Topic: Seed sharing circle 2011

[Robert_Brenchley]

What about other veg - lettuces, spinach, brassicas, and so on? A lot of them are outbreeders, and harder to maintain, but there are a lot fewer people trying. I'm going to have a go at a few this year, and I'll let you know how I get on.

[markfield rover]

Thank-you so much Jayb it is a lot of work for you but I do think something important is happening here.
May be I should keep a journal of this.

[goodlife]

what about babinton leek?..any interest for those..they would not be actual seeds..but tiny bulbils, size of sweetcorn seed.
..or I've got some bloody butcher sweetcorn to grow..I will hand pollinate some for seed for myself..??....

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm definitely interested in Babbington Leek. I had a trayful once before; they came through winter happily in a cold frame, then rotted off as soon as it warmed up. By the time I got there it was too late. Another time I'll have them outside.

[martinburo]

Can I join too, please? If yes, I could contribute kale, as there seems to be a demand for brassicas. Also sorrel, a perennial leaf vegetable.

[Jayb]

I agree choosing what to save for the circle is hard.

For me it will be partly based on what I think I need to be saving and what else I already have planned. I知 going to keep my options fairly open for the moment which I hope will best fit in with everyone else. But ultimately what I save is brought by the season!

So far I think I will be choosing from;

I grew Buan onions from Irish Seed Savers (in 2010) and have saved the best bulbs for seed. So far they seem to be storing well.

Several tomatoes I tried out last year I thought were fantastic and would love to share; I致e a few new ones this year that I知 really excited about growing too. Possibly Medovaya Kaplya or one of Brad Gates varieties, the ones I致e grown so far are stunning to look at and the flavour is superb.

I致e been practising with my brassicas and I知 waiting to grow out some more seed to see how successful I致e been, so maybe not for this year.

If my Early Blood beetroot store ok they are a possibility, really pleased with them this year.

I知 hoping Bedford Monarch parsnips continue to show good resistance to canker, they are looking good so far

I知 also interested in saving a corn or maize or popcorn or poping sorgum?

I知 thinking perhaps a cucumber to compliment the lettuce and tomatoes?

I知 also hopeful to be able to grow several pea and bean varieties again next year, so i could choose from these if they do well and are tasty.

Some super sounding sugestions, being put forward and I'm sure it will all come together very nicely. Babbington leek sound super but will they be able to be sent out with everything else or do we need to think of something different?

Thank-you so much Jayb it is a lot of work for you but I do think something important is happening here.
May be I should keep a journal of this.

I知 not quite sure I知 getting your meaning, perhaps you can expand a little?

Good to have you on board Martinburo,

[galina]

I'm definitely interested in Babbington Leek. I had a trayful once before; they came through winter happily in a cold frame, then rotted off as soon as it warmed up. By the time I got there it was too late. Another time I'll have them outside.

Not sure what happened there, it is better to plant them straight into the soil, that's what I did.  I have a corner in the greenhouse and a permanent corner outside and both have been doing well for several years.   I thought Babington Leek was practically indestructable, you must have been very unlucky.  It is certainly one of those vegetables/herbs that everybody should have.  They are a coastal plant, thriving in sandy soil.  Yet on my heavy clay they thrive just as well.  I made the mistake of trying to incorporate them into crop rotation and that doesn't really work.  They need two, sometimes three years from bulbils to underground bulb development.  And if you dig them all up, one or two will always pop up again from scales that are left behind in the soil.

They are a triple use vegetable.  At this time of year the greenhouse BL's have well developed leaves and look indeed like a leek, outside the leaves are still much smaller.  They make lovely salad additions chopped finely, equally nice with potatoes or in omelets or quiche, but can be used just like a leek.  In summer they develop flower scapes with bulbils.  These bulbils can be used like garlic cloves, or replanted.  After flowering the underground bulb can be dug up, which is a bit like elephant garlic in flavour, but usually the bulbs only have 2 or 3 large cloves.  The bulbs store for a long time and make a good stopgap before the new garlic harvest begins.  Such a useful herb, with a delightful leeky/garlicky flavour.  There are no viable seeds.

[Jayb]

Babbington leek sound super but will they be able to be sent out with everything else or do we need to think of something different?

Something different = way of sending them.

I've not grown Babbington leek,  I had thought they just produced bulbils, very interested they also produce bulbs that can be stored. I really like Elephant garlic,  not as a replacement to garlic but a veg in their own right, but I've found sometimes they just don't wont to store long term.

