Why Seed Provenance Matters for Perth Gardeners
Something that is just as important as saving your seeds is their PROVENANCE. Perth has a disadvantage when it comes to seed variation. Biosecurity says we cannot have certain seeds due to possible negative harm to commercial growers. We will go into that issue another time.
But for the most part, I sight many choosing seed price over provenance. This may seem like a good idea. A bargain perhaps? But cheap is never cheap in the long run. Not knowing where your seeds have come from, not knowing how they were grown, and in what conditions, not knowing whether the grower used ethical practices, sprays, coatings, polymers or even if the seeds are viable (low to extremely low germination rates are common is overseas seeds, inferior genetics and poor seed selection/quality also) is as crucial as your soil health.
If you’re buying your seeds from another country or region, and planting into our endemic environmental conditions, the chances of survival are limited. If you’re buying from local breeders and sellers, you have a far greater chance as it is within the localized conditions from grower to sower. As close to you as you can get is best. Acclimation needs to be well done for successful perpetuity. It takes many generations for a seed to acclimate and stabilize. Often years, up to decades.
Whilst geographically we do not have the international reach and variety, we do however have some beautifully grown, ethically sound, local seed breeders and sellers here in Perth Western Australia. There are many sellers with foreign seed stock, so buyers beware. Support Local!
Below are some of my favorite local seed growers and sellers:
Thrive Sustainability
Down2Earth
Made For The Earth
Suburban Farmer