Pesticides on Seeds

[MarkHackwell]

I went to both a Seedy Saturday and Seedy Sunday this weekend just gone and both had talks about helping beneficial insects. They both pointed out that the plants sold in Garden Centres with a Bee Symbol on and saying that it’s good for pollinators, a lot of these have insecticides and pesticides on them therefore they could be potentially harmful to the wildlife. It then got me thinking about growing from seed but then a lot of these seem to be covered in pesticides or insecticides. What are others thoughts on this?

[Jungle Jane]

The insecticide/fungicide on some seeds is there to help germination,I’ve seen it on sweetcorn seeds in the past. I don’t buy seeds that have the coating you can see on the packets which ones have it,says things like guaranteed germination & wash hands after handling the seeds. At the talk did they say the insecticide on the seed is taken up by the plant or does it degrade in the soil shortly after germination? Can bees etc sense the insecticide & stay away or is it absent once the plant is flowering,Ive no idea so I just don’t buy them.

[muckdiva]

This was a concern when I read an article about it last year. I try and save my own seed when I can and will definitely look out for non coated seeds.

[MarkHackwell]

The insecticide/fungicide on some seeds is there to help germination,I’ve seen it on sweetcorn seeds in the past. I don’t buy seeds that have the coating you can see on the packets which ones have it,says things like guaranteed germination & wash hands after handling the seeds. At the talk did they say the insecticide on the seed is taken up by the plant or does it degrade in the soil shortly after germination? Can bees etc sense the insecticide & stay away or is it absent once the plant is flowering,Ive no idea so I just don’t buy them.

They actually didn’t mention but that would be interesting to find out and whether it’s the Garden Centres and Nurseries spraying them (or there suppliers should I say) or if it’s also from the seed. I was a little worried at first the compost which I have got on the allotment (Old Jack’s Magic which I have now gone to peat free so had no use for) and I put into a wildflower bed was going to contain pesticides of some sort but turns out if there are any it will have broken down and be non existent. Just a bit concerned about the seeds side of things and I have decided to grow from seed now rather than plant but still not sure if I need to buy organic or keep the seed that I have.

[MarkHackwell]

This was a concern when I read an article about it last year. I try and save my own seed when I can and will definitely look out for non coated seeds.

I am glad it’s not only me then. It makes me want to put my non organic seed into a seed swap and buy organic seed just to make sure that I am not actually killing the wildlife while I grow produce and also while I try to create a wildlife bed that is supposed to help support it.

[Jungle Jane]

There’s a study like this one in the link below,where they say earthworm activity is reduced with the coated seeds,do the earthworms etc just avoid the area? Seed potatoes & bulbs have a fungicide powder coating,I think these things keep insects away rather than being toxic but I don’t know,it would depend on the insecticide in the seed coating,does it say on the packet what it is?
https://bmcecol.biomedcentral.com/ar...898-016-0092-x

[Thelma Sanders]

By law, the seed packets have to be labelled to say that the seeds have been coated with insecticides/fungicides so in this respect it's easy to avoid those. You can also tell by the powder coating (usually coloured so it's easy to spot) that they have been treated.

'Organic seed' is harvested from crops that were grown organically, that's the only difference.

With plants, It will be the growers spaying to keep the stock in the nursery disease and pest free before sale. Sprays have a limited life within the plant so within a few weeks will be clear. Perhaps you could cover new plants with very fine netting for a while, if you are worried about it...

[ESBkevin]

The term 'Heritage seeds' seems prevalant in the USA where growers are looking for none hybrid seed from which they can save seeds themselves. There are some available here too but they are expensive, at least in the first instance. I guess if you achive many susequent years crops from that initial investment it's very worthwhile. I have to admit I'm not sure my seed saving/keeping skills match my ambition yet.
That said I tend to avoid anything chemicaly enhanced for the garden which I'm getting more no dig each season.

[veggiechicken]

If you buy your seeds from Real Seeds or similar companies you don't have to worry about pesticides.

[toomanytommytoes]

It's neonicotinoids (and pyrethroids, anti-fungals...) on shop bought plants which could be a problem for bees:

Pesticides in “Bee-Friendly” flowers

[MarkHackwell]

So if I was to plant non organic seeds would the pesticides or insecticides used (If any) actually just wash off the seed while growing and therefore there would be none in the plant? Also the same for tubers and bulbs?

[Thelma Sanders]

If you plant non organic seeds, tubers/bulbs - then the plants grown from them would be completely safe for bees, insects and wildlife (and humans )

Although personally, I avoid growing anything that has a warning on the packet that the seeds are coated with insecticide because I don't want to touch that myself..

[veggiechicken]

Mark, don't overthink it!

Different types of seeds---------

Coated with summat = BAD (for you handling them and maybe for the soil - AVOID)

Seeds grown on plants that have been raised organically = GOOD
Seeds grown on plants that have been raised non-organically = Almost as Good

.............because its how YOU grow the seeds that matters most.

Its not worth saving seeds from plants grown from F1 seeds as they probably won't grow true to their parent.
You can save Seeds from other plants and that way you know whether the seeds have been treated and the type of soil/conditions that they have grown in.

[Voglen]

I am glad it’s not only me then. It makes me want to put my non organic seed into a seed swap and buy organic seed just to make sure that I am not actually killing the wildlife while I grow produce and also while I try to create a wildlife bed that is supposed to help support it.

I personally think that it's very tiny amount of what they dip the seeds into to do any harm,and whatever it is it safe for your seedling.

[Jungle Jane]

Its not good for pollinators if the seed coatings treated with a neonicotinoid insecticide it can be taken up by the plant into the pollen & nectar,but are the seeds coated with something else,what is the seed packet telling us about it?