Kyushu U seed coop?

Dany has posted a very useful link to KU morning glories, which has raised the possibility, to my mind, of this forum starting an annual seed coop with KU - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8381807 . What do you think? Following are some ideas and links for consideration - any feedback will be most welcome -

Google translator for above link to KU -

-- left click on www.google.com

-- go back to the web page you want translated, and right-click on its address at the top of the page and then left-click on copy

-- go back to your google webpage, and -
----- left click on Language Tools
----- scroll down to Translate a Web Page, and in the box, delete whatever's in there and after putting your cursor in that box, right-click and then left-click on paste
----- Beneath that, change the language in the first box to Japanese, and leave English in the box next to that
----- Click on Translate

Now choose a MG thumbnail that makes you levitate the highest and click on that. An email link will come up on each morning glory thumbnail that you click on. I haven't tried those email links - Dany, am I right to suspect that that leads to a request for seed of said image?
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Next, I guess acquiring a USDA permit to import small lots of seeds would be a good idea. I think it's still possible to buy or trade for seeds overseas without the permit, but there's always the risk of having them confiscated never to be seen again. Becky has links for this in her MG sticky FAQS.

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Here's a great reference for converting currencies, temperatures, lengths, etc. - http://www.onlineconversion.com/

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It's possible to install language packs for Japanese characters. For me, those won't work until I re-install a disk that came with my computer before it crashed and lost that capability. I'll try and chase more info on this later.

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I have not acquired any seeds from Kyushu U - yet. I would want to be very sure that I would do justice to the seeds, before doing so. So far, most of my MG seed harvests have been given away with no expectation of any returns (but thank you to those who gave me seeds in exchange), and perpetuating KU cultivars would be a wonderful thing to do, after that fashion. Maybe, for names, we could use some combination of Q names with general color/pattern descriptions along the lines of Dr. Yoneda (sticky index has link to Dr. Yoneda)?

Would anyone want to do a MG seed coop involving KU? Personally, since I don't as yet have a USDA seed importing permit, I would not be a good one to lead a coop at this time. I would also only be tackling a small amount of seeds, but would like for this forum to do something like this every spring on a regular, annual basis, no matter how many or how few seeds we might be working with.
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It's very exciting to contemplate growing some of those morning glories, Dany - thank you for posting that link.

karen

This is to merge Dany's previous information on aquiring KU seeds with this thread -

Quoted from Dany's post http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8362082 -

"The seeds that received free of KU were prohibited for sale. Therefore receive free and sell them were prohibited.
Today the regulation changed the seeds are given at cost.
And receive Q 1221, produce seeds and give it a commercial name: Gray Wolf is ok."
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Quoted from Dany's post http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8381807 -

"Lili, KU is the University of Kyushu, where Japanese researchers are studying the genes of MG.
They are custodians of the National collection of MG. In the history of Japan while almost disappear (wars)
They provide an opportunity for researchers worldwide to obtain genetic material.
But fans can make their request for some cultivars. Before it was free and in May and now it's paying all the time.( I think )"

http://mg.biology.kyushu-u.ac.jp/mg-files/strainlist-brandne...

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Karen - I would be interested in doing this if we can "find a way". THAT will be the challenge ...

Here is a link using babelfish to translate the KU website:

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http://mg.biology.kyushu-u.ac.jp/&lp=ja_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

(You may have to reload the page several times before it comes up.)

It's a fascinating website!

Even if we can't get KU seeds, I've discovered that I can create my own mutant vines/blooms with crossing certain cultivars. So there is nothing to say we can't make our own mutants from some of the KU seed genes we may already have in our possession. Just another thought ...

Most everyone has Blue Asagao Willow seeds. :-) I have plenty left, too! ;-)

This message was edited Feb 20, 2011 9:19 AM

Sounds like fun! Becky I must be the only one that doesn't have the Blue Asago Willow seeds.

nope i aint got them either. it would be neat if theres a way

Marie - You were in the seed swap of 2009, right? If so, you should have a baggie of 5 seeds from me! :-) It's hard to say if you got the mutant gene in any of the seeds until you grow them out. It's a small percentage that produces those odd vines and blooms.

ok Becky will look again maybe over looked those in package. there was 3 didn't do maybe was one of them. was it the swap with the paint brush. that's the one i did. and didn't do 3 from you and a few others i didn't do.

trying to get some ready to go as finally we had a warm week. Yea!! tired of the cold.

