Seed exchanges are sprouting up all over Canada, and indeed much of North America and Europe. The Elora and Fergus Horticultural Societies have combined to launch a “Seedy Saturday” on March 18 next year (2017) at the Victoria Park Senior’s Centre in Fergus.
WHAT IS A SEED EXCHANGE?
In simple terms, a seed exchange is where people collect seeds from their gardens over the summer and fall, store them over winter, and then meet to exchange these seeds in the spring. If you do not have any seeds to bring, it is quite acceptable to come and take some seeds home with you. There is no cost to participate, although a donation jar is normally available in order to help cover expenses.
WHY HAVE A SEED EXCHANGE?
Commercial seed companies focus on best sellers and economies of scale to keep costs down. This results in fewer and fewer varieties, lower genetic variability in our plants. Lower variability means lower adaptability to stresses such as disease or climate change.
And its not just the plants that benefit. As gardeners we all benefit by learning firsthand the basics of identifying, harvesting, storing and planting seeds. It can be wonderfully satisfying to follow a seed from a dying plant, through winter, and watch it re-emerge the following spring. And don’t forget to include the children.
SOME EXAMPLES
DRY Once flowers begin to fade at the close of the season, most flower seeds are ripe for picking. Seed harvesting should be done on a dry and sunny day. After seedpods have changed from green to brown and can be easily split, you can begin collecting flower seeds. Once you have your seeds, find a protected area to ripen and dry them. When the pods and seed heads feel totally dry, shake into an envelope or paper bag. Remove chaff and litter, then transfer them to small envelopes or lidded jars for storage. Write the plant’s name and the date on your containers, then store them in a cool, dry place.
WET (eg. Tomatoes) Allow tomatoes to ripen thoroughly on their vines to at least the eating stage before harvesting them to collect their seeds. Gently squeeze out from the cavities the jelly-like substance that contains the seeds. Place jelly and seeds into a small jar. Loosely cover the container and place in a warm location, 60-75° F. for about three days. A layer of fungus will appear on the top of the mixture. This fungus not only eats the gelatinous coat that surrounds each seed and prevents germination, it also produces antibiotics that help to control seed-borne diseases like bacterial spot, canker and speck. After three days rinse with fresh warm water, sieve away the water and dry. Break up the clumps into individual seeds, label and store in an envelope.
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
There is an abundance of information on this subject online via Google or some other search engine.
If you wish a more personal touch, arrangements can be made for someone from one of our Horticultural Societies to come to your garden. You may reach us by sending an e-mail to: seedysaturdaycw@gmail.com.
