Need berry seeds, in Pakistan

Hi Everyone,

I am from Pakistan. My name is Khalid.
I am looking for some Raspberry, Blackberry, Blueberry and/or salmon-berry seeds but have failed to find any website that sells them in this form internationally.
The closest I have come are some online stores that offer them as roots. And only a few of them deliver them internationally. For that they charge a lot. Plus there's no assurance that by the time I get the plant, it will still be alive.

Can any user do me a favor by sending me some extra seeds by normal post?
If it is available in your country to send an international unpaid post (which charges the recipient), please feel free to do so.

If you have any other payment methods in mind, please let me know. (PayPal isn't available in Pakistan).

Thanks.

Raspberry, blueberry and blackberry are forest plants. Wiki says they grow in Turkey but do not produce as much as other countries more to the north. Salmonberries grow in California and Australia, better to try a variety that's already adapted to a warmer climate.  

Hugo Morvan wrote:Raspberry, blueberry and blackberry are forest plants. Wiki says they grow in Turkey but do not produce as much as other countries more to the north. Salmonberries grow in California and Australia, better to try a variety that's already adapted to a warmer climate.  

Actually, Pakistan's climate is a lot similar to that of California or Australia. Plus I live in the north with relatively cooler weather. In fact, I am already growing strawberries quite easily. It's just that since people don't consume any other berries here, they don't even know what they are let alone growing them.
So do you have any seeds or roots?

I don't have seeds available, but was wondering if you've considered buying dried berries?  I know that I've had good luck growing fruit from the seeds in commercially dried fruit.  You may not be able to find everything that you want, but there is quite a lot of selection available for sale online.  Just another option as you hunt for new things to grow.  Good luck!

So I see, blackberry is a very invasive plant in many parts of the world, it has thorns and can form large impenetrable  bushes which many people see as a big ,big problem. A thornless variety exists, but it is hard to germinate from seed, i heard. I got it, so we could give it a shot in summer.
I've got cassis berry or black currant , red currant , a mix between white and red currant and raspberry growing. But fruit comes month later. Give me a PM (purple moosage).

Zk Khalid wrote: Actually, Pakistan's climate is a lot similar to that of California or Australia. Plus I live in the north with relatively cooler weather. In fact, I am already growing strawberries quite easily.

Hi Khalid,
Where are you, actually? I'm just over the border, very near to Baltistan but higher. But... as you know, I can't send you anything, sorry :P. And I've had trouble getting berries started too!

Of course there are mulberries, and I have started mulberry trees a couple of times from dried fruit bought from little old uncles in the bazaar. Mulberries have a gorgeous colour but not much flavour, just bland and slightly sweet. My favourite way to eat dried mulberries is soaked in curd overnight (that means plain yoghurt for you people from other places!)

I know someone local who has a currant bush, so I'll try to get some roots or offshoots or something from him in March.

Seabuckthorn grows rampantly here, but it's not very tasty; anyway, we've got more than we need in our immediate area. The seabuckthorn here is extremely sour, basically inedible without its own weight of sugar added.

Grapes do grow here, but better down lower towards the Balti border.

The most common fruit of our area is apricots, which isn't technically a berry. But apricots come close to my desire for berries that are both flavourful and sweet enough to use without added sugar.

In our region, Ladakh, there are no raspberries or blackberries that I know of. I think maybe the soil up here in the desert tends to be too alkaline for most of the tasty popular European berries.

Greg Martin wrote:I don't have seeds available, but was wondering if you've considered buying dried berries?  I know that I've had good luck growing fruit from the seeds in commercially dried fruit.  You may not be able to find everything that you want, but there is quite a lot of selection available for sale online.  Just another option as you hunt for new things to grow.  Good luck!

That's a rather good idea. Actually dried ones aren't available either but packaged ones are sometimes during early summer. But then again, I wonder how viable those seeds will be and how easy it would be.

Rebecca Norman wrote:

Zk Khalid wrote: Actually, Pakistan's climate is a lot similar to that of California or Australia. Plus I live in the north with relatively cooler weather. In fact, I am already growing strawberries quite easily.

Hi Khalid,
Where are you, actually? I'm just over the border, very near to Baltistan but higher. But... as you know, I can't send you anything, sorry :P. And I've had trouble getting berries started too!

Of course there are mulberries, and I have started mulberry trees a couple of times from dried fruit bought from little old uncles in the bazaar. Mulberries have a gorgeous colour but not much flavour, just bland and slightly sweet. My favourite way to eat dried mulberries is soaked in curd overnight (that means plain yoghurt for you people from other places!)