Marie - Yes! It was the swap that I included paint brushes for hand-pollinating blooms. Everyone in the swap got a baggie of 5 Blue Asagao Willow seeds.

I think Spring has arrived. It's supposed to be near the 80's here this week! :-)

I hope so. I am tired of cold. hehe done seen enough snow this year to last me for awhile. hehe

Hi Rie and Becky, at this point, a coop is not looking very likely. But I hope this thread will be helpful for anyone who would like to buy seeds from KU (evidently, they are no longer free). We still need more information, but right now, this is as far as I can take this subject.

Let's keep the possibility open and any ideas will certainly be welcome.

Here is what I have been told. KU will not mail seeds to the USA. I do know that they will sell & send seeds to many countries in Asia. They don't do co-ops. I have seen the seeds for sale on private Japanese websites as well as Japan eBay, but the price is ridiculous! I would not pay those prices at all and I don't recommend anyone else to do so either.

I have acquired a few KU seeds over the past several years from other traders. (Those folks know who they are and they know I genuinely appreciate it!) With those seeds, I've done grow-outs and managed to get a few more seeds, but unfortunately, many of the KU seeds are not prolific seed producers. At least not the ones that are really unusual. So to pass those interesting KU genes on to a vine that produces abundant seeds, I am crossing them with prolific seeders. Which means the genes are mixed with some of the more common Japanese Morning Glory cultivars. Every seed has the potential to produce something unique from any other seeds from the parent vine. Sometimes you get something that looks similar to the KU cultivar, other times you get something more like the common JMG parent vine. And sometimes you get something totally unexpected! Which is what I like! Those surprises are worth all the time and effort crossing and growing them! But the kicker is what the F1, F2, F3, etc. will produce. It will likely not be consistent and you may get some surprises in there, too!

I'm no expert, but my experience cross-pollinating vines has resulted in some very interesting vines and blooms. THAT is what attracts me to JMGs! The endless possibilities! Experimenting with crossing cultivars is always fun!

Some folks here cross-pollinate or self-pollinate specific blooms. If an unusual bloom shows up on a vine, getting seeds from that bloom might yield something really cool when grown out! Many unique traits can be passed down that way. And you do NOT have to be an expert to do this! Anyone can create crosses. Just remember though that crosses often don't come true in the F2, F3, etc. It takes numerous grow-outs of such seeds/vines/blooms to stabilize a vine to have those desirable characteristics. And some just can't be completely stabilized. Many folks just keep looking for those unique blooms and try to pollinate them with the very pollen from that bloom.

All of this sure makes for some interesting experiments! I encourage anyone interested, to try it!!! :-)

This message was edited Feb 21, 2011 7:43 AM

Y'all know that I am generous and will trade/share when I have seeds. I am not a seed seller. (Which makes me unpopular with some businesses.) The only thing that I ask of folks who get seeds from me is to share photos when they grow the vines. I have been approached year after year from folks asking for seeds. They rarely contribute to this forum. They rarely ever show any photos of what my shared seeds produced. I love seeing what my seeds create. I do a lot of cross-pollinating, so I am very interested to see the results!

I have a limited number of seeds and those here who are active participants, generous traders themselves, and share information & photos on this forum are always considered first for any seeds I have to share. I do reserve some of the more common JMG cultivar seeds for newbies to help get them started and will gladly share them for postage. My rarer seeds are shared with those who share rare ones with me. If I have seeds left after those trades, I will share with folks here who contribute to this forum. I enjoy helping others build their JMG varieties with some of the rare ones! That's how I myself got them in the first place ... through the generosity of others! So I like to pass it forward! :-)

I do not sell seeds, so please don't ask if you can buy them from me. I don't grow them to profit from them.

Thank you, Becky, for the information - it's very helpful to at least know the parameters within which we are working. I hope other interested morning glory lovers will find this helpful, too.

