Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Jayb on February 22, 2014, 10:29:26
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If anyone would like to join this year’s proposed Seed Circle, sign up here :blob7:
The Seed Circle is in it's 5th year :drunken_smilie: and is open to all A4A members, it’s great to have new people join too :wave: The group is all about setting aside a little growing space and time to raise some crops for seeds, keeping the group informed of how the season is going and at the end of the season share these seeds with the group.
Each person decides what 2 or more crops they will grow and save seed from, saving enough seed for every other member to grow a crop the following year. The group could be 10 – 20 + people, although it seems to even out at around 15. Veggies will generally need to be heritage or open pollinated so that they will come true from seed, (potatoes won’t come exactly true).
It's always fun to have new to the group varieties and not those that are the real basic ones which are easy to pick up for 50p in the shops. If anyone is stuck for ideas or starter seeds ask on the thread or pm me, I’m happy to help someone get started if they need seeds. To give you an idea, here’s a list of seeds varieties already shared within the groups https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/blog/seeds-shared
I think most of us have found out some vegetables are easier than others to grow for seed 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 the inspiration behind the circle, gives some great seed saving tips http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedsavinginfo.html
For anyone interested in the previous years circles;
Seed Circle 2013 http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,74928.0.html
Seed Circle 2012 http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,70816.0.html
Seed Circle 2011 http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,64431.0.html
Extra Group 2011 http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,68391.0.html
Seed Circle 2010 http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,58860.0.html
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:wave: :blob7: :toothy10: :wave: :wave:... please...
(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-signs138.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
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Yes please too! I did pick up some interesting sorts from the HSL swap.
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:wave: :blob7: :toothy10: :wave: :wave:... please...
(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-signs138.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
Wot no seed saving (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-shocked003.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
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:wave: :blob7: :toothy10: :wave: :wave:... please...
(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-signs138.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
Wot no seed saving (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-shocked003.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
I did say please.....do add me to the list...PLEEEEEASE!
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Lol of course you are added, Markfield too :wave:
Just thought your sign said you had 'nothing to add' :angel11:
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Please count me in! Celeriac and skirret is the plan.
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Well go on then.....................
[img width= height=]http://yoursmiles.org/tsmile/want/t2825.gif[/img] (http://yoursmiles.org/t-want.php)
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Brilliant :blob7:
Goodlife
Markfield Rover
Ian Pearson
Pumpkinlover
Me
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Hey Pumpkinlover, I've heard rumours you do a mean tango, do you wear the sequinned wellies for gardening too?
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Yes please :icon_cheers:
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Me too please, if you don't mind a newbie saver...
Will be growing things that can't cross, just to be safe! Currently thinking of alberto locoto chillies and will find summat else similarly safe. My Kent Blue peas are being grown in isolation at Mum's, so perhaps those.
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Yes I'm in.
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Great to have you back for another round Galina :sunny:
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Me too please, if you don't mind a newbie saver...
You are very welcome :wave:
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Yes I'm in.
Brilliant :happy7:
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So far taking part and possibles of what maybe saved;
Goodlife, Sugar Lord mangetout, Gilfeather turnips, Sugarbeet, tomato seeds, chilli seeds
Markfield Rover
Ian Pearson, Celeriac and Skirret
Pumpkinlover
Jayb, Early Blood Turnip (Beetroot), Gilfeather Turnip.
Galina
Sparrow, Alberto Locoto chillies, Kent Blue peas
Robert B
Ruud, Ulluco and tomatoes.
Edit to update information
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Yes count me in.I am trying ullucus tuberosus and some tomatoes.
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Counted in Ruud :icon_cheers:
I really like Ulluco, but I've had a few mishaps with mine over the years and all I have remaining are just a couple very small tubers in a pot. I hope yours do really well :toothy10:
You can never have enough tomato seeds :icon_cheers:
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Ohhh....I'm looking forward to this year already :icon_cheers:
I'm thinking hard some possibilities for this year....and so far my plans are for..
Peas..some sugar lord mangetout..perharps Galina would join with me with this as my own supplies are not that big yet?
Possibly some Gilfeather turnips...?? I haven't taken the roots out of storage yet to check how they are..how's yours doing Jayb?..any stored/saved for seed?
Possibly some sugarbeet..they have over wintered in ground and are looking fine...
Of course one have to save some tomato seeds.... :happy7:
Perhaps a chilli of some sort...
Well..that is first plan so far...that may change many times yet.. :angel11:
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Ohhh....I'm looking forward to this year already :icon_cheers:
I'm thinking hard some possibilities for this year....and so far my plans are for..
Peas..some sugar lord mangetout..perharps Galina would join with me with this as my own supplies are not that big yet?
Possibly some Gilfeather turnips...?? I haven't taken the roots out of storage yet to check how they are..how's yours doing Jayb?..any stored/saved for seed?
Possibly some sugarbeet..they have over wintered in ground and are looking fine...
