Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 228 pages
- Published by: Seed Savers Exchange
- Edition: 2nd Edition March 1, 2002
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 1882424581
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-1882424580
-
Book Dimensions:
10.8 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
- Weighs: 1.4 pounds
Product Description
Seed to Seed is a complete seed-saving guide that describes specific techniques for saving the seeds of 160 different vegetables. This book contains detailed information about each vegetable, including its botanical classification, flower structure and means of pollination, required population size, isolation distance, techniques for caging or hand-pollination, and also the proper methods for harvesting, drying, cleaning, and storing the seeds. Seed to Seed is widely acknowledged as the best guide available for home gardeners to learn effective ways to produce and store seeds on a small scale. The author has grown seed crops of every vegetable featured in the book, and has thoroughly researched and tested all of the techniques she recommends for the home garden. This newly updated and greatly expanded Second Edition includes additional information about how to start each vegetable from seed, which has turned the book into a complete growing guide. Local knowledge about seed starting techniques for each vegetable has been shared by expert gardeners from seven regions of the United States-Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast/Gulf Coast, Midwest, Southwest, Central West Coast, and Northwest.
Reader Reviews
This book is very practical and easy to understand. It's more encyclopedic in style rather than conversational, so if you aren't sure that you'll be saving seeds from your garden this year, you'll probably find it kind of boring. If you are slightly interested but unconvinced, I would recommend Carol Deppe's "How to Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties" instead. Her enthusiasm for the subject carries over into her writing style, and she includes lots of entertaining anecdotes and information that will be useful even if you don't decide to save seeds. But if you know you want to start saving seeds, or enjoy saving seeds and want to get better, this book will be indespensable. The book is mostly about vegetables, with a few grains and herbs also described. For each type of garden plant, several topics are covered: --A general description (where it originated, how it is used in different cultures, etc.) --Botanical classification --Pollination (such as wind vs. insects), crossing and isolation --Seed production and harvesting --Seed statistics (% germination, how many seeds in an ounce, how many varieties offered in major catalouge) --How to grow the plant from seed --Regional growing recommendations for 5 very generalized regions (Mid-Atlantic, Southeast/Gulf Coast, Upper Midwest, Southwest, Central West Coast, Maritime Northwest) These are very brief, but useful. I wish I would have gotten the book sooner, because I don't have too much gardening experience and I would like to have a big garden (well, as big as my yard will allow...) The regional recommendations often include when you should plant a vegetable indoors and when to transplant or direct seed outdoors. It would have been nice to do the last few week's seed starting with a little less guesswork.
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