Becky said :
Here is what I have been told. KU will not mail seeds to the USA. I do know that they will sell & send seeds to many countries in Asia. They don't do co-ops. I have seen the seeds for sale on private Japanese websites as well as Japan eBay, but the price is ridiculous! I would not pay those prices at all and I don't recommend anyone else to do so either.

Therefore if you know someone in Japan you can get what you want.I did not translate the terms for some cultivars but have you understood the same thing as me: you can order in any date and not just in May of each year?

Here is Q 1210 what the Japanese call Benkei.

Dany - Yes! You can now order seeds year round. I guess they changed that when they started charging for the seeds. The list is color coded. I think the pink are almost impossible to get seeds for, the yellow are in limited supply, and the white are available. I believe participants are required to send back some seeds to replenish the seed bank. Those growers that send back seeds will get approved for more seeds the next year.

I believe you typically get 10 seeds of each cultivar. (3 cultivars total per year!) I think if the vines are rarer, then you only get 5 seeds. Some vines are sterile, so you are requested to keep it alive and going. I am not sure if you would need to cross it with other vines of the same cultivar or how that works to get seeds from a sterile vine. You have to fill out and send (email) an application for seeds. Once accepted you make the payment and they will send you the seeds. I think the seeds were about $35-40 USA dollars plus postage to mail them. I think that there is some certificate you have to provide KU with. It might be a Small Lots of Seeds certificate. I am not completely clear on that one. Three cultivars is the maximum that you can receive per request. The process doesn't seem too complicated. The biggest issue is ... it appears that they only send seeds within Asia, not other continents.

Your Q 1210 is lovely! I like the contrast of light colored leaves and the dark blooms! Very nice!

This message was edited Feb 21, 2011 10:11 PM

Becky, can you put the link you used? with the colors !

That is pretty neat to be able to get seeds from there.

yea it is wish they would sell to the Usa. would be great to have new colors and stuff. Even on our ebay some are really high

Dany - Here is what it says on the KU website:
"Background of systematic number white: Distribution yes
System of yellow background: Distribution yes (there is the limit in quantity)
System of pink color background: Distribution failure. When it is distribution possible in one for research, it is."

The color-coded list is under "Systematic List (chart)". I am not able to pull it up. I keep getting an error message. The most current list is for 2010 that I could find on the website, so maybe they are in the process of uploading the 2011 list to the website and that is why the link currently doesn't work.

It would be great if they did sell to the U.S. They don't even respond to emails as far as I know. It has been about 3 years that I've sent emails to them. We may just have to resort to trading with others. Does anyone keep in contact with Dee? Maybe he still gets seeds from the festivals there? I think he still has the DG name and maybe he would be interested in a co op of sorts, I don't know, he was awfully expensive too, so maybe that is not a good idea.

A.

its terrible we cant get other Japanese seeds without paying so much for them. Like i said ebay is like $10 for 6 seeds. thats not including shipping.

why doesnt Japan sell to the Usa it would be great for them if they did

Has there been any update on obtaining seeds from Kyushu University? Is it still the case that they will only ship to addresses in Asia?

Hi everyone!
I have been a member of Dave's for a while now and remember participating in the first Japanese MG coop way back in 2001. I am a NJ native and US citizen who has been teaching English here in South Korea (which is right next to Japan) for a few years now. My grandmother is fluent in Japanese and I have had several successful trades with gardeners on this forum and elsewhere in the USA. If I can be of help, please lmk. This sounds like a great project to pass up.

Elizabeth

Hello pinkangel. Welcome!

Hi Elizabeth! Did you read this thread from the beginning to the end? The web links to KU are listed here and I believe they are in English translation. You have to apply for the seeds, wait for approval, and then send your payment. Afterwards, they mail the seeds to you. It sounds as if they only send seeds to each grower once a year. A maximum of 3 different cultivars. Their new cultivars are really nice and very rare and unusual. This link is the main page where you can follow the directions and try to the instructions.

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http://mg.biology.kyushu-u.ac.jp/&lp=ja_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

This is the instructions to apply for seeds the home gardener/hobbist:
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http://mg.biology.kyushu-u.ac.jp/&lp=ja_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

I believe you can email the application to them. You have to chose 3 different cultivars. There are only a few that I am personally interested in. I have some of them and others I am just not interested in. Antoinette, Helena, and Jackie were all interested, too! We tried to talk them into sending seeds to us, but they did not respond back.

