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Is Buying Heritage & Organic Seeds Important?

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  • Is Buying Heritage & Organic Seeds Important?

    The title explains my question... is buying heritage and organic seeds important to you at all? I see most of the seeds for sale in my local garden center are not organic and many are hybrid varieties... so I wonder if others feel that buying older varieties and organic seed is important?

    Kind Regards
    Phil Jones
    33
    Yes
    75.76%
    25
    No
    24.24%
    8

  • #2
    Haven't voted cos there's a big difference between 'heritage' (which I sometimes buy) and organic varieties which I don't look for or buy!
    My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
    to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

    Diversify & prosper


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    • #3
      No - buying isn't important necessarily.

      However, saving and sharing them around is.

      Why do you ask?
      Last edited by zazen999; 17-06-2009, 05:08 PM.

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      • #4
        Same as Snadger.... try to keep Heritage varieties but I ain't organic (use as little chemicals as possible though as we eat the veg) so don't bother with organic seeds.

        EDIT: As such had to vote no.
        Last edited by RedThorn; 17-06-2009, 05:12 PM.
        Never test the depth of the water with both feet

        The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory....

        Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.

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        • #5
          I look for and buy both heritage and organic seeds, I also run a seed and plant swap group in the area in which I live. I never ever buy F1 or F2 seeds.
          TonyF, Dordogne 24220

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Snadger View Post
            Haven't voted cos there's a big difference between 'heritage' (which I sometimes buy) and organic varieties which I don't look for or buy!
            If you don't mind my asking... why do you avoid organic seeds?

            Originally posted by zazen999 View Post
            No - buying isn't important necessarily.

            However, saving and sharing them around is.

            Why do you ask?
            I'm just a guy who grows on a normal allotment... not on a big scale at all but I just can't figure why most of the companies are not selling these organic and heritage seeds... but I guess this is because there is little demand for them.

            However I do totally agree with the fact that saving and sharing is important.

            All your replies are great - thanks!

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            • #7
              Try to avoid F1s etc were possible and get open pollinated ones so that I can save my own seed. Don't avoid buying organic seeds but don't hunt them out either, but old and unusual varieties are of great interest to me. There isn't necessarily a low demand, it's just that seed manufacturers like us to be dependant on them and buy more seeds. Over the years seeds have been bred for commercial use and we've been brainwashed to buy such varieties rather than growing some of the the wonderful selection which are available.

              On a related note, many heritage seeds are not on the approved list so technically can't be sold anyway (although there are ways round this, eg the HSL)

              Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

              Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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              • #8
                I try to buy the best seeds for the job -for example, a lot of the heritage varieties will crop for longer, some F1's will crop earlier and without pollination - I usually save my own seed where practical, all I can really say is that's important that older varieties are kept going and I try to do my bit.

                I don't go out of my way to get organic seeds - nicer if they are "untreated" though I suppose
                Last edited by King Carrot; 17-06-2009, 06:42 PM.
                Jiving on down to the beach to see the blue and the gray, seems to be all and it's rosy-it's a beautiful day!

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                • #9
                  If nothing else these seeds are keeping the gene pool as large as possible and we never know when in future we might need some attribute that they have.
                  Into each life some rain must fall........but this is getting ridiculous.

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                  • #10
                    Hi again

                    My opinion as to why they don't sell the open pollenated seed is because then we would save the seed ourselves and not go back to them for more next year. ie £.

                    I am trying lots of summer and winter squashes this year of open pollination varieties; up until now the only thing I was definitely buying that was F1 was yellow courgettes, I now have [thanks to some sharing on here], one yellow courgette that a grape is trialling from their own second generation pairing and a few others that are nth generation open pollenated. If they work; then even those F1s will be binned.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Phil Jones View Post
                      If you don't mind my asking... why do you avoid organic seeds?................................
                      !
                      I try to grow as organically as I can. (loads of organic material, no pesticides or 'artificial' fertiliser and definitely no weedkiller.) I don't avoid organic seeds, I just don't look for them, or find them, or buy them. I may have bought organic seed in the past, but if so I haven't noticed or cared that they were labellled as such. I have used F1 hybrids on occasion but usually because they have a specific role, i.e clubroot resistance, whiterot resistance, mildew resistance, cold weather tolerant etc
                      I try wherever possible to save my own seed.
                      I haven't got an organically certified allotment so don't have to be bound by DEFRA guidelines, but do enough to satisfy myself!
                      My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
                      to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

                      Diversify & prosper


                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I grow various heritage and rare tomatos, i like to grow tomatos that you cant buy or have the same as what everyone else grows,

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                        • #13
                          Anyone else smell Fish ?
                          Sent from my pc cos I don't have an i-phone.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Rocketron View Post
                            Anyone else smell Fish ?
                            Yes, I checked out the email address before I posted - nothing linking to any sales sites which is usually the case.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Rocketron View Post
                              Anyone else smell Fish ?
                              Not really, I was thinking of posting a similar poll today.

                              Just wondering what people's priorities are when it comes to buying seeds.

                              I guess I am drawn more to heritage varieties because I like something a little unusual.

                              I am also a seedaholic.

                              Comment

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