They are available as both regular seed and organic seed. Seeds and plants do not know they are being grown organically. The genetics of the seed does not change after growing plants organically for a few years.
Good quality seeds from organic farms or conventional farms will grow equally well in your soil. Are organic seeds more hearty, or more robust? Small unhealthy plants will produce poor quality seed in both organic and conventional fields. Quality seed companies will only sell quality seed — organic growing conditions have nothing to do with it. It is quite possible that organic seed is not as good as conventional seed.
As pointed out by Seed Testing International ref 3 growing quality organic seed can be difficult due to extra pest pressures. GMO seed is sold to farmers after they have signed an agreement which controls how they can use the seed. Seed companies will not sign such an agreement with home owners. Besides the unavailability issue, almost none of the seed types home owners buy are available as GMO seed.
Corn is the only exception. This will change over time as new seed types come on the market. Conventional farming uses chemicals which are not approved by organic farming. In most cases these are safer than the chemicals used in organic farming, but that is a topic for another post. What happens to these chemicals — organic and non-organic? Plants are sprayed as they grow. Most of the sprayed pesticide either washes off or degrades over time.
By the time seed is harvested, very little of the pesticide remains, but there can be residual amounts of systemic pesticide in the seed. Wikipedia lists a number of chemicals and their MRL, with limits of 0. I believe this is for seed that we eat as food and not for seed that is used for planting, but it gives us a ball park idea of possible pesticide levels.
One Kg of tomato seed contains about , seeds. What happens to the pesticide in the seed? Most of it will be discharged from the plant, or metabolized in the plant.
But lets assume the worst case, and that none of it is lost. Then all of it would be dispersed throughout the plant. As cells grow, some of the pesticide would travel from old cells to new cells. What does a tomato plant weight? I have seen numbers like 30 pounds but to be conservative lets assume our plant is small and weighs only 10 pounds, including the fruit. When the fruit is ready for harvest, the 0.
An average tomato weighs gms, so it will contain 0. Compare that to the fact that we eat 1, mg of natural pesticides every day. That is a silly calculation! But not nearly as silly as the belief that the pesticides in seed make a difference. What is treated seed? Some seed, like peas and beans have a tendency to rot in wet soil. Treated seed has a coating of anti-fungal and anti-bacterial chemicals that reduce the chance of rotting.
In a few cases the seed may be coated with an insecticide but these are usually not available to home gardeners. This is a different situation from the previous section. Treated seed has the chemical coated right on the seed, and you can easily see it. If you handle the seed, the pesticide powder does end up on your hands.
How safe are treated seed? You should not eat them, and it is wise to wash your hands after handling them. Most of the coating on seeds will wash off with rain or be degraded by soil microbes. Any that is absorbed by the seed will be in very low levels in the food you harvest. Calculations are similar to the ones above, except you do start out with a higher amount of pesticide.
Food produced from treated seed is perfectly safe to eat. Do you need to buy organic seed? Most seed that is available to home gardeners is not treated. Treating seed costs money, and if seeds have been treated, companies advertise the fact so that they can charge more for the seed. In most countries, the labeling laws require seed producers to identify treated seed right on the seed package.
I checked Burpee Seeds and they do not sell treated seed. Stokes does sell some but the selection is very limited and the treated seeds are clearly marked in their catalog. You do not need to be organic seed.
That leaves me with one valid reason for buying organic seed — to support organic farmers. If you feel growing organically is important for the environment and you want to support organic farmers, then buy organic seed.
It does support the organic movement. Buying organic seed, does not produce healthier food, does not make plants grow better and they do not reduce your exposure to chemicals. If you are going to buy them, you should at least understand why you are buying them — you are supporting organic farming. Selection is limited for organic seed. Most of the new disease resistant vegetable cultivars are not available as organic seed, and neither are most ornamental flowers.
Personally, I would not go out of my way to buy organic seed when non-organic is just as good. Did not make any sense to me as organic farming is actually the practice to grow plants. Thanks for sharing these details. Very helpful. These are plants that have been kept the same for several decades. The plants created by an heirloom variety seed are the same from generation to generation.
These more traditional plants tend to appeal to those who want a natural approach to their garden. Now, you might be wondering what makes heirlooms so special— and the answer is simple. Most gardeners consider them to be the superior option for several reasons.
Heirlooms develop natural resistances over the years to the pests and diseases around where they have grown. This means that you can cut down on the pesticides while also having healthier, stronger plants. Heirlooms tend to taste better than hybrid varieties. Many hybridized plants have chosen to forego taste and nutrition in favor of creating plants that produce more and grow stronger, or they are meant to endure shipping.
If you want to reuse your own plants and your own seeds, you need open-pollination. If you want to save money in the long run on seeds, this is the perfect way to do so. Antoine has an herb garden, green house, a bee hive, cows, a goat, and two trout ponds stocked with hundreds of rainbow trout. All of our content is free. There are no subscriptions or costs. The Press Pool. About Us. Donate Today.
Organic Seeds Organic seeds are seeds that have been put through the rigorous process of becoming certified organic. Indian Country Today is a nonprofit news organization. Will you support our work? By The Associated Press. By ICT Classifieds. By Sen. Lisa Murkowski. By Congressman Tom Cole. Crabmeat Au Gratin. Quinoa and Chard Cakes. Sherried Stilton and Green Peppercorn Spread. Classic Sauerbraten. Mexican Inspired Chicken Pot Pie.
Rock Candy Brown Sugar Recipe 3. Herbed Oatmeal Pan Bread. Basil Tea with Hibiscus. Makeover Patrician Potatoes. Sugar Free Dreamsicle Pie. Mom's Zucchini Casserole. Big Beef Balls with Bucatini.
Banana Bread Biscotti. Basic Biscotti. Butternut Squash And Apple Soup. Honey Chicken Wings. Marinated Grilled Zucchini. Mediterranean Cod. Mustard Glazed Pork Skewers. Spinach Feta Rice And Ham. Texan Chicken And Rice Casserole. Ultimate Raita Tyler Florence. All rights reserved. Privacy Email : [email protected]. Heirloom Seeds Vs Regular Recipes. From guide. Heirloom seeds, heirloom vegetables and heirloom gardening are becoming increasingly popular today.
Once lost to history, this heirloom grain has been rediscovered and revived for a new generation! The Vilmorins considered the carrot better suited to warm climates, but unlike most carrots, this one thrives in wet, heavy soil. Heirloom Vs.
Combining heirloom wheat with modern wheat is another way to enjoy the flavor and benefits of heirloom wheat, while still making bread with a more familiar texture.
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