Author Topic: Seed Sharing Circle 2013  (Read 82381 times)

Jayb

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Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« on: February 11, 2013, 16:16:56 »
Any one up for joining another Seed Circle?  :blob7:

If this is all new to you here's a brief guide; add your name to the thread and when you know what you will be growing and saving for the circle. The Seed Circle is open to all A4A members new and ‘long termers’. Each member of the group chooses 2 or more heritage or open pollinated vegetables of their choice to grow for seed for the group (if possible varieties new to the circle, and not bog standard ones). You then grow and harvest enough seeds for all the members of the group. Remember some vegetables are easier than others to grow for seed, Real Seeds gives some great information, http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedsavinginfo.html

Updates from everyone are great on the thread to keep a track of who’s growing what and how the season is going. Once your seeds are ripe you can harvest them and dry well, they can then be divided into individual portions and packaged ready to be sent to me at the end of the season. As the seeds come in here they are added to everyone's individual collections before being sent out to members in their Seed Circle parcel. Enjoy!

If you want to see how we got on the last year take a look here
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,70816.0.html 
and
https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/ 
Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

aj

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2013, 16:28:51 »
This is the bestest Circle so I can't really resist.  :wave:

We will be growing all sorts of strange and beautiful things on the new community garden so should have loads to share later in the year. All being well. *Shakes fist at sky.

Robert_Brenchley

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2013, 18:50:30 »
Definitely, though I've no idea what I'll be saving. I haven't got as far as deciding what to plant, and it all depends on what actually produces seed. I was scraping about last year - I suspect others did the same - and I wouldn't dare try to predict!

Jayb

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2013, 19:41:51 »
This is the bestest Circle so I can't really resist.  :wave:

We will be growing all sorts of strange and beautiful things on the new community garden so should have loads to share later in the year. All being well. *Shakes fist at sky.
Strange and beautiful things sounds intriguing, can't wait to read all about them


'Tis seriously sodden here and has been probably for the last 6 months   :sad1:
Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

goodlife

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2013, 20:38:10 »
Quote
Any one up for joining another Seed Circle?

MEEEEEEEEE!...please :angel11:
« Last Edit: February 11, 2013, 20:41:04 by goodlife »

Jayb

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2013, 08:22:14 »
I haven't got as far as deciding what to plant, and it all depends on what actually produces seed. I was scraping about last year - I suspect others did the same - and I wouldn't dare try to predict!

Your post got me thinking and looking through seed packets. I was wondering amongst other things about Yu Choy Sum - Red Stem as a possibility? Anyone grown it?
Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

Jayb

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2013, 08:26:44 »
Quote
Any one up for joining another Seed Circle?

MEEEEEEEEE!...please :angel11:

Lol  :blob7: :wave:
Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

galina

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2013, 09:23:08 »
Yes please  :wave:

Initial plans for the circle:  Lettuce Mescher (thankyou GL) have sprouted.  This is the first batch and will go in the greenhouse, a second batch for outdoor seed production will be sown later. 

Just a little bit exotic, but actually very easy to grow, I am planning Melothria scabra, aka mouse melon or Mexican Sour gherkin.  They are not really 'sour' but a refreshing 'one-bite' cucumber-ish snack.  They pickle well, go in any salad and look exactly like miniature watermelons of the long type. 

I got a few really different French Climbing beans from Austria and USA - hope one or two 'transplant' well to our climate.  Need to produce fresh seeds for herb 'Salad Burnet', if that produces sufficient it could go into the circle - nice faintly  cucumber tasting herb that is delish in sandwiches, especially the new shoots.

All vague plans at the moment and will need to see what works out in the end.  Also intend doing a HSL variety of carrots, but these will produce seeds next year all being well.  Same with a turnip variety that needs to be grown out to seed again - very long-term plans.

Thank you for organising another one Jayb.   :icon_cheers:
« Last Edit: February 12, 2013, 09:24:56 by galina »

markfield rover

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2013, 09:43:49 »
If there is room ! I think I need to make up for  last year.
There is a Seed Swap at The Courtyard Theatre  Hereford this Saturday 10.00 -2.00 pm including heritage seeds also a talk by Hannah Wilks ,head gardener at Hampton Court the one in Hereford on seed saving .

goodlife

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2013, 11:30:59 »
Jayb sent me some white maize seeds to grow for circle...so that is one crop that I know 'I do'...fingers crossed for the good results.
Another 'maybe' is hangdown broad bean. I got these from Finland..I don't know much about them and been doing some reseach and although there is variety call Hangdown green, it is not same. Nordic seed bank does list one broadbean variety called Hangdown..but they don't know neither the origin of the cultivar. BUT..never mind the history...I'm not that keen broadbean eater, but this variety did impress me last summer with taste.. :icon_cheers: Again....fingers crossed for good year. I'm about to to sow the broadbeans in a next couple of weeks time  :icon_cheers:
As for anything else....well...time will tell what goodies I come up with and how they grow. I've got some suppliers to come from Sweden too, perharps there is something for circle too.. :icon_cheers:

Toshofthe Wuffingas

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2013, 17:40:07 »
I would like to participate too. I don't have really rare seeds to sow but have enough moderately unusual ones that might be welcome to some people. I had hoped to take part last year but calculated that I'd need about 60 spare seeds for a package and though I had spare seeds for my own purposes, I didn't have that amount. This year I can grow deliberately for sharing.

ruud

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #11 on: February 12, 2013, 17:42:28 »
Yes count me in,havenot a clue what to save for the circle,but i have still time to think about it

Jayb

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #12 on: February 12, 2013, 21:14:31 »
I'm in anticipation, your list is sounding great already Galina  :glasses9:

Markfield, plenty of room to join  :toothy10:  Hereford seed swap sounds just the thing, are you going?

Welcome aboard Toshofthe Wuffingas, so nice to have new to the group members. Any questions ask away

Hey Ruud, welcome, I'm glad I'm not the only one wondering what to grow  :happy7:
Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

Jayb

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #13 on: February 12, 2013, 21:26:51 »
Jayb sent me some white maize seeds to grow for circle...so that is one crop that I know 'I do'...fingers crossed for the good results.
Another 'maybe' is hangdown broad bean. I got these from Finland..I don't know much about them and been doing some reseach and although there is variety call Hangdown green, it is not same. Nordic seed bank does list one broadbean variety called Hangdown..but they don't know neither the origin of the cultivar. BUT..never mind the history...I'm not that keen broadbean eater, but this variety did impress me last summer with taste.. :icon_cheers: Again....fingers crossed for good year. I'm about to to sow the broadbeans in a next couple of weeks time  :icon_cheers:
As for anything else....well...time will tell what goodies I come up with and how they grow. I've got some suppliers to come from Sweden too, perharps there is something for circle too.. :icon_cheers:

Those were some of the lovely seeds from Jeannine, thank you for taking them on and yes fingers crossed.

Love broad beans, one of my fave's. I like the sound of your hangdown beans, look forward to hearing more. I'm trying some Aztec Yellow broad beans this year, I'm not sure how productive they will be though!
Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

Nigel B

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #14 on: February 12, 2013, 21:34:21 »
Gosh I hope so, although I have absolutely no ideas at the moment.
I'll be trying to find something worthy of a swap though....
"Carry on therefore with your good work.  Do not rest on your spades, except for those brief periods which are every gardeners privilege."

goodlife

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #15 on: February 12, 2013, 22:33:59 »
Quote
author=Nigel B link=topic=74928.msg764624#msg764624 date=1360704861]
Gosh I hope so, although I have absolutely no ideas at the moment.
I'll be trying to find something worthy of a swap though....

Any seed is worth of swap. It is all about growing, saving and sharing. What ever variety you think is good to eat and/or produce well is what counts. Of course we all love to try something unusual or with some interesting history behind it, but we all grow many 'basics' too.
You've got plenty of time to decide what to grow.. and plenty of time to change you mind what to send for the circle. Perharps starting your planning with type of crop that you are already comfortable of growing and another which may push your comfort zone (little learning curve there).
Ohhh...its going to be good fun again.. :icon_cheers:
« Last Edit: February 12, 2013, 22:35:35 by goodlife »

Nigel B

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #16 on: February 12, 2013, 22:53:46 »
Cheers Goodlife. You are good folks. :-)
"Carry on therefore with your good work.  Do not rest on your spades, except for those brief periods which are every gardeners privilege."

Digeroo

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #17 on: February 13, 2013, 06:39:30 »
Hi I would like to join if you will have me.  However I had a bit of a disaster with several climbing beans last year and lost some of my breeding stock. 

I had some great leeks which were the only ones on our entire site to survive the ravages of all the bugs but the seed turned out not to be viable.

Anyway hoping for a better year.  I do have some seeds from a giant butternut squash.  It will be interested to see if it grows ok in our clime.

Jayb

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #18 on: February 13, 2013, 08:50:47 »
Nigel  :wave: I think Goodlife has it spot on!

Hi Digeroo, welcome aboard. What a shame about your leeks

Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

markfield rover

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Re: Seed Sharing Circle 2013
« Reply #19 on: February 13, 2013, 15:36:39 »
Yes I am going to the seed swap, there is usually a selection from HSL so I hope to find something  interesting for the circle , I will report back.

 

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