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Patrick Desnoyers asked:


About Basic Care of Seeds

It is important to maintain the freshness of the seeds in order to facilitate proper germination. This is why we store all of our seeds in a refrigerator dedicated for this purpose. Therefore, in order to preserve their freshness until you are ready to begin the germination process, you can store the purchased seeds in the plastic bag we have provided. You can place the seeds in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator.

About Germination Instructions

Once you are ready to germinate your seeds, you have two (2) germination methods: natural germination or forced germination.

Natural germination: Sow seeds outside in autumn. Overwintering the seeds will accomplish all the necessary natural processes seeds require to germinate. Next spring, you should have sprouted seeds.

With forced germination, you are accomplishing the germination process artificially. Therefore, you will need to follow the steps listed below. Each seed is different. However most of them require three (3) steps. Some may require more while others may require less. These steps are: the scarification, the stratification and sowing.

1 - Scarification

Each seed has a shell around the live inner part. Some are harder than others. The goal of the scarification process is to soften the shell and allow water to reach the inner part of the seed. You will scarify the seeds by placing them in water, usually a glass or a bowl, for a period of twenty four (24) to forty eight (48) hours. The norm appears to be the use of warm water. Some seeds require boiling water while others require water at room temperature. Normally, the viable seeds will drown after the twenty four (24) hour period while others will float on top. If there are still seeds floating after the forty eight (48) hour period, you can discard them as they are empty seeds. Once completed, you are ready to begin the next step ( please note that some seeds require you to proceed directly to the third step).

2 - Cold Stratification

The next step is the cold stratification period. This step is where all the magic of nature occurs. In nature, most of the seeds fall from the trees in autumn. Consequently, seeds spend the winter period under colder temperature permitting the chemical in the seeds to develop and trigger the germination process once the ideal temperature is reached in spring. In the forced germination process, you attempt to recreate the winter period. In order to accomplish this process, use the following materials:

Plastic Ziplock bag

Paper towel

Water

Fold the paper towel in two and moisten with water. It should not be dripping wet but humid. Place your seeds on the humid paper towel and fold it over the seeds. Place the paper towel with the seeds in the ziplock plastic bag and store them in your refrigerator for a period varying from thirty (30) to one hundred and twenty (120) days. We suggest that you check your seeds every thirty (30) days in order to prevent rot and allow for proper air circulation. You will also check for germinated seeds. If this is the case, take the germinated seeds and proceed to the next step. If not, wait the required period and then proceed to the next step.

3 - Sowing

Sowing can be accomplished in the ground or in a pot. You can use any soil suitable for planting and growing. Make a small opening in the soil (approximately half (1/2) an inch deep), place the seed in the opening and cover it with a few millimetres of soil. Keep the soil moist.

Extra steps for certain species

If you choose to germinate your seeds via the forced germination process, you may be required to follow this extra step. This step takes place prior to the cold stratification. All you have to do is expose the seeds to ambient room temperature for thirty (30) to ninety (90) days. This is called heat stratification and is accomplished by leaving the seeds exposed in a plate on your desk. After you have achieved this step, you resume with cold stratification.

Marcie Snyder asked:


You know your soil is “clean”, that your soil is not contaminated in any way because you got your soil tested, so now you’re looking for some organic seeds to plant. At this point you are probably asking yourself, “How do I know that the seeds I am buying are organically grown and where is the best place to buy my seeds?”

Well, you can wait till the last minute and chance buying your seeds at your nursery or such places as Canadian Tire or Home Hardware. However, your best bet is to plan ahead and order via seed catalogs so that you can identify whether the company’s seeds are organically grown.

When looking for companies, look for those who have labels for the seeds which they grow and sell. Those who grow and sell organic seeds will use one or more of these labels: U for untreated, O for organic, OP for open-pollinated, and H for heritage.

Untreated seeds (U) are seeds which have not been coated with chemicals that are harmful to soil, life, and humans.

Also, organic growers refuse to plant any seeds that have been genetically modified, that is, seeds in which the genes of anything from a pesticide-resistant weed to an animal or even bacterium have been inserted or spliced right into the seeds’ DNA for two reasons:

Organic growers have no idea whether these injected genes will mutate into something that will endanger a person’shealth, such as create different allergens in the food, damage the liver or the kidneys, combine with the good bacteria in the gut to create its own version, etc.

The second reason concerns the environment. Once introduced into the environment, no one can predict where the wind will carry the GMO seeds, and there could be irreparable damage done if these genetically engineered plants cross breed with wild ones.

Organic seeds (O) come from plants which have been grown via organic methods.

Open-pollinated (OP) is the best type of seed because these seeds are capable of reproducing themselves. You can save the seeds from these plants, let them dry off, store them in plastic bags, and use them the following year.

Hybrid seeds, even though they are open-pollinated seeds, do not always reproduce true to type. The hybrid seeds will grow, but you might have some variance in your results, so if you want the exact same type of plant, it’s usually necessary to buy new seed every year. The company will usually identify those hybrid seeds which do reproduce true to type.

Heritage seeds (H) are a little more difficult to find, for they are not necessarily sold in mainstream seed catalogs.

Heritage seeds have been passed down from generation to generation and are usually a collector’s item. These organic seeds are generally sold through small seed companies and seed saving organizations who try their best to keep them in circulation to preserve a diminishing genetic diversity. Often people who are interested in heritage seed will find other people who are willing to exchange seeds and thus grow their little collection.

If interested in conservation, preservation, and enhancement of the diversity of open-pollinated plants where members are encouraged to save and exchange seeds, please contact one of the following for more information:

Seeds of Diversity Canada, SoDC, Box 36, Stn. Q, Toronto ON M4T 2L7; voice mail (905) 623-0353 or Seed Savers Exchange, a large US organization that promotes seed saving, at SSE, 3026 North Winn Road, Decorah IA 52101 USA.

You can always google “organic seeds + your location” to find a place close to you where you can find companies who grow and sell seeds for those interested in only organic gardening, the best way to produce big, healthy, nutritious vegetables.