I know someone local who has a currant bush, so I'll try to get some roots or offshoots or something from him in March.

Seabuckthorn grows rampantly here, but it's not very tasty; anyway, we've got more than we need in our immediate area. The seabuckthorn here is extremely sour, basically inedible without its own weight of sugar added.

Grapes do grow here, but better down lower towards the Balti border.

The most common fruit of our area is apricots, which isn't technically a berry. But apricots come close to my desire for berries that are both flavourful and sweet enough to use without added sugar.

In our region, Ladakh, there are no raspberries or blackberries that I know of. I think maybe the soil up here in the desert tends to be too alkaline for most of the tasty popular European berries.

I'm from the northern areas of Islamabad. Wild mulberry is common here too. In fact, I have one growing without even planting any. It was probably planted by birds or through wind. But that will take years.

I don't have much space so I usually stick to bushes and small plants that can be grown in pots.

Why do you think you can't send me anything? I would love to have some currant roots myself. In fact, whatever you send me would be fresh compared to the same that I get from half way around the World.

In my experience so far, everything I have grown myself, especially from seeds, has been delicious. So I trust my soil, whether alkaline or acidic.

Zk Khalid wrote:
Why do you think you can't send me anything? I would love to have some currant roots myself. In fact, whatever you send me would be fresh compared to the same that I get from half way around the World.

Umm... a border? and not a friendly open border...? Also I wouldn't trust the Indian post with roots, though I might if it were seeds -- it would take too long and get too hot in transit, probably. Anyway, your climate is very different from mine. We're in the middle if ice skating season here now! I don't think you get ice there.

Rebecca Norman wrote:

Zk Khalid wrote:
Why do you think you can't send me anything? I would love to have some currant roots myself. In fact, whatever you send me would be fresh compared to the same that I get from half way around the World.

Umm... a border? and not a friendly open border...? Also I wouldn't trust the Indian post with roots, though I might if it were seeds -- it would take too long and get too hot in transit, probably. Anyway, your climate is very different from mine. We're in the middle if ice skating season here now! I don't think you get ice there.

Haha. Well, it's not like we have to meet at the border. The post works fine usually.
Yeah Islamabad, doesn't get snow but nearby towns (45 minutes drive) do. So, we get chilly winds.
Anyways, good luck for your currants.
Thanks.

Cape gooseberries are grown in India and would surely grow where you are. Very tasty, with a nice bright yellow-orange colour. I like them fresh, and I hear they make good jam and juice. In Delhi they are called "rasbhari" (sounds like raspberry but unrelated to Rubus spp raspberries). They are in the tomato family, and I have heard from a friend that they are easy to grow from the seeds in the fruit.

There's a small dried berry sold here the past couple of years, that I am told is imported from Iran. The sellers call it "blackberry" but it's definitely not related to Rubus spp blackberries. It seems to be a small black currant? Maybe those are sold where you are, and maybe they have viable seeds? I'm sorry I don't know the Urdu name for you.

growing berries from seed is a bit tricky, germination rates can be very low.
there really arent a lot of berry seeds for sale anywhere, as far as i can tell, but there are some people here and there who sell these kinds of seeds.
but yeah even here, most people buy roots, and bunches of live plants....with most types of berries.
if you get a few eventually you can turn it into a big patch, propagating them to multiply them.

now not to say you should not try it, i plant all kinds of berries and small fruit from seed all the time.
it's fun anyway, and you can make it work, really babying them until they get developed.

just that i would consider it "advanced" or *difficult* seed to start...not an easy beginner thing to start like tomatoes or other common veggies.
i think too, after experimenting with it, that the seeds should be prepared properly by fermentation, not being completely dried, and being extremely fresh....that makes more of the seeds sprout, to get them directly from the fruit. even dried fruit can work for this purpose, from commercial fruit...i have had good results starting goji berry seeds this way..or directly from a blueberry, strawberry, or or other fruits from a store.

this place should be willing to send you seeds internationally...

and they may or may not know how restrictive your countries import laws are...and also how best to package them as to make it to you.

http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/Catalog.htm


J.L. Hudson international shipping

they have a lot of really interesting seeds available. I have gotten some great perennial fruit seeds there.

*although a search there for rubus (berries, raspberry, blackberry, etc) only turns up thimbleberry:

RUBUS (ROO-bus)
ROSACEAE. Some 250 species worldwide, including many familiar cultivated berries. Easy in most soils.

