seed quality

alokin · Intermediate Crude Joined: Aug 24, 2007 Posts: 782

Steve Solomon writes in "gardening when it counts" a lot of seed quality and most seed companies don't meet his personal requirements, he only recommends a few.

Maybe he writes that much about the topic because he ran a seed company.

It is quite difficult following his recommendations here in Australia, as most of the seed companies are in south Australia or Tasmania with a significantly different climate.

As I am not a experienced gardener and I am chaotic and plant mixed beds and the tags are getting lost (kids) I often don't know which source were the yummy carrots or the beans which didn't perform at all.

So, does it really makes much difference were you buy your seeds?
Are his recomodations justified? Or is it exaggerated what he writes?

katkinkate · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:50 am Post subject: Re: seed quality

Good seeds is a good start, but the best of seeds are not a guarantee of a good crop if the plants don't like your climate/soil/water conditions. The best approach is to source seeds that have proven success in your general area. Although, if you're of an experimental mind, you could try many varieties of the plants you want to grow and gather the seeds of those varieties that bear best (size, yield, taste, usefulness) and plant them for the next year's crop. Over time, you'll have developed plants better adapted to your specific conditions.
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kjmclark · Heavy Crude Joined: Dec 09, 2005 Posts: 317

bobaloo · Heavy Crude Joined: Oct 14, 2004 Posts: 476

Steve used to live here in the Eugene, Oregon, area but moved to Tasmania a while back. He was involved in the startup of the Territorial Seed Company, one of the best, espcially if you are in the PNW as they seek out seed that do particularly well in this climate.

I can say that the seed you start with makes a HUGE difference. The crap they sell at retail stores is the cheapest available and tests have often given germination rates of 10-30 percent. Good seed should usually have a germination rate of 90 percent or better.

As an example of the difference, for open pollinated plants, say carrots, there are two ways to produce seeds. Seed-to-seed or root-to-seed. In the first method, seed-to-seed, you sow an acre of carrots and the next year you let them flower and harvest the seed. In the second method, you grow an acre of carrots, dig them, look for the best 5-10 percent of the roots, replant those and harvest the seeds from them. Obviously much more costly, but the quality of the seed is far higher, even though both are technically the same variety. Unfortunately, there are few seed growers today that grow root-to-seed as only commercial growers generally know the difference and are willing to pay for it. Many of the old open-pollinated varieties have gone to heck due to many years of poor seed production, but you can reverse that yourself in a few years of growing your own seed and reproducing only the premium plants, which is what I do in my garden.

Steve's book "Growing Organic Vegetables West of the Cascades" is an essential for anyone in the PNW and a great reference for anyone anywhere.

Look for small regional seed sellers in your area that specialize in plants for your climate. They're usually going to be people who care and are actively looking to provide the best possible seed, not just trying to make a quick buck. You'll get good seeds and they're usually more than willing to provide any answers or assistance they can.

Tucker · Tar Sands Joined: Jan 29, 2008 Posts: 57 Location: Orygun

alokin · Intermediate Crude Joined: Aug 24, 2007 Posts: 782

OK; I try to get a local supplier, we don't have a lot I think there is actually only one (Green Harvest), but they do not have a huge variety. It seems that all seed suppliers in Australia are South of Melbourne and this has a completely different climate that ours.
I'll have a look on his web page.
He does not advice to save your own seeds. And for me it makes sense. Because first, suburban gardens are limited. You cannot wait until every vegetable runs to seed, you need the space (even if you dig up all your lawn) and you cannot dig in and out carrots you eat them - yum!
I found that different seed sources produce different tasting vegetables.

Quagmire · Tar Sands Joined: Jun 07, 2008 Posts: 61

.
My favorite seed source is FEDCO.
They are a co op in Maine. They print the germination rates right on the packets, and their prices are much less than any commercial company.
.

mystiek · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:58 pm Post subject: Re: seed quality

Has anyone had experience with the organic Everlasting Seeds I see advertised on the Urban Survival web page? This year most of our garden seeds came from the local co-op and Tractor Supply and they did pretty good, but I am looking into other options for next year.

BlisteredWhippet · Intermediate Crude Joined: Feb 08, 2005 Posts: 840

Tell the seed company that you're a farm. Order in bulk. That way you get the best possible seeds.

But the best possible seeds are ones you save yourself. A good book here is Seed to Seed by Ashworth. I have followed the procedures in this book and harvested several seeds that I used this year. The germination rates were well over 90%.

Seed companies innovate by providing new F1 hybrids, specialty varieties, and sometimes beneficial genetic diversity, with disease-resistant varieties.

But for all practical purposes, seed saving of existing crops makes the most sense. Choose the best specimens, let them bolt, and follow the procedures in the book to capture the seeds.

Seed 2 Seed

YOU are the source of new local & regional heirloom seeds!

alokin · Intermediate Crude Joined: Aug 24, 2007 Posts: 782

In gardening when it counts he advices only to save yourself self pollinating seeds. He tells that you must have a gene source that is big enough to maintain the quality of the seed.
There is a second problem, the seed savers handbook write that cold climate vegetables (like most European) do get weaker over time if you are in a warm climate.
For me it seems to be very difficult to get organized that much that you are sure that these carrots are in the second growth cyle etc. .
For this reason I decided to by most of my seeds, I harvest only really easy seeds like Malabar Spinach.

Ludi · Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:16 am Post subject: Re: seed quality

In warm climates we'll have to transition away from crops which aren't adapted to the conditions. No broccoli for me! Oh well, at least I can have collards. Smile

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alokin · Intermediate Crude Joined: Aug 24, 2007 Posts: 782

We have winter veggies (European) and summer veggies (Mediterranean to tropic), that's nice.

hotzcatz · Coal Joined: Jul 27, 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Hawaii

If you'd like some warm climate seeds, try http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/seed/

That's the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Manoa, Hawaii website. They have seed especially selected for tropical climates.

If you have a college or university with an agricultural department near you perhaps checking with them would get you a local seed source with plants that will thrive in your location.

turner · Tar Sands Joined: Jun 10, 2008 Posts: 60

alokin, can you import seeds into Australia?

alokin · Intermediate Crude Joined: Aug 24, 2007 Posts: 782

hotzcatz, thanks for the link, it looks interesting!
And yes turner, we can import seeds, with some restrictions.

I yet grew passionfruit and papayas out of shop bought fruit but some people told me that they didn't have good results doing this, like bitter papayas. Maybe the do something different in the seed companies, by selecting etc.