Pinetree Garden Seeds – Good News from a TMG Reader

I just received an email from a reader of TMG, Alice, who lives in Northern Nevada.

She is an energetic gardener in her 70’s whose current garden is only 3 years old.  Her first year at this new location she did a raised bed garden until she discovered she was on top of the leech line of the sewer system.  Since that was a definite NO — she moved the garden further down the slope. In this — her 3rd year at this location – she reports the “soil in the beds is just amazing.”

In case you’re wondering how it got that way : Alice used non treated grass clippings, leaves, topsoil, shredded brown paper bags, cardboard, egg cartons and her own compost to layer the beds. Then she covered with straw and let them sit until planting time.

She took a cue from my winter sown project this year and utilized it herself to find it just perfect for her situation. In addition, she’s just put in a small greenhouse and is very excited about all the new things she’ll have to learn to be successful with greenhouse gardening.

Readers E-Mail

In planning for her fall garden, Alice sent the following email to Pinetree Garden Seeds on July 13, 2012:

I am very happy with the seeds I purchased this Spring and am in the process of making a list of seed to purchase for Fall planting. My question is, do you have a list of seeds that you carry that are purchased from Monsanto? I do not wish to support this company in any way. Once again, thank you.

They were a bit tardy in answering because — as they explained — her email for some reason ended up in the wrong folder. Nonetheless, the reply came today, July 23rd.

Pinetree Garden Seeds replies:

As part of their reply they quoted their policy regarding Monsanto that they have placed on their website. And by the way — if you’ll recall — as part of my post on Seed Companies — I mentioned that I thought when Pinetree saw the big picture — they would no longer support Monsanto and end that relationship.  Well,  for whatever reason —-it looks as if I was right.

Below is the part of their reply that I think you will find most interesting.  Here’s the link to their policy page in case you wish to read the entire policy paragraph in its entirety.

“—-Pinetree has signed the Safe Seed Pledge in the past but has chosen not to this year because we do not feel it is worded strongly enough and is used more as a tool for marketing than a political statement. More than promise not to “knowingly” sell or buy GM seeds, Pinetree promises not to sell or buy them. Period.

In the interest of full disclosure, Pinetree has purchased seeds from Seminis in the past. We did not purchase their seeds this year, nor do we intend to in the future. Our relationship with Seminis predates the Monsanto acquisition by many years and we had always felt they were a responsible company but have chosen not to support Monsanto in any capacity.”

Final Thoughts

I sure appreciate Alice’s thoughtfulness in letting me know about this.

I plan to drop a note (email – superseeds@superseeds.com ) to Pinetree Garden Seeds and tell them how glad I am they are no longer supporting Monsanto. If not today — then with my next order.

The small home garden quantities of seed they offer coupled with great low prices has made them unique among garden seed companies for many years. The decision they’ve made to discontinue any association with Monsanto will endear them even more to the home gardener who is keeping up with what is going on.  I know it’s made a difference with me.

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This list is a list of Seminis/Monsanto varieties that Pinetree still offers until they are sold out.  I will avoid purchasing any of these from Pinetree (or anywhere else.)  This is the list they sent to Alice.

SEMINIS/MONSANTO seed
44.    PACKMAN BROCCOLI
8402    CHEDDAR CAULIFLOWER
133    SWEETER YET CUCUMBER
137    SWEET SUCCESS CUCUMBER
138    EARLY TRIUMPH CUCUMBER
142    SALAD BUSH CUCUMBER
151    DUSKY EGGPLANT
158    LAVENDER TOUCH EGGPLANT
20501    SIMPSON ELITE LETTUCE
215    RED SAILS LETTUCE
22601    AMBROSIA MELON
230    FASTBREAK MELON
239    CAJUN DELIGHT OKRA
257    MR BIG PEA
27101    BIG BERTHA SW PEPPER
274    RED BEAUTY
281    HOLY MOLE PEPPER
293    SPIRIT PUMPKIN
300    ORANGE SMOOTHIE PUMPKIN
340    AMBASSADOR SUM SQUASH
342    GLODBAR SUM SQUASH
34601    SCALLOPINI SUM SQUASH
347    SUNDANCE SUM SQUASH
348    GREYZINI SUM SQUASH
34801    PAPAYA PEAR SUM SQUASH
349    GOLDRUSH SUM SQUASH
350    LOLITA SUM SQUASH
371    EARLY BUTTERNUT WINTER SQUASH
38001    AUTUMN CUP WINTER SQUASH
38202    HI-BETA GOLD WINTER SQUASH
390    BEEFMASTER TOMATO
391    BETTER BOY TOMATO
393    GOLDEN GIRL TOMATO
395    CLUSTER GRANDE TOMATO
400    CELEBRITY TOMATO
407    SUN SUGAR TOMATO
446    SWEET DIANE WATERMELON
W120    STRAIGHT N NARROW BEAN
W130    COOL BREEZE IMP CUCUMBER
W479    THAI NIPPON TAKA HOT PEPPER

Recommended Posts for Additional Reading or Review:

Seed Companies – Selecting Them

Saving Seed – Why You’d Want to

Seed – The advantages – Diane’s Flower Seeds

GMO-GE-Food – What are they? Why They’re Dangerous. How you can Protect Yourself

Heirloom Vegetable Seeds – Flowers – Seeds – Two More Good Sources

Maria Rodale’s Open Letter to Obama

How to Tell if the Origin of Seed is Seminis/Monsanto – Clarification

Monsanto – Don’t Entrust Your Life to Them

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Organic gardening is easy, efficient, effective and —- it’s a lot healthier.

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