Topic: Seed sharing circle 2011

[Jayb]

Hi Dandy, thanks for trying. If you want to post the info/pictures here I'm sure one of us will be able to add a copy to Google docs for you. If you remind me around December time I'll print you off a copy once it is done  :)

[Hector]

JayB can you resend me email re Google. Accidentally deleted as ate scone near two cats. They both sat on keyboard.

[Jayb]

Will do  :)

[Twoflower]

 really enjoyed looking at the photos.......now where is my camera?

[Dandytown]

Jayb, I sent you my email address.  if you mail me I can send you a word document.

I'll be sending:
Golden Sweet Mangetout  - 40-50 seeds p/p
Stephens Pea ca. - 30 seeds p/p
Edamame (Envy) - not many but I'll have a count

Also, I was just wonderng what the consensus was on me adding some sun flowers seeds in the mix, on top of the above.

I grew helanthus sungold and they are beautiful.  Google it. Big fluffy heads like marigolds and lots of them that seem to stay in flower right through the summer

[goodlife]

...I've just made a big mistake.. I was cleaning some seeds..sitting down with tray on my knees..and dog jumped on my lap..AND...all my papallo and qullquina seeds went 'up in the air'.. >:( ::)
I was going to bag some up for the circle..so now my options are, either wait till I've got some more new seeds from plants (there should be still enough coming) or bag the seeds up and have them as 'two in one' seed packets.....so what does rest of you say?..I wasn't going to offer papallo seeds for the circle because there wasn't that many anyway..but there is no way separating them by the look. Once the plants are grown a bit you can easily tell which is which. If I were to send the seeds as 'mix'..it is quite possible that the majority of them would be just quillquina (bolivian coriander). :-[
Do you want just one variety in bag..or chance of two ??? ::) :-\ :-X..I really don't mind either way..suppose I'm just hoping a easy way out of trouble..

[Jayb]

Thanks Dandy, I've not long sent an email, look forward to adding your info shortly  :)
Personally I think Helanthus Sungold look gorgeous and I bet bees and birds will love them, I'd be very happy to have seeds to grow next year.


Oops, bet doggie had a bit of a suprise to find her spot taken with seeds  ;D
I like them both and a mix sounds good to me.  Easy enough to rogue out the odd Papalo if it is not wanted. It would be good if we had a photo of quillquina growing so people could compare.

[goodlife]

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I like them both and a mix sounds good to me.  Easy enough to rogue out the odd Papalo if it is not wanted   :-[..doggy wasn't too suprised about the tray or the seeds..more like me making rather 'not so nice' sounds.. :-X ::)
Okey..I shall venture into GH and take that most important pick now..and eventually get my share of the list with details sorted..I am getting to it..honest.. :)

[Jayb]

Finally had a dry and scattered sunshine morning yesterday when I harvested my Painted Mountain corn. I've emptied my airing cupboard contents into the spare room and filled airing cupboard full of seeds, pods and cobs etc needing a quick boost to help them dry.

I've added Dandy's info to google, had a bit of trouble with the pictures but I think I've got that sorted now and will transfer them soon.

I recently read Mashua doesn't make seed, it is thought to be sterile  ::)


edit; spelling

[pumkinlover]

Well confesion time :( :( :(
Has anyone else had a few problems. It was a bit like having a new garden all full of enthusiasm.
I waited and waited  through the slow spring till plants started to grrow and flower, then made my little bags and tied them up on the chillis and tomatoes, and beans. 

But some have worked- others I'm not sure about.  I think I might have a good crop of chilli seeds but the tomatoes did not seem to do well under the bags, I left them maybe too long and they did not set good crop. Except of course for Roma V and Tigerella! but the Heritage ones :( I wanted to hve to donate them,
So I hope to have some chillis and will have tomatoes but unfortuantly probably not bagged ones.

Any advice for next year so I can do better?, how have rest of you gone on?