Of course one have to save some tomato seeds.... :happy7:
Perhaps a chilli of some sort...
Well..that is first plan so far...that may change many times yet.. :angel11:
All sounds good to me :icon_cheers:
Yes I'm going to try for Gilfeather Turnips too, I left mine outside to see how they coped with winter. But it's been so mild it's not been much of a trial, although I was told they should withstand our winter’s just fine. Just to add Gilfeather Turnip is more what we southerners think of as a Swede, grown to crop late Autumn and over winter. The seeds for mine and I think Goodlife's were originally sent from a kind A4A’er a few years back. I've been hoping to produce some fresh seed, so fingers crossed between us there should be a good supply.
Snap! I grew some sugar beet last year too, although mine didn't get that big, a bit too wet down here I think. But trouble free to grow.
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I will throw my hat into the ring with- tomatoes...Marianna's Peace & Sandpoint , pea - Jeyes and runner bean Georgian. Fingers crossed etc.
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Yes I'm going to try for Gilfeather Turnips too, I left mine outside to see how they coped with winter. But it's been so mild it's not been much of a trial, although I was told they should withstand our winter’s just fine. Just to add Gilfeather Turnip is more what we southerners think of as a Swede, grown to crop late Autumn and over winter. The seeds for mine and I think Goodlife's were originally sent from a kind A4A’er a few years back. I've been hoping to produce some fresh seed, so fingers crossed between us there should be a good supply.
Did you notice that Real Seeds have Gilfeather's n their website now too...sods law..but hey ho, self saved are that bit more 'precious' than bought seeds :icon_cheers:
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I will throw my hat into the ring with- tomatoes...Marianna's Peace & Sandpoint , pea - Jeyes and runner bean Georgian. Fingers crossed etc.
More tomatoes! :icon_cheers:
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Me too please, if you don't mind a newbie saver...
Will be growing things that can't cross, just to be safe! Currently thinking of alberto locoto chillies and will find summat else similarly safe. My Kent Blue peas are being grown in isolation at Mum's, so perhaps those.
If I may...peas don't cross that easily so you don't have to 'isolate' them.. :icon_cheers: If you are growing more than one type chilli and pepper...you may want to 'isolate' their flowers to get true to type seeds.
BUT...you selection of varieties sound good and should be easy enough for 'newbie' saver :icon_cheers:
BE WARNED!...you have just stepped to a slippery slope and you about to get infected with seed savers fever :toothy10:
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I will throw my hat into the ring with- tomatoes...Marianna's Peace & Sandpoint , pea - Jeyes and runner bean Georgian. Fingers crossed etc.
Luvly selection :glasses9:
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Oops, just remembered I was going to add some runners to this years parcel :angel11:
I think I mean last years parcel just sent :drunken_smilie:
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I haven't even looked through my beans yet..there just might be something to add.. :glasses9:
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[quote author=goodlife
Did you notice that Real Seeds have Gilfeather's n their website now too...sods law..but hey ho, self saved are that bit more 'precious' than bought seeds :icon_cheers:
[/quote]
Yes, saw it there the other day, made me smile. They seem to like them too :happy7:
Know what you mean about them being more special when they were sent over by someone you know, even in a cyber way!
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I will throw my hat into the ring with- tomatoes...Marianna's Peace & Sandpoint , pea - Jeyes and runner bean Georgian. Fingers crossed etc.
More tomatoes! :icon_cheers:
Have I said you can't have enough tomatoes :blob7:
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more special when they were sent over by someone you know
Indeed...and again BIG thank you for the original seeds..you know who you are.....I know you do keep eye on us.. :glasses9:
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I forgot to add Galina has kindly agreed to help out with this year’s Circle. And after the delays of last year (mostly me!) I'd like to propose we finish our 2014 circle in January of 2015 which should give a chance for all seeds to be harvested and dried in good time and avoid the Christmas period. Seeds would need to be sent in by mid-January to be returned at the end of that month, ready for seed sowing in February.
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Hi all, :icon_cheers:
It would be lovely to join you all again this year, if that's ok.
It's early days, but I'm going for tomatoes (!) and hoping for some peas - must be the time of year! :happy7:
Sue
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Ohhh....I'm looking forward to this year already :icon_cheers:
Peas..some sugar lord mangetout..perharps Galina would join with me with this as my own supplies are not that big yet?
That's in the plan already. Since 'green-fingered' you managed to rescue this variety from very old seeds, a variety that gardeners still rave about but that has totally disappeared from any seed supplier, it will be a great pleasure to grow and save seeds this year!
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So far taking part and possibles of what maybe saved;
Goodlife, Sugar Lord mangetout, Gilfeather turnips, Sugarbeet, tomato seeds, chilli seeds
Markfield Rover, Marianna's Peace & Sandpoint tomatoes, pea - Jeyes and runner bean Georgian.
Ian Pearson, Celeriac and Skirret
Pumpkinlover,
Jayb, Early Blood Turnip (Beetroot), Gilfeather Turnip.