—Rubus parviflorus. (100) RUBU-60. Packet: $2.50

'THIMBLE-BERRY'. Large white 1 - 2" wide five petaled fragrant flowers in spring, followed by red 3/4" berries. Spineless shrub with large light green downy 5 - 10" leaves. Western North America. Zone 4.

Rebecca Norman wrote:Cape gooseberries are grown in India and would surely grow where you are. Very tasty, with a nice bright yellow-orange colour. I like them fresh, and I hear they make good jam and juice. In Delhi they are called "rasbhari" (sounds like raspberry but unrelated to Rubus spp raspberries). They are in the tomato family, and I have heard from a friend that they are easy to grow from the seeds in the fruit.

There's a small dried berry sold here the past couple of years, that I am told is imported from Iran. The sellers call it "blackberry" but it's definitely not related to Rubus spp blackberries. It seems to be a small black currant? Maybe those are sold where you are, and maybe they have viable seeds? I'm sorry I don't know the Urdu name for you.

They sure look delicious. I will check out if they are available locally. Thanks.

leila hamaya wrote:growing berries from seed is a bit tricky, germination rates can be very low.
there really arent a lot of berry seeds for sale anywhere, as far as i can tell, but there are some people here and there who sell these kinds of seeds.
but yeah even here, most people buy roots, and bunches of live plants....with most types of berries.
if you get a few eventually you can turn it into a big patch, propagating them to multiply them.

now not to say you should try it, i plant all kinds of berries and small fruit from seed all the time.
it's fun anyway, and you can make it work really babying them until they get developed.

just that i would consider it "advanced" or *difficult* seed to start...not an easy beginner thing to start like tomatoes or other common veggies.
i think too, after experimenting with it, that the seeds should be prepared properly by fermentation, not being completely dried, and being extremely fresh....that makes more of the seeds sprout, to get them directly from the fruit. even dried fruit can work for this purpose, from commercial fruit...i have had good results starting goji berry seeds this way..or directly from a blueberry, strawberry, or or other fruits from a store.

I know growing from seed is tough usually. I have been trying in vain with oregano for the last few months. But if you get fortunate enough, it's lovely to see a seed sprout. Besides posting roots is more expensive and the root could die if it takes longer than a couple days.

I checked the local market today for either dried or ripe berries, but they had none. The site you mentioned doesn't even provide goji berry's seeds.

yeah sorry, i did think he did carry more berries, i have gotten some interesting perennial fruit seeds there.

i have run across a couple of other international seed sellers which sell rare seeds, but nothing else came to mind quickly.

if you want to internet browse and figure out if these people will work for you, here's a few other possibilities :


https://www.plant-world-seeds.com/store/vegetable_seeds/berry_seeds


http://www.rarexoticseeds.com/en/edible-plants


http://b-and-t-world-seeds.com/

http://b-and-t-world-seeds.com/sublists.asp

berry seeds b and t world seeds

rubus - berry - raspberry, blackberry


https://www.worldseedsupply.com/


i think your best bet is to try to get some of the fruits you wish to grow, and grow them from seeds inside.

I would second the cape gooseberry idea , depending how cold you get it may be possible to grow it as a perennial . I grow it here in a greenhouse as a perennial and every year I transplant some shoots outside . It's a great fruit and retails here in France at a staggering 40 yes forty euros a kilo ! Organic that's about £18 a lb . Great fresh keeps a while in it's little lantern .
How about kumquat ? I have seen some bushes that were not too big plus some lemons that were kept in containers quite small.

David

also there are several different things that work on a similar basis as PayPal, that may be available to you.

some people use google wallet, it can process payments from your bank accounts and debit cards into online payments. something too look into, with a gmail account, or google account.

there are others too:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/venmo-vs-square-cash-vs-paypal-vs-google-wallet-the-best-apps-to-pay-people-back-1400007444

Here's a place that says they can do some international shipping if you were looking for raspberry plants https://www.tytyga.com/Heritage-Raspberry-p/BERRAS-RD-HERITAGE.html?matchtype=&network=g&device=c&adposition=1o4&keyword=&gclid=CjwKCAiAtdDTBRArEiwAPT4y-7wgPwn3LjGurlzdEY1t0xTT89MjLP8_7mZrpgczZNvyjD6znnlQ7hoC710QAvD_BwE (instead of seeds) but on their help page they say you have to call to discuss shipping rates: https://www.tytyga.com/help_answer.asp?ID=11.

