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  • What is the difference between treated and untreated seeds?

    Created by GAYLE on April 25, 2018 at 9:03 am

    Why would I want to choose treated seeds over untreated? This would be for planting this spring.

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  • April 26, 2018 at 9:11 pm #270536

    Eric Vinje
    Keymaster

    Hi Gayle –

    In most cases, treated seeds have been coated with some sort of pesticide, fungicide or preservative — chemical or biological — to protect them from soil-borne pathogens or to improve storage-life. Obviously, non-treated seeds have not been processed prior to being packaged.

    Treated Seeds
    • May yield larger crops
    • Improves germination rates
    • Chemical treatments have not been shown to produce chemically laced plants
    • Are most likely grown using conventional farming practices
    • Treatment is applied under controlled conditions

    Untreated Seeds
    • Clean and chemical-free — often used by organic growers
    • Many home gardeners are seeking seed that has not been dosed with pesticides
    • Some chemical treatments may be harmful to insects, including bees, that eat pollen from the mature plant
    • Reduces our direct exposure to chemicals
    • Are most likely grown using environmentally sustainable practices

    Happy gardening!

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