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'''Seed companies''' produce and sell [[seed]]s for [[flower]]s, [[fruit]] and [[vegetable]]s to the
amateur [[gardener]]. The production of seed is a multi billion dollar business, which uses
growing facilities and growing locations world wide. While most seed is produced by large
specialist growers, large amounts are produced by small growers that produce only one to a few
crop types. These larger companies supply seed both to commercial resellers and wholesalers.
The resellers and wholesalers sell to vegetable and fruit growers, and to companies who package
seed into packets and sell them on to the amateur gardener.
Each seed company or reseller that sells retail, produces a catalogue – generally published
during early winter for seed to be sown the following spring. These catalogues are eagerly
awaited by the amateur gardener, as during winter months there is little that can be done in the
garden, so this time can be spent planning the following year’s gardening. Most companies run a
[[mail order]] catalogue business, some also supply their range of seeds to [[Greenhouse|garden
centers]] and other retailers.
Seed companies produce a huge range of seeds from highly developed [[F1 hybrid]]s to open
pollinated wild species. Many gardeners like to stick to old familiar varieties but each year seed
companies produce new varieties for gardeners to try. They have extensive research facilities to
produce plants with better genetic materials that result in improved uniformity and gardening
appeal. These improved qualities might include disease resistance, higher yields, dwarf habit and
vibrant or new colors. These improvements are often closely guarded to protect them from being
utilized by other producers, thus plant cultivars are often sold under there own names and by
international laws protected from being grown for seed production by others.
Along with the growth in the [[allotment (gardening)|allotment movement]], and the increasing
popularity of gardening, there have emerged many small independent seed companies. Many of
these are active in seed [[Conservation movement|conservation]] and encouraging diversity. They
often offer [[List of organic gardening and farming topics|organic]] and open
[[Pollination|pollinated]] varieties of seeds as opposed to hybrids. Many of these varieties are
heirloom varieties. The use of old varieties will continue to maintain diversity in the
[[horticulture|horticultural]] [[gene pool]]. There is a good case for amateur gardeners to use
older (heirloom) varieties as the modern seed types are often the same as those grown by
commercial producers, and so characteristics which are useful to them (e.g. vegetables ripening
at the same time) may be unsuited to home growing.
==See also==
*[[Seed bank]]
*[[Arboretum]]
*[[Biodiversity]]
*[[Monoculture]]
==External links==
*[http://dmoz.org/Shopping/Home_and_Garden/Plants/Seeds/ Directory of Seed Suppliers]
[[Category:Agriculture]]
[[Category:Plant reproduction]]
[[Category:Types of companies]]
amateur [[gardener]]. The production of seed is a multi billion dollar business, which uses
growing facilities and growing locations world wide. While most seed is produced by large
specialist growers, large amounts are produced by small growers that produce only one to a few
crop types. These larger companies supply seed both to commercial resellers and wholesalers.
The resellers and wholesalers sell to vegetable and fruit growers, and to companies who package
seed into packets and sell them on to the amateur gardener.
Each seed company or reseller that sells retail, produces a catalogue – generally published
during early winter for seed to be sown the following spring. These catalogues are eagerly
awaited by the amateur gardener, as during winter months there is little that can be done in the
garden, so this time can be spent planning the following year’s gardening. Most companies run a
[[mail order]] catalogue business, some also supply their range of seeds to [[Greenhouse|garden
centers]] and other retailers.
Seed companies produce a huge range of seeds from highly developed [[F1 hybrid]]s to open
pollinated wild species. Many gardeners like to stick to old familiar varieties but each year seed
companies produce new varieties for gardeners to try. They have extensive research facilities to
produce plants with better genetic materials that result in improved uniformity and gardening
appeal. These improved qualities might include disease resistance, higher yields, dwarf habit and
vibrant or new colors. These improvements are often closely guarded to protect them from being
utilized by other producers, thus plant cultivars are often sold under there own names and by
international laws protected from being grown for seed production by others.
Along with the growth in the [[allotment (gardening)|allotment movement]], and the increasing
popularity of gardening, there have emerged many small independent seed companies. Many of
these are active in seed [[Conservation movement|conservation]] and encouraging diversity. They
often offer [[List of organic gardening and farming topics|organic]] and open
[[Pollination|pollinated]] varieties of seeds as opposed to hybrids. Many of these varieties are
heirloom varieties. The use of old varieties will continue to maintain diversity in the
[[horticulture|horticultural]] [[gene pool]]. There is a good case for amateur gardeners to use
older (heirloom) varieties as the modern seed types are often the same as those grown by
commercial producers, and so characteristics which are useful to them (e.g. vegetables ripening
at the same time) may be unsuited to home growing.
==See also==
*[[Seed bank]]
*[[Arboretum]]
*[[Biodiversity]]
*[[Monoculture]]
==External links==
*[http://dmoz.org/Shopping/Home_and_Garden/Plants/Seeds/ Directory of Seed Suppliers]
[[Category:Agriculture]]
[[Category:Plant reproduction]]
[[Category:Types of companies]]