Here is the link to the list of cultivars they have. Some are very rare and not available to send.
http://66.196.80.202/babelfish/translate_url_content?.intl=us&lp=ja_en&trurl=http%3a%2f%2fmg.biology.kyushu-u.ac.jp%2fmg-files%2fstrainlist-brandnew%2fstrainlist2010.html

And these are the corresponding photos:
http://66.196.80.202/babelfish/translate_url_content?.intl=us&lp=ja_en&trurl=http%3a%2f%2fmg.biology.kyushu-u.ac.jp%2fmg-files%2fstrainlist-brandnew%2f06catalog%2findex.html

As you can probably tell by the photos, some are your typical species MGs and many others that were not created by KU. But the higher the number, the newer the cultivar. And those are the ones that were probably created at the university.

Sometimes the links don't work at that moment, so you may have to go back to them a number of times till they do. I believe the university takes down their weblinks to update them from time to time. Since May is just around the corner, they may be adding new cultivars to their ever-growing list to choose from!

Read it over when you have the time and decide if you want to try to obtain seeds for some of us. There is no pressure here. If you want to try, we can send you the money to request and purchase 3 cultivars of seeds from the university.''

Thank you for considering!!!:-) :-)

Hi Becky!

It's glad to be corresponding with you again! It's always a pleasure talking about morning glories with you. You've been so kind and generous with everyone on this forum,it's much appreciated. It's been a while since I posted on this forum...you know how that went... so I stayed away for a while. However, I did grow out the chocolate morning glories that you sent me in my grandpa's yard which has a beautiful trellis. They were breathtaking. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my digital camera with me when I visited and he lives 1 and 1/2 hours away from me. I hope to take pictures of MGs that I'm growing this year, space allowing, since I plan to grow them in containers on the roof of my apartment where most Koreans do their gardening. I hope the passiflora Lady Margaret I sent you is doing well. The lady I purchased them from thought I wanted it sent to South Korea and almost canceled my order! LMK if it's still alive and kicking. :)
I'd be happy to help you and others on this forum with obtaining seed from Kyushu University. The links I went to didn't seem to have much info on how to go about applying for seed. Perhaps I missed that page. Let me know exactly what I need to do and I'll do my best in between my busy teaching schedule and visits to my relatives here in Korea to get those seeds to my fellow gardeners in the USA.

Warmest regards,
Elizabeth

Hi Becky,

I just went back to your links and clicked on the second one which led me to the application for seed page. It was all in Japanese, which I do not know, since I am of Korean American heritage. However, I've printed out both the application and sample application that has already been filled out. I will show these two to my grandma tomorrow and ask her to translate. She and all senior citizens in their 70's and 80's are fluent in written and spoken Japanese due to Japan's occupation of Korea in the early 1900's. My grandma still uses Japanese words here and there when speaking to me in Korean and she still calls morning glories asagao which is really cute. :) I've picked up several words while growing up without knowing that they were Japanese until native Koreans couldn't understand me. LOL. I'm sure she'll be a big help in getting these beautiful Kyushu seeds to you and others in the USA. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Elizabeth


This message was edited Apr 25, 2011 5:00 AM

Elizabeth,
In Rakuten catalog you have big choice !
http://ko.item.rakuten.com/wfgarden/09iriyaasagao4color6size/

Elizabeth - Thank you so much for your offer to try to get us some KU seeds. There are many sources there for seeds, but the KU seeds often produce some really neat mutants which is what attracts me and others to them. I love all Japanese Morning Glories! They seem to make the most beautiful vines and blooms of all, IMHO!