I also found this ebay listing that might be able to ship to Pakistan: https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-x-RASPBERRY-CANES-PLANTS-Autumn-Treasure-BARE-ROOTED/192330023551?hash=item2cc7c3427f:g:gqMAAOSwc1FZ3PBx

Good luck, if I had any to send you I would, but I don't get the chance to eat much of what I grow. The wildlife around me, however, is very well fed! I don't dare bother with berries, they'd all be stolen by little furry thieves exactly 1 day before I thought they might be ready for harvest.

'THIMBLE-BERRY'. Large white 1 - 2" wide five petaled fragrant flowers in spring, followed by red 3/4" berries. Spineless shrub with large light green downy 5 - 10" leaves. Western North America. Zone 4.

I have thimble berry but I did not save any seed last year so it would be awhile before I could harvest some. The above quote dose not mentioned that the 3/4 inch diameter is only 1/16 inch thick shaped like a thimble.  Fruit will dry right on the plant. Can easily be stored dry for flavor in the winter. Very attractive plant for decorative planting. Dose spread by root so easily propagated if you get plants by seed.
Zone 4 is northern limit; commonly grows in zone 8.
I can easily gather some raspberry and and Afghan/himalayan blackberry seed that has dried on the plant. As mentioned The blackberries are considered invasive because birds spread the seeds and once the resulting plant forms a permanent crown in the ground then it sends up strong heavily thorny vines in a large arch which when it reaches the ground again roots and starts another crown and then if neglected will take over large areas. I manage mine carefully and the vines are now 1 inch in diameter and tied to espalier so that I can easily pick 3 gallons in 15 minutes.
If you click on my name and then send me an address from the PM button there I will mail some seeds.

David Livingston wrote:I would second the cape gooseberry idea , depending how cold you get it may be possible to grow it as a perennial . I grow it here in a greenhouse as a perennial and every year I transplant some shoots outside . It's a great fruit and retails here in France at a staggering 40 yes forty euros a kilo ! Organic that's about £18 a lb . Great fresh keeps a while in it's little lantern .
How about kumquat ? I have seen some bushes that were not too big plus some lemons that were kept in containers quite small.

David

Already, have a kumquat growing. In fact, the temperature is about to get warmer in a week or two, so I hope to see some flowers bloom as well. Thanks.

Denise Kersting wrote:Here's a place that says they can do some international shipping if you were looking for raspberry plants https://www.tytyga.com/Heritage-Raspberry-p/BERRAS-RD-HERITAGE.html?matchtype=&network=g&device=c&adposition=1o4&keyword=&gclid=CjwKCAiAtdDTBRArEiwAPT4y-7wgPwn3LjGurlzdEY1t0xTT89MjLP8_7mZrpgczZNvyjD6znnlQ7hoC710QAvD_BwE (instead of seeds) but on their help page they say you have to call to discuss shipping rates: https://www.tytyga.com/help_answer.asp?ID=11.

I also found this ebay listing that might be able to ship to Pakistan: https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-x-RASPBERRY-CANES-PLANTS-Autumn-Treasure-BARE-ROOTED/192330023551?hash=item2cc7c3427f:g:gqMAAOSwc1FZ3PBx

Good luck, if I had any to send you I would, but I don't get the chance to eat much of what I grow. The wildlife around me, however, is very well fed! I don't dare bother with berries, they'd all be stolen by little furry thieves exactly 1 day before I thought they might be ready for harvest.

Thank you for sharing the site. Never found it through Google. That's why I knew, I contact professionals on forums. I have contacted them for a delivery quotation. Hopefully they are not very expensive.
Thanks again for the help.

Thank you for all the help guys. Especially Miss Leila & Denise for the wonderful sites unknown to me.

Both of them are overwhelming. It has prompted me even more to quickly save enough money to buy a large piece of land and grow everything I can. Though, I wonder if it is a trust-worthy (verified) site. Because probably every plant that grows in the World is available over there. Yet Google doesn't know it exists.

By the way, those of you who are based in the US. How friendly is the state of California towards Homesteading. I mean in terms of the land availability and the cost of land?

Hello Khalid & thanks all, Interesting & useful observations & leads.  

I traveled across Pakistan from Karachi via Islamabad, Peshawar, Khyber & Darra, Chitral back way to Gilgit up to and over Khunjerab in 1987, and have always wanted to go back to collect what I saw growing & ate around there.  It's taken me since then to assemble (in New Mexico) most of the (sweet pit) apricot varieties collected there by a USDA Plant Explorer the following year.  I haven't been able to get anything out of the close exchange that existed for a while between USDA & Afghan institutions, and I haven't started yet with India.  

