Allotments 4 All

As soon as I see corn salad in flower I begin to think the seed saving season is not far away. Some committed seed savers might already have planted out root vegetables stored over winter for flowering and seed setting this summer. But whatever your level of seed-saving, it’s time to be alert to the opportunities ahead.

It’s been a challenging season for many with so much constant rain in UK through winter and spring, leading to waterlogged soil and delayed spring planting. I hope that in spite of the challenges the weather throws at us, you’re having an enjoyable spring sowing and planting, including dipping into the wonderful range of seeds the Circle shared in late 2023. It would be very good to hear of progress and to share results and experiences. I hope that last year’s enthusiastic band will be willing and able to participate again and it would also be great if any new members would like to join us.

For those who haven’t participated before, here’s some information to help you decide if you would like to join.

The Seed Circle is open to all A4A participants; 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, probably in November, sharing some growing information and your 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 do make sure they are well wrapped so that they don't dampen any seeds). They will then aim to save enough seed for other Circle members to grow a crop the following year. The group could be up to 12 people but is more often under 10. Recently it has numbered about 7 participants. Varieties 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.

Some vegetables are easier and more reliable than others to save seed from. But generally peas, French beans, tomatoes, perhaps potatoes and some herbs are the easiest. Chillies, sweet peppers, squash, courgette and to some extent lettuce will need isolating from other varieties to keep seed pure.  Parsnips, onions, leeks, beetroot, carrots, celeriac and many brassicas only go to seed in the second year and need isolation from other varieties and so are more time-consuming and a little trickier.

Real Seeds created 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 vegetables at: https://www.diyseeds.org/en/

For anyone interested, what we shared in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 can be found with images and donors’ notes at https://airtable.com/shryC20nRNmUcgT30. Try Gallery View.

The seeds exchanged from 2017-2019 can be found at https://seedsaverscircle.home.blog/
And for seed exchanging from 2010 to 2016 at http://seedsaverscircle.org/seed-circle/a4a-seed-saver-group-2014/

And some previous threads for the Circles:
Seed Circle 2023 https://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,83426.0.html
Seed Circle 2022 https://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,83279.0.html
Seed Circle 2021 https://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,83047.0.html
Seed Circle 2020 https://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,82679.0.html


Please could a moderator pin this.

From Haygrove,
6Mx3M... and they are putting it up. Another plot holder on our site has had one for a few years, and I saw them at Malvern last year. Delighted because I was late ordering and they thought it would be "late May" before they could erect it.... but it's arrived just in time for the mass planting out of tender plants like toms, peppers and chillies. 

JanG I've noticed this year over winter the Purple Sprouting Broccoli were exceptionally tall as were the Brussels Sprouts so I wondered if they were stretching for the light. Not noticed a problem in summer over the years.
Another problem is the eyelets that scaffolders use to attach it to the scaffolding can be accessed by insects as you point out and often the lines of them down the middle seem to split in strong winds.

Interesting. My PSB has been very tall lately too, but I’ve put it down to favourable growing conditions. In fact I’ve abandoned the debris netting when they’ve got to a certain height as I can’t peg it down any more, and replaced it with roughly draped  black netting simply to keep the pigeons off. Could your purple sprouting and brussel spouts simply be happy and vigorous?!
I’ve not had debris netting split at the eyelet seams and, as above, I’ve noticed very little insect, including butterfly, damage through those eyelets. I’m thinking that most insects, like aphids and whitefly, will collect under any mesh etc., and the occasional incursion of butterfly eggs is reasonably easily dealt with.
Of course, debris netting won’t keep flea beetles off at the early stage of development.

I use rigid netting with 7mm gauge mesh on my brassicas. The butterflies can't get through it but can lay eggs through it if there's a leaf in range. It cuts out a bit of light but not enough to seem to be an issue.

I use 19mm gauge flexible netting on my peas and fruit. It's easier to store than the rigid netting. The pigeons will reach through from a convenient perch (such as the hoops!), so you need to take that into account in the design.

Same here, only got the last planted this week....... too wet and cold until quite recently