permaculture

[<woodsjay@cox.net>]

It would be fair to say that growing from seed is a personal problem. :-)

However, I have several reasons to do such a thing:

Fruit and nut tree seed comes cheap; tree fruit and nut cultivars are 
expensive (10-25 $/tree). 
Counter argument - It takes longer to grow them up and you need access to 
cultivars for sion wood to graft.
Synthesis - The time lag can be minimized to three years. Also if one doesn't 
have enough money or time to purchase and plant all the cultivars in the 
first year then the time lag is even smaller. This was the case for me. 

Bushes and strawberries clone rapidly for free. Purchased bushes are more 
expensive.
Counter argument - The purchased bushes are cheaper.
Synthesis - Lots are needed but the time argument means less. See above also.

The genetics of cultivars are damaged. The seedlings are in much better shape 
genetically. 
Counter argument - When one buys a cultivar, one isn't buying genetics, one 
is buying phenotypic expression.
Synthesis - The seed is a much smaller package and can be stored for long 
periods of time. Especially when it germinates under the plant or by 
squirrel, there is the feeling that the conditions are right for the plant. 
Likewise, improvement of the plant is much faster even if it is from a much 
less improved basis.

---- Penny Powell <pph@mac.com> wrote: 
> Hello Woodsjay:
> 
> Why do you say at the end of your letter, "...of course, all my stuff  
> is grown from seed..."  Is that better in all cases?  Would you  
> elaborate for me, please?  I've never grown a berry bush from a  
> seed... does that take a really long time?
> 
> Thank you,
> Penny
> Western Massachusetts
>