How to shop for seeds

[kevinkimers]

Never thought I'd come across an article like this, but I did and I liked what it had to say. We all shop for seeds through catalogs from time to time and there turns out to be a correct way to do it. This article covers the how to on shopping for seeds in a catalog. Whether you are a newbie or pro when it comes to gardening, this is still good information to know.

How To Shop Garden Seed Catalogs

 

[Rosyrain]

I really like shopping through catalogs or online because I fund that most of the stores only carry a generic selection if seeds. If I want something that is not ordinary, I have to go elseware to find it.

 

[Chuck]

I do a lot of experimenting with seeds that are not available on store racks. I have found many varieties that aren't supposed do well in my climate do better than the ones that are and the only place to get them is online and thru catalogs. I always end up with a lot of left over seeds of different varieties some of which were a waste of time trying to grow in my climate which is a waste but I guess that is just part of gardening

 

[kevinkimers]

I don't typically catalog shop. I either collect from store bought vegetables and fruits or buy packets at the store. I do intend to buy from catalogs soon though because there are varieties that I want to try that are not available in stores.

 

[Bee]

I buy most of my seeds online either on ebay or purchase from "theseedguy" .He has great deals for bulk quantity of seeds and I enjoy the different varieties he offers.I donated 26,000 seeds to a farm in Puerto Rico for only 50 bucks!I will be buying more to donate and grow in my own yard sometime in February. Ebay always have great deals for seeds and I always manage to sell bulk supply of seeds myself.I enjoy being a seed supplier online and offline.If i ever purchase seeds offline it is always at a local farmers market or farm/nursery.Non GMO and organic seeds are must in my opinion.

 

[Micheleteresa]

Definitely want to go with Non GMO seeds! I have been looking online for places to order seeds and SeedsNOW looks like a great place for buying organic 100 percent non GMO seeds. Plus you get 10 percent off your first order using coupon code URBAN10 and if you subscribe to the newsletter it says they will email exclusive offers available only to newsletter subscribers Before ordering anything though I will have to research as to what grows best in containers or window boxes but the window boxes would not actually be in windows but rather along the porch because I am looking into and planning to put in cat window boxes for the kitty tribe.

 

[Bee]

Definitely want to go with Non GMO seeds! I have been looking online for places to order seeds and SeedsNOW looks like a great place for buying organic 100 percent non GMO seeds. Plus you get 10 percent off your first order using coupon code URBAN10 and if you subscribe to the newsletter it says they will email exclusive offers available only to newsletter subscribers Before ordering anything though I will have to research as to what grows best in containers or window boxes but the window boxes would not actually be in windows but rather along the porch because I am looking into and planning to put in cat window boxes for the kitty tribe.

Yes Non GMO is the way to GO haha I am going to check out SeedsNOW website since I have never heard of them before.I love discount offers so I will definitely find a variety of seeds to purchase from SeedsNOW. Thank you for sharing the coupon code and information about the email newsletter.I look forward to doing business with them and getting exclusive offers via email.I enjoy container growing myself and I find alot of tips/advice/tutorials from people showing how to grow food in containers on youtube.Since I am in a midwestern climate I will have to wait until spring to start growing in my front/back yard unless I begin growing indoors which I may possibly do.

 

[kevinkimers]

OK curiosity... what is so bad about GMO's. If anything I have seen some good come out of them but I don't hear about any bad. So I am curious as to why so many people are against them. They have been in our food for the past 80 years now and have not had any ill effects that I am aware of.

 

[Chuck]

OK curiosity... what is so bad about GMO's. If anything I have seen some good come out of them but I don't hear about any bad. So I am curious as to why so many people are against them. They have been in our food for the past 80 years now and have not had any ill effects that I am aware of.

