Author Topic: Seed Saving Circle 2021  (Read 24039 times)

JanG

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Seed Saving Circle 2021
« on: March 11, 2021, 09:52:04 »
Things are stirring in the garden/allotment at last and it’s a great time to be thinking ahead. Time to jump in and join the 2021 Seed Circle! This will be its 11th year and in that time an amazing number of seeds have been exchanged - some very lovely, many very interesting, some unusual and some just downright useful. So please do say if you’d like to be involved, whether or not you have before, and then begin to think what you might be able to set aside for seed-saving.

For those who haven’t joined in before here’s some information to help you decide if you would like to join.
The Seed Circle is open to all A4A members; it’s great to have new people join too. The group is all about setting aside a little growing space, ,and time to raise some crops for seeds, keeping the group informed as to how the season is going, then at the end of the season sharing some growing information and the all-important saved seeds with the group.

Each person decides what 2 or more crops they will grow and save seed from (we do inc. tubers, bulbs and cuttings, but just make sure they are well wrapped so they don't dampen any seeds), saving enough seed for every other member to grow a crop the following year. The group could be up to 20 people but is more often under 10. Veggies will generally need to be heritage or open pollinated so that they will come true from seed (potato seeds won’t come exactly true). If you include grown out hybrids please state this clearly.

I think most of us have found out that some vegetables are easier than others to save seed from, and everything can change with the weather. But generally peas, French beans, tomatoes, perhaps potatoes and some herbs are the easiest. Chillies, Sweet peppers, squash, courgette and lettuce will need isolating from other varieties to keep seed pure.  Parsnips, onions, leeks, beetroot, carrots, celeriac and many brassicas only go to seed the second year and need isolation from other varieties and so are more time consuming and a little trickier.

Real Seeds gave the idea for the circles. Their site gives some great seed saving tips as well as being a great seed catalogue http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedsavinginfo.html. There is also a brilliant series of shortish videos on seed saving for different veggies at: https://www.diyseeds.org/en/

For anyone interested, what we finally shared in 2020 can be found at https://airtable.com/shryC20nRNmUcgT30. Try Gallery View.
For anyone interested, what we finally shared from 2017 onwards can be found at https://seedsaverscircle.home.blog/
For anyone interested in previous years’ Seed Parcels and what we finally shared in 2016 and previously, they can be found at http://seedsaverscircle.org/seed-circle/

And some previous threads for the Circles;
Seed Circle 2020 https://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,82679.0.html
Seed Circle 2019 https://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,82221.0.html
Seed Circle 2018 https://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,81651.0.html
Seed Circle 2017 https://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,81010.0.html


Please could a Moderator pin this? 

Vetivert

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2021, 13:01:42 »
Count me in please!

JanG

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2021, 06:28:18 »
Great! Do you have any particular plans yet?

The Früher Heinrich mangetout you donated last year, started early December in the greenhouse, are outside growing strongly, and withstood the high winds and freezing nights we had earlier this month. I have high hopes for them.
And Redventure celery seedlings are sitting happily in their modules. More promise of things to come!

Vetivert

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2021, 16:11:05 »
Wonderful :) they are definitely hardy. Should have some blooms in April.
Celery and celeriac have germinated well, hopefully we have no problems with the latter. Hope you like the Redventure. We find it quite powerfully aromatic, though that's probably due to conditions, which were on the dry side when harvested. Not much needed for soup!

I'm giving melons a serious attempt this year, as well as moschata squash.
Also have sown some diverse lettuces just for the seed crop (Wild Garden Mix, Bronze Arrow, White Samara), and have plans to trial a few varieties of beets and carrots - though no seed from these until 2022.  This is the 2nd year for the multiplier onions so they may flower, fingers crossed.

Besides this it's the usual - tomatoes, beans, peas, and a lot of greens  - though perhaps in more ambitious (foolhardy) quantities than previous years.

ruud

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2021, 22:03:10 »
count me in

JanG

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2021, 06:21:50 »
Ruud, that would be great. I’ll pm you.

JanG

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2021, 06:29:26 »
Good luck with your melons, Vetivert. I’m hoping to do better than in the last couple of years when I’ve had melons become juicy but not particularly sweet. Also some mice troubles. They haven’t received my best attentions though, I have to admit. One or two different ones to try this year.

Your range of lettuces sounds interesting. How wild is the Wild Garden Mix?

Sounds like a full year ahead. I’m very familiar with that ambitious/foolhardy edge!

Silverleaf

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2021, 05:12:41 »
I'd love to join if that's okay! Not sure what I'll have yet, most probably peas. :)

JanG

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2021, 06:06:07 »
Delighted that you’d like to participate, Silverleaf. Peas would be great, including any of your own creations.

Vetivert

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2021, 20:56:33 »
We love peas!

JanG, it's pretty 'wild'. Seeing a lot of diversity in the little plants already. It's sold as a mix of every variety bred by Frank Morton/Wild Garden Seed plus unreleased lines. I'm growing seed from 2019 so it may not have the latest introductions in there (and I don't have room to grow all of the seeds in the pack).

