Topic: Seed Sharing Circle

[Jayb]

I don't think distance should be a barrier, just needs a bit more managing?
 
Again I don’t know if it is feasible but if we go ahead again next year and you wanted to join I’d be happy to collect your share and send it on and also send your seeds out with mine. Not really thought this through so might be obvious flaws.

On the squash side I’m no connoisseur and I have to say I’m not the biggest fan of eating them but do love growing different types. If you don’t have many takers I’d love the opportunity to grow some of your rare’s and if successful pass them on.

[Jeannine]

I actually don't know how your circle is arranged so I will read all the posts and get an idea, will let you know, but the squash are there if anyone wants them..subject to them  making it as I am sure all seeds are XX Jeannine

[1066]

I remember reading your post about those special Ausie squash, and they do sound amazing but as a novice grower I wouldn't feel confident to do them justice!

Anyway back to why I'm posting on here, at this rate I think I will be drummed out of the seed saving circle! My Kale seed saving attempt was a disaster! and the peppers I had earmarked for saving are struggling up on the plot.
On the upside - I have had some wonderful lettuce, which hasn't bolted in this heat so I'm planning on letting a couple of them develop. And the peas, well totally miserable this year except the bluawshokker (sp?), so will let some of them set seed.
Kale for next year (seeds) will be grown in the garden, and the only other person in the vicinity who is growing any is a neighbour and I gave her the seeds, so cross pollination shouldn't be a problem.
Oh and the early sowing of Fennel is doing ok, so hopeful there.

Time will tell
Maybe I should drum myself out!!!

1066  :)

[Jayb]

Noooooo, don't go, I think we all have setbacks one way or another. I'm intrested to know what happened with the kale? I've got some ripening at the moment, well I hope I have!

Don't worry if what your saving changes, peas, lettuce, its all good, I'm thinking of it as a great way to learn and share at the same time  :)

[1066]

She marches back in  ;D  ;D  ;D

Yes it is a real learning curve. And I'm sitting back watching what is doing well with this dry spell and what isn't (and trying to make a note so I remember for next year!)
Well I think with the Kale I picked the stalky bit with the flower heads on too early - and they simply hadn't ripened up enough. So will try again this year, and let the flower heads stay on for longer.
Also have a white cucmber at home that I'm hoping for a bit of success. No other cucurbits in the area expect 1 melon that a neighbour is growing, and hopefully that is far enough away and over walls etc, so cross polination shouldn't be a problem. She says..........

1066  :)

[Jayb]

 ;D
Your cucumber should be fine, as far as I'm aware melon and Cucumbers don't cross. You may need to think of doing a little pollinating I read a post yesterday about the very same I'll go and see if I can find it.
this might be of help http://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/fruitsetproblems.pdf

Yes they do take ages to ripen, I'm still waiting for mine. I'll see if I can get a picture later on  :)

Look for Galina's post and link, its more about isolating and hand pollination but it may be something you want to have a practice at. If not just follow the pollinating bit  :)
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,61321.0.html

[Robert_Brenchley]

Don't give up! I'm having my share of problems as well. Peas which I planted early, through a thick layer of mulch, are fine. The ones that weren't mulched aren't doing so well. More recently planted ones haven't grown properly at all. Never mind, I should have plenty of seed from the ones I'm most interested in.

[galina]

1066,

yes indeed.  This happens.  I grow perennial collards and have promised seeds to a gardening friend.  They sprouted beautifully in early spring, I cut - we ate, more sprouts developed, I cut more for the kitchen.  About 4 weeks ago I decided to stop cutting and let the sprouts go to flower and seed.  However, in this drought and heat all the shoots (bar very few) have died instead of flowering.  I have a few seeds to honor the promise, but that is about all.  At least the plants look good to go another year.  If something like that has happened with your kale, it would not surprise me.

Keep the faith and something will work out and if not, this will have been a great learning curve.  Some years it is easy, others not.  Glad you are back.

[markfield rover]

Know how you feel 1066,the plants I am growing for the circle  know it, so I am trying to ignore their 'prima donna' ways.
We will end up with something, repeat.................

[aj]

Well, my Chantenay carrots; Chioggia Beetroot and Tender and True parsnips are in full flow; plenty of seed for the two group I am in plus loads to share for the lottie neighbours....beans not so good as I had Aminopyralid manure kindly delivered by my local farmer; so alot didn't make it; but hey ho, that's life....

It's also why I don't put all eggs into one basket...... :-\

[earlypea]

Anyway back to why I'm posting on here, at this rate I think I will be drummed out of the seed saving circle!

I'm relieved you posted that - been meaning to revive this thread for a couple of weeks at least and say something along the same lines  ;)

As a fairly new grower I think I overpromised too and as markfield rover posted the ones I picked to offer have been afflicted by more problems than any others.

My two heritage bush beans germinated fine but tried a different compost which rapidly dried out in the sudden heat wave under cover and they all perished.  Luckily I'd kept half the seeds back and the latest ones are doing fine, but there won't be an abundance of seed from 5 plants each.

My HSL purple were the only carrots that failed to germinate, badly timed to coincide sudden hot and dry weather  - left with 4 specimens.  Stupidly sowed the whole lot of them. ::)

I may have put my Major Cook and Kew Blue out a little too late - hoping they'll get to pods in the end, but it's still touch and go right now.