Galina, Sugar Lord mangetout,
Sparrow, Alberto Locoto chillies, Kent Blue peas
Robert B,
Ruud, Ulluco and tomatoes.
SueK, tomatoes and peas
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Oops, just remembered I was going to add some runners to this years parcel :angel11:
I think I mean last years parcel just sent :drunken_smilie:
First seeds for the 2014 parcel :blob7:
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From the HSL swap I did get some Portuguese cabbage but for my sowing plan for 2014 (in theory!!) I will not be using these so if anyone would like them please let me know.
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From the HSL swap I did get some Portuguese cabbage but for my sowing plan for 2014 (in theory!!) I will not be using these so if anyone would like them please let me know.
Ohh...do grow it yourself..it is wonderful and so much more rewarding than ordinary 'heading' cabbage.
I made some very yummy cabbage leaf wraps last summer with the leaves..just quick dip into boiling water to soften them up and then load each leaf with filling of you choice...wrap it up...sprinkle with cheese and/or breadcrumbs..into over for a while and done!
They were nice cold too..nice 'snack' to keep one going during day..healthier and better than any pasties.. :icon_cheers:
If you are sure you are not going to use them....and nobody else is not volunteering...I can swap them for something else if you like..
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Goodlife is right they are a lovely cabbage and well worth growing. Save a few seeds for yourself they should be good for a few years yet.
Ps lovely offer :happy7:
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Thanks for the info chaps you've persuaded me, now the good news I have two packets so..... Goodlife if fancy some just pm me . Cheers
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I shall wait for while to see if anybody else is interested..but otherwise I'll PM you later on....
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If I may...peas don't cross that easily so you don't have to 'isolate' them.. :icon_cheers: If you are growing more than one type chilli and pepper...you may want to 'isolate' their flowers to get true to type seeds.
BUT...you selection of varieties sound good and should be easy enough for 'newbie' saver :icon_cheers:
BE WARNED!...you have just stepped to a slippery slope and you about to get infected with seed savers fever :toothy10:
Good point - thanks! I thought the rocotos couldn't cross, being of a different family. I've checked and I'll definitely bag them.
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Rocoto don't cross with other chillies outside of their Pubescens species, eg Jalapeno, but they will cross with others of their own variety. Alberto Locoto are a lovely variety, and I've found them easy to grow and productive. They are too hot for me really, but I've just got a soft spot for them because they are so easy and attractive plants. Unless you are growing several varieties of Rocoto there's no need to bag.
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Goodlife I have at least three good pinches of seed so please feel free, I could show you what my 'diamond packets' look like.
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I'd be glad of a few of the Portuguese seeds if there are any left. They told me it's a couve tronchuda type, but since it's been grown here it should be hardier than the Portuguese ones I couldn't overwinter a few years ago. Someone told me to bury them completely to get them through; I may try it yet!
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I'll let you have the Portugese seeds Robert...I still got little bit left from last year.. :icon_thumleft:
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Plenty for both of you and enough for another. P.M and I'll do the honours.
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If I may...peas don't cross that easily so you don't have to 'isolate' them.. :icon_cheers: If you are growing more than one type chilli and pepper...you may want to 'isolate' their flowers to get true to type seeds.
BUT...you selection of varieties sound good and should be easy enough for 'newbie' saver :icon_cheers:
BE WARNED!...you have just stepped to a slippery slope and you about to get infected with seed savers fever :toothy10:
Good point - thanks! I thought the rocotos couldn't cross, being of a different family. I've checked and I'll definitely bag them.
This is a bit off topic. but - I have finally grown my rocoto peppers last year and had a wonderful surprise. The plants have a bit of frost resistance!!! I had them in the greenhouse which is just about in the warmest spot in the garden and of course this winter has not been very cold (and I hope it won't get really cold now!) And - they are still alive! The tomatillo plants right next to them were killed by frost, the rocoto lost a bit of top growth but the majority of the plants looks ok and I have real hopes that these plants will carry on. In fact, I have harvested a red pepper today! Not that hot in this weather, but nice and 'warm' thinly sliced in salad.
I was also surprised just how tall they get!
I didn't think you had to bag them either unless you had another variety of the same species.
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The plants have a bit of frost resistanceYes they do.. :icon_cheers:..and that is down to this species originate from high altitudes and they actually prefer to have period of 'colder' days and nights to stimulate the fruiting.
I don't want to sound 'anal' about cross pollination issue... but according this page.. http://www.fatalii.net/Growing_chile_peppers/Breeding..pubecens=rocotos do cross with many other species for breeding..though it is another thing how easily this happen when it is left to the nature and no cotton buds are involved..AND not able to cross with annuum's group will cut out change of cross pollinating with the most common chillies and peppers.
I didn't actually know myself if they could..or not... be able to cross pollinate..I just assumed all chillies were able to cross pollinate each others, so I had a look to educate myself.
