Topic: Organic seed suppliers

[Mr Smith]

Anyone know of an organic seed company in the East Mids pleaseeeeeee

[Froglegs]

Theres the Organic Gardening Catalogue if that's any help.

[Tee Gee]

With all due respect to the 'organic' growers why buy 'organic' seed?

OK the plants have been grown organically I will go along with that, but surely they have been 'open pollinated'?

And if so are they organic anymore?

Why not just buy normal every day seed at generally cheaper prices and grow them organically?

After all many seed don't come true to the parent in any case so are these 'organic' seed going to be any different?

I would be interested in other views on this subject ......so what do you others think?

[RosieMcPosie]

tee gee, i only buy organic seed when it's a real bargain (i.e. in the wyvale 50p pot) but i grow all my produce organically, and that's good enough for me. i'm into healthy eating and all that but not busting a gut to be '1005 organic' (altho i don't use chemicals) because my allotmet's over the road from a crematourium, about 5 miles away from a power station, etc etc!

[Rob the rake]

I believe that organic seed is from plants which do well under organic growing conditions.

[Eristic]

I like to think I'm organic through and through but I agree with Tee Gee that you can go over the top. The only possible cause for concern is if the seeds are sprayed while in store. For this reason I try now to save as much of my own seed as possible.

Bogoff seeds are good for beginners to practice on but cheap does not always equate to value and more discerning growers ought to take full advantage of the smaller producers now available through the Internet, or swaps amongst this community.

[Barnowl]

I'm with TeeGee, my only reservation is that I've read about seed coatings - but I have only seen these on flower seeds in any case. Might these make a difference? Given the size of seeds the quantities of chemical must be minute.

[silverbirch]

I think this one is more about choice than science.  I'll agree with the others that the amount of anything coating a seed is so small it won't affect you.

I tend to buy mainly organic / untreated seed because I like the company I buy from, which is Tamar organics.  It's a small outfit, so you get good customer service.  On the occasions I've phoned, I've spoken to the owner, not an assistant.

I don't think the seed is any less robust for not being treated, I've never had problems with damping off or poor germination.

There might be something in the arguement it's self selected for organic growing, but I've never seen any studies done, and can't say I've noticed a huge difference compared to conventional seed.

[Rob the rake]

Here is an explanation of the whys and wherefores of organic seed use and production. It implies that the insistence of "organic seed for organic crops" is meant to ensure a financial disadvantage for commercial organic growers, to ensure that they cannot compete directly with chemical growers, and that the price of organic seed is kept artificially high for the same reason.

Why am I not surprised?

http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/OrganicSeeds.htm