My kamo kamo squashes are growing well, although I'm wondering if the early one is diseased or upset by being set out in the cold because it looks nothing like the later one, which has generous flat leaves compared to sticky up small ones on the former - well, I planted two just in case in different places.  We'll see....

[lottiedolly]

hanging head down and praying that plants pick up soon. I think this is a bad year but will keep trying. will have some seeds to share even if it is just enough to give to people so they can sow a couple of plants next year and be able to save the seeds and build up from that.

Kx

[1066]

Oh I'm pleased I posted now!! And thanks for the support  :) It's also good to catch up in terms of how we are all doing. I'm sure we will all manage to save something.

I put my thinking cap on yesterday (and yes I did dust it off  ::) ) and remembered I have the aubergines (Long Purple) that were given to me by Ceres up at the plot, and Tomato Auntie Madge and Black Cherry that came from Saddad (in the garden)- which would be appropriate to share around us A4A bods  :)

So, hopefully there will be a few pinches of somethings to distribute

So I think I should change that marching tune to something more positive and upbeat - maybe a bit of samba (appropriate for the heat!). So come on everyone - Samba Samba  8)  ;D

1066  :)

[SueK]

Yes, this seed circle has been wonderful for focussing (sp?) the mind, hasn't it?  The gales hit our garden yesterday and I was out with the string and scissors hitting all the plants I needed for seed saving, terrified that everything would snap off.  The container with the mange tout in was thrown over, but, for the most part, they've survived fine - that would have been very galling, given that there are pods on there growing nicely.

Jayb, do we have any advice on bagging tomatoes?  The Backgarden Seedsaving book recommends bagging to be absolutely sure, and as I'm growing a lot (for me!) more varieties this year I have done this, however I'm a bit concerned that I might need to do a bit more to ensure pollination even though tomatoes are self-fertile - but they are all outside and not in a perfectly still environment, to put it mildly!

Apologies if anyone feels I'm hijacking the thread!

Best regards to all,
Sue

[Jayb]

;D its all go and nothing stays the same. It is good to hear how others are fairing, it does seem we are all having ups and downs.  I don't know how I'm still smiling as blight has struck!
So stick with it 1066 and go with which ever you think or like best, or go for broke and have a go at them all. Switching to samba is good  ;D

Aj, I don't know what to say, I've been reading the different threads on Aminopyralid contaminated manure, awful. It seems by trying your best you get whammed out of the blue.  I very much enjoyed reading your blog earlier in the year and al you were growing. I hope you have not lost any of your bean varieties altogether. If you are looking for any replacemnts let us know and if I have some spare I can send some on to you.

LOL, Markfield and her Prima Donna plants, gosh I know that feeling, they do know  ;D

I am wondering earlypea if your two squashes look very dissimilar if perhaps you will have to wait until the fruits mature a bit to make sure they are true to type. I’d try and hand pollinate a fruit from each and then you should have it covered. Please jump in squash people f I'm talking nonsense.

I'm sure they will pick up lottie, you could always try them with a little feed and a good drink, might give them a boost. Humming a Samba might cheer them up  ;D

Sue, I’ve always found a reduction in fruit set when I bag blossom, but the redeeming feature is most tomatoes contain quite a few seed. I’m still looking for the best material to use as bags, last year I used some made from fleece, which were not great  but did seem to work. This year I’ve been experimenting on some types with glue and although I think it is working it won’t be until I grow them out next year to know it was successful  (that’s if I get anything to harvest this year). I try and give mine a little tap each once a day, don’t know if it helps but my granny showed me that many years ago and it reminds me of her. 

[galina]

Jayb,

you said "I’d try and hand pollinate a fruit from each and then you should have it covered. Please jump in squash people f I'm talking nonsense. "

If there is any doubt, it is recommended to  'self'  both plants.  Ie isolate/handpollinate a female and a male flower from the  same  plant.  Although there is not much inbreeding depression in squashes, it is normally recommended to use a male and a female from a  different  plant, but if purity is in doubt, 'selfing' is the way to go.

It would be easy if you could let a fruit on each plant develop, before making the decision to selfpollinate or pollinate with another plant, however in typical UK weather we don't have long enough and the handpollinated squash would not have enough time to mature on the vine.  Hence the recommendation to self pollinate.

[Jayb]

I get lost with written word sometimes and can't see what I write and link it to what I mean. I knew it wasen't quite right, just not able to see as my mind fills in the spaces. So thank you for your much clearer advice  ;D

[galina]

I get lost with written word sometimes and can't see what I write and link it to what I mean. I knew it wasen't quite right, just not able to see as my mind fills in the spaces. So thank you for your much clearer advice  ;D

I am just the same.  I know what I mean, but nobody else apparently does  :-)  And sometimes the right word just vanishes from my vocabulary only to return after the 'send' button has been pressed :-).  I thought what you meant to say was 'self-pollinate'. 

Please do jump in when my writing is a bit obscure as well.   

[Jayb]

Thought I'd post a couple more pictures,

Roscoff onion flower. Onions have worked well as my Shimonita onions are pretty much harvested, and Roscoffs are starting to flower.
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A baby Jarrahdale
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Not very exciting, Kale seed pods ripen, they seem to take ages
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Parcel, part of the celery family.
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[Jayb]

A few more,

Recently podded Golden Sweet peas
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Pea pods starting to dry on the vine
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Root parcley
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Brightstone dwarf french bean
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