For gardening, unless you relish digging roots and eating acorns,
non-natives will be the defacto standard, so don't give that a second
thought. 99% of what us gardeners around most parts of the world grow
are likely going to be non-natives.
As to veggies from seeds from other ecological regions - you'll get a
so-so crop the first year as the plants adapt to your location, but
practice good isolation for seed purity and save the seeds and over the
generations those plants will adapt better to your area and grow and
produce better. Make sure to pay particular attention to the strongest
plants with the tastiest fruit/veggies and save seeds from those.
If you are having trouble with finding seeds in your area, have you
tried neighboring nations? Greece isn't too far away, or Italy. How's
Turkey as far as gardening is concerned? Jordan? And... how hard is it
to order and have seeds sent to you via mail?
Be well,
Mike
--
Zone 8, Texas
http://www.taroandti.com/ Exotic Plants and More...
http://www.mjv.com/ Home...
Serene Taleb-Agha wrote:
Hello Gloria and all,
There is something I have been confused about for a long time, that is the
issue of biodiversity in our gardens on the one hand and the recommendation
to plant native on the other. Of course I realize a lot of the standard
fruits and vegetables are not "native", but if they have been cultivated in
an area for hundreds of years, do they count as having been "naturalized"?
I live in Syria and when I go to the gardening store for seeds, I find
exactly one variety of tomato, one variety of beans, one variety of cabbage,
etc. Ok, I think she did have two varieties of peas, one called "local" and
one called "American". (I went with the local because the American peas
were covered with a strange purple powder.) I wanted a variety of carrot
that is dark red and used to be really traditional here before the orange
variety took over. You can't even find it in the markets anymore. Well,
she didn't have any, and I had to call up my landscapist (who also has a
business growing veggies for high-end restaurants) and have him track some
down for me. Now I am long overdue for making a visit to my family in the
States and I thought while I am there I might buy some seeds for different
varieties of vegetables than the ones commonly available here. Is there
anything wrong with that? Should I expect poor results or not necessarily?
And in the grand scheme of things, would it be good or bad for biodiversity?
Serene Taleb-Agha
Damascus, Syria
Hi Serene!=20
The purple powder was the innoculant some peas, and other legumes
sometimes come with....because otherwise we are supposed to use the
powder to innoculate them when we plant them. It helps to fix
nitrogen in the soil when they grow.=20
I think it would be fine for you to use seeds from the US. As it is
many of the varieties available are from other countries..like
Armenian cucumbers. Just be sure to get seeds that will grow well in
your climate. IOW, don't buy a short season veggie, if your growing
season is a long one. Don't buy seeds that do better in a wet
climate when yours is dry.=20
Do save your seeds each season to replant the next. IN this way you
are making your very own varieties in the space of about 3 seasons
that do best growing right where they are. For this reason be
certain not to buy hybrid seeds. Buy open pollinated seeds...and
particularly nonGMO seeds. You will have to see if the seed company
guarantees that they do not sell GMO seeds. Some just won't tell you
that is what they are. It may not be a bad idea for you to buy from
a place online like Seeds of Change, or Baker Creek
or a California seed company someone on this list can recommend that
does not sell GMO seeds. You could have them delivered to your
relative's home in the US to pick up when you do visit.=20
Gloria, Texas
US zone 8a
--- In GardeningOrganically@yahoogroups.com, "Serene Taleb-Agha"
is the
> issue of biodiversity in our gardens on the one hand and the
recommendation
> to plant native on the other. Of course I realize a lot of the
standard
> fruits and vegetables are not "native", but if they have been
cultivated in
> an area for hundreds of years, do they count as having
been "naturalized"?
> I live in Syria and when I go to the gardening store for seeds, I
find
> exactly one variety of tomato, one variety of beans, one variety of
cabbage,
> etc. Ok, I think she did have two varieties of peas, one
called "local" and
> one called "American". (I went with the local because the American
peas
> were covered with a strange purple powder.) I wanted a variety of
carrot
> that is dark red and used to be really traditional here before the
orange
> variety took over. You can't even find it in the markets anymore.=20
Well,
> she didn't have any, and I had to call up my landscapist (who also
has a
> business growing veggies for high-end restaurants) and have him
track some
> down for me. Now I am long overdue for making a visit to my family
in the
> States and I thought while I am there I might buy some seeds for
different
> varieties of vegetables than the ones commonly available here. Is
there
> anything wrong with that? Should I expect poor results or not
necessarily?
> And in the grand scheme of things, would it be good or bad for
biodiversity?
Hello,
Thanks for the reassurance! I'd be interested in the California company
since my family lives there and also the climate where I live reminds me a
lot of California (although somewhat drier.)
Hmm, do only legumes need inoculant? Because I bought other seeds, like
spinach and broccoli, that also had purple powder coatings.
Serene
Damascus, Syria