[markfield rover]

Jayb,the journal - I try to keep a illustrated ( drawings)record of the plot but by July it becomes a little overwhelming ,so to  make it easier  illustrating the seed sharing circle plants being fewer ,rarer etc should be more interesting,well that is the theory.

[goodlife]

Jayb..the little bulbils are so small that they can be sent same as seeds..only they have to be in envelope not in plastic..other than that no problems.
Every autumn I dig all flowered bulbs up and bulbils are underneath the mainbulb..just like with gladioli..main bulb I eat and little ones I sow in modules in spring. I've never grown them as perennial crop in same place, and mine are included crop rotation ::)..I wonder if that is why mine have never done any bulbils on top. Those that I haven't eaten as green leeks will normally flower by mid-summer. I let the tops die down and dig the main bulbs up
And I get small bulbils under ground every year ::) ;D..sounds like babbingtons grow bit differently here ;D..or could it be that they are dry over winter and then given long growing season that effect the cycle.
 Oh well..that is wonder of these things.
So would I put it down then as one of my 'seed' saving objects?

[Robert_Brenchley]

Yes, do. What about tubers like oca or ulluco?

[galina]

goodlife

Babington Leek always produces top bulbils when it flowers, amongst the leek type flowers, which do not produce seed.

Here is a picture of the flower, you can see the developing bulbils amongst the flowers:
http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pages/allium_ampeloprasum_var_babingtonii_wild_leek.htm

My flowers look identical to the above picture.  My starter bulbils were from HSL.  I'm puzzled.

[goodlife]

Galina you got me puzzled too..I've grown mine as babbington for 15 yrs now..and bought them as such from..hmm..if my memory serve me right from Future foods.
I had a look this page http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium%20ampeloprasum
and sounds like wild leek species produce more flowers and subspecies (babbingtonii) does more bulbils less flowers... ::)all these years and only now I've found that what I paid good sum is not the real deal after all..I'VE BEEN ROBBED!
Oh well....I wonder if there is taste wise much difference? I shall carry on growing mine anyway ;D..these don't have too much 'weedy' habbit. ;D
I shall not be providing these then ::)..back to drawing board.
PS; Robert if you still want some..I've got some spare....and Galina..if you ever get spare.... ;)

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'd love some, whatever they are. It'll be interesting to try to identify them!

[martinburo]

goodlife, won't you please contribute your bulbils anyway?  Surely, if you've grown them for 15 years, they must be pretty good. I'm not worried about their name.

Good to have you on board Martinburo,

Thanks.

[galina]

Most definitely please add them whatever they are.  If they are not Babington Leeks, then it gets really exciting.  Los Mols Leeks? - how rare are these!!! We definitely would like some.  I have just looked and I still have a few BL bulbils hanging around indoors.  If you and Robert want to pm me, I'll gladly divide what I have left.  Or contribute bulbils for the 2011 Circle in additions to yours.

I have re-read your first post.  A bulblet the size of a sweetcorn grain will grow into a leek which eventually flowers and produces a big bulb within one season!  Well, that is impressive.  Elephant Garlic doesn't manage that, and Babington Leek certainly not.  You have something pretty special there.  You weren't robbed!

Thank you for the PFAF link to Wild Leek.  They have Babington Leek listed separately, but the photo above is much better than their BL photo.   This is exciting.

[goodlife]

How much interest there would be from others for my 'wanna-be-babbingtons'?
If there is only few of you I'm happy to send some just for you lot and do 'proper' seed lot for everybody.
Thanks Galina for your encouragement ;D..if there is not generally much interest for these I would love to get some of yours and compare them.
Shall we see what others say first? ;)

[SueK]

Hi Jayb,
I know I was in last time round but any chance of taking part again in 2011?  All I can say at this stage is that my interests would include short season tomatoes suitable for growing outside (north of England) and probably summer squash.....

Best regards,
Sue

[ruud]

Suek i will grow some russian short season tomatoes next year,if you are intrested i can put them in the circle or if you cant wait i can spare some i have enough.Are you growing them outside or in a greenhouse?If you want some now just p.m me your adress.

[lottiedolly]

How much interest there would be from others for my 'wanna-be-babbingtons'?
If there is only few of you I'm happy to send some just for you lot and do 'proper' seed lot for everybody.
Thanks Galina for your encouragement ;D..if there is not generally much interest for these I would love to get some of yours and compare them.
Shall we see what others say first? ;)

Goodlife, i think that the babbingtons sound fascinating and i am interested in trying them, so if you put them up in this years circle, i for one will really appreciate it

Kxx  ;D