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... l

.

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[Ella]

Posted by lightblue (here)
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... 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

Posted by lightblue (here)
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... 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 l.

.

[sister]

Tutorial on saving tomato seeds from the Victory Seed Company:
http://www.vintageveggies.com/inform...ve_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.as...ritagefarm.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.as...lpfullinks.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/

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.

[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.