Little bit of more knowledge never hurt..it just start to be slightly crowded in my head..not everything 'soak' in anymore.. :drunken_smilie:
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Still a bit off topic on Rocotos,
I don't want to sound 'anal' about cross pollination issue... but according this page.. http://www.fatalii.net/Growing_chile_peppers/Breeding..pubecens=rocotos do cross with many other species for breeding..though it is another thing how easily this happen when it is left to the nature and no cotton buds are involved..AND not able to cross with annuum's group will cut out change of cross pollinating with the most common chillies and peppers.
I didn't actually know myself if they could..or not... be able to cross pollinate..I just assumed all chillies were able to cross pollinate each others, so I had a look to educate myself.
Little bit of more knowledge never hurt..it just start to be slightly crowded in my head..not everything 'soak' in anymore.. :drunken_smilie:
I followed your link but it came up as 'not found' I'd like to read more. I haven't to my knowledge, had an issue with them crossing, please if anyone's seed wasn't as it should have been let me know.
This is a bit off topic. but - I have finally grown my rocoto peppers last year and had a wonderful surprise. The plants have a bit of frost resistance!!! I had them in the greenhouse which is just about in the warmest spot in the garden and of course this winter has not been very cold (and I hope it won't get really cold now!) And - they are still alive! The tomatillo plants right next to them were killed by frost, the rocoto lost a bit of top growth but the majority of the plants looks ok and I have real hopes that these plants will carry on. In fact, I have harvested a red pepper today! Not that hot in this weather, but nice and 'warm' thinly sliced in salad.
I was also surprised just how tall they get!
I didn't think you had to bag them either unless you had another variety of the same species.
Interesting you say about your Rocoto peppers over wintering.
The Alberto Locoto's I had are long gone but they were out in the garden. One of the Rocoto Aji Largo growing in the poly tunnel border may pull through, the others died. Manzano Orange are in pots in the other poly tunnel and have done much better, not so wet as being in the border. Plants are tall approx 6-7' but in a sprawling way.
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Lets try again...'capsicum crossability matrix'.. http://www.fatalii.net/Growing_chile_peppers/Breeding
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Lets try again...'capsicum crossability matrix'.. http://www.fatalii.net/Growing_chile_peppers/Breeding
...and to add to my previous post now that I've actually looked that page properly... :BangHead:...looks like there is VERY little chance of cross pollination if the female plant is rocoto. Being on the receiving end with pollen for cross pollination is limited to couple of species :icon_cheers:
I must learn to keep my mouth in order.... :sign12:
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Really helpful table :happy7:
I must learn to keep my mouth in order.... :sign12:
No, it's a top link which you might not have posted otherwise, and I wouldn't have bought some more chilli seeds (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/blink.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
So much or trying to cut down on chillies!
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I forgot to add Galina has kindly agreed to help out with this year’s Circle. And after the delays of last year (mostly me!) I'd like to propose we finish our 2014 circle in January of 2015 which should give a chance for all seeds to be harvested and dried in good time and avoid the Christmas period. Seeds would need to be sent in by mid-January to be returned at the end of that month, ready for seed sowing in February.
Sorry, forgot to comment. This just means that should JayB fall ill again during January 2015, to keep to her time schedule, everybody can send envelopes and seeds to my address and I will return the divvied up seed parcels. Having organised back-up in advance, will almost guarantee that you will be fit and well in early 2015! :wave:
I think this is a good schedule, because we can sort our seeds during the quieter days after the Christmas rush and get the envelope to start sowing first seeds just before February. Still early enough for all seed types. How do others feel about this schedule?
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How do others feel about this schedule?
:icon_thumleft:
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Sounds tickety boo to me, thank you both.
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I’m very much hoping to save seed from Early Blood Turnip (beetroot) as I really like these and have found them quick and easy to grow and best of all very tasty. Plus I’m just about out of seeds to sow!!!! They are a Heritage variety dating back to the 1800’s. One thing is I’ve seen a bit of variation in leaf colour the last few years from plants grown from seeds from Irish Seed Savers and Seed Savers Exchange. They have ranged from green veined leaf to very dark red leaves. I’ve found a couple of leaf descriptions and I’m not sure which is correct?
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Just caught up on all this - thanks for all the rocoto info! :D
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Just caught up on all this - thanks for all the rocoto info! :D
Hope it's helpful :wave:
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I potted up some tomato seedlings today including Ambrosia Gold - Last year I grew and was really impressed by these, a cherry tomato bred by J&L Select tomatoes. Fruits have an excellent sweet, fruity with a yummy tomato taste and that lovely funky Sungold smell to the leaves. I’m growing them again this year and if they are as good as I first thought - A strong contender for the circle. Perhaps a bit sweet for some but a winner I think if you love Sungold :happy7:
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Hello everyone I'm not asking to join the seed circle this year because I'm not really well enough to do as much as I want but just to say I'm still around and visiting the site again. Main reason for posting is to say a huge thankyou for the seed parcel I received last year as a gift from Jayb.
