Welcome to the seeds section of our knowledge base. Here you will find lots of information on seeds and seed saving to support you. We also have publications available. Check out our Seed Saving booklet and Seed Saving Master Chart
Seeds
Seeds – some things to ponder. What is an organic, heritage, open pollinated seed? What is a hybrid seed, a CMS seed (labelled as hybrid seed) and a GE seed? Kay has written a brief outline because we see so much confusion and misunderstanding. We believe the big ‘cover up’ around this information needs to be busted!!! This brochure is also available here in printable pdf format
Some thoughts about the significance of seeds from Kay
A Manifesto for Seeds by Woody Wodraska, Aurora Farm
Seed Growers
As seed growers we try to nurture the earth, to build the soil, create diversity and support the plants to grow themselves. We try to minimise inputs and use natural inputs we can harvest or create ourselves
The Seed Room Tour
Seed Saving
The seeds have been passed on down to us for thousands of generations by our ancestors, people who cared about us, people who cared about life, people who were responsible.
We are the ancestors of the next generations, it is up to us. Here at Koanga we have a huge collection of New Zealand heritage seeds. We have been on a journey for 30 years learning to save them so that they will always be there.
Kay began with a copy of Seed To Seed, lots of time alone in her garden, and later lots of support from David Cavagnaro …. Seed Savers USA… and then The Diggers Club in Melbourne . Kay was awarded a Winston Churchill scholarship to study seed saving in the USA in 1999, and has published a Save Your Own Seed booklet based on her experience especially for home gardeners.
The following notes are our basic seed saving information from her for your support.
Seed Processing
Seed Selection
The process of selecting plants for seed production and rogueing out unwanted plants is essential to keep seed lines healthy. Here is some information about how we select plants for seed saving
Seed Breeding
Back-Breeding to the Future Reconnecting with Our Genetic Reality. By Robert Schick
What I am about to propose might seem downright heretical in terms of both traditional and high-tech seed breeding, but bear with me for a little while. As climate changes persist and attenuate, the human species is going to require tougher plants that can withstand far greater extremes of weather anomalies and variations. Most corporate, industrial and institutional breeders, however, both of plants and animals, are doing the exact opposite, regardless of their PR claims. What we don’t need are more super-hybrids and genetically altered mono-crops that require heavy-duty outside inputs and chemicals to jumpstart the seed and see the plant safely to harvest…read more!
Planting and Growing Seedlings
How to grow high quality seedlings using the Biointensive Method. This is also available as a brochure along with information on Growing Nutrient Dense Food. The brochure is also available in pdf form for downloading here.
Simple structures for getting seedlings going in early Spring by Kay
A different method for starting seeds early by Gail