Irene or anyone else, Where is a good source for buying non-hybrid seeds? How long can you keep them? and any info on seed saving would help. Thanks

-- Jean in No. WI (jat@ncis.net), April 13, 2002

Answers

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=buy+open+pollinated+seeds

Heirloom vegetables are defined in several ways. Some consider heirlooms to be any vegetable cultivars that have been grown for a certain length of time. Other people consider vegetables to be truly heirlooms only if being passed down by a family or group has preserved them. Heirlooms are always open-pollinated, since hybrid seed can not be maintained by ordinary means. However heirloom vegetables are defined, interest is increasing in our edible heritage. http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1255.htm

The Heirloom Gardener's Assistant http://www.halcyon.com/tmend/heirloom.htm

Heirloom vegetables varieties for the Home Garden http://www.heirloomedibles.com/heirloomedibles.html

ECOSEEDS (TM) brand = all open-pollinated, non-hybrid, traditional old-fashioned vegetables and herbs for the home garden, selected for the best flavor http://www.batnet.com/rwc-seed/

Growing heirloom vegetables http://www.backyardgardener.com/article/heirloom.html

My grandmother used to say that food doesn't taste the same as it did in her day. http://staffwww.fullcoll.edu/dburke/Torch%20Promo/heirloo.htm

Heirloom vegetables are enjoying a renaissance http://www.allrecipes.com/cb/w2m/weeklyspecials/heirloom/default.asp

Seedsaving and Seedsavers' Resources http://homepage.tinet.ie/~merlyn/seedsaving.html

forum is for the discussion of seed harvesting and storage http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/seedsave/

Seed Saving Tips http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/homegard/seedtips.htm

International Seed Saving Institute http://www.seedsave.org/issi/issi.html

Plant-Specific Seed-Saving Tips http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/stse/plntspec.htm

Seed saving is both simple and practical http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/1329/LSseedsavg.htm

Drought, Rainy Weather, and Seed Saving http://www.perc.flora.org/PEN/1998-07-08/supplement/cleary.html

Some Tips on Seed Saving http://www.indiana.edu/~libwylie/wh-tips.html

seed saving http://dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/Home_and_Garden/Gardening/Seed_Saving/

Tips for Saving Heirloom Seed http://www.rain.org/~sals/seed.html

Seed Saving and Outdoor Overwintering http://frugal-moms.com/gardening/bringingarden4.shtml

Pollination myths and seed saving http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/VegFruit/mythseed.htm

-- Peace and Carrots Farm, Vermont (wsm311@aol.com), April 13, 2002.

I've used Southern Exposure Seed Exchange,and Seed Savers Exchange. I don't mind paying a little extra since I feed it is supporting a good cause. Once you become familiar with HLs and OPs you will recognize them in the bulk seeds at your local feed store and even the seed packets at Wal-mart and such. My favorite place to get seeds is through swapping:) Maybe we could do a swap on the forum. LaDena

-- LaDena,Tx9 (littledena77458@yahoo.com), April 13, 2002.

Maybe you can go to wally world, or garden center and if you are very careful, you can still find seed that is not hybrid. I bought a whole bag of seed from americanfreedomnews.com scroll down and you will see there add. Just in case of war or some terriost against our food supply. I got lots of seed for the price, only I live in a hot climate so not sure how well some would do. Any way here is a list of what I got.

Beans, Blue Lake 274,Bush Henderson,

Beet, Detroit Dark Red

Brocolli, Sprouting Calabrese,

Cabbage, Early Jersey Wakefield

Cantaloupe Jumbo Hales Best

Carrot, Nantes Scariet

Cauliflower, Snowball Celery, uc 52/70R

Corn, Truckers Favorite

Cucumber, Homemade Pickles, and Straight Nine

Eggplant, Black Beauty

Lettuce, Great Lakes, Salad Bowl,

Collards, Vates

Tomatoe, Homestead 24, Rutgers,

Okra, Big un

Onion, Red Burgundy, Sweet Spanish Yellow

Pepper[ sweet], California Wonder,

Raddish, Champion

Spinach, Bloomsdale Long Standing

Squash, Early Prolific, Zuccihini Grey, Butternut Waltham,

Watermelon, Big Crimson,

Pumpkin, Small Sugar,

Peas, Progress No 9

Turnips, Purple Top White Globe

Now there is lots more non hybrids out there, This is just what was offered at that site I gave you. And it was lots of seed. I put away in dry cool place, and will save. What we need now is some one who knows how to gather the seed, and how to plant so we don"t get cross polination, If your out there please post.

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), April 13, 2002.

P&C Farms, Thanks for all the sites. It will give me some good reading and researching.

LaDena, I think a seed swap would be great, only I wouldn't have any seeds to swap with.

Irene, I'll check out the site you mentioned but can you pick and choose the seeds you like or do you have to take what they send?

-- Jean in No. WI (jat@ncis.net), April 13, 2002.

Dear Jean, You have to take what they offer. and that is the problem, But if you run into any of these names on your own, heck just buy and put away.

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), April 13, 2002.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is wonderful - www.rareseeds.com

-- Sharon in NY (astyk@brandeis.edu), April 15, 2002.