You want to test seeds for free?

[davaroo]

So far we are "2 strong"
We are well on our way to a real movement here!

Heck, yeah, booooooy! Ghandi started with one less, if you recall.

 

[injunjoe]

So far we are "2 strong"
We are well on our way to a real movement here!

Heck, yeah, booooooy! Ghandi started with one less, if you recall.

I

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

Hi,

Just received another pack of Peanuts, Arachis hypogaea, and on my letter this time it says:

This germplasm is being 'freely' distributed by the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) for educational, agricultural research, or breeding purposes.

I really do not get any indication that they feel I am not a 'proper' participant.

Sadly though, seed to harvest is 120 days (4 months) and I cannot guarantee that a frost won't hit before December, so these will definitely have to wait until next Spring.

Too cool.

Ron

Plus, now I have two varieties, Phaseolus vulgaris and now Arachis hypogaea, so now breeding will be my new endeavor.

So if they are saying the seeds are for agricultural research. Then wouldnt a 4-h kid doing a scientific research on gardening be just that. Cause they have to keep notes on every thing any way. Has any one tried that approuch with them.. I think I might try this right before next spring.

 

[nittygrittydirtdigger]

I am soooo excited. I ordered a bunch of items a several weeks ago....got exactly seven hillbilly bean seeds and a packet of potato seeds. Not seed potatoes, potato seeds. So I thought, well that's something. But today I got a box with a dozen nice packets of seeds, including two kinds of corn, two kinds of sunflowers, flax, melon, Queen Anne's Lace and several other types of seeds.

I got two letters in the box, which was a bit confusing as one letter said something along the lines of "here's a few seeds for your home garden", and the other letter welcomed me to the program and told me who to email that I had received the seeds, when to expect to report results, etc.

At any rate, this should be a fun experience!

 

[beefy]

so basically i can order every type of clover they have, and plant it all in a test plot and a get a cheap new patch of clover that only costs what it takes to plant it?

same goes for my orchard.

 

[beefy]

Dont forget to order some coleus!

 

[davaroo]

Remember they are resisting the rush of people to get something for nothing.
The germplasms they offer are not for handing out to the populace at large. They are limited in scope and often are unsuitable for growing as a garden cultivar.

That said, legitimate research is encouraged. So be a researcher. Get up a plan and present it to them in a paragraph. Once I did that, they loosened up.

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

I received 4 strawberry plants yesterday with a collective total of 5 additional runners that were ready for starting. They were sent FedEx overnight and are very healthy looking with loads of greenery. The type they sent are called "Marshall" which is an heirloom variety dating back to 1893 proposed to have some of the best tasting berries of any strawberry. They are drought resistant but susceptible to viruses. So, I'm crossing my fingers I can get these going and keep them going. Will be nice to own a piece of history....

 

[vfem]

Wow Ranch! that is awesome! I haven't gotten anything further, but I'm watching my potatoes thrive out in the yard they sent.

This also reminds me, I have MAD strawberry runner maybe I should collect some to send out bareroot in trade now?

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

If they are trying to root, why not?