Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Tell me where you get your seeds....seed saving, exchanges, catalogs, local nurseries, etc.

I hear that Territorial and other seed companies are now owned by giant GMO corporations...does that bother you?Which companies do you like to buy from?

I'm looking to branch out where I get seeds from next year...previously I have bought from Nichols mostly and occasionally Territorial because those seeds came from Oregon state where I live. Now I'm kind of wondering how much GMO craziness they have been subjected to...not that I am a fanatic about GMO, it's just surprising to see how it's everywhere!

Tell me your seed tales!

I save seeds from my own veggies and pray for the best. I also get free samples at work. This year I'm going to try cloning for the winter time for quicker results, the same DNA, and just to see if I can do it.

I like Peaceful Valley.

Jewbacca, do you mean like cuttings? Or is it something to do with seeds? Google searching gave loads of info on marijuana not veggies, haha.

MT, yes cuttings. Unfortunately most people associate cloning and cuttings with the aforementioned crop; however, you can cut and clone many things--easiest of all being tomatoes! Best part is you get the same DNA as opposed to buying a pack of seeds and starting over with another plant that might not produce the exact same fruit. Will you get a roma from seed? Yes, but if you're growing indoors and time is of the essence, it's gonna take a while, and it might not taste like that roma that made you cry. If there's a plant that was prosperous during the outdoor season, I can bring it in, or clone it from a cutting for my indoor crop once outdoor season is over. Example: I'm totally gonna take a cutting from momma monster roma-(check out the tomato progress thread). That thing weighed an entire lb!

I'm really punk rock about seed saving too. If it is a tomato or pepper that I enjoyed, and think I want to grow again, I scrape out the seeds with a spoon, stick it on paper towel to dry-(gunk n' all). Once dried I put it in a baggie and label it. I do not get perfect germination, but I do get some of them to germinate and that frees up $ to spend on nutrients instead of seeds. I've heard after a few life cycles, some plants lose their potency--but I don't know for sure because this will be my first year really cloning something.

I also get many surprises out of the worm castings from the worm bin at work. I gleaned 2 or 3 plants from the volunteers that sprouted when I dressed other plants with worm castings. You just have to be very careful when you relocate the baby elsewhere.

Cool! That definitely sounds like a thrifty and and awesome idea. Keep us updated!

Seed companies I've ordered from and had success with:

Seeds of Change
Botanical Interests
High Mowing Organic Seeds
Renee's Garden
Gurney's
Cherry Gal

stuff like garlic and onion sets I just get from my local nursery.

I have a lot of extra seeds leftover from this spring, I'd be into swapping with someone for seeds they don't need. I have stuff that I'm not interested in growing next year, due to space issues/drought issues that some of y'all up north may want... I'll see if I can put together a list.

Are seeds usually okay for two seasons? I bought too many seeds of a few things and didn't plant them, can I use them next yearand have reasonably good germination ?

MT, if you keep them in a dry cool place they should be okay. You might not get every seed to germinate, but it is worth a try. I used some SOC snap peas that were 3.5 years old and had peas this year.

I keep my seeds in glass jars in the frig, usually with some dessicant. Some will last for years (especially lettuce, tomtoes, cabbage family), while others lose vigor after a couple of years. I don't think you have to worry about gmo seeds when buying varieties for the home garden. Any would also be labeled as such too, but the biggies are field corn and soybeans(for animal feed), and sugar beets (for commercial sugar production.)

I hadn't heard about Territorial switching hands. This year I bought a lot from Johnny's, plus my favorite Oregon seed company, Wild Garden Seeds. They're primarily a wholesaler, so a lot of seeds you get from other companies are theirs, but in bigger packets for less; all are organic. They offer a wide variety of greens, but with other odds and ends too. http://www.wildgardenseed.com/