October 2017
Garlic Bulbils are Still Available!
Our garlic bulbils have been very popular but we still have some left. This is the best time to plant garlic so order yours now!
While supplies last, we have 35 varieties of garlic bulbils available for planting this fall. Bulbils - not the large bulbs that you're probably used to, but the tiny nuggets that grow in the scapes at the tops of the plants.
If you plant bulbils, be prepared to wait for two full years before harvesting fully-grown garlic, but the results should be better than clove-planted garlic, and growing from bulbils is a very economical way to scale up a diverse collection of varieties. Read our article to learn more: How to Grow Garlic From Bulbils
While supplies last, we will send you a good amount (at least 10) of bulbils for 5 different varieties for $15 including shipping and handling. Please order by credit card / Paypal at seeds.ca/store.
We cannot guarantee specific varieties, but if you have a favourite, please ask and we'll do our best to provide what you want.
Bulbils will run out quickly, so order soon!
6 Good and Bad Places to Store Your Seeds
Whether you've saved seeds from your garden, or you have extra seeds from last spring, this is the time to make sure they're properly stored so they will germinate next year.
Seed storage is not difficult, but it makes the difference between seeds that last for years, and seeds that refuse to sprout after only a few months. The trick is to keep them dry and cold, and dry is more important than cold.
Plant a Seed & See What Grows
Plant a Seed & See What Grows Foundation is dedicated to creating opportunities for children to explore the outdoors and be inspired by the breathtaking wonders of the natural world around them. The Foundation’s programs create moments of inspiration that can last a lifetime – in classrooms, in school gardens, through farm visits, and other outdoor educational activities. Through these outdoor experiences, a healthier generation of children is nurtured, and at the same time they learn to become good stewards of planet earth.
Sweat Bees
Bees around the world are classified into seven families. The Halicitidae family are commonly known as sweat bees, and according to the Xerces Society, Heather Holm and the University of Florida, they are the kind of bees you see most frequently, other than honey bees, during the summer. These bees are so-named because they often land on humans to feed on sweat for the salt.
Ontario Tree Seed Plant to be Closed
Amid the news of storms and floods we almost missed an important story about the impending closure of a provincial tree seed bank in Ontario. The Ontario government's Tree Seed Facility sells millions of seeds of up to 60 species of native trees every year, but the facility is scheduled to close in 2018. According to foresters and tree nurseries, the loss of this service will threaten re-forestation, and regional forest adaptation at a time when climate change already endangers the health of woodlands.
In this issue
6 Good and Bad Places to Store Your Seeds
Ontario Tree Seed Plant to be Closed
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SEEDY EVENTS
BC Seed Gathering
November 3, 2017
KPU Richmond campus, 8771 Lansdowne Rd.
Richmond, BC
ACORN conference
November 27, 2017
Best Western Glengarry
Truro, NS
Ecological Farmers of Ontario Conference
November 29 - December 1, 2017
Blue Mountain Resort,
Collingwood, ON
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