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Post by templeton on Mar 25, 2012 7:24:34 GMT -5
Gee, I wish I had all your addresses. I could wreak havoc on your psyches sending you all illegibly labelled packets of mystery seeds...thinks... what would they make of kangaroo apple or quandong or prickly currant bush.... (devilish laughter).
But a bit more seriously, what do folks do when they get a dodgy packet of seed from a retailer? I sowed 5 packets of carrot seed in adjacent rows with identical treatments and conditions, and one packet has failed to germinate at all. ask for a refund? Trouble is, I was relying on that variety for a particular phenotype...drat! T
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Post by castanea on Mar 25, 2012 11:16:11 GMT -5
I've tried to grow quandong. Not easy. Probably easier than Acanthosicyos horridus though.
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Post by blueadzuki on Mar 25, 2012 12:29:43 GMT -5
I tried to as well, at least with medium quandong, Santalum acuminatum ( I tried to get seed for soft qunadong, S. Spicatum as well but it got caught and destroyed by customs (apparently you need a phytosantiary certificate for it). And no one I know sells hard quandong Eleaocarpus grandis .) Nothing happened. Part of the problem I thing is that, like all of the sandalwoods, quandog is a root parasite, so it needs a host. However, information on which host's work is a little sketchy from the seed dealers I've dealt with, I've heard everything from "It needs no host at all" to "Anything will do" to "It has to be one of a small number on indigenous Australian grasses (none of which they happen to carry, as they are common enough in Australia that they can count on one of them being native wherever the seed is planted.) Though I think Solana seeds does carry seed for kangaroo apple. And there is a way to get viable bush tomato seed, if I can remember how (basically there is a brand of bush tomato flavored Australian Salt on the market where the simply dried the tomatoes and tossed them in. Find the salt, run it through a seive, (pressing on it to break the fruits open) rinse the seeds 5-6 times (to remove any residual salt) and they are perfectly plantable and will germinate (though they need a somewhat longer season that most of NA has, so it's best to pot them). Oh and Templeton, I think you could do far better than that, if you wanted to wreck psyches (or if you plain out hated us). How about packes of seed of things like finger cherry, or (if you have gloves and a biohazard suit) Australian Stinger Tree?
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Post by 12540dumont on Mar 25, 2012 13:10:34 GMT -5
Templeton, When I'm planting, I save the seed package. If it doesn't grow, I send it with a note and most companies send me another packet.
Of course this doesn't always work. Renee's Seeds didn't even acknowledge my note. SSE sent me another package of crossed up tomatoes, Johnny's sent me a replacement package, which also didn't germinate, and sometimes, it's just too late. Thank you very much for the replacement turnips, but now I have to wait for fall.....No company has ever sent me a refund of $$$. Silver, gold or greenbacks....
I'm pretty sure that if you send me unlabeled seeds, I'll have to send them to Castanea, because without a label, I'm totally lost. Cortona once sent me seeds that the post office mangled. I had to write to him to ask them what they were.
Also, I'm sorry about your carrots and peas. Mice are the worst. I now have 3 barn cats. The year I did not, the mice got in the storage pumpkins and ruined them all. They're (the pumpkins) too big for a jar. You've seen those Naples Long...I was still working through eating them, so I lost my food and my seeds. Dratted varmints.
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Post by templeton on Mar 25, 2012 16:08:27 GMT -5
I did get two santalum acuminatum seedlings to survive last year - despite being a semi-arid shrub, they require shade for the first few years. One turned up its toes this summer after a hot dry spell when my back was turned. The other is limping along under shadecloth.
The seeds need specific conditions to germinate, and a host to attach to relatively quickly. And they are very variable in fruit quality.
The best info I've found is from Nectarbrook farm in Port Augusta. <http://www.nectarbrook.com/intro/intro.html> They sent me seedlings, but I didn't handle them correctly, and none survived. They spent years searching for great fruited quandong populations across outback australia, (most populations are very variable) and found one isolated population with a high proportion of great fruiting trees. They may still sell seeds.
And I will be on the phone to Eden Seeds this morning, to see if i can get some replacement carrot seed. And ordering from a different supplier as well. T T
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 13, 2012 14:44:11 GMT -5
Welcome back. Did you lose all your clever garlic germplasm? Do we get to return the favor and send you a copy of it this fall? THANKS! =o) I am scared to look into my bags. I'm not sure that its lost at this point. Regardless, if you have opportunity, I'd be happy to have fresh stock this fall! It's possible that I might have some of Tom's potatoes available to share twixt here and there. I thought I had lost them till I opened the little brown bags and discovered sprouted seed in all but 3 or 4 bags. More than 20 varieties. The MOST mind blowing one of all being the "Cal White". When we dug the harvest, the Cal White seed came up in perfect condition. So, when we stored for the winter I figured, "What the heck, why not?" and stored the original seed along with the rest. When we opened it up, there it was covered in sprouts! I was totally amazed. It's in ground now!
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Post by cortona on Apr 14, 2012 5:20:39 GMT -5
if you have an extra tuber or two in the fall i'm interested in a swap, toms potatoes give me mixed results as i've tell you yesterday....but i will love to try it again!
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 14, 2012 9:51:31 GMT -5
You got it!
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Post by cortona on Apr 14, 2012 12:21:05 GMT -5
thanks Jo, i really appreciate it!
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 14, 2012 12:58:09 GMT -5
No problem! Just remember, I MUST BE HASSLED! I'm old and forget easily ;o) still cute though... right?
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Post by cortona on Apr 14, 2012 20:24:22 GMT -5
absolutely right!!!!! ;-)
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Post by elkwc36 on Apr 14, 2012 22:13:45 GMT -5
I was a member of SSE exchange for a few years. Overall my experience was good. There is always a few exceptions. The worst issue I had was with tomato seeds from a large grower in TX. I ordered several varieties and over half of them had zero germination. One variety wasn't stable and he wouldn't answer emails. I wasn't the only one that year that had problems with his seed. And the others received no reply either. Evidently something happened when he saved seed. The year before I had bought seed from him and they germinated well. In fact I grew plants out of seeds from that year for several years. I tried replanting and still zero germination. I tried the Clorox soak and still no germination. I did have one member who only sent 10 seeds. Luckily most of them germinated.
All of my varieties from Tom germinated. So hopefully will have tubers from them this fall. I planted several hills for Azul Toro one of Tom's varieties Darrel sent to me. It is very good and was the only variety to bounce back from the 6 inches of hail I had on May 24th last year and produce well. I only planted like 16 hills last year and had 4 of the Azul Toro. 3 out of the 4 came back and produced taters. Out of the other 12 only 2 even came back and I got 3 taters from the 2 plants. The 3 from Azul Toro produced way over 30. I never counted them but know how many I've planted, I ate a few and then gave some away. We had a severe drought last summer and extreme heat and then still bounced back and produced well. A purple potato that is very good. Assuming they will do well this year and they look great now I should have some small tubers to send to anyone who wants to try them. Just let me know. Jay
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Post by paquebot on Apr 16, 2012 0:39:59 GMT -5
I have never had a problem with seeds from any SSE member and no SSE member has ever had problems with my seeds. With the number of varieties that I list, it is not uncommon to get a check for $40-$50 at $2 per packet, 6 for $10. Whatever individual members do has nothing to do with the organization. If there are bad members, let it be known and action will be taken to correct the problem or expel them. If nobody in Decorah hears about it, it's a non-problem and doesn't exist.
Martin
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