Buying Organic & Heritage Herb Seeds Online
- Heritage Seeds Why and Where to Buy
Sun, soil and seed, are three of the essentials for a healthy garden. How much sunlight your garden receives depends upon your location and the existence or not of any obstacles that will restrict the sun...
If you live in a region such as I do, buying heritage plants and seeds may be difficult. The local nurseries do not carry seeds nor do they have a large selection of organic plants. I prefer to start my plants either from seeds I have saved myself or from companies that sell heritage seeds.
There are a number of seed companies online that sell heritage seed. The package must be marked heritage for it to be authentic.
Heirloom seeds come from plant varieties have been grown for several generations. Heritage seeds are open-pollinated by wind and insects. This means that you can plant them and be certain that you will get what you want.
Seeds of Diversity http://www.seeds.ca/ is a good source of information about heritage plants and if you are interested in saving and exchanging seeds then you may want to consider becoming a member.
West Coast seeds are a British Columbia company that sell organic and heritage seeds. Their website has useful information that will help you make your choices.
Terra Edibles is another personal favourite.
These two companies are not the only source of heritage seeds but if you live in Canada they are a good palce to begin your search for an online seed source.
I have seen heritage seeds offered on eBay and if the seeds are what you want and the price including shipping and handling is fair then this is a trusted source.
The best way to proceed if you plant to purchase heritage seeds from an online source is to first make a list of the seeds you want. Then with the seed list handy begin your online search. I would visit three different companies and compare prices be sure to remember to compare the shipping costs.
The age of the seeds is important when where they packed. This is an important question to ask if the information provided is not provided and if the seeds are not coming from an established seed catalogue such as the ones I mentioned.
While seeds can remain viable for some years the longer they are kept they lower their germination rate may be. If the seeds have been sitting in a rack in bright and warm conditions then they may not be as fertile as you would like them to be.
When you buy seeds from a seed company in person you can read the pack and see how they are being stored, online you can not, so ask.
If the company you purchase your seeds from is reputable buying heritage seeds online is a good way to get what a thriving garden needs.