Have your Redventure seedlings shown any colouration on the stems? I've cleverly sown them in a tray next to celeriac, forgot to label and now have no idea which row is which.
:sign5: Hoping some red will show soon...

JanG

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2021, 06:48:16 »
Vetivert, your Wild Garden Mix sounds very interesting! Frank Morton has created such a vibrant range.

About five years ago, I had quite a few of Frank Morton’s lettuce varieties from Wild Garden Seeds. I was especially interested in spotted varieties as my son was developing a project with spotted lettuces. (London Freedom Seed Bank). Included in the ones I got was a mix called, at the time, Frank Morton’s Secret Mix. I still grow a few most years and they’ve continued to germinate. Most enjoyable! It sounds like your Wild Garden Mix has an even wider diversity.

I’ll check my Redventure seedlings when I get out to the greenhouse, and let you know. I also have them growing next to celeriac but hopefully labelled! 🤞🤞

Silverleaf

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2021, 17:25:52 »
Now look what you’ve made me do! I’m all excited about seeds now and I’ve ordered 9 varieties of tomato from Croatia. As if I haven’t got enough tomato seeds already! ;)

Silverleaf

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2021, 17:27:16 »
Probably not sowing them all this year, but maybe I can squeeze a couple in somewhere?

JanG

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2021, 17:44:25 »
That does sound exciting.  You can always tell yourself that tomato seeds keep for ages, but I find I just have to grow them THIS year! I have loads too many too.

Would be great to hear what you've ordered. Interesting colours? Hope they arrive soon!

JanG

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #14 on: April 06, 2021, 17:54:12 »

Have your Redventure seedlings shown any colouration on the stems? I've cleverly sown them in a tray next to celeriac, forgot to label and now have no idea which row is which.

Vetivert, there's definitely red colouration in the Redventure seedlings.
The snag is that in my celeriac seedlings there's a bit off red colouration too, but there's definitely more in the Redventure.
Not a very clear photo but Giant Prague celeriac to the right and Redventure to the left. I think you should be able to tell them apart when they're a month or so old. Mine were sown 6th Feb.

Silverleaf

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #15 on: April 06, 2021, 20:13:57 »
I went for:

Sart Roloise (white beefsteak with blue shoulders)
Pink Painted (pink indigo)
Amethyst Jewel (pink indigo)
Zlatava (orange with red inside)
Indigo Kumquat (yellow plum cherry with blue shoulders)
Coyote (tiny yellow cherry with unusual flavour, I grew it years ago but for some reason I don't think I saved seed)
Gargamel (red, yellow and blue stripes)
Helsing Junction Blues (blue cherry)
Ei Von Phuket (pale pink plum)

I just can't resist weird colours!  :tongue3:

JanG

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #16 on: April 07, 2021, 07:19:56 »
Great stuff! I have a bit of a weakness for weird colours too!

I’m growing three of the same varieties as you: Indigo Kumquat, Gargamel and Helsing Junction Blues. We’ll have to compare notes.

White beefsteak with blue shoulders is difficult to imagine but sounds amazing. And Zlatava too - sounds rather like a blood orange?

Great selection. Sounds like a rainbow tomato project to run by the side of your rainbow pea project! 👍😃

JanG

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #17 on: May 13, 2021, 06:41:40 »
I’m wondering how those participating in the 2020 seed circle are getting on with the varieties exchanged then. And also where best to exchange any observations.

I wanted to post about Galina’s Greek White squash and decided to put that on the 2020 seed circle thread. If anyone has any thoughts about whether it’s best to do that, or to simply use this year’s thread, do say. I’m just not sure whether anyone is likely to read the 2020 thread.

JanG

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #18 on: September 15, 2021, 11:16:26 »
It's peak seed saving time!

Seed saving is probably at its height right now. Certainly I’m seriously into podding dried beans and also fermenting tomato seeds on my kitchen windowsill.

I’m very impressed in particular with a variety of tomato called Azoychka which was new to me. It’s a large yellow beefsteak which came early, a nice surprise for such a large tomato. It has remained prolific throughout the season with good large yellow tomatoes. I have this one lined up to offer as part of my contribution to the seed circle.

I hope everyone else interested in joining in is beginning to have a few ideas about what you might be able to contribute. Do divulge if you know already. It’s good for us to whet our appetites!

It would also be good to know what kind of timing would suit everyone this year. Last year, if I remember rightly, we sent our seeds by the end of November in anticipation of Brexit complications. And it seemed to work rather well. Perhaps you could say if you would like to go for the end of November again, or whether you would prefer to wait until the new year.

In the meantime, happy seed saving. And new participants are very welcome.


Elfeda

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Re: Seed Saving Circle 2021
« Reply #19 on: September 15, 2021, 20:33:56 »
I am saving principe borghese tomato and padron peppers if they are any interesting :)

 

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