Given the tightening of the international plant movement regime, the buy-up and shelving of so many independent seed & nursery collections, and budget constraints on government repository systems, don't underestimate the value of local collecting: old botanical gardens, defunct agricultural experiment stations, forgotten plantings of private collectors, abandoned subsistence homesteads.  

By all means keep collecting internationally.  I've never noticed much seed on the move in your requested types, but once you get past any possible commercial sources there are deeper distribution & trading networks too:

modest-cost membership organisations (note some public resource & supplier pages):

https://exchange.seedsavers.org/
- large member catalogue of material for trade

North American Fruit Explorers
http://www.nafex.org/links.php
- has fruit type interest groups & Pakistan consultant

Northern Nut Growers Association
http://www.nutgrowing.org/

California Rare Fruit Growers
https://crfg.org/
- active mostly through local chapters, some of which collect, document, distribute much better than others
- fruit facts, of which the older format version more helpful, on many additional types
- if you don't get much frost also try feijoa (pineapple guava), araza (Cattley guavas), pitanga (Surinam cherry), etc

I have modest footholds in southern New York, central New Mexico, and southern California, and have been watching for land around those places over three decades: unless one has much better funding than the land itself can produce, knows someone well outside of the marketplace, or is willing to go quite a way off the beaten track & out of the comfort zone, the odds are very poor indeed.  

Let me know directly if I can help further.  Best, Patrik

I went to eBay and found 330 results for blackberry seeds. The first one that came up said world wide shipping, but then he wanted $15 to ship 25 seeds!! So further looking with my shipping location set to Pakistan I came up with item number: 221050757842

GIANT BLACKBERRY * 105 SEEDS*MEDICINAL*ANTIOXIDANT*FIBER*HEALTHFUL*TRIPLE CROWN

$3.72 plus $1.98 shipping world wide. I think the Triple Crown is a hybrid. I know it's thornless so assume that's how it got that way. I didn't look further for Raspberries, or strawberry seeds, Perhaps this seller sells those also.

The way my family has always saved seeds is to, for example with tomatoes, with a teaspoon scoop seeds from a seed cavity onto a paper towel. We always write the variety name or the description on the towel and dry it as is. The seeds stick to the towel and you don't even need an envelope. With blackberries I'd paste some on a sheet of paper and in the morning write you a nice letter telling you what was going on in my life. Drop it in the mail.

If you grow these, or other, hybrid berries my guess is that you'll get berries, maybe with thorns. But you'll get a berry, possibly better tasting than the thornless.

That same eBay seller also has raspberry seeds:

361933196982

You didn't mention this one but he's got elderberry seeds also:

22225405686

That one's only seven seeds, but I think these are very easy to grow... here... I can buy the seedlings as cheap as $0.30 each in lots of 300. I've never grown them from seeds. They make good pies, jam and my grandmother made tea from them.

I'd think berry seeds are easy to grow if you plant them like the animals do!

^^^ yes this is true ^^^^ many berry, and other fruit, seed germinates better when passed through the digestive tract of an animal.

many fruit seeds have a germination inhibitor around them, and the acids in the digestive tract wear down that layer, and then of course also giving them a dose of fertilizer when coming out of the animal's digestive system.

this process can be somewhat mimicked by soaking seeds briefly (a day ish) in lemon or orange juice. I generally only do this with passionflower, all passiflora species have a germination inhibitor coat around them and germination is low without that soak in lemon/orange juice, in my experience. I dilute the lemon or orange juice, about half and half, with water...and always start these species off with that. it is possible this would help with berry seeds too.

i believe, through that experimenting with fermenting berry and fruit seeds...the "wet method" of cleaning seeds (like tomatoes)...that the fermenting has a similar effect, as well it is useful to get the seeds a lot cleaner after 2-5 days of fermenting.

also i think that those types of seeds like to be fermented, this is why the mother plant surrounds the seeds with goopy fruity stuff...the breaking down and natural fermentation/rotting process, with the sugars there too, helps the seeds to sprout. it also makes the seeds attractive to those animals...to eat the seeds within the fruit and pass them along far and wide. whatever all the specifics are, i have found it helps a lot, as does having completely fresh seeds, to get these more difficult to sprout seeds to pop...

and the simplest method of just smooshing a berry on a paper towel, fruit bits still in there, this works too...as would taking a fruit and just stomping on it after throwing on the ground.
maybe weird...but this would probably get much higher germination then perfectly clean, but totally dry,ds purchased somewhere.

