, seed-saving, permaculture, urban farming, pantry-building, etc. are subjects I really enjoy. I am always a little surprised, on a forum like this, with the tenor many of the threads carry, that more people aren't engaged in these topics, even on a basic level. Everything has it's place, but sometimes I think, "Less chaos, conspiracy, speculating, darkness, and doom-scrolling - more solutions, creativity, skill-sharing, inspiration, and networking".

It doesn't take an acre of land, thousands of dollars in one's bank account, and a degree in agricultural sciences to get started. Almost everyone can grow a little pot of herbs in their window or a micro-tomato plant on their balcony or front step. Learning and gradually scaling up - even if one has limited growing space - can go from there. ;)

Food security doesn't just magically happen. It comes, at least in small part, from an attitude of self-sufficiency (on individual and community levels) and the willingness to engage, learn and take some control....yes, even if that can only be growing a pot of basil and sharing some with a neighbour, for the time-being. :sun:

[palehorse]

Here is the Bok Choy growing from seed, it is doing well (I think) just few days, seeds were super good, sometimes it takes time to germinate, but it was 1 day.

https://images2.imgbox.com/e0/30/bXPGvKm9_o.jpg
The media I am using is coco peat, those are small plastic cups with holes on the bottom and on the side, I planted in this tray and covered with a plastic sheet to help keep warm and germinate faster.


https://images2.imgbox.com/63/72/og7dzrxX_o.jpg
Here is the polystyrene box already filled with water + nutrients.

https://images2.imgbox.com/37/8c/wUbnVeJm_o.jpg
Here are holes in the polystyrene lid I carved holes on it to fit the little cups.


https://images2.imgbox.com/66/70/Av88pW9t_o.jpg
and here is the end product, now is the waiting game, check at least once per day if everything is OK, the water level if there is too much evaporation will be necessary to top up with nutrients, lets see is my first time using this method.

If everything runs well in 30 days or so I will have Bok Choi to eat :)

Total cost of the experiment:

- $3 for the polystyrene box.
- $.35 for the seeds.
- $1.40 for the nutrients.
- $.70 for the cups
----------
=$5.45

Bok Choi in the local supermarket is around around $1 for a small bag with a large head. If it grows as expected I will get at least 12 bags.

It is easy, fun and quick to do, no special knowledge :bigsmile:

edit: forgot to mention, the box can be reused for many years if taken good care, and the cups too, even the coco peat can be partially reused, so basically you only need the seeds and nutrients.

For the nutrients I used 85ml A/B formula (each) to 48L of water in the box. I got 2L bottles of A/B, it will go a long way.

[Nenuphar]

:bump:

For gardeners in Canada, this Canadian Seed Companies Map (https://seeds.ca/seedmap/) is a great resource. There are many wonderful small-scale, independent seed businesses/farms that offer open-pollinated herbs, vegetables, and flowers. Lots of unique heirloom varieties, too, regionally adapted and with fascinating histories attached to them.