Kings Seeds carries over a thousand varieties of seed. If you’re looking for something special, they probably have it. This year they celebrate 40 years in business.
Owners, Barbara and green-fingered Gerard Martin, who grew flowers commercially through the 1990s In Levin were friends with Ross and Glenys King. The Kings had started Kings Herb Seeds in 1978 and, when the Martins were looking for a change, they expressed an interest in buying the King’s rmail order business. A couple of years later, having been in business for 21 years, the Kings agreed.
The Martins wanted a rural child-friendly environment, and one Friday afternoon in February 1999 after they’d bought the Auckland-based business, they moved Kings Seeds to Katikati, opening the following Monday.
Herbs, flowers and gourmet vegetables
Kings Herb Seeds primarily in its 1978 catalogue, but also introduced gourmet vegetables such as Florence fennel, rocket, and salsify (a root vegetable tasting like oysters). These were innovative then, but are household names today, and are still a popular inclusion in the 2018 catalogue along with many other gourmet surprises. Flowers, particularly dried flower varieties for the pot pourris of the 1980s, were slowly added to the range.
Today principally a mail order business with an online shop, Kings Seeds also opens to the public on Fridays from 9am until noon.
Commercial growers now account for over fifty percent of their business but on the early days home gardeners were by far the larger market. A burgeoning trade to small market gardeners, who sell through farmers’ markets only one step removed from growing your own food, has delighted the Martins.
Open-pollinated, heirloom and organic
Their core range is of open-pollinated and heirloom varieties that enable people to collect their own seed. Opinions vary on what constitutes an heirloom, but generally they are more established, open-pollinated varieties of at least two or three human generations (50+ years).
Kings Seeds organic range has been available since 2000 and in 2014 Kings achieved BioGro certification.
“The source, type, and processes of our organic range remained unchanged so certification formalised the paperwork,” says Barbara. “We’ve always protected the integrity of our seed, both conventional and organic, but we’ve noticed that if an organic variation of a conventional variety becomes available, it whooshes out the door.”
A small number of their seed varieties are grown in the South Island (broad beans, peas, phacelia, buckwheat, wheat, oats and green manure mustard) but most varieties aren’t available in New Zealand. Because their business relies on importation, existing processes in the countries from which they source are critical, and are all audited to International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) standards.
Increasing Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) regulations have become a major challenge. When MPI reacts to disease in a plant group anywhere in the world, Kings Seeds can face costs of a thousand dollars to test just one variety. If it’s a major seller, they absorb the cost, but unique varieties kept for interest value are likely to be deleted. “Lettuces are the latest. Two years ago it was cucurbits – melons, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, gourds, and zucchini,” says Barbara. “A lot of paperwork and testing is required to get seed into the country without it being stopped and, if necessary, destroyed.”
Growing their own
Gerard grows some seed, particularly if he sees something he can’t source but takes his fancy. For example a new variety of passionflower (red banana). He grew the vine and in January harvested the seed which had sold out the previous season. A metre-high crop of Kumikumi, (aka kamokamo) has, like a triffid., taken over their backyard. Jude, Kings Seeds’ manager, has a trial garden at home with a number of crops. At work, an oriental cucumber scrambles up one side of the shed. This cucumber has a creamy flesh (as opposed to white) with a mild taste and possibly a slightly smoother texture than other cucumbers. It has a prickly skin and grows to about 40cm long.
At Whangamata, popular Painted Mountain Corn uses up a friends garden space. The GE debate made importing corn problematic and expensive, but they now have two edible corns, imported through another seed company, and two locally grown ornamentals, both of which can also be ground for flour.
Germination and viability
Critically important for gardeners are germination rates, which are provided to Kings Seeds by their suppliers. “We keep a feedback register,” says Barbara. “A single feedback is usually a reflection on the grower, but three about the same variety galvanises us to undertake germination trials in the propagation shed. If our rates are good we consider customer methods, but if we have the same problem, we remove the seed from stock and order. Sometimes we’ll ‘overpack’ (add extra seed) to compensate for lower than average germination rates.”
Most seed will last well in a packet that is sealed, folded over, and stored in a cool, dark and dry place. Lily seeds found in King Tutankhamun’s tomb were successfully germinated, but generally seeds should be good for two to three seasons. Lettuces, the onion family, parsnips, peppers, chillies, and eggplants don’t keep well and are best bought fresh every year
“The good thing about working with seed is it brings you back to the seasons,” Barbara says. “Plant too early and you won’t have success. If you plant at the right time when the plants want to succeed, you’ll have a great crop. Except for the weather, you can have total control of vegetable choices for your family and friends throughout the year.”
A fragrant experience
”It’s certainly a fragrant experience,” she says. “We forget this until a customer points out how nice our shed smells, however we have discovered seed can also be fragrant in less positive ways. Gerard husked hot chilli seed at the back of our shed one day. Slowly his eyes and nose slowly began streaming and he started coughing. Eventually the powerful smell affected all the staff, including me 100 metres distant and through two rooms. That fragrant experience led to a new process involving masks.”
Barbara finds it therapeutic to dip her hand into a container of seed. With seed counts from hundred (lettuce) to thousands (poppy) per gram, the knowledge one handful can become an acre of crop is an appealing sort of magic.
Spring 2018 is Kings Seeds actual 40th anniversary. They’ll celebrate with specials, and celebratory events throughout the year plus a festive launch of the new catalogue.
Copyright Theresa Sjoquist
First published in Organic NZ magazine – May/Jun 2018 – https://www.organicnz.org.nz
Theresa Sjoquist
Bioforce
Daily Organics
Theresa Sjoquist