I had some wonderful tomatoes and chillies and beans and I've set off again this year although I have to move and downsize with a vengeance. :tongue3:
However if any of you aren't sure, do join, its the most exciting package even if your yard isn't a real lottie and you can't use everything at once as most of the seed lasts for years.
If I'm organized to save anything despite the 'for sale' sign going up I'll send in but I've rather stopped saving although not stopped planting- yet .
Hope everyone has a good season Green Lily x
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... and I would just like to say thank you for the wonderful collection of seeds i got from the A4A get-together last year at Wallsall Road Allotments.
I've planted some already and raring to go on the rest, One Dot Beans, Lebanese corgettes and I'll have a great wall of sweet peas this year thanks to the massive collection of seeds that Melbourne12 brought.
It's going to be a good year!
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... and I would just like to say thank you for the wonderful collection of seeds i got from the A4A get-together last year at Wallsall Road Allotments.
I've planted some already and raring to go on the rest, One Dot Beans, Lebanese corgettes and I'll have a great wall of sweet peas this year thanks to the massive collection of seeds that Melbourne12 brought.
It's going to be a good year!
Yes indeed Ellen :wave:. There are a number of yummy salad plants in the greenhouse and under cloches from Melbourne12's magic plastic bag (thank you!) growing nicely that remind me of the get-together in Brum. And the kales from Goodlife have done very well too. Happy growing all!
The Sugar Lord peas for the 2014 circle have sprouted. And so have the peas that were in our 2013 goodie bags. Fab!
Jayb could you please make this a sticky?
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After a duff first lot of seeds (donated & probably too old), my new rocoto seeds have germinated like they are rocket-fuelled! 6 out of 7 seeds up and unfurling in 9 days. Whoop!!
My Kent Blues (which are being completely cossetted) are also up and in their second pots. :toothy10:
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Robert have the seeds arrived?
goodlife , fancy any?
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Yes, thanks. Sorry, I should have responded earlier but I haven't been well. I've gone temporarily deaf; the doctor says it's nothing serious, but it's a bit hard to live with!
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Robert have the seeds arrived?
goodlife , fancy any?
Well..if you still have some spare... OH, GO ON then.. :toothy10:
Pm to follow....
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Hello everyone I'm not asking to join the seed circle this year because I'm not really well enough to do as much as I want but just to say I'm still around and visiting the site again. Main reason for posting is to say a huge thankyou for the seed parcel I received last year as a gift from Jayb.
I had some wonderful tomatoes and chillies and beans and I've set off again this year although I have to move and downsize with a vengeance. :tongue3:
However if any of you aren't sure, do join, its the most exciting package even if your yard isn't a real lottie and you can't use everything at once as most of the seed lasts for years.
If I'm organized to save anything despite the 'for sale' sign going up I'll send in but I've rather stopped saving although not stopped planting- yet .
Hope everyone has a good season Green Lily x
Sorry to hear you are still feeling unwell Green Lily and hope your move goes well. Will be thinking of you :wave:
I'm so glad the seeds brought some happiness and thank you for your kind wishes. Keep posting when you are able :wave:
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... and I would just like to say thank you for the wonderful collection of seeds i got from the A4A get-together last year at Wallsall Road Allotments.
I've planted some already and raring to go on the rest, One Dot Beans, Lebanese corgettes and I'll have a great wall of sweet peas this year thanks to the massive collection of seeds that Melbourne12 brought.
It's going to be a good year!
I remember reading about the day and seeing the pictures, would have loved to have been there too, it sounded fantastic :happy7:
Seed swapping is great :blob7: and I love growing seeds with a little bit of personalisation, makes them just that little bit more special :happy7:
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Yes indeed Ellen :wave:. There are a number of yummy salad plants in the greenhouse and under cloches from Melbourne12's magic plastic bag (thank you!) growing nicely that remind me of the get-together in Brum. And the kales from Goodlife have done very well too. Happy growing all!
The Sugar Lord peas for the 2014 circle have sprouted. And so have the peas that were in our 2013 goodie bags. Fab!
Jayb could you please make this a sticky?
Glad your peas are sprouting :toothy10:
Stickied as requested
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After a duff first lot of seeds (donated & probably too old), my new rocoto seeds have germinated like they are rocket-fuelled! 6 out of 7 seeds up and unfurling in 9 days. Whoop!!
My Kent Blues (which are being completely cossetted) are also up and in their second pots. :toothy10:
Yayyy more sprouting :toothy10:
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I think I may have seriously goofed just now.
I planted up this year's peas and, quite by accident, I put 'Biskopens Graaert' next to 'Sugar Lord'. Oh dear - clergy next to aristocracy - I fear there will be fights! The surroundings should be pleasant enough with 'Court Estate Gold'. However 'Ne Plus Ultra', who is convinced there is none better than him and conceited 'Bijou' won't be any help at all. And embarrassed 'Elisabeth' will just flush pink. With 'Winterkefe' contributing to the icy atmosphere, it would not surprise me if 'Amish Snap' was the first one that could no longer keep a civil tongue!
