Broccoli Seeds for Sprouting

amother

Dodgerblue

Thu, Jul 09 2015, 12:14 pm

Where can I get broccoli seeds for sprouting with a chareidi hechsher? I've seen broccoli sprouts in the store so they must have the seeds in this country.

Is it legal to bring seeds in from the US?

FranticFrummie

Tue, Jul 21 2015, 1:39 am

It is totally illegal to bring in any plant matter or seeds. $10,000 fine and/or 5 years in prison, IIRC.

Seeds do not need a hechsher, so try your local garden store. Make sure you rinse and wash them really well, and ask if they have been treated with anti fungal coating or fertilizer. Heirloom seeds are your best bet, if you can find them.

MagentaYenta

Tue, Jul 21 2015, 2:52 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

Broccoli seeds are often pelleted, coated to make them larger and easier to handle. The rule of thumb on sprouting seeds is do not use any that are meant for planting due to the coatings and treatments they have undergone. Here in the US buying organic seed ensures that it is untreated although some organic broccoli seed is pelleted.

sped

Tue, Jul 21 2015, 3:49 am

There may well be shmitta issues.
Though it may be illegal, I have never seen that law enforced and I was never asked about it either.
Actually - once I was eating a fruit as I was leaving the airport and I was asked to either finish it or throw it out.

imasoftov

Tue, Jul 21 2015, 6:10 am

DrMom wrote:

Any shmitta issues of concern here?

If you buy a packet of seeds that says it was manufactured abroad, the seeds do not have kedushat shviiit. There are permitted ways to grow things inside during shmitta.

DrMom

Tue, Jul 21 2015, 8:17 am

imasoftov wrote:

If you buy a packet of seeds that says it was manufactured abroad, the seeds do not have kedushat shviiit. There are permitted ways to grow things inside during shmitta.

I agree there are permitted ways to grow things during shmitta (hydroponics, elevated platforms, etc.).

I did not think the origin of the seeds was a factor.

imasoftov

Wed, Jul 22 2015, 4:39 am

DrMom wrote:

I agree there are permitted ways to grow things during shmitta (hydroponics, elevated platforms, etc.).

I did not think the origin of the seeds was a factor.

I can't find a source so I am not sure that there is any problem with seeds from plants grown in violation of shmita, but if there is (and maybe there isn't), buying imported seeds would make it go away. I couldn't find anything because any search I do about seeds and shmita finds me sources about planting seeds during the year, not planting seeds that themselves grew during shmita. I found on a site from the JNF that says they observe shmita and they are allowed to gather seeds during shmita to plant the following year, but maybe in their forests everything grew on its own but if you bought seed it is probably from plants that were grown intentionally. And maybe the OP's rabbi is more machmir than the JNF's.

I tried to find out if there is such a think as seeds with a hechsher at all but all I found was how seeds are machshired to be mekabel tumah, Rav Google is a bit scatterbrained sometimes.