What is so bad about GMO's? Let us do just a little history. DNA was first discovered in 1935. in 1982 the FDA approved the very first GMO an insulin replacement named Humulin. Then in 1994 the first GMO food arrived in our grocery stores which happened to be a tomato. Then in the late 1990's these know it all scientists started messing around with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) the pesticide of choice for getting rid of caterpillars. They were a success at genetically modifying plants so that the plant grew its on Bt thus no more worrying about those pesky caterpillars. This worked fine, until 2003 when the caterpillars modified themselves or adapted themselves to be Bt resistant. Now farmers are fighting caterpillars without their weapon of choice and soon we will be too. Just a little Unintended Consequence of GMO's. Then in 2011 after eating GMO foods this same Bt toxin turns up in the blood of pregnant women and is found to pass from the mother into the fetus. UH Oh another Unintended Consequence. I would suppose you already know about the GMO corn pollen that air currents swept down to Central America and altered their native corns making them nonviable for their food requirements. Just another little Unintended Consequence of GMO's. And to top it off the same thing is happening here. Why you ask yourself is there all this hubbub about Heirloom seeds, who cares? As long as we can plant our GMO seeds we won't starve and we can still plant our little gardens and pat ourselves on the back about being self-sufficient, growing our own food and such. Uh Oh another Unintended Consequence or is it really unintended at all. Next year or maybe 20 years from now who will control our food supply after GMO's have altered or destroyed all of our historic foods and the means to grow them? Who will have all of the seeds? Will there be a seed allotment from the government allowing you to grow 3 tomatoes, 4 peppers and 1 eggplant? Or will Monsanto and its brothers like Union Carbide or DuPont actually manage all agriculture with their one off chemicals on their magafarms. This little diatribe of mine is just scratching the surface of the evils of GMO's. Don't believe me, do you own research and pretty soon you will be wearing a tin foil hat too

 

[kevinkimers]

What is so bad about GMO's? Let us do just a little history. DNA was first discovered in 1935. in 1982 the FDA approved the very first GMO an insulin replacement named Humulin. Then in 1994 the first GMO food arrived in our grocery stores which happened to be a tomato. Then in the late 1990's these know it all scientists started messing around with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) the pesticide of choice for getting rid of caterpillars. They were a success at genetically modifying plants so that the plant grew its on Bt thus no more worrying about those pesky caterpillars. This worked fine, until 2003 when the caterpillars modified themselves or adapted themselves to be Bt resistant. Now farmers are fighting caterpillars without their weapon of choice and soon we will be too. Just a little Unintended Consequence of GMO's. Then in 2011 after eating GMO foods this same Bt toxin turns up in the blood of pregnant women and is found to pass from the mother into the fetus. UH Oh another Unintended Consequence. I would suppose you already know about the GMO corn pollen that air currents swept down to Central America and altered their native corns making them nonviable for their food requirements. Just another little Unintended Consequence of GMO's. And to top it off the same thing is happening here. Why you ask yourself is there all this hubbub about Heirloom seeds, who cares? As long as we can plant our GMO seeds we won't starve and we can still plant our little gardens and pat ourselves on the back about being self-sufficient, growing our own food and such. Uh Oh another Unintended Consequence or is it really unintended at all. Next year or maybe 20 years from now who will control our food supply after GMO's have altered or destroyed all of our historic foods and the means to grow them? Who will have all of the seeds? Will there be a seed allotment from the government allowing you to grow 3 tomatoes, 4 peppers and 1 eggplant? Or will Monsanto and its brothers like Union Carbide or DuPont actually manage all agriculture with their one off chemicals on their magafarms. This little diatribe of mine is just scratching the surface of the evils of GMO's. Don't believe me, do you own research and pretty soon you will be wearing a tin foil hat too