All may not be lost - there is gentle giant 'Mr Big' who could sort out any fisticuffs. 'Weggiser' (who hails from neutral Switzerland) could be negotiating between the warring parties. And there is all round good egg 'Golden Sweet' who is liked and admired by everybody.
Will it be enough? Will there be peace? More importantly, will there be peas for the 2014 seed circle?
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I'm afraid Mr Big is just all show and pretend with big 'guns'.. :tongue3:
Well...I just received my little parcel from Nordic seed bank there is few peas to grow...hopefully some for the circle..some are Swedish and Norwegian origin...we might have right 'European 'song' contest going this year....Abba vs AHA... :icon_cheers: ...and if this Finnish 'Lordie' manage keep them going on well..we might have 'monster' party to share..
:drunken_smilie: :icon_cheers:
I can't quite tell what new peas I have yet...they literally arrived today and I haven't translated the seed info properly yet.....
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I think I may have seriously goofed just now.
I planted up this year's peas and, quite by accident, I put 'Biskopens Graaert' next to 'Sugar Lord'. Oh dear - clergy next to aristocracy - I fear there will be fights! The surroundings should be pleasant enough with 'Court Estate Gold'. However 'Ne Plus Ultra', who is convinced there is none better than him and conceited 'Bijou' won't be any help at all. And embarrassed 'Elisabeth' will just flush pink. With 'Winterkefe' contributing to the icy atmosphere, it would not surprise me if 'Amish Snap' was the first one that could no longer keep a civil tongue!
All may not be lost - there is gentle giant 'Mr Big' who could sort out any fisticuffs. 'Weggiser' (who hails from neutral Switzerland) could be negotiating between the warring parties. And there is all round good egg 'Golden Sweet' who is liked and admired by everybody.
Will it be enough? Will there be peace? More importantly, will there be peas for the 2014 seed circle?
Lol, I had to read that a couple of times before I got it! I can just see those personalities now :happy7:
Love love peas :sunny:
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I'm afraid Mr Big is just all show and pretend with big 'guns'.. :tongue3:
Well...I just received my little parcel from Nordic seed bank there is few peas to grow...hopefully some for the circle..some are Swedish and Norwegian origin...we might have right 'European 'song' contest going this year....Abba vs AHA... :icon_cheers: ...and if this Finnish 'Lordie' manage keep them going on well..we might have 'monster' party to share..
:drunken_smilie: :icon_cheers:
I can't quite tell what new peas I have yet...they literally arrived today and I haven't translated the seed info properly yet.....
Can't wait to find out what they are :drunken_smilie:
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How does this circle thing work?
I'd love to join in if newbies are allowed. I don't have anything super-rare though, but hopefully should have some pea and bean swaps by the end of the year.
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Hi Silverleaf, everyone is welcome to join :happy7:
Take a look at the first page, hopefully it should give an idea how the circle works, but please ask if anything is not clear.
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Okay, that's wonderful!
So I need to grow enough seed of at least two varieties to share with about 15 people?
And is it okay if I have to drop out if I don't manage to make enough seed? I wouldn't want to disappoint people if things go wrong.
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It's fine if you need to drop out for whatever reason, just let the group know. If you are going to do peas and beans you should have a good chance of harvesting seed. Or if you are growing some chillies, sweet peppers or tomatoes (or what ever) you might find you want to save those instead :happy7:
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So far taking part and possibles of what maybe saved;
Goodlife, Sugar Lord mangetout, Gilfeather turnips, Sugarbeet, tomato seeds, chilli seeds
Markfield Rover, Marianna's Peace & Sandpoint tomatoes, pea - Jeyes and runner bean Georgian.
Ian Pearson, Celeriac and Skirret
Pumpkinlover,
Jayb, Early Blood Turnip (Beetroot), Gilfeather Turnip, tomatoes,
Galina, Sugar Lord mangetout,
Sparrow, Alberto Locoto chillies, Kent Blue peas
Robert B,
Ruud, Ulluco and tomatoes.
SueK, tomatoes and peas
Silverleaf, beans and peas
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Okay, that's wonderful!
So I need to grow enough seed of at least two varieties to share with about 15 people?
And is it okay if I have to drop out if I don't manage to make enough seed? I wouldn't want to disappoint people if things go wrong.
A new member for our circle?...great.. :icon_cheers: ...don't worry about making 'enough'..you don't fill great big bags like commercially..just enough per bag so there is good change of people starting new stock from those again..10 peas/beans per bag is sufficient enough.. :icon_thumleft: Hardest thing is keeping fingers off from plants and not eat any...err...or just few... :angel11:
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Talking about my previous post about peas from Nordic seedbank..well..
I've had read about them..and two of them stand out being quite interesting...well all of them are but those two particularly.. :drunken_smilie:
Jaererta from Norway..Very old variety that was grown in the Jaeren village, originally would have been grown on same ground with oats. This peas nearly disappeared from the earth, only one person had handful of seeds left when he presented them for the storage.