[1066]

that's interesting as I've had the opposite problem, the chillies in bags have struggled, so it looks like I won't have any Lemon Drop to share  :-[ and I also don't understand why ......

[Jayb]

Not much help for this year, but I did read on an American forum how using a blob of pva glue can be used to seal self pollinating type flowers shut eg tomatoes and chillis. This needs to be done before the flower has opened. I tried it last year and it does work, the flower just seems to die back and as the fruit ripens and it pushes the old flower and glue off.

I've had poor pollination results sometimes with tomatoes when I've bagged blossoms, I've found it best to only bag for a limited time. Less fruit to save from but healthier all round.  The cooler weather we had down here really messed with pollination this year. Early toms were great then as the cold spell (summer!) came, whole truses were not setting.

Shame about the Lemon Drops, I like them. Could the weather have affected them also?

[aj]

Why are you putting tomatoes in bags? Most toms will be fine not bagged.....

[Jayb]

I don't often, it depends on the type and I've noticed here we get quite a few bumble bees visiting tomato flowers early in the season, if I wanted to save from these I would isolate. But usually I just wait until the bees have moved to something more interesting. It is fascinating to watch the bumbles going from flower to flower vibrating and catching pollen on their tummies. I usually don't save from king fruit or protruding stigmas either.

I found this interesting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ObHwm9cYII&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

[pumkinlover]

I did it because I wanted to "practise" the technique. I would like to be a seed donor for HSL and I think that means ensuring definatly true to type. I would also not want anyone to be dissapointed with my seed.
However as we seem to be happy with being honest with wether bagged or not, I will put in some tomatoes from unbagged ones. :)

Glueing up tomato flowers ;)

[1066]

Not much help for this year, but I did read on an American forum how using a blob of pva glue can be used to seal self pollinating type flowers shut eg tomatoes and chillis. This needs to be done before the flower has opened. I tried it last year and it does work, the flower just seems to die back and as the fruit ripens and it pushes the old flower and glue off.
..........
Shame about the Lemon Drops, I like them. Could the weather have affected them also?

Thanks for the reminder about the glue, I'd forgotten about that tip  8) Will give it a go next year, that is if I don't forget about it by then  ::)

re the weather - maybe, my chillies haven't done well this year - not as big a crop as usual. I should have some Lemon Drops, but they won't be in time for this seed swap  :'(

[SueK]

Well confesion time :( :( :(
Has anyone else had a few problems.... how have rest of you gone on?

How I can relate to your post, pumpkinlover!  :-[ I've had a really trying year, as some family stuff meant I had to spend a lot of the summer away and, with the best will in the world, some things have definitely been neglected, some things just never worked out time wise, and I definitely got some things wrong.

I am hoping to offer some tomatoes (Prairie Fire and Vova Yellow, both subject to the final numbers of seeds produced) and, after a rather interesting thread (!) on the forum, some seeds from the thug in my garden, borage - that is, if you'll have it.  But the clincher really will be the numbers of seeds I end up with.  The Vova Yellow plants have been brought indoors to ripen the tomatoes and, on the evidence we ate on holiday, will have a reasonable number of seeds per fruit.  The Prairie Fire are all in a jar doing their stuff, but I literally can't see all the seeds for some of the mush - at least, I hope I can't! 

Best regards everyone,
Sue

Another downer has been that I can't even vouch for the flavour of the tomatoes, as I lost my sense of smell earlier this year.  I'm not sure my OH is quite up to the job on this one, sadly.

[Dandytown]

Just a quickie, how many of us in total?

I never got round to buying seed packets so I am printing some off and making them

[goodlife]

20 I think
..minus yourself..;)

[Dandytown]

Great and thank-you as I have just finished number 20 and am going to pull my hair out.  Not sure I have the attention span for small arts and craft stuff.  More a hammer and nail kind of person  :)

By the way, here is a neat little site for templatesa  http://tipnut.com/seed-packets/

I am using the childrens set for my peas