another thing is that many berry seeds are positively photoblastic. fancy word for they need light to sprout. this means they need to be sowed directly on the surface of the soil, they shouldnt be planted under soil, but on top of it. you need to thoroughly water the pot BEFORE planting the seed...cause otherwise rough watering could make them fall too deep in the soil and not get the light they need.

there are some that are like this outside of berries...i could never figure out germinating chamomile without this...why it would self seed so easily, yet i would have a hard time planting it in pots...but i wasnt surface sowing them, which is what they require being very sensitive to light.

another way to start some of these seeds is in a glass or bowl of water in a sunny spot...keep refilling and adding fresh water...and within a bit they sprout right inside the water. then you can pour them onto prepared pots or whereever else...

all of the berry seeds i can think of need this, surface sow...many of them also requiring cold stratification too...this greatly improves germination.
and unlike veggie and herb seeds...which should be dried completely and then will store for years...most fruits seed can only be stored for a short time period, and do better if never completely dried out...sort of dry ish is ok...but totaly dry in the way a lot of commercial seed places would have to make them...and then they are much more difficult to sprout.

Zk Khalid wrote:

By the way, those of you who are based in the US. How friendly is the state of California towards Homesteading. I mean in terms of the land availability and the cost of land?

well california is really as big as a country! so there's a lot of different areas.

unfortunately, for the most part, california is extremely expensive place to live, could well be one of the most expensive places to live in the country.

the parts of california i have lived in, in the far north, eastern and western humboldt, siskiyou and trinity county, are my favorites parts...but also in the areas where i like to be at, extremely extremely remote. like 4 hour drive to civilization on hairy mountain roads remote...

well if this is appealing there are cheaper lands deals in the really remote parts of california, but i suppose you have to be cut out for that kind of lifestyle. and even in those places the cost of land has gone up a lot...just in the time i have been there...but there are some good cheaper deals...and quite a bit of raw land, in those really extreme rural northern california spots...

leila hamaya wrote:

Zk Khalid wrote:

By the way, those of you who are based in the US. How friendly is the state of California towards Homesteading. I mean in terms of the land availability and the cost of land?

well california is really as big as a country! so there's a lot of different areas.

unfortunately, for the most part, california is extremely expensive place to live, could well be one of the most expensive places to live in the country.

the parts of california i have lived in, in the far north, eastern and western humboldt, siskiyou and trinity county, are my favorites parts...but also in the areas where i like to be at, extremely extremely remote. like 4 hour drive to civilization on hairy mountain roads remote...

well if this is appealing there are cheaper lands deals in the really remote parts of california, but i suppose you have to be cut out for that kind of lifestyle. and even in those places the cost of land has gone up a lot...just in the time i have been there...but there are some good cheaper deals...and quite a bit of raw land, in those really extreme rural northern california spots...

What's the most ideal US state when you can't afford to be cut off by more than 45 minutes drive while homesteading?

leila hamaya wrote:^^^ yes this is true ^^^^ many berry, and other fruit, seed germinates better when passed through the digestive tract of an animal.

many fruit seeds have a germination inhibitor around them, and the acids in the digestive tract wear down that layer, and then of course also giving them a dose of fertilizer when coming out of the animal's digestive system.

this process can be somewhat mimicked by soaking seeds briefly (a day ish) in lemon or orange juice. I generally only do this with passionflower, all passiflora species have a germination inhibitor coat around them and germination is low without that soak in lemon/orange juice, in my experience. I dilute the lemon or orange juice, about half and half, with water...and always start these species off with that. it is possible this would help with berry seeds too.

i believe, through that experimenting with fermenting berry and fruit seeds...the "wet method" of cleaning seeds (like tomatoes)...that the fermenting has a similar effect, as well it is useful to get the seeds a lot cleaner after 2-5 days of fermenting.

also i think that those types of seeds like to be fermented, this is why the mother plant surrounds the seeds with goopy fruity stuff...the breaking down and natural fermentation/rotting process, with the sugars there too, helps the seeds to sprout. it also makes the seeds attractive to those animals...to eat the seeds within the fruit and pass them along far and wide. whatever all the specifics are, i have found it helps a lot, as does having completely fresh seeds, to get these more difficult to sprout seeds to pop...

and the simplest method of just smooshing a berry on a paper towel, fruit bits still in there, this works too...as would taking a fruit and just stomping on it after throwing on the ground.
maybe weird...but this would probably get much higher germination then perfectly clean, but totally dry,ds purchased somewhere.

another thing is that many berry seeds are positively photoblastic. fancy word for they need light to sprout. this means they need to be sowed directly on the surface of the soil, they shouldnt be planted under soil, but on top of it. you need to thoroughly water the pot BEFORE planting the seed...cause otherwise rough watering could make them fall too deep in the soil and not get the light they need.

