Seed Does anyone else have this odd urge to acquire more seeds?

[dioptase]

It's odd, but ever since this spring I've had this urge to acquire seeds, seeds, and more seeds, whether by purchase or by seed saving. This goes beyond my on-again, off-again normal "Let's try a different variety of xxxx this year and get some seed for it." It's more like "I'd better get this seed NOW before it's too late." I've bought seeds for more different things than I possibly have room for (several kinds of peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, greens, beets, some onions, snow peas, melons, and things that I have never grown before (from seed, or at all): seed garlic, seeds for potatoes, parsley, thyme, dill, broccoli, celery, winter squash. I saved seed from a new lettuce which I got at the nursery this spring. Right now I'm eyeing the blooms on the garlic chives and the apple mint (as though I couldn't more easily propagate the mint from cuttings), and wondering if I should save the seed from those, too.

It's not just seeds, either. This year we had to dig out (to remove redwood roots) all of the raised beds in the kitchen garden. In the process I was going to entirely get rid of the oregano, since it is so invasive and I hardly use it. At the very end I relented and saved one small piece of it, which now is a nice sized plant (sitting in a one gallon nursery pot). Am I going to use it? Unlikely, yet there it is.

The image of that old woman in the Mad Max 'Fury Road' movie keeps coming to mind - the one with the satchel of seeds Keeper of the Seeds. (I hope I don't have to emulate her, Keeping the Seeds in an apocalyptic wasteland, or even worse, end up like her!)

It's strange, and I have to wonder if this renewed and stronger urge to acquire and hoard seeds is just due to the stress of this year, or the strangeness of the times being chewed on by my subconscious which is spitting out the drive (imminent dam collapse, pandemic, peace treaties, and the upcoming Feast of Trumpets = save seeds!), or if there is something (or Someone) else at work here.

Anyone else feeling like this? Any thoughts?

 

[Chicken Mama]

Nope. I'm good here. Spent too much money in years past buying, storing seeds that I didn't need and had to eventually pitch.

 

[summerthyme]

I'm consolidating in front of our intended farm sale and move... and it's tough, psychologically! However, from a practical standpoint, it makes sense. I'm going to toss all the older seeds (exceptions will be bulk beans, corn, peas *which have been germination tested* and are still vigorous.

But I also bought $200 worth of seeds from the Ukrainian website. Except for onion plants (and hopefully fresh seed potatoes... ours developed a bad scab problem this year although they were only one year from certified...grrrr) we should have everything we could need, even if we had to feed the entire extended family (which will be up to 14 by Spring)

I am saving plenty of tomato and pepper seeds... I'm 7 years into growing out several varieties of colored sweet bell peppers, and I'm really happy with the results. My plants have been averaging between 25-30 peppers per plant! I saved about 7 quarts of pea seeds last year, and over 5# of Bush beans (green and yellow). I saved about 20# of my Wapsie Valley heirloom corn, and would like to save that much again from this year's crop, but I think most of it is going to be horse feed...smaller crop this year.

I do want to make an up to date inventory once I get the old seeds weeded out.

Summerthyme

 

[Tundra Gypsy]

Yes, just told my daughter to get her order in before the end of September. I told folks to get their seeds early in February; not wait for a seed catalog to order. The same thing applies now. Order your seeds now; don't wait. Make sure they are heirloom so you can save the seeds for the future. Food shortages are coming.

 

[Mtsilverback]

I keep getting this feeling of don't bother.

Something I have to keep struggling against. I am supposed to pick up a new puppy the 17th of next month, yet I have that feeling I won't be getting it. I tend to listen to that inner voice and suffer if I disregard it. Hitting a deer at about 50 mph because I ignored the feeling I should stop and put on my jacket kind of feeling.

Well, I will soon enough know..

 

[China Connection]

They won't not be wanted by next year if one is in the countryside..........................

 

[mecoastie]

I need to reorganize my seeds. I also need to slim down on the varieties and really focus on what grows here well. Most folks don't realize the amount of seed you need to really grow all or most of your food. A shoe box full of seeds isn't going to go too far. I am saving probably about 3 times the amount I normally do from this years crops. Havent pulled the potatoes yet but I plan on savings all the Elbas for next year and probably half of the Katahadins. The popcorn didn't do as well as hoped this year so we wont be saving much from it and relying on last years seed.

 

[fish hook]

I don't see anything odd about it.I always buy early and try to keep enough to last several years,open polinated helps with this.They will keep for many years in plastic or glass containers in the fridge.You never know when you might have crop failure,animal predation,,late frosts that kill off the first planting,or you and your neighbors need to expand food production,or you go to the seed store just don't have them or are not there any more.Having a surplus of seed seems like a good idea to me.

 

[Shooter]

I just got a catalog from SEEDS and such. all the wonderful veggies, now im hungry. I always order more than I need, still have unopened packages from last year,

 

[dioptase]

I'm trying not to look at seed catalogs, but.... Last year I bought a 'Fourth of July' hybrid tomato plant, and DH liked its tomatoes. (I also had 'Stupice', which is an OP tomato; most of my seeds are for OP vegetables.) Presuming that I will still be staying home during March, it's going to be either order a plant of that tomato (one way or another), or else get the hybrid seeds for it and start it myself.

 

[naturallysweet]

Seeds and such is Great. I have an order in for them now.

If you want heirloom tomatoes. Go to Ohioheirloomseeds on ebay. 20 heirloom tomato packages for $25.99. you can also buy individual tomato varieties, at great prices for lots of seeds. (24-75 seeds per package.). They combine shipping . So I think it's $1.69 no matter how many packets you order.

Toddsseeds.com is great for bulk amounts. If you want a pound of beet seeds for $6.75 a pound
Beens, cucumber's, etc. They aren't super fast. But the bulk prices are amazing.

Seeds can be saved for year, even decades if kept in the right environment. No need to spend $5 for 5-7 seeds that you have to buy every year.

 

[briches]

Hubby has become quite the heirloom tomato gardener (thankfully) so we’re always talking about what kinds to add. We will be adding a couple more. This past year he grew over 100 “extra” tomatoes for the neighbors in our small neighborhood. He got the plants started and gave them away when they reached about 12 inches. Everyone loved them. He’s getting ready to start that again for this year.

We will be expanding the garden some, but tomatoes is where my hubby thrives.

 

[Murt]

I bought most of my seeds in September IIRC
I had trouble last year getting what I wanted
I am going to order a few more in tomorrow but 95% is already in the house
I am going to TRY to expand some by using part of my orchard for a few vegetables

 

[Voortrekker]

Yep, can't have too many seeds. Been buying the "exotic" stuff too because the standard vegetable seeds were "not in stock!"