Topic: Seed sharing circle 2011

[Jayb]

Interesting, I’ve only grown the variety Rat’s Tails, does it differ much from your other variety Robert?
Lots of peas and beans sounds sooooooooo good  ;D

Lol, normally flowering spring cabbages would be a disappointment. Thanks for the update Martinburo, love to know what variety you are growing? I grew Black Tuscan Kale last year, from what I can tell all plants I grew in the autumn were true to type, which was good to know as I have a bucketful of seed!

Goodlife, I agree this weather is deceiving but oh so nice to have sunshine, though if it carries on this dry it will be problematic. Fingers crossed though as I’ve just sown my squashes, melons and cues etc, I’m hoping to sow Painted Mountian Corn as soon as I get some root trainers free.

Galina, Rocket sound good to me, one of my fave’s and I’m just about out of saved seed. And nice one, way ahead with your courgettes.

Jeannine, you are always quick to support people and offer your knowledge to help, personally I think these are super qualities for a participant of a seed circle. If you are able to add seeds to the pot later on, bonus  :)

I totally understand about Tiny Toes and if it were me I’d want to trial further. I’ve an overwintered cutting which has some lovely ripening red fruit on and I’ve got some really healthy looking compact plants from seed I saved last year.  I’ll try and take a few photos later on, and I’ll feedback to you later in the season. Glad you’ve sown some and I’ll follow your lead.

[Jayb]

Tiny Toes for lunch tomorrow I think  ;D

[attachment=1]

[1066]

Rats Tails - haven't heard of that one, the one I have is "Munchen Bier" originally from Sutton's, via the 50p sale  ;D It's germinated fine so a wait and see if it is good to eat let alone save seed for.

Loads of salads sown, mostly from Baker Creek guys and Thomas Etty, we'll see how they go, and if I like them / they do well I'll update you on what I plan to save. Currently eating an autumn sown lettuce - Valdor, which made it through our lousy winter splendidly, its a very bright green butterhead with a very gentle buttery taste to it and is great when eaten with a salad mix I got from Thomas Etty, but it's one I need to see if it bolts etc

Climbing peas are growing a treat  8), the dwarf are all shrivelled and dead  :-X

Beans are sown as are the squashes. As our the aubergines peppers and chillies. It's competition time for space on the windowsills and greenhouse  :D

Fennel has germinated....... after last years attempt, I ain't holding my breath!!

Kale - the black tuscan one from Real Seeds has flowered beautifully and was a star attraction for the early buzzies, and the seed pods are now forming ..... watch this space !

Also have a few other possibilities, like carrot seed - Althringham from HSL, so will see how that turns out

Oh and the 1st tomato flowers are making a show......but nothing like yours Jayb  ;)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Interesting, I’ve only grown the variety Rat’s Tails, does it differ much from your other variety Robert?
Lots of peas and beans sounds sooooooooo good  ;D

Dunno yet, but it's Munchen Bier, so 1066 is the one to ask!

Hopefully I'll have a couple of lettuces to add to the list, but I haven't grown them for seed before. Altringham carrots sound interesting; it's supposed to be anything up to three feet long, but I don't know whether that includes the sort of long root parsnip exhibitors always leave on. I've never had any luck with carrots though.

[Jeannine]

   Was this from the plant I sent you or have you grown it from seeds or cuttings  saved from the plant.

It certainly looks vert tiny still. Mine got very bushy and the fruit was quite tasty.

Perhaps now there is a picture we should explain what it is..

XX Jeannine

[galina]

   
Perhaps now there is a picture we should explain what it is..

XX Jeannine

yes please.  Tiny Tim x Tommy Toe?  Enjoy those fab looking tomatoes - turning slightly green with envy  ;D

[Dandytown]

Without wanting to count my chicks so to speak or give my plants the kiss of death, I am in a good position to get some edamame for this years swap.

12 Plants have taken well to being planted in the greenhouse.

I can not access the google documents from my office pc due to websense restrictions.  Is the document up and running?

talking of the weather being deceiving... when is the rain going to come.  All my onion sets have bolted, I believe from the dry conditions

[1066]

Interesting, I’ve only grown the variety Rat’s Tails, does it differ much from your other variety Robert?
Lots of peas and beans sounds sooooooooo good  ;D

Dunno yet, but it's Munchen Bier, so 1066 is the one to ask!

Hopefully I'll have a couple of lettuces to add to the list, but I haven't grown them for seed before. Altringham carrots sound interesting; it's supposed to be anything up to three feet long, but I don't know whether that includes the sort of long root parsnip exhibitors always leave on. I've never had any luck with carrots though.

It's a game of wait and see with the Munchen Bier - hopefully I'll have some to try as well as save, that way I can enjoy a nice cold white beer with them  ;D

robert - re the carrots, to be honest I went for the name really  ::) I'm growing them in a large crate, like all the other carrots and parsnips, which I've done before and have been pleased with the results. I'll let you all know what they are like, and then it's a bit of revision for me to understand how to save the seeds!