Based on your information I can understand your distrust of GMO's and I agree that some GMO's are bad, but what about the GMO's that have done good? For instance, in some of the poorer countries families are unable to get the proper nutrition. Food is expensive and so they primarily eat rice as a means to stave off hunger because it is the cheapest food they can get. However rice has only a few essential vitamins in it, so in essence, they are still starving. Scientist created a GMO rice that is packed with various vitamins in it that is essential to growth and development and so it is allowing those who are eating it to get the essential vitamins for them to live healthier lives, especially the children who desperately need those vitamins for their proper growth. I understand there are bad GMO's out there, but there are good GMO's out there as well. GMO's that are more disease and weather resilient to ensure a viable crop. This enables farmers to grow more food so that the price of food either lowers or maintains its abundance so that families are able to feed their children. When the crops do not produce well then the prices go up disabling families from being able to afford to purchase enough food to last for the month. How do you think they lowered the famine rate around the world? Famine is not extinct but it is a far cry better then it once was because certain types of crops were genetically alter to be drought resistant. The past experimentation of GMO food were failures because of the scientist did not consider the long term effects of their modifications on the human body, but currently there are stricter policies on what can and can't be done in the GMO field and those GMO crops have to go through a much longer and extensive testing before it can be approved by both the FDA and USDA to approve them to hit the market. I am not saying that it is a perfect system.... sometimes things do get through that shouldn't, but it is not as dire as you believe it to be any longer.

As for seeds, Do you know why there are less Heirloom seeds available then they were 50 or 60 years ago? I can't remember exactly when, but governments (especially the US) began seed banks because the seed count on "natural" seeds began to significantly drop. It was getting harder and harder for farmers to afford to purchase seeds for their farms because the abundance lowered causing the prices to get higher. I remember this conversation between my father and mother when I was a child, my father was in the military and privy to information that was not public knowledge. The governments (as well as the people) began to become concerned because at the rate it was going, there would be no food to grow in (I think) approximately 100 to 200 years. To keep up with the rate of population growth farmers were growing more and more food and thus using more seeds then they were saving to regrow the next season. So as a result, GMO's were hitting the market harder and "natural" seeds started to fill the seed bank. Through GMO plants they were about to increase the food production and stave off the possibility of food shortage. One natural seed through GMO was about to produce 50 seeds. I am not saying that in the future there is no viable opportunity for governments to take advantage of this situation as all governments are corrupt in one form or another, that is why it is important for individuals to store and grow their own food source. Heck, our government has actually been encouraging people to do so... at least the state governments. The federal government actually gives out small grants and seeds to individual households to begin their own gardens. Wish I had a link for you guys but I can't remember where I found it the first time. It may have been somewhere on the USDA site.

In the end, it is all up to the individual to decide whether they believe a GMO is safe to eat and I think that no only should GMO's be clearly labelled but information on what modifications were done to the GMO so that each consumer can make their own educated decisions on it. I don't think that all GMO's are bad or should be written off because they are GMO. Processed foods contain harmful elements in them and yet we all eat them whether we know it or not... how many times a month do each individual hit the local fast food restaurant? or buy a box of mac and cheese?

Thank you for your insight though. Oh and by the way, I know about Humulin. I'm on it. I'm type 1 diabetic.

 

[ChanellG]

I do a lot of experimenting with seeds that are not available on store racks. I have found many varieties that aren't supposed do well in my climate do better than the ones that are and the only place to get them is online and thru catalogs. I always end up with a lot of left over seeds of different varieties some of which were a waste of time trying to grow in my climate which is a waste but I guess that is just part of gardening

I have been looking online at a few seed sellers looking to see who has the most of what I want so I don't have to place multiple orders. I have been told at nurseries that plants I am asking for don't grow well here and later finding out they are being grown successfully by someone else. Also, seed means you can stagger plantings and have plants available for harvest after the nurseries and garden centers stop selling.

Chuck, at least the seed isn't expensive compared to the cost of a plant, and you can compost the unused seed.

 

[kevinkimers]

I have been told at nurseries that plants I am asking for don't grow well here and later finding out they are being grown successfully by someone else.

I have come to the realization that you can grow anything anywhere as long as you modify your growing techniques to help that plant along. For instance, tropical plants can't survive the cold winters here in Nevada, but if you properly cover and maintain that plant during the winter, and mist it (not water) frequently during the summer, they grow and quite well. You just have to know how to maintain them for your environment.