Sadly the Lady Margaret Passiflora vine didn't make it. I replaced it with another baby LM, but that one too perished. I don't know why that particular cultivar is so hard to grow here. I had it growing in pots, but it just never got very big. Seemed like both of the ones I had struggled. The Lady Lavendar on the the other hand died to the pot soil line and is coming back nicely again this year. I thank you so much for both of those vines! That was so very generous of you to order them for me! And I am very glad to see you posting here. Things are much different now. More casual, which is also more peaceful. :-) I hope you are able to start some MGs from seed this year. I love seeing everyone's photos! And I genuinely appreciate any efforts to obtain seeds for us! There are several folks interested. :-)

Tell your grandmother that we really appreciate her help in translating to Japanese. I sent an application to them by email. I was able to translate each section to know what to put in for information. It is basically asking for which cultivar, how many, etc. As a hobby home gardener, I believe you are only allowed 3 different cultivars per person per year. And as I mentioned, some of the rarer ones are not yet available to the general Asian population. If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask here or dmail me.

Dany - Cool Japanese website! Thanks for once again sharing some great links! For those viewing it, go to the top right-hand corner and translate to English where it asks for "Language", so that you can read it. Apparently, the current MG seed offer is sold out. But no harm in contacting the shop to see if they can acquire more seeds. Here is the shop:
http://search.borderless.rakuten.com/borderless/search.action?sid=wfgarden&l=en Be sure to read all the way down the page. It appears that they may be taking orders for seeds from the up-coming Morning Glory Festival which is held annually. And it also appears that they do ship to the USA. :-)

Hi Dany and Becky!

Dany- thanks for the links. It seems like the link is selling only pots of Japanese mg plants. Am I mistaken or is there another page for seeds?

Becky- It's 10:15pm here in Korea and I'm about to go to my grandma's house tonight so I'll let you know as soon as possible what she translated. Thanks for the info you provided me.

I'll keep everyone posted.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth, how sweet that your grandmother still uses her Japanese.

I clicked on Dany's link and is it in Korean? If so, I can ask a Korean friend to translate.

Hello Elizabeth, I hope all is well with you!!, Good to see you posting again. We need you, as you can see. Are you planning to move back to the U.S anytime soon? Either way, glad you are here.

Lilimerci, I think becky said there is a link above on the site you can click on for English, hopefully I didn't misunderstand.

Dany, thanks for that link also.

Becky, keep on trucking ... we need you to keep us in the loop.

A.

yes, I used it but you loose something in the translation....

I believe both links should originally be in Japanese. The Kyushu University is in Japan.

This message was edited Apr 26, 2011 4:33 PM

Hi LilliMerci,

Yes, when I clicked on Dany's link, I was surprised to be able to read the site because it was indeed in Korean! On the top right corner of the screen under 'Language", it said 한국어, which means Korean. When I changed it to Japanese, the writing changed back to Japanese.

Elizabeth

Hi Antoinette!

It's great to be back on this forum and yes, I will be moving back to the USA for good as soon as I pay off my student loans. I heard the US economy is getting better and I will be visiting my parents in New Jersey at the end of July for a week during my English academy's vacation. Hopefully, I'll be able to bring some seeds back to trade as well as visit my local Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart. I hope the seed racks will still be up then. I'm itching to see what's new this year as I haven't been home in 2 years. I'll keep everyone posted on the Kyushu project.

all the best,
Elizabeth

Elizabeth, my hairdresser's son is teaching over in Korea now. He has been over there about 2-3 years now. Economy here is depressing and it's getting better but extremely slow. Even hospitals are laying off people. My son is going to college soon and it's hard to determine what he is going to major in when there are no jobs out there. All the college graduates are waiting tables.

If you should want to send some seeds ahead of time, we will be glad to accept them for you. That way you'll have a better chance of them clearing customs. :)

I agree with Nicole! :-)

am still here. tried links to translations and got lost so will just participate once Everything gets squared away if its possible. ok getting off as bad storms rollin through

Elizabeth, thank you for offering to help us out, and welcome back - it's nice to see you here.

I'm afraid I agree with Nicole, too. If the descent of the American economy were to be graphed, some of the individual plotted points might go up, but there's a good chance that the overall direction of the graphed line would be going south for the future. For example, although Camden, NJ let hundreds of police and firefighters go last January, only 55 police have been hired back - http://m.philly.com/phillycom/db_261426/contentdetail.htm;jsessionid=59D0ADD146721086649DB34922456796?contentguid=f7ejPV8M&detailindex=1&pn=0&ps=3 . Imho, jobs and public safety are only two of many factors that together impact our declining economy, as well as each other.