[Jeannine]

oops, my previous post reads weird.. so I will explain.

I had a Tommy Toe plant that had an odd looking branch a couple of years ago  it was smaller as was the fruit.. I kept seeds from the fruit from just that branch

Last year I sowed Tommy Toes and the six I sowed all came up but were tiny and not what they should be..when I looked at my bags I keep my seed in I had made no notes on it as I always do,,funny, then I found the bag marked Tommy  Toe  from the odd branch and sure enough I had sown them.

I grew the plants on and they all came small,very bushy but only about 18ins high. I had invited JayB to join me and she had raised a plant from the same  seeds, she found very similar results to me.. so for the sake of a name I nick named  it Tiny Toes The fruit had a good flavour, the plants were certainly small.

I have been told since that this is not unusual and that any plants grown from that branch only would be stable.

So without trying I may be responsible for a new tomato. Jeannine's Tiny Toes isn't going to make anyone rich and famous but nevertheless it is cute.

I have kept seeds from the tomatoes on that funny branch and now I have seeds from plants  grown from those seeds. I intended to plant the both of them plus seeds from the original regular plants to compare this year but didn't.

I grew  Tiny Toes through the winter under lights and it did quite well but was very bushy.

I want to do a bit more growing on it.

XX Jeannine

[aj]

If my Parsley Pea tastes any good; I'll be saving some of that for the circle.  ;D

[Jeannine]

Anyone interested in a Dwarf Sunflower that says the unop[ened buds are edible, great sauttred as a side dish. They only grow to 18" Each plants has several blooms on.

Also a 24" sunflower with a12": head, great for seeds.

I have these started for my disabled beds.

I am also growing a swwet pepper that is a little different. Pepperoncini. It looks the shape of a cayenne, long and slender but is sweet with just ahint of warmth, tatses a bit like a sundried tomato.

I also have Mini Belle sown they are sweet peppers but just an inch and half all round. I stuff them on veggie platters,

XX Jeannine

[goodlife]

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If my Parsley Pea tastes any good; I'll be saving some of that for the circle.
I've been eating parsley pea tendrils now few times and they are good..different..But as a pea..that is still to find out. How's your plants?...mine are not very vigorous..quite small so far???
If that's how they are going to be..I'm not expecting many peas per plant. So please do save some..we may need to put our forces together...unless you grow acres of them.
Jeannine...all those sound good...particularly that pepper...that taste like sundried tomato.. ;D 2-in1 crop.. ;D
What does sunflower puds taste like?..do they need any special trimming before cooking?..and how large do you let them grow until you eat them?... ???...new one for me..

[goodlife]

Picture of parsley pea modified tendrils that don't grip anymore..for those who haven't grown them before.. ;)
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[goodlife]

Been playing with my camera again..this is how things are at the moment...
[attachment=1] ...shimonita has set its seed heads..
[attachment=2]...lemon coriander is blooming..

[goodlife]

[attachment=1]...peas are coming on too...

[Jeannine]

Goodlief, all the  seeds I mentioned came from West Coast Seeds here in BC, they are all new to me and I was quoting from their catalogue..take a look..

www.westcoastseeds.com

Pepperoncini sweet pepper
Mini Belle Red  sweet pepper
Dwarf Yellow Spray sunflower
Dwarf Sunspot sunflower

Also take a look at the winter squash Godl Nugget. I have this one started too, I love ir because it is a bush and quite productive.

Whilt there I am also growing Baby Blue Hubbard which is a good one.

There are more I have started but pretty common.

XX Jeannine

[1066]

Goodie - those peas are looking fab! I notice they are under glass, so feel a bit better about mine   :)  they have just started to flower so am v excited  ::)

Jeannine those peppers sound great, it will good to hear how you get on with them

[Gadget]

I would love to join in 8)

[Jayb]

Yayyyyy, beans sound well on track Dandytown.
As far as I know anyone using the link should be able to view the 2011 Circle document https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1JAfM3N2eHtuR4QnwknmZl7r6TComh2OLoL8Odb2o2m8  
Are you still having problems with it? You may need to register with Google to be able to view G.docs? Also if you want to add anything to it, photos or text, pm me your email address and I'll add you on so you can edit.

If my Parsley Pea tastes any good; I'll be saving some of that for the circle.  ;D

Sounds good, they are certainly attractive.

Jeannine, they all sound scrummy, I'd be happy with any of what you have listed, Yum.
Re. Tiny Toes, yes it is a cutting from the plant I grew last year, but strangely it is much more compact than the original and I really don't know why?

Gadget, thanks for the interest  and we would have loved for you to have joined us, but I'm afraid we are full up for this year. Hopefully we will be doing the same or similar next year, probably starting in January.

[Jayb]

Opps forgot to add, love the photos Goodlife.

I grew shimonita onions for the group last year, but from memory they were roughly the size of yours. The ones I have seeding this year are really huge in comparison?