Seed company
Encyclopedia
Seed companies produce and sell seed
s for flower
s, fruit
and vegetable
s to the
amateur gardener. The production of seed is a multi billion dollar business, which uses
growing facilities and growing locations world wide. While most seed is produced by large
specialist growers, large amounts are produced by small growers that produce only one to a few
crop types. These larger companies supply seed both to commercial resellers and wholesalers.
The resellers and wholesalers sell to vegetable and fruit growers, and to companies who package
seed into packets and sell them on to the amateur gardener.
Most seed companies or resellers that sell retail, produce a catalog – generally published
during early winter for seed to be sown the following spring. These catalogs are eagerly
awaited by the amateur gardener, as during winter months there is little that can be done in the
garden, so this time can be spent planning the following year’s gardening. The largest collection of nursery and seed trade catalogs in the U.S.
is held at the National Agricultural Library. The earliest catalogs there date from the late 18th century, with most published from the 1890s to the present. Shakers
were among the earliest commercial producers of garden seeds; the first seeds sold in paper packets were produced by the Watervliet Shakers
.
Seed companies produce a huge range of seeds from highly developed F1 hybrid
s to open
pollinated wild species. Many gardeners like to stick to old familiar varieties but each year seed
companies produce new varieties for gardeners to try. They have extensive research facilities to
produce plants with better genetic materials that result in improved uniformity and gardening
appeal. These improved qualities might include disease resistance, higher yields, dwarf habit and
vibrant or new colors. These improvements are often closely guarded to protect them from being
utilized by other producers, thus plant cultivars are often sold under their own names and by
international laws protected from being grown for seed production by others.
Along with the growth in the allotment movement
, and the increasing
popularity of gardening, there have emerged many small independent seed companies. Many of
these are active in seed conservation
and encouraging diversity. They
often offer organic and open
pollinated
varieties of seeds as opposed to hybrids. Many of these varieties are
heirloom varieties. The use of old varieties will continue to maintain diversity in the
horticultural
gene pool
. There is a good case for amateur gardeners to use
older (heirloom) varieties as the modern seed types are often the same as those grown by
commercial producers, and so characteristics which are useful to them (e.g. vegetables ripening
at the same time) may be unsuited to home growing.
Generally, seed packets labels includes:
This information can be represented graphically.
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s for flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s, fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s to the
amateur gardener. The production of seed is a multi billion dollar business, which uses
growing facilities and growing locations world wide. While most seed is produced by large
specialist growers, large amounts are produced by small growers that produce only one to a few
crop types. These larger companies supply seed both to commercial resellers and wholesalers.
The resellers and wholesalers sell to vegetable and fruit growers, and to companies who package
seed into packets and sell them on to the amateur gardener.
Most seed companies or resellers that sell retail, produce a catalog – generally published
during early winter for seed to be sown the following spring. These catalogs are eagerly
awaited by the amateur gardener, as during winter months there is little that can be done in the
garden, so this time can be spent planning the following year’s gardening. The largest collection of nursery and seed trade catalogs in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is held at the National Agricultural Library. The earliest catalogs there date from the late 18th century, with most published from the 1890s to the present. Shakers
Shakers
The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, known as the Shakers, is a religious sect originally thought to be a development of the Religious Society of Friends...
were among the earliest commercial producers of garden seeds; the first seeds sold in paper packets were produced by the Watervliet Shakers
Watervliet Shaker Historic District
Watervliet Shaker Historic District, in Colonie, New York, is the site of the first Shaker community. It was established in 1776. The primary Shaker community, the Mount Lebanon Shaker Society, was started a bit later...
.
Seed companies produce a huge range of seeds from highly developed F1 hybrid
F1 hybrid
F1 hybrid is a term used in genetics and selective breeding. F1 stands for Filial 1, the first filial generation seeds/plants or animal offspring resulting from a cross mating of distinctly different parental types....
s to open
pollinated wild species. Many gardeners like to stick to old familiar varieties but each year seed
companies produce new varieties for gardeners to try. They have extensive research facilities to
produce plants with better genetic materials that result in improved uniformity and gardening
appeal. These improved qualities might include disease resistance, higher yields, dwarf habit and
vibrant or new colors. These improvements are often closely guarded to protect them from being
utilized by other producers, thus plant cultivars are often sold under their own names and by
international laws protected from being grown for seed production by others.
Along with the growth in the allotment movement
Allotment (gardening)
An allotment garden, often called simply an allotment, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-professional gardening. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families...
, and the increasing
popularity of gardening, there have emerged many small independent seed companies. Many of
these are active in seed conservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
and encouraging diversity. They
often offer organic and open
pollinated
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
varieties of seeds as opposed to hybrids. Many of these varieties are
heirloom varieties. The use of old varieties will continue to maintain diversity in the
horticultural
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
gene pool
Gene pool
In population genetics, a gene pool is the complete set of unique alleles in a species or population.- Description :A large gene pool indicates extensive genetic diversity, which is associated with robust populations that can survive bouts of intense selection...
. There is a good case for amateur gardeners to use
older (heirloom) varieties as the modern seed types are often the same as those grown by
commercial producers, and so characteristics which are useful to them (e.g. vegetables ripening
at the same time) may be unsuited to home growing.
Seed packets and seed information
- Common plant name and the botanical name (in parentheses).
- Space and deep: how deep to place the seeds in the soilSoilSoil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
, space between plants (from one rowRowRow may refer to:*Row vector, a 1 × n matrix in linear algebra.*Row , a single, implicitly structured data item in a table*Row , a form of weight-lifting exercise*Row , an album by Gerard...
to the other one and from one plant to the other one in the same row). - HeightHeightHeight is the measurement of vertical distance, but has two meanings in common use. It can either indicate how "tall" something is, or how "high up" it is. For example "The height of the building is 50 m" or "The height of the airplane is 10,000 m"...
: approximate heightHeightHeight is the measurement of vertical distance, but has two meanings in common use. It can either indicate how "tall" something is, or how "high up" it is. For example "The height of the building is 50 m" or "The height of the airplane is 10,000 m"...
the plant will reach when mature. - SoilSoilSoil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
: type of soil the plant prefers. - WaterWaterWater is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
: It can indicate "keep the soil lightly dampMoistureHumidity is the amount of moisture the air can hold before it rains. Moisture refers to the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts...
", "bottom water the plant", "drenchDrenchDrench is a brand of bottled spring water owned by Britvic. Drench is one of a range of water brands from Britvic, which includes Pennine Spring and Fruit Shoot H20.-The Water:...
the soil with water", "daily misting of water" and "almost dryDryDry or dryness may refer to:* Lack of water* Prohibiting alcohol * Dryness , the lack of sugar in a drink, especially an alcoholic one * Dryness * Dryness...
out before re-watering". - SunSunThe Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
: full direct sunlight, partial sun, diffused sunlight, or grows well in the shadeShadeShade is the blocking of sunlight by any object, and also the shadow created by that object. Shade also consists of the colors grey, black, white, etc...
. - Door: if the plant is best suited for growing Indoor, Outdoor or Both.
- Live: PerennialPerennial plantA perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
or annualAnnual plantAn annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
. - Planting, germinationGerminationGermination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
and harvestHarvestHarvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
period: This information can be indicated by months or quarters of the year. - Special requirements, if necessary.
This information can be represented graphically.