The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving

摘要

Since this book is about seed saving, we should start by asking, "Why should we save seeds?" Seed saving advocates have been fighting hard to stem the loss of non-hybrid varieties of vegetables and grains. In some cases these plants are on the verge of disappearing. We don't want to lose plant species because we didn't save their seeds. But secondly, if we don't save seeds, then we need to constantly buy new seeds. This costs extra money and causes us to be dependent on seed companies each year. Thirdly, farmers and gardeners have historically saved seeds from cherished varieties of heirloom plants, such as tomatoes. Each of these cultivars has a unique set of genes and was selected for traits ranging from fruit color to taste to disease resistanceto cold hardiness. By learning how to manage the pollination of these varieties, seed savers have been able to maintain, improve, and breed for desired characteristics from one generation to the next. Fourthly, as we save seeds, we can pass along seeds as a sign of friendship and connection. Most seed savers still collect extra seeds to pass along to friends, family and other interested gardeners.