seeds

Department of Agriculture identifies mysterious seeds sent to Americans in all 50 states from China

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REVEALED: Mysterious seeds sent from China to Americans in all 50 states include cabbage, mint, sage and roses, Department of Agriculture tests find Mint, cabbage, sage and roses have all been identified in mystery seed packets  The packages were sent unsolicited to people all across the U.S. from China The USDA advises recipients not to … Read more

Plant seeds sent to US from China part of online review scam

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Police believe they may have solved the mystery of unsolicited seed packages being sent to U.S. addresses from China – a bizarre phenomenon reported in at least 31 states. The packages may be be tied to a fake product review scam, known as ‘brushing’, police said. ‘We have done some researching and it does appear … Read more

Hundreds of British gardeners ‘receive unsolicited deliveries of garden seeds sent from China’

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Horticulturalists have issued a warning after ‘hundreds’ of British gardeners received unsolicited deliveries of seeds thought to have been sent from China. The mysterious packages have been posted to customers who previously made legitimate seed purchases through sites such as Amazon marketplace and eBay. But many of the gardeners were left baffled after receiving unexpected … Read more

Mr Fothergill’s recalls courgette seeds containing unusually high levels of poisonous compounds

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British supplier Mr Fothergill’s has recalled batch of courgette seeds after finding they contained unusually high levels of compounds that are poisonous to humans. These ‘cucurbitacins’ — which give a bitter taste — are steroids used by the gourd family including courgettes, cucumbers, melons and pumpkins to deter predators. Cultivated gourds are bred for low … Read more

‘Quintessential’ lupin seeds are packed with protein… but watch out if you have a peanut allergy

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Superfood fans go loopy over lupin seeds: Ancient legume which once fuelled Roman warriors is packed with protein… but watch out if you have a peanut allergy Lupins are the latest culinary trend as their seeds contain a lot of vital protein The ancient legume once fuelled Roman warriors and is still a bar snack … Read more

Salad seeds in outer space grew at a slower rate than Earth-bound counterparts 

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Salad seeds that went on a round trip to outer space and back grew at a slightly slower rate and aged faster than those on Earth, scientists have found.  A million rocket seeds (Eruca sativa) amounting to 2kg were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2015 with legendary British astronaut Tim Peake.  Six … Read more