Topic: Seed Saving Circle 2022

[galina]

Jang, isn't St Victor the fully winterhardy leek with the purple leaf tops?  What a super addition.  Will sow and plant together with the multiplying Telsing Andrews leeks for more 'mingling and grexing'. 

https://www.growingfoodsavingseeds.co.uk/forum/main-forum/allium/16477-telsing-andrews-perennial-leek#post16513

[Vetivert]

A little eye candy for a cold winter evening

[galina]

Oooohhh another bean with the Rose type pattern Vetivert.  This one a half runner, not the support breaking brute that Rose is.  Did this seed pattern originate in Kentucky?  And also with the pinkish hue.  Real eye candy.  All 3 full of promise of summer delights to come. 

[JanG]

Hello Galina. Yes, the St Victor leek is the one hardy purple leaved leek. I was going to explain when I got round to more notes on varieties I put in that the only leek which could have crossed with St Victor is indeed the Telsing Andrews multiplying leek as I allowed both those varieties to flower. I thought that if crossing had occurred, that might be no bad thing. I believe that St Victor is in fact half of the Telsing Andrews grex, used perhaps for both its colouring and hardiness.

[JanG]

I don't think I know Rose climbing bean. Is it Robert Hazelwood which has similar colouring? I certainly love that mottled shading to dark effect. Great photos

[galina]

A picture of Rose or Raccoon bean seeds.  Pods are large, fleshy and a yellowish green.  Maybe for next year's circle.  Yes their seeds look similar to Robert Hazelwood.

Thank you for the leek explanation.   

[galina]

My friend just told me that my seeds have arrived at her house.  That was really fast.  Thank you Jang, thank you all.  Can't wait until I can open my treasure box. 

                     

[JanG]

Wow! That's fantastic news. I was resigned to very long delays. Fingers crossed that others arrive quickly after the weekend.

Rose looks very appealing. Perhaps more pinkish than Robert Hazelwood

[Vetivert]

Galina, I couldn't say where it originates but I've certainly noticed that frosted pattern seems to occur more often in that part of the world than anywhere else. Turkey Craw is another example.

[markfield rover]

Arrived back tonight to a glorious sight upon the door mat! Thank you all so much and especially JanG for making it happen. I have from last year my advent seed calendar, I am going to ask OH to do the honours, and refill. Spreading the excitement and another festive lunch mid January!
Wishing you all warmest wishes and happy sowing, cheers!

[pumkinlover]

Advent seed calendar

[sparrow]

Mine isn't here yet, but my postie has said there are issues locally, though I don't really understand why.

It looks an amazing parcel from your photo JanG, thank you so much for letting me join and for all the work putting it together. Though I also have to say I am just so happy at the thought of having Cara de la Virgen beans again! :D :D :D :D

I have some nice things coming in from elsewhere that might be of interest for next year's seed circle, I hope. Just need to get my greenhouse up.

I have sown some Trepadiera Werner chilli seeds today, which I originally got from Galina several years ago. Still one of my favourites to grow and overwinter for how pretty they are on the bush. At the moment it's hard to imagine it being warm enough to grow stuff - I'm sat here with a hot water bottle under my feet and one at my back!

[JanG]

Very brave to be sowing during this freezing spell. A real joyful anticipation of things to come though.

I've been piecing together all the information and photos contributed to this thread so far. Thanks to those who have already given information about their varieties, and photos. A specially big thanks to Galina who has commented very fully on her varieties. I've been adding all info and photos to the Airtable base we've used for the last two years, and anyone who's set up to do it can look at what has gone on there so far. I'll contact everyone shortly with details of how to get access to it.

In the meantime this is a call for any more information and/or photos that you might be able to come up with. It's good to know where the seeds you sowed this year came from, any info you have about origins, history etc and any experiences of growing the variety which might be helpful to others - height, vigour, growth habit, productivity etc. If you can post here I can transfer it to the database so that it's all in one place and easy to navigate.

[galina]

Finding photos for you.  Giant Bolivian Achocha

[garrett]

More information on some of the varities. Where the provenance is unclear I've given my own description:

Chadwick Cherry - named after Alan Chadwick, this is an indeterminate red cherry tomato (I'd describe them on the larger side). It was vigorous and highly productive, I counted ten fruit trusses when I topped my plant in late August. Classic red tomato taste.

Auntie Madge's - seed sourced from the HSL, an indeterminate small red plum tomato with thin skin and beautiful rich classic flavour. I highly recommend trying this one.

Galina - an indeterminate potato leaved yellow cherry tomato originally from Siberia. I found it productive and the fruits would last well on the vine without splitting. It has the typical mild sweetness of a yellow tomato, but nevertheless a good flavour.

Golden Grape - another one originally from the HSL with unknown provenance. This is a determinate, multi branching small yellow tomato, it doesn't ripen for me until August grown outside, but it is ridiculously productive and one plant will give you hundreds of fruits the size of gooseberries. It has a lovely blend of sweetness and acidity, but minimal tang, the fruits have thin skin and are bursting with juice.

Ciliegia Cerise - a determinate, branching small red cherry tomato. When I was given the seeds I was told it was the sort of tomato you would typically see being grown in a pot in Italy and that was all I knew. I'd describe it as having a classic red tomato flavour, but very intense. Juicy with thin skin.

[Paulh]

I'm curious how you avoid cross-pollination on all these vegetables and fruits. There must be a lot of skill and effort involved in selecting, pollinating and isolating flowers for seed. This is not the right thread for an answer.

[galina]

Paulh, this is exactly the right forum to ask.  Not all vegetables are difficult, some barely ever cross, for example peas, so peas are a good starter crop for would be seed savers.  You literally only need to let the pods dry on the plants, then shell.   If you look on the first page of this thread, there is seed saving information to get gardeners started on their own seedsaving journey.   https://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,83279.0.html

Also here.  https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/expert-advice/garden-management/seed-saving

[JanG]

Many thanks, Galina and Garrett, for photos and info. I couldn't get the first Achocha photo to expand but I've put the other one on the database, together with your very useful tomato notes, Garrett.

Galina's links will give loads of practical information about seed-saving, Paul. Just by way of adding to Galina's comments, French beans and tomatoes are also reliable enough to assume that seed will usually be true to type, together with quite a few like corn salad, spinach, land cress, rocket etc. Also herbs like coriander, dill, parsley and many flowers. So lots to get started on. If you'd like to have a go next season, you only need two varieties to join in the seed circle!

[sparrow]

It's here!!! And it's even more amazing in real life than on the photos. Thank you so much for so many seed packets! You must have so much space to grow all these to seed harvest. I will up my game for next year's version and have some ideas already.

The achocha seed I sent in for the parcel was for Fat Baby rather than the Giant version.
Feel free to use the photos on my site for the database, which includes one of all the different stages of the fruit: https://mudandgluts.com/unusual-crops/achocha/

The achocha I submitted were self-seeded - I had composted some old plants a few years ago and used the compost this year. I am very impressed at their determination to grow after some time in the dark with only worms and other bugs for company. I had 5 self-seeded plants initially, though slugs reduced that to one. It covered a huge amount of trellis set up as a munty frame (4ft wide by 10ft in length/height), and wandered off into my sweetcorn and climbed that too. So they are really vigorous

Jan thank you for your message - I'll send you an SAE, that's really kind of you.

[garrett]

My package arrived today and want to say how happy I am with such a diverse range of seeds. I'm going to be very busy studying everything and deciding what to grow next year. I'm particularly delighted with all the beans. I only started growing dry beans for the first time this year so I'm thrilled to have so many new ones to try.

Special thanks to Jan for organising everything.