there are some that are like this outside of berries...i could never figure out germinating chamomile without this...why it would self seed so easily, yet i would have a hard time planting it in pots...but i wasnt surface sowing them, which is what they require being very sensitive to light.

another way to start some of these seeds is in a glass or bowl of water in a sunny spot...keep refilling and adding fresh water...and within a bit they sprout right inside the water. then you can pour them onto prepared pots or whereever else...

all of the berry seeds i can think of need this, surface sow...many of them also requiring cold stratification too...this greatly improves germination.
and unlike veggie and herb seeds...which should be dried completely and then will store for years...most fruits seed can only be stored for a short time period, and do better if never completely dried out...sort of dry ish is ok...but totaly dry in the way a lot of commercial seed places would have to make them...and then they are much more difficult to sprout.

Well, I will try this lemon/orange juice method with Tomatoes. That's the only thing I have had trouble with. With cherry tomatoes I have trouble sprouting only. And once it germinates, it thrives on its own. But with regular tomatoes, not only I get trouble sprouting but they always get some sort of disease because of which the leaves get wrinkled.

Patrik Schumann wrote:Hello Khalid & thanks all, Interesting & useful observations & leads.  

I traveled across Pakistan from Karachi via Islamabad, Peshawar, Khyber & Darra, Chitral back way to Gilgit up to and over Khunjerab in 1987, and have always wanted to go back to collect what I saw growing & ate around there.  It's taken me since then to assemble (in New Mexico) most of the (sweet pit) apricot varieties collected there by a USDA Plant Explorer the following year.  I haven't been able to get anything out of the close exchange that existed for a while between USDA & Afghan institutions, and I haven't started yet with India.  

Given the tightening of the international plant movement regime, the buy-up and shelving of so many independent seed & nursery collections, and budget constraints on government repository systems, don't underestimate the value of local collecting: old botanical gardens, defunct agricultural experiment stations, forgotten plantings of private collectors, abandoned subsistence homesteads.  

By all means keep collecting internationally.  I've never noticed much seed on the move in your requested types, but once you get past any possible commercial sources there are deeper distribution & trading networks too:

modest-cost membership organisations (note some public resource & supplier pages):

https://exchange.seedsavers.org/
- large member catalogue of material for trade

North American Fruit Explorers
http://www.nafex.org/links.php
- has fruit type interest groups & Pakistan consultant

Northern Nut Growers Association
http://www.nutgrowing.org/

California Rare Fruit Growers
https://crfg.org/
- active mostly through local chapters, some of which collect, document, distribute much better than others
- fruit facts, of which the older format version more helpful, on many additional types
- if you don't get much frost also try feijoa (pineapple guava), araza (Cattley guavas), pitanga (Surinam cherry), etc

I have modest footholds in southern New York, central New Mexico, and southern California, and have been watching for land around those places over three decades: unless one has much better funding than the land itself can produce, knows someone well outside of the marketplace, or is willing to go quite a way off the beaten track & out of the comfort zone, the odds are very poor indeed.  

Let me know directly if I can help further.  Best, Patrik

Thanks Patrick. I will probably wait for seeds from those of you whom I have shared my postal address with. If that doesn't work out then I will try this amazing (too good to be true) site shared by Leila.

John Duda wrote:That same eBay seller also has raspberry seeds:

361933196982

You didn't mention this one but he's got elderberry seeds also:

22225405686

That one's only seven seeds, but I think these are very easy to grow... here... I can buy the seedlings as cheap as $0.30 each in lots of 300. I've never grown them from seeds. They make good pies, jam and my grandmother made tea from them.

I'd think berry seeds are easy to grow if you plant them like the animals do!

I just don't feel safe trusting eBay. Those seeds could be GMOs or not exactly what they claim to be. Proper seed stores usually offer several varieties, professionally maintained and if I need to order multiple I can save on shipment as well.

So I will probably try the b-and-t-world-seeds.com.

Thanks.

Zk Khalid wrote:

What's the most ideal US state when you can't afford to be cut off by more than 45 minutes drive while homesteading?

well that's hard to answer, cause i don't know what other people's preferences are for ideal. 45 minutes drive to a big city, or 45 minute drive to a small town and grocery?

