World's Best Seed Exchange!

I grandly proclaim that the Himalayan plant Associations Seed Exchange [Index Seminum] is the THE HIGHEST QUALITY in the world (albeit at present the smallest as well) but it quality not quality that counts. Why have I made such a bold claim:

1. As Seed Exchange Manager, I am the world's leading authority on the identification & cultivation of Himalayan plants, with almost 40 years experience under my belt, this enabling me to check the identification of the seed submitted to the exchange - and those using it, have images to prove the identify of each item, which no other exchange of Index Seminum does! Thus members receive the genuine article, unlike other exchanges, where a significant proportion of seed has been misidentified!

2. My expertise extends into assessing the likely viability of seed, such that the quality of the actual seed, inspected by me personally, not just by the naked eye, but where necessary, under a binocular microscope (up to x40 magnification). I am a strict judge, discarding items which do not pass my hand standards! A good deal of time is spent cleaning the seed, removing chaff and other debris. It is not uncommon for seed I receive to contain more than one species. It is easy to imagine that plump seeds automatically contain viable embryos but some are just empty seed-cases. It does not matter how freshly seed is sown, if the seed is not viable, it will not germinate. As not all individual seeds are viable, %age rates of germination are often misleading. Thus, the quality of seed received by members is second-to-none. Professor Norm Deno, Department of Chemistry, State College, University of Pennysylvania, USA undertook large numbers of seed germination experiments utilising moist kitchen towels in his basement, realising that a good deal of conventional wisdom about germinating seed was incorrect. You can download a pdf of Deno's 'Seed Germination: Theory & Pracitice': https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/41278/PDF

Pots of Arisaema seedlings in Kohli Memorial Himalayan Garden, 20th May 2018 (the middle & one to the right are from HPA Exchange) © Chris Chadwell

Arisaema ciliatum HPA 1361© Chris Chadwell

Arisaema jacquemontii HPA 1366 © Chris Chadwell

A sample page from the 2018 Seed Exchange

A sample page from the 2018 Seed Exchange