Seeds are way more cheaper then nurseries, I don't normally buy already grown plants. Plus, they have a higher failure rate because your methods are different from the nurseries and so when you get the plant it could cause it to go into shock and die easier. With seeds.... the plant is accustom to your care and not another growers, so it has a higher chance of success.

 

[Chuck]

Based on your information I can understand your distrust of GMO's and I agree that some GMO's are bad, but what about the GMO's that have done good? For instance, in some of the poorer countries families are unable to get the proper nutrition. Food is expensive and so they primarily eat rice as a means to stave off hunger because it is the cheapest food they can get. However rice has only a few essential vitamins in it, so in essence, they are still starving. Scientist created a GMO rice that is packed with various vitamins in it that is essential to growth and development and so it is allowing those who are eating it to get the essential vitamins for them to live healthier lives, especially the children who desperately need those vitamins for their proper growth. I understand there are bad GMO's out there, but there are good GMO's out there as well. GMO's that are more disease and weather resilient to ensure a viable crop. This enables farmers to grow more food so that the price of food either lowers or maintains its abundance so that families are able to feed their children. When the crops do not produce well then the prices go up disabling families from being able to afford to purchase enough food to last for the month. How do you think they lowered the famine rate around the world? Famine is not extinct but it is a far cry better then it once was because certain types of crops were genetically alter to be drought resistant. The past experimentation of GMO food were failures because of the scientist did not consider the long term effects of their modifications on the human body, but currently there are stricter policies on what can and can't be done in the GMO field and those GMO crops have to go through a much longer and extensive testing before it can be approved by both the FDA and USDA to approve them to hit the market. I am not saying that it is a perfect system.... sometimes things do get through that shouldn't, but it is not as dire as you believe it to be any longer.

As for seeds, Do you know why there are less Heirloom seeds available then they were 50 or 60 years ago? I can't remember exactly when, but governments (especially the US) began seed banks because the seed count on "natural" seeds began to significantly drop. It was getting harder and harder for farmers to afford to purchase seeds for their farms because the abundance lowered causing the prices to get higher. The governments (as well as the people) began to become concerned because at the rate it was going, there would be no food to grow in (I think) approximately 100 to 200 years. So as a result, GMO's were hitting the market harder and "natural" seeds started to fill the seed bank. Through GMO plants they were about to increase the food production and stave off the possibility of food shortage.

In the end, it is all up to the individual to decide whether they believe a GMO is safe to eat and I think that no only should GMO's be clearly labelled but information on what modifications were done to the GMO so that each consumer can make their own educated decisions on it. I don't think that all GMO's are bad or should be written off because they are GMO. Processed foods contain harmful elements in them and yet we all eat them whether we know it or not... how many times a month do each individual hit the local fast food restaurant? or buy a box of mac and cheese?

Thank you for your insight though. Oh and by the way, I know about Humulin. I'm on it. I'm type 1 diabetic.

The far east has had rice as its staple food for thousands of years and have done just fine without GMO rice. The famines in 3rd world countries has been caused mainly by ruthless dictators and secondary by drought and thirdly by just plain ignorance. Even GMO seeds need water. I understand your concern for these people and I am sure you have heard the old saying about teaching a man to fish instead of giving him yours. It is the same thing with agriculture. Until these people are enabled to grow their foods it will be a never ending cycle. GMO's are not the answer and we cannot feed the world. Wouldn't it be better for these starving countries to feed themselves? How about the producing countries mandating that these countries dictators allow irrigation wells to be drilled instead of just handing over billions worth of food to these thugs. There is just too many down the road unknowns pertaining to GMO's. What unintended consequence is next? I don't understand why you cannot see what the effects of Monsanto and others of taking over the seed and food supplies can be. Google seed companies owned by Mansanto. They already own way more than half of them

About what you said about modern processed foods. I totally agree. Have you ever wondered that why in the past 50+ years autism and other diseases pertaining to the young have skyrocketed? Could it possibly be what they are being fed in this modern world is causing it?