Peas can be used in different stage of development as mangetout...or petit pois.
I've got whole sheet of info of this variety available and I will write more about it later on the year, some professor from archaeological museum in Norway has kindly written article about it.
Another one is Lollandske Rosiner....= Lollands raisins..again very old local variety or grey peas (cooking pea that doesn't mush up)that was grown to be used as store pea during the year until potatoes were cropping and available again.
So...hopefully those two or either of them is making they way into circle later on...I try to grow some other 'back up' options too.. :happy7:
PEAS!.... :icon_cheers:...LOVE them.... :icon_cheers:.....and so does my bloody sparrows..... :BangHead:
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They both sound very interesting, selfishly hoping sparrows leave them alone :drunken_smilie:
But it's interesting to hear about them even if they don't make it to the circle, so keep up the updates :icon_cheers:
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Peas really are wonderful, aren't they?
My sparrows here seem oblivious, so fingers crossed they don't realise that peas taste good.
When I first started with veggies I went out to pick Golden Sweet pods, putting handfuls into a bowl on the grass. I thought I was going mad because the bowl didn't seem to be filling up very fast. Then I heard a crunching noise and realised that my Labrador had been helping herself whenever my back was turned, and I'd been too engrossed in the fascinating task of pea picking to notice!
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Peas really are wonderful, aren't they?
My sparrows here seem oblivious, so fingers crossed they don't realise that peas taste good.
When I first started with veggies I went out to pick Golden Sweet pods, putting handfuls into a bowl on the grass. I thought I was going mad because the bowl didn't seem to be filling up very fast. Then I heard a crunching noise and realised that my Labrador had been helping herself whenever my back was turned, and I'd been too engrossed in the fascinating task of pea picking to notice!
Well..at least my sparrows are not interested the pods and the peas itself..but they want to munch leaves from the plants. If I don't net them..there is nothing left part main stem and no hope of plants producing anything neither.. :BangHead:
Lol...dogs...mine eat raw peas too..but only if I split the pod open so that the peas are on display...then our 'royal highness' will pick and eat them..pea by pea..and if there no more to come she just might chew the pod a little too..though she will spit the fibrous mush back on floor..
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Spoilt dog, right? ;) She's got you well trained!
Mine absolutely loves raw fruit and veg of many different types, especially pears, broccoli, cabbage and swede. Being a Lab she's of course part dog, part dustbin.
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These Gilfeather Turnips have overwintered outside and recently I've noticed new leaves growing. I'm not sure how long before they send up flower shoots.
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I'm trying to think back to the one time I've let turnips go to seed, which was years ago. I think it was about May or June, but I could be a bit out.
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From memory (also a few years ago) they start to shoot earlier. April, I seem to remember. But the whole flowering and pod ripening process took months. The first mature pods started splitting (shedding seeds) in July, the last ones were weeks later. The plants grew quite tall and needed to be staked and tied.
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Thanks both :happy7:
I think you will be right for the need to stake them and here they'll need a net to keep the sparrows and finches off.
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I would like to take part in the Seed circle for 2014, I posted in the wrong year yesterday as I was having a look through the previous years to get an idea of how it worked. I am still trying to work out what to try at this point and can let you know as soon as...cheers
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Hi all
I still have the seeds that I saved from last year for the circle; as I didn't manage to get them sent in time so I may as well let you all have them this year.
I can't remember what they were now [in a dark cupboard] but I think they were a few varieties of beans, peas and Vietnamese mustard...and from a fair amount of tomatoes.
I am running my other forum circle solely through personal contact and facebook these days; so if anyone wants to join that one as well, let me know. All welcome. It should include some ex HSL and GO employees who are seed saving in their new jobs so you never know what delights might come the circle's way!
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I've just sown some Wild Tomato , has anyone any knowledge of these? Any good for the circle?
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I've just sown some Wild Tomato , has anyone any knowledge of these? Any good for the circle?
Oh yes..! They should have some resistance against blight if I remember right..and I did grow them successfully outside once...that was 'some' years ago..
I've just sown some tomato seeds too...for the circle :icon_cheers: And they are going to be trialled for 'outdoor growing'..I found these 2 varieties that got my interest...but I'm going to keep them 'in my sleeve' and let you all know about them little bit later... :toothy10: ...one of them sound 'almost too good to be true', so we will see... :glasses9:
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I would like to take part in the Seed circle for 2014, I posted in the wrong year yesterday as I was having a look through the previous years to get an idea of how it worked. I am still trying to work out what to try at this point and can let you know as soon as...cheers
No worries, good to have another new person join the group and look forward to finding out what you will be saving, pictures of progress are always smashing too :happy7: As you are new to the forum and not everyone comes in her to read you might like to pop into the Welcome thread and say Hi http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,58536.840.html
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As we stand at the moment;
Goodlife, Sugar Lord mangetout, Peas, Gilfeather turnips, Sugarbeet, tomato seeds, chilli seeds
Markfield Rover, Marianna's Peace & Sandpoint tomatoes, pea - Jeyes and runner bean Georgian.
