Magház aims to connect people, who use and maintain seeds of old varieties, landraces (arables, vegetables, ornamentals, herbs, fruits) and share both the seeds and knowledge about these plants.

Why landraces? You can grow these varieties by following extensive and/or ecological principles, because they can adapt successfully to different environmental circumstances in a long term, thanks to their heterogeneity. Due to the same reason they can not be registered as varieties, since they do not meet the requirements of seed standards (DUS: Distinctiveness, Uniformity and Stability). The only way to save them from vanishing is to cultivate them, save and share their seeds. Magház was established to fill in this gap in order to conserve, multiply and share the seeds of landraces, amateur and obsolete varieties in Hungary.

You do have a backyard garden, but you are not satisfied with diversity of seeds available on the market?

Did you know that nowadays only about 20 species are grown in a backyard garden? However, here in the Carpathian-basin the climate is ideal for much much more. This is the secondary gene-center for several crop species. The team of Magház is working on it to set up and improve the seed distribution and seed swap system to swap, so everyone can find the most interesting species and varieties for his/her own garden.

 

Are you ready to get to know new plants, new persons, and new gardening methods?

 

You must have heard about organic (chemical-free) gardening, which affects more and more people in our industrial world. The landraces and old varieties can grow with a stable productivity, adapt better to certain climatic circustrances, tackle the challenges of climate change, hence saving traditional varieties and moving towards a chemical-free world are walking hand in hand.

Enthusiastic pioneers have collected lots of experiences on what kind of methods should be used in our climate, on different soils and in different regions, in order to achieve organic cultivation.

There are some alternative ways of ecological gardening, like permaculture, forest gardening, which use patterns of nature thus creating habitats for humans and all other living creatures. Following these methods, beside growing edible plants, these gardeners will cultivate species which attract, feed and hide useful insects and other beneficial animals.

Would you like to be a part of a community, where you can get knowledge, experience, and you can share yours?

 

The website of Magház can be used to search for detailed information about the needs and the nature of the species, varieties.

If reading is not enough for you, you can get info about programs, furthermore, you can be an active event organizer. You can contact other gardeners in your area, or you can organize seed exchanges, etc…Be part of the network! Join Magház!

Are you interested in collecting seeds and tips for preserving species?

 

There are less and less gardeners nowadays, who still save their own seeds. Although this is more important than you would think! When you select year after year the best plants, and you collect their seeds consciously, you are actually improving that cultivar, breeding it to your specific circumstances, adapting it to your personal needs!

Is not ideal to plant seeds that were selected in a different climate and other circumstances. They need a few years to adapt, this is the only way they can be a „building stone” for a more extensive and ecological gardening. Another advantage of collecting seeds is that you don’t have to buy them again and again. After you have collected the seeds, you have to dry and properly store them. It is not easy, but there are some plants, which are great for beginners, too.