I have seen a lot of different web sites selling Emergency Seeds.

They are typically the type of seed that will "Go to seed" at the end of life thus providing seeds for the next year.

I am 100% ignorant as far as this sort of thing is concerned so some advice would be greatly appreciated.

Assume I have a few secluded acres I could use for growing food if I had to. It would be a Northern Montana type Climate.

What would be your best suggestion? For durability and perpetuating seeds. Any other learned lessons you could share?

Thanks

Cameron

I started really getting into gardening a few years ago; and have been trying to learn as much as possible.

I feel like I still have a lot to learn.
But, from what I understand so far, you should be pretty successful saving seeds from any crop that is not a Hybrid variety.

I have been thinking about getting one of those "emergency cans" of seeds to stick in storage as a backup... but, you can also find "standard" non-hybrid seeds on the store shelves too. So, you don't necessarily have to jump into one of those $40 cans right away.

My local news station ran a quick story last night, saying that there may be a shortage of seeds this year.
That was the first I have heard of that.
Of course, now a shortage is probably guaranteed in my area, since the TV news has "rang the bell".

Cameron, most vegetable seeds are sown, sprout, grow, produce fruit and then go to seed all in one season, because they're annuals. Montana can be difficult because at least parts of it can get snow every month of the year. Some frost protection from simple rebar and clear plastic hoop huts can make a world of difference in a cool climate.

The other thing you would need to find out is how long the average growing season is. You can find that for anyplace in the U.S. by googling a city and 'growing season'. Bozeman, MT is 107 days, tricky at best, if you have to grow all your own food.

Places with short growing seasons need vegetables that grow faster than others of the same type. Zucchini starts producing in 45-50 days, but most of the storable winter squashes take 80-100.

Some kinds need to be started indoors with heat and light, and transplanted when the soil and air are warm enough for them to survive. Without this head start, they will often just reach the point of producing when cold weather hits and you get a crop of almost-ripe, frozen, mushy, rotting fruit. Tomatoes and pepper are a couple of these, as they like a warm start and hate temperatures below 55F, and frost will kill them. Just be aware that when a plant is started indoors or outdoors in a pot or flat, that "65-70 days" on the seed packet is referring to the number of days from transplant, not from the day you planted the seeds. The Sweet Orange II Tomato (cherry type - very close to the hybird Sungold, but this one is open-pollinated) can start producing in 65-70 days. The large Brandywine heirloom and big beefsteaks can take 75-100 days to get started.

Some vegetables prefer cooler weather and will die or go to seed very fast in hot weather. Peas, lettuce, kale are some of these. Peas and spinach can even take some actual frost and keep growing.

Bush beans (40-60 days) and bush peas (60 days) are usually all ready to pick at once (good for canning or freezing), but pole beans and pole peas start around 70 days and keep producing flowers and beans (or peas) as the vines grow, and keep producing as long as you keep them picked and they don't get hit by frost.

If you have specific climate challenges to deal with, a generic can of mixed seed that was designed more for central California can be an expensive mistake, at best, and a food disaster if you were dependent on it.

Go to Wikipedia's 'list of culinary vegetables' and copy it, and then delete what you don't like. [They also have fruit and herb lists.] Then go through some good seed catalogs and see what varieties are both OP and most suited to your climate. Two catalogs that I like are Bountiful Gardens and Territorial Seed. But try to also find some seed companies from your area or climate, as their offerings may be far more suited to you than one a thousand miles and six climate zones away from you.

Here's the Garden Watchdog site http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/ that has search functions by state or country, and they rate the seed companies.

Seeds kept in a warm, humid environment will deteriorate rapidly. Seeds kept in a cool, dry place can be good for years. Seeds that were properly dried can be vacuum-packed and stored in the freezer.

Sue

Wow Susan,

Thank you so much for taking the time to type all of that information.

Don't know what to think about this. Maybe time to go read some books.

Again

Thanks

Cameron

Hello Cameron --

I think it's great that there's a lot more gardeners getting into non-hybridized seeds, because it means there will be more resources for those of us who prefer the old-fashioned heirloom plants, which tend to get overlooked for their flashier, more disease-resistant cousins.

I just wanted to add that the number one mistake new gardeners make is to try to take on too much their first year, and they get overwhelmed. (I know -- I was one of those people!) The best thing is to contact your local agricultural extension, visit the GardenWeb forum for your area, ask a bunch of questions, and KEEP IT SIMPLE.



P.S. A book that really helped me out was Mel Bartholomew's "The Square Foot Garden". There are others, but his easygoing commonsense approach got me headed in the right direction. I live in an exposed Zone 4 area with wind, low rainfall, variable temperatures and poor soil, and everything still produced extremely well using his intensive/raised bed methodology.

I felt I should also mention ...
As you're learning, study about ways to improve your soil too.

The best seeds available will not perform well if they don't have a good medium to grow from. So, whether you are making an "artificial" bed with garden dirt purchased in bags from the local garden center, or especially if you are "busting sod" on your property ... things like composting, growing cover crops, crop rotation schemes, etc.. can make a big difference in the quality of your soil and the performance of your crops.

That's very true about improving the soil. Your local Cooperative Extension Service office can give you some good basic information, and can recommend a lab that could so a soil test for you. Most basic tests cost around $10.

There is a video called "Hands-On Agronomy" that could be a valuable source of basic soil information for about 90 minutes of your time.

Most soils have some deficiencies, and some have a lot. It's best to deal with them while the ingredients are still available.

U.S. Cooperative Extension Offices: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

Sue