Kitchen Garden Forum

In the forthcoming April issue of Kitchen Garden magazine Bob Sherman and Edwin Oxlade will air their views on organic seeds. We would like to include some views from our forum users.
Do you only use organic seeds maybe or are you not bothered one way or the other?

I don't buy packets of commercial organic seeds because I'm not convinced that they have any great genetic benefit over ordinarily produced seeds.

Having said that, wherever possible I do try to save my own seed from certain vegetables which I have grown organically but often that's because it either saves money or I have a vague but scientifically unproven theory that plants raised from them might have a slightly better inclination to grow better in the specific soil conditions where their parents were raised.

What bothers me more is that seed be saved from plants which have been grown in the UK, or conditions similar to the UK, otherwise they may lose their 'adaptation' to UK conditions. As the recent 'Winter toll' of veg has show, this may become particularly important if cold winters become the norm.

I buy a lot of seeds from the Real Seed Company as their seeds are grown to organic standards, but not necessarily registered "organic".

I am more concerned about the quality and freshness of the seeds, a generous quantity, and that they haven't been coated with fungicides. Fresh organic seed is not really any different from fresh non-organic seed.

I also prefer to grow non-F1 varieties so I can save my own seed which I know will be fresh and vigorous and would probably comply with organic standards.

The only organic seed I have bought is Celeriac -Prinz from Kings said to be leaf desease and bolt resistant.
Not because it is organic but simply because I have had consistantly good results each year now for more years than I care to remember.

Beryl.

A seed is a seed is a seed... At least so far as labels like "organic" and "conventional" are concerned. An F1 seed will grow into an F1 plant and a GM seed will produce a GM plant. But that's because they will pass on certain genetic characteristics. As regards open-pollinated seeds both "organic" and "conventional" will produce an organic plant if grown organically, or a non-organic plant if not grown organically. It's not what you sow, it's the way that you grow it!
Having said that, I do use a lot of organic seed, but only because the suppliers I use have a good range available. I grow varieties I like and which do well for me and many are only available as "organic" seed. But the label itself does not sway me in the favour of any particular variety.
The insistence that organic gardeners/farmers should use only organic seed seems to me to be raising organics to the level of a dogmatic religion.

Beryl - please share the secrets of your good celeriac results. No matter what I do, I rarely seem to be able to produce bulbs which are bigger than the size of a tennis ball. The ones I see on our local market fruit & veg stall are always the size of big swedes and I'd love to know how I can get mine this size. If I could, I would need to grow fewer of them - an advantage when growing space is in short supply.

alan refail. Here Here.

I've used organic seed a couple of times, but only because it was in the Wyevale end of season 50p sale

Primrose I have posted on the 'Best Practices' how I grow Celeriac.

Best of luck
Beryl.

Spot on Alan - absolute poppycock - I challenge anyone to find an analyst who could find a difference.