Seed Saving Circle 2016?

[Debs]

Me again.....
I could do the cavolo & find something else thatwould not cross??

[Debs]

[galina]

Me again.....
I could do the cavolo & find something else thatwould not cross??

Good plan.  Doing any brassica is still quite a commitment, because you need a minimum of 12 plants.  Real Seeds instructions stipulate 20 plants.  One variety is much more doable unless you are in an allotment situation, where there are other flowering brassica nearby and you need to cage them and introduce pollinators. 

Peas, French beans, tomatoes and many herbs are easier because they are not very likely to cross.    

[Robert_Brenchley]

Alternatively, with an outbreeder like brassicas, you can plant several varieties together, let them cross, and then let people have the seed. With a few years' selection they'd have their own varieties.

[galina]

Feeling quite nostalgic today.

I have just been outside digging the bed with the winter radishes, then selected and replanted 18 nice ones for seed.  Which I also did almost to the day 6 years ago.  The request to join the seed circle was my first post on A4A and the radish was the first ever veg grown for the seed circle. Lets hope the next generation of radishes (still from that seed) will in turn grow good seed too

[Silverleaf]

Alternatively, with an outbreeder like brassicas, you can plant several varieties together, let them cross, and then let people have the seed. With a few years' selection they'd have their own varieties.

That's an interesting idea. I saved seed from a few squash last year that I didn't bother to self-pollinate, so the "father" could be any of that species that were flowering nearby. I've been thinking about trying to create a really varied maxima race where I mix up lots of different species and select according to how well the "mother" plants do, and not worrying at all about keeping varieties pure. I'd end up with lots of different shapes and colours and sizes, and surprises every year!

I could certainly add some of that type of thing to the circle this year if it's of interest. Then people could make their own selections and create new varieties, or keep them all mixed up if they wanted.

[galina]

I could certainly add some of that type of thing to the circle this year if it's of interest. Then people could make their own selections and create new varieties, or keep them all mixed up if they wanted.

The problem with unselected F1 or F2 seed is its unpredictability.  Cucurbita Maxima F1 squashes in my experience are usually ok even if they can look funny, but F2s need quite rigorous selection.  And in order to do this selection successfully, a large number of F2s need to be grown. They won't all be high yielding and good tasting.  Having grown crosses 'just to see what happens' several times, I came to the conclusion that I prefer open pollinated pure varieties.  Simply because somebody else has spent growing space and years of their time to select something decent.  Squash experimenters would almost certainly prefer to make their own crosses from known parent varieties.

If you did add a promising hand pollinated F3 or F4 landrace type for further selection by individual gardeners, I'd be very interested, but a set of crossed seeds 'for selection' is less useful.  Any F2 selection my end would need way too much space. I prefer to grow squashes from seed that has been saved by bagging and hand pollination (or by isolation) to keep the variety pure.  Learning how to keep varieties true to type is a stated aim of the seed circle.   

Everybody who grows any squash, can easily experiment with their own seeds.   

[penedesenca]

Morning

Would anyone be interested in potato onions (originally from pontyzfield nursery) or would these make the packages too bulky?

[galina]

Morning

Would anyone be interested in potato onions (originally from pontyzfield nursery) or would these make the packages too bulky?

Penedesenca,
we have been paying for 'small parcel' postage for the seed returns.  Unless members in this year's circle are not happy with this (it cost £2.80 for second class small parcel last year),  bulbs can be added and are welcome. 

[penedesenca]

Potato onions it is then 

I better bung some more in at the weekend 

[Jayb]

Feeling quite nostalgic today.

I have just been outside digging the bed with the winter radishes, then selected and replanted 18 nice ones for seed.  Which I also did almost to the day 6 years ago.  The request to join the seed circle was my first post on A4A and the radish was the first ever veg grown for the seed circle. Lets hope the next generation of radishes (still from that seed) will in turn grow good seed too

My doesn't time fly! So glad you joined the Seed Circle and A4A 

Lucky radish, having you looking after them and sharing seed 

[Jayb]

Morning

Would anyone be interested in potato onions (originally from pontyzfield nursery) or would these make the packages too bulky?

Potato onions are a lovely vegetable and potential addition to the circle. They really do deserve to be more widely grown

As galina says they are fine to add to the parcel, you may need to watch the weight of the parcel you are sending in so it is not too costly. Depending on what else is added to the parcel, we can look at postage later on if it looks like it might be is getting close to the limit.

[markfield rover]

The seed circle seeds are a bit special  I now have a lovely bed of babbington leeks which if it was not for the circle I probably would not have, and they are good to share with m'fellow plotters who love them too ,plus I love the taste one of my top 3 veg. I have also kept all the packets from all the rounds as a sort of record for a rainy day in my twilight years.

[Jayb]

Saying this quietly as if they know they will go all diva!  Tomato Gazzi Yellow Egg, peas......Lincolnshire...Llanover.....Ave Juan... Newick...Champion of England...Sharpes Liberty.. CFB Neabel's  Ukrainium. Fingers crossed see you on the other side!! Good luck chaps.

Llanover peas are just lovely 

Oh my, my mouth is watering! What a lovely selection to be saving from 

Lol who's going to be a busy, busy this year!

[markfield rover]

I will be having words with a certain pea moth to stay away! Early sowing and late sowing me thinks.
Everyone's choices sound so good it makes for a cracking catalogue .

[Jayb]

Lovely little seedlings, fingers crossed I have more success raising them for seeds this year.

Clockwise from top left,
Quilquina
Pipiche
Papalo
Huacatay

I'm not sure what happened last season, I was a bit late sowing and maybe with all that cold and wet weather, they all ended up being just a bit too late to set and ripen seeds. Huacatay plants were huge, well over my head and only got around to flowering in December!

[Jeannine]

Hi jay,I am in
The wrong place but just testing  new log In jeaannine

[galina]

Jayb, oh lovely collection of very unusual South American herbs.  Hope they will do well for us.  Hard to imagine that these tiny seedlings will grow so tall.   Better luck for them this year. 

[galina]

As galina says they are fine to add to the parcel, you may need to watch the weight of the parcel you are sending in so it is not too costly. Depending on what else is added to the parcel, we can look at postage later on if it looks like it might be is getting close to the limit.

Having studied postage charts recently it can be more cost effective to split into two small parcels than pack into one medium sized.

[Jayb]

Hi jay,I am in
The wrong place but just testing  new log In jeaannine

I just did a yipee seeing your name, welcome back    Great to see you back posting.

But you tease Jeannine, I thought you are signing up for the seed circle, but reading it again I'm not sure you are?

[Jayb]

Jayb, oh lovely collection of very unusual South American herbs.  Hope they will do well for us.  Hard to imagine that these tiny seedlings will grow so tall.   Better luck for them this year. 

I've sown them about 2 months earlier than last year, probably a bit early but wanted to give them a good long season. I like both Quilquina and Papalo, they do better grown in the poly but do well enough outside too, though harder to get seed in a wet year. It wasn't love at first taste for the other two, more I'm  acquiring a taste for them!