Survival Seed Bank

[Kaonashi]

Well, it turns out that the Survival Seed Bank (http://www.survivalseedbank.com/) not only includes a whole lotta seeds, but also "a special 81-page manual called *Survival Gardening With Heirlooms*."

http://www.survivalseedbank.com/images/Survival-Gardening-Heirloom.jpg

I think they're referring to using Grandma's tibia as a trowel after she's been death-paneled by Obama's brownshirts, but I might be wrong - and isn't that just one more reason to read the book?

Just one point disturbs me, though, and that's the neglect of including artichoke seeds, which not only produce yummy jumbo artichokes from late spring into early summer that can be eaten with an astonishing array of sauces - or even just mayonnaise! - but also provide for some very attractive flowers if you let the late crop blossom, and I'm guessing some flowers would just do the trick after the end of civilization and all that.

So what do you think? They say, "For just $149.00 plus 15.00 shipping and handling (total $164.00), you get enough seeds to plant a full acre survival garden!" (and I'm glad they did the math for me, 'specially 'cause it had decimals), but is it worth it without the artichokes? Also, I'd be growing them in Japan, and can you grow acre stuff on tsubos?

Any advice is appreciated.

[gomu]

I prefer the tone of "The Real Seed Catalogue" (UK)
http://www.realseeds.co.uk

Your link looks like a pretty good deal though.

[ひさしぶり]

You got some reading up to do...

http://i582.photobucket.com/albums/ss267/Temptationbucket/VFMI273620Custom1.jpg

[myhobbyis]

Well, it turns out that the Survival Seed Bank (http://www.survivalseedbank.com/) not only includes a whole lotta seeds, but also "a special 81-page manual called *Survival Gardening With Heirlooms*."


So what do you think? They say, "For just $149.00 plus 15.00 shipping and handling (total $164.00), you get enough seeds to plant a full acre survival garden!" (and I'm glad they did the math for me, 'specially 'cause it had decimals), but is it worth it without the artichokes? Also, I'd be growing them in Japan, and can you grow acre stuff on tsubos?

Any advice is appreciated.

Yes,....I have some advice......RUN FOR THE HILLS !!! and don't look back.


The blurb states:

New "Survival Seed Bank" Produces Thousands Of Pounds Of Nutrient-Dense Food For Pennies Per Pound... Enough To Feed Friends And Family Forever

Well no, it's a load of seed, that's all.

Anybody contemplating cultivating a whole acre of vegetables should have enough experience under the belt to select seeds themselves.

No amount of references to the bible in the blurb can take away the fact that your just buying a load of seed , freeze dried, individually wrapped, lovingly placed in a watertight 'seed bank' seed , but seed none the less. Seed that someone else has selected for you without any knowledge of your climate, soil type, harvest time and requirements.




Then, each seed package is sealed in a special foil packet with a very expensive desiccant designed to keep seeds fresh for 20 years at 70 degrees. However, if you freeze your "seed bank" you could increase the shelf life by five times or more beyond that.

This is the sellers main selling point and there may be some worth in having heritage seeds locked away for a rainy day since there is a lot of talk about
seeds being copyrighted et al.
However germination rate is key, any seed goes through testing to establish it's germination rate, the conditions it is kept and the length of time before
sowing obviously taking it's toll.

So does the seller have research information on the germination rate of these seeds using this technique started 20 years ago to back this up ?
Oh no, hang on with freezing.......20 years X 5 = 100 years ago , ....so the germination rate check was started 1910.

Without this you just bite the bullet and go on trust knowing that you could plant seeds, 20 years later, when you really need them and find 1 plant comes up.


You can actually bury this unit for 20 years if you like and still have your seeds when you need them most

Errr...and where will the seller be when you dig them up ?

I don't know if these seeds are good value as they stand (without the fancy packaging etc) but I'd just buy some heritage seeds, and spend those 20 years
perfecting your technique of successfully collecting the seeds from those crops for replanting the following year.(once you've opened the seed pack once all the usual shelf life rules apply to the seeds right ?)


There is no magic food package just a lifetime of dirty fingernails and lows and highs.



"Close to where I live there is a yacht harbour. The rich businessmen have decided that being yachtsmen would be an excellent idea and so the place is a
sea of swinging masts. However the thing with yachting is it takes more than one afternoon to master, in fact I would guess that to fully master the art of
yachting would take a great deal of determination and effort.....And so the harbour is full of yachts that go nowwhere and never leave the harbour having
become just a rather elegant and expensive venue for so many cocktail parties."
(Alan Watts)

[KenElwood]

Hi all,

I'm with mhi on this one: A 'survival seed bank' takes years, if not decades, to put together.

ken

[corby]

Lately, everywhere you look someone is offering one of those survival seed banks. I think it a nice idea, but you could probably make your own survival seed bank and save some money by buying packs of heirloom organic vegetable seeds individually. And storing them shouldn't be a problem: a jar or a box stored in some cold and dark closet or basement is adequate.

But before you start ordering any kind of seeds, sit down and figure out which varieties you want to plant and which ones you may want to plant in the future. Make sure that you’ve actually grown the variety in your area to ensure that it grows well in your local climate. Make a list before you start shopping for seeds.

[tomatonion]

Check out www.martinjapan.blogspot.com and scroll down the blog (called Kurashi - News from Japan) until you find a 3 part serial on seeds.Lots of useful (and scary!) info on seeds,saving seeds,seed companies etc.Links to Japanese companies that sell Japanese heirloom and organic seeds - maybe a bit more appropriate for planting in Japan?

[garyinshinjuku]

Hello everyone. I am hoping to find wheat grass seeds in Japan for growing my own at home. Does anyone know where I can get some organic seeds in bulk? Thanks very much.

[dataGecko]

Check out www.martinjapan.blogspot.com and scroll down the blog (called Kurashi - News from Japan)...

Thats a great blog, thanks. Will spend some time there!

[garyinshinjuku]

Thats a great blog, thanks. Will spend some time there!

datagecko, thanks for the link. it looks very promising.

[gomu]

President Dmitry Medvedev orders immediate inquiry into potential destruction of world's oldest seed bank... (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/16/russia-president-pavolvsk-twitter)

there are apples from 35 countries, 1,000 varieties of strawberries from 40 countries, black currants from 30 countries, plums from 12 countries and multiple other crops." It's the Willy Wonka's chocolate factory of crops.

Sign a petition here (http://food.change.org/blog/view/russias_pavlovsk_seed_vault_threatened_by_real_est ate_developers)

[Chromedome]

you grow them, I'll steal them... thanks.