I would really only consider living in certain spots of the US.
I grew up in new england, and spent a lot of time in Massachusetts and also Vermont, and these are some of my favorite parts of the country.
including Maine and New Hampshire, and theres some cool spots in Upstate New York, too. also the land is extremely cheap, you can find old farmhouses on lots of acreage and such for even 50,000-100,000 in these areas, but you also better be prepared for the cold and lots of snow in winter, especially the more inland areas.

I like the Carolinas too, North Carolina in particular, around the mountains, and this is another place you can find very cheap land. The Ozarks intruige me, but i have never been.

Besides that the only other spots i would consider living in are anywhere on the west coast, washington, oregon and northern california. Thats where i have lived for a long time...somewhere between Seattle and the Siskiyou mountains in Northern California. If you wanted to live near a city, there are good places in Washington that are fairly close drive to seattle, either west towards the rainy side, or east towards the dry side...and also some interesting areas outside of Portland Oregon. There are some reasonable land deals that could be had in these areas...but a little more expensive than many other places.

leila hamaya wrote:

Zk Khalid wrote:

What's the most ideal US state when you can't afford to be cut off by more than 45 minutes drive while homesteading?

well that's hard to answer, cause i don't know what other people's preferences are for ideal. 45 minutes drive to a big city, or 45 minute drive to a small town and grocery?

I would really only consider living in certain spots of the US.
I grew up in new england, and spent a lot of time in Massachusetts and also Vermont, and these are some of my favorite parts of the country.
including Maine and New Hampshire, and theres some cool spots in Upstate New York, too. also the land is extremely cheap, you can find old farmhouses on lots of acreage and such for even 50,000-100,000 in these areas, but you also better be prepared for the cold and lots of snow in winter, especially the more inland areas.

I like the Carolinas too, North Carolina in particular, around the mountains, and this is another place you can find very cheap land. The Ozarks intruige me, but i have never been.

Besides that the only other spots i would consider living in are anywhere on the west coast, washington, oregon and northern california. Thats where i have lived for a long time...somewhere between Seattle and the Siskiyou mountains in Northern California. If you wanted to live near a city, there are good places in Washington that are fairly close drive to seattle, either west towards the rainy side, or east towards the dry side...and also some interesting areas outside of Portland Oregon. There are some reasonable land deals that could be had in these areas...but a little more expensive than many other places.

Well, my ideal would be 45 minutes drive to a big city. Even though I get the North-Eastern Coast's appeal, I hate the winters and extreme bureaucracy. I guess I get attracted towards California because of it being the technological/innovative hub. But nothing can't be decided for sure until felt physically in person.

Thanks for the answer.

yeah the bureaucracy thing is LESS in new england than in most of the East coast...and the further north and less populated areas of new england are even more liberal and more free and open.
New Hampshire and Maine, also Vermont, they all have minimalist governments, thats a strong theme for those upper northern States.
Actually much less bureaucracy than California!

Northern California, especially the "State of Jefferson" area (also includes southern oregon) is very different than the rest of California, and is part of how California gets so hyped up as being freak central, and so liberal. But even those areas are part of the California beast!  Despite that theres more liberals there and such, theres still a lot of restrictions and weirdness...

Oregon and washington are very similar actually...with less weirdness than California

4 types of berry seeds wil be mailed tomorrow. They are all seeds that dried on the vine at the end of the growing season. Plant them in moist soil and see what will grow.

Hans Quistorff wrote:4 types of berry seeds wil be mailed tomorrow. They are all seeds that dried on the vine at the end of the growing season. Plant them in moist soil and see what will grow.

Thanks a lot.
Looking forward to it eagerly.

I hope they get invasive.

Hans Quistorff wrote:4 types of berry seeds wil be mailed tomorrow. They are all seeds that dried on the vine at the end of the growing season. Plant them in moist soil and see what will grow.

Hi,

I received the seeds yesterday, finally. Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanksssssssssssssssss a lot.
Have already sown the boysenberry. Looking forward to them sprouting.

Thanks again.

Those "cape gooseberries" look like what we know as ground cherries here in the US.  The last time I grew them I bought seeds from Baker Creek Seeds.  You can find their website at rareseeds.com. Here in zone 5 they are an annual.  I'll know in a few weeks whether the self seed.

Alex Riddles wrote:Those "cape gooseberries" look like what we know as ground cherries here in the US.  The last time I grew them I bought seeds from Baker Creek Seeds.  You can find their website at rareseeds.com. Here in zone 5 they are an annual.  I'll know in a few weeks whether the self seed.

Will try that next year, God-willing. Running out of pots this year. Even better, I hope to save/earn enough to be able a small piece of land soon. That  way I can enjoy my hobby to the full.
Thanks.