Ian Pearson, Celeriac and Skirret
Pumpkinlover,
Jayb, Early Blood Turnip (Beetroot), Gilfeather Turnip, tomatoes,
Galina, Sugar Lord mangetout,
Sparrow, Alberto Locoto chillies, Kent Blue peas
Robert B,
Ruud, Ulluco and tomatoes.
SueK, tomatoes and peas
Silverleaf, beans and peas
Easyonthebrain, undecided
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Hi all
I still have the seeds that I saved from last year for the circle; as I didn't manage to get them sent in time so I may as well let you all have them this year.
I can't remember what they were now [in a dark cupboard] but I think they were a few varieties of beans, peas and Vietnamese mustard...and from a fair amount of tomatoes.
I am running my other forum circle solely through personal contact and facebook these days; so if anyone wants to join that one as well, let me know. All welcome. It should include some ex HSL and GO employees who are seed saving in their new jobs so you never know what delights might come the circle's way!
Hi Aj, nice to see you pop by.
Seeds for the circle, that's thoughtful, I think many of last years members are in this circle too so that would work well. I still have your selection of seeds from the group if you would like them, or join in this group - or both! Let me know what you would like to do and if you need my address to send seeds to.
Your circle group sounds interesting, how do I join?
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I've just sown some Wild Tomato , has anyone any knowledge of these? Any good for the circle?
Sounds great, what type have you sown? I've got a couple I'm hoping to use in some crosses this year, though I don't think they cross easily.
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Oh Goodlife you tease :icon_cheers:
I want to know mooooooooore :blob7:
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Oh Goodlife you tease :icon_cheers:
I want to know mooooooooore :blob7:
Ok....just a another teaser....how does 'bred for frost resistance' sound? :sunny:
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Excellent :icon_cheers:
Can't wait till you spill the beans :clock:
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Excellent :icon_cheers:
Can't wait till you spill the beans :clock:
Oh well...ok then...
One of the tomato varieties I'm trialling is called 'snowdrop'. It is bred for Western Russian/Karelia region climate where spring will linger looooong time and late frosts are still possibility until mid June. But because of the 'frost resistance' they don't recommend starting these tomatoes too early and getting the plants into ground while they are still relatively small. They claim if that if you sow the seed mid April, plant them out by mid June..they'll be cropping by early-to mid August.....so we'll see what happens..though I really should have sown these little bit earlier to put the plants truly in test with their frost hardiness, our climate is few weeks ahead for what they are bred for.
Other one is bit of 'novelty'...being named 'Anja'.. :icon_cheers: But it is outdoor variety too and with 'high dry-matter' content but is for 'fresh consumption'.
And then I have Finnish tomato 'Simo'..that one comes from Nordic seedbank...but I don't have much info about it...red fruiting and bush type is far as I know. I suspect it is 'old fashioned' tomato that was traditionally cultivated against cow shed wall on bed that was built up with straw bedding from the shed...talking about short 'food miles' and recycling :drunken_smilie:
Simo is going to be grown on back yard in buckets..it is a bit of 'hot spot' in summer and should suit tomatoes well...the contents of the buckets are from my 'builders bag planters'..composted straw/wool/grass clippings and old compost.
I'm growing whole lot of veg in that same small area instead of the 'usual' summer flowers..I'll have different kind, useful flowers :icon_cheers:
OHHHH...I CAN'T WAIT! :icon_cheers: Soooo exciting.... :toothy10:
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Snowdrop sounds excellent, it's one I looked at before and short listed, so I'll be really interested to hear how you get on.
http://www.doublehelixfarms.com/snowdrop
http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Snowdrop
http://www.seemnemaailm.ee/eng/index.php?GID=916
I'm not sure if any of these are the same as yours. The fruit look much bigger in Seemnemaailm's picture? Might be different varieties with the same name or perhaps picture doesn't match variety.
Anja, what a lovely name for a tomato :sunny: I like the sound of all your tomato varieties :toothy10:
Can't have too many tomatoes! :drunken_smilie:
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It sounds like they all 'talk' about same tomato but all describe the fruit size slightly differently.. :drunken_smilie:
My seeds are from Seemne...and I'm glad now that I have managed to pick something that you have 'short listed' but don't have...yet.. :icon_cheers: Unless you fancy some seeds now and join for the growing with me...?..some left in a packet :angel11:
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Thanks, but I'm happy to wait and see if they get your recommendation :toothy10:
Works well for me because I wanted to try a few early types to compare next year :happy7:
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Hi all
I still have the seeds that I saved from last year for the circle; as I didn't manage to get them sent in time so I may as well let you all have them this year.
I can't remember what they were now [in a dark cupboard] but I think they were a few varieties of beans, peas and Vietnamese mustard...and from a fair amount of tomatