Seeds of Diversity Canada

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Waterloo, ON
Seeds of Diversity Canada

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People Protecting the People's Seeds The diversity of seed varieties has been decreasing steadily for decades.

Food crop biodiversity is our single most crucial tool to adapt our food systems to changes –improving the odds that they can withstand threats like disease, extreme weather and pests. Our seed library and grower networks conserve many rare varieties not carried by commercial seed companies.

10/31/2026

✨️ Saturdays are for spotlighting our seed growers ✨️

Today’s grower: Raina of Back Road Farm & Forge in Brookland NS!

“This grow-out of Petitbec dwarf tomatoes happened at our homestead: Back Road Farm & Forge in Brookland, Nova Scotia / Mi’kma’ki. I received 33 seeds, 75% germinated and I planted out the 15 strongest seedlings, gifting the rest to community members and school gardens. These determinate plants were absolutely loaded with tasty small tomatoes that were on average 1.25” in diameter. I saved a few thousand seeds: approximately 250 seeds have been sent in to Seeds of Diversity and I look forward to sharing the rest with folks in my community through Seedy Saturdays and friends who grow in small spaces. I think these prolific dwarf tomato plants would really shine in small planter urban spaces.”

10/30/2026

COG’s Organic Vegetable Seed Production course is a comprehensive, intermediate course focused on supporting a new generation of successful, commercial, organic seed producers across Canada. ⁠
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Students will develop a thorough understanding of the science and business of organic vegetable seed production.⁠
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Through this course we aim to cultivate the next generations of Canadian seed producers who, like us, envision a future where organic seed security and integrity is increased, organic farmers have access to resilient and adaptive seed, and alternative seed systems are flourishing.⁠
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Learn more and register at https://cog.ca/courses/ovsp/

10/30/2026

Repost from Canadian Organic Growers

--

COG’s Organic Vegetable Seed Production course is a comprehensive, intermediate course focused on supporting a new generation of successful, commercial, organic seed producers across Canada. ⁠
⁠
⁠Students will develop a thorough understanding of the science and business of organic vegetable seed production.⁠
⁠
Through this course we aim to cultivate the next generations of Canadian seed producers who, like us, envision a future where organic seed security and integrity is increased, organic farmers have access to resilient and adaptive seed, and alternative seed systems are flourishing.⁠
⁠
Learn more and register at the link in bio!⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

10/27/2026

So. Many. Germination. Tests. 🫘

‘Tis the season. As seeds arrive in our mailbox, we have an order of operations in place to accession them to the seed collection. One of the first steps is to do a simple germination test to tell us more about their viability.

We also do germination tests periodically on the seeds in our collection, to gauge whether they need to be grown out and refreshed. Different seed types have different viability periods when stored properly, typically anywhere from 3 to 10 years depending on species (and even longer when frozen, like the seeds in our backup collection).

For our germination tests, we simply take 10 seeds and lay them in a petri dish with wet (but not soaking) paper towels, spritzing as needed every day or two. Over the course of three or so weeks, we check in and record how many have sprouted.

Here's the calculation:
Number of seeds sprouted / Number of seeds tested x 100 = Germination rate as a %

E.g. Those beautiful beans in the 2nd pic would, as of the time of that picture, have a 3 / 10 x 100 = 30% germination rate. It's as simple as that!

https://seeds.ca/seed-gardening-resources/seed-starting/germination-testing/

10/25/2026

Sunday Series: Seed Drying Pt 2

If you’ve been drying your seeds for a while and are wondering if they’re ready to store away, there are a few tests you can do to check, depending on the type of seed you’re saving:

🍉 The Bend Test
For large, flat seeds (e.g. squash), try to bend a seed - if it's flexible, it's not dry enough. A dry seed will break when bent.

🌽 The Hammer Test
For large, rounded seeds (e.g. beans, corn), hit a seed with a hammer - if it flattens, it's not dry enough. A dry seed will shatter when hit.

🍅 The Rub Test
For smaller seeds (e.g. lettuce, tomato), rub a seed between two pieces of paper - if it leaves a wet spot, it's not dry enough. A dry seed won't leave any moisture marks on the paper.

Tip: Choose a few seeds from different areas of your tray or drying rack - not all areas always dry evenly.

10/24/2026

✨️ Saturdays are for spotlighting our seed growers ✨️

Today’s grower: Anne in Shuswap BC!

“This year has been a more challenging one in the garden with heat, less rain than usual and smoky skies for part of the summer. I am hoping the Dalmation beans will mature before we get a hard frost. The Adam Hunter's tomatoes grew well and were just about contained in tomato cages. I am hoping for more pickings yet. After squeezing out the seeds I made a batch of roasted tomato soup for the winter. The photo of the bowl is fermenting seeds not soup! Only five of the cheetah oak lettuce grew and I rogued out two that didn't have oak leaves. The remaining three are developing seed heads. As they are in pots I can move them into the greenhouse if it gets too cold. The Tooker's peas did well despite the hot weather. I enjoy taking part in grow outs as I always learn something new and get to "meet" varieties I have never heard of before. As a grandmother it feels useful to play a tiny part in preserving heritage varieties for future generations.”

10/21/2026

A mid-October seed appreciation post, as we look back on some of our favourite seed photos this year. Even more important than admiring the plethora of beautiful, unique, diverse seeds in our collection, we want to hear from you…

What seeds are you saving this year?

10/19/2026

Last Wednesday was a very special day as we finished up garlic planting at rare Springbank Gardens. Huge thank you to The rare Charitable Research Reserve and its wonderful people for the space, hands-on help, and shared passion for growing.

We planted 78 varieties of garlic for our Great Canadian Garlic Collection, which you can learn more about at seeds.ca/garlic

10/18/2026

Sunday Series: Seed Drying

No matter what type of seed you’re saving, there is probably still some moisture after you’ve harvested and cleaned it, so drying your seeds is important regardless of how they feel to the touch. Placing them in a jar or a bag will lead to mold if not given time to really dry.

So, how do you do this?
The best way is to spread them out so the air can get at each one, and let them dry naturally in the open. Plates, baking sheets, or serving trays are all good, as long as the seeds are spread thinly. Even better is to use a screen of some type to get better airflow to each and every seed.

Three tips to help your seeds dry efficiently and healthily:
1️⃣ Stir them regularly while they’re drying, to uncover any that haven’t received proper airflow.
2️⃣ Run a fan somewhere in the room, to ensure there’s enough air movement.
3️⃣ Do not use heat, like a dehydrator or oven, to help the process along, as you risk fatally overdrying your seeds.

10/17/2026

✨️ Saturdays are for spotlighting our seed growers ✨️

Did you know that we had more than 175 people from coast to coast growing out seeds this year? Most of them participated in our Community Grow-Outs, multiplying tomatoes, beans, and our upright ground cherries. And some were Core Growers, keeping the rarest seeds in our collection alive and well.

First up, Katherine in Oro Medonte ON!

“This is my second year participating in the Seeds of Diversity program, and I love the variety it brings to my garden while supporting the seed bank - a cause I truly believe in. This year I received 3 pole bean and 1 tomato variety (3 tomato varieties was too much last year!). The giant Australian Oxheart tomatoes are true to their name, huge and shaped like a heart. They have a long ripening time, with dense flesh and garden-ripe flavour. I grew the Faggidi pole beans on Jerusalem Artichokes and produce beautiful green/purple beans with white and purple seeds. The Bob and Mary yellow beans were quite the surprise! I poled them on heirloom corn and the beans were so prolific they overwhelmed the corn and I had to add different stakes. They’re still drying on the vine and definitely the hardiest crop in the garden as the nights grow cold. I look forward to sending the seeds in once collected, and look forward to participating again next year!”

Address

1/12 Dupont Street West
Waterloo, ON
N2J2W6

Telephone

226-600-7782

Website

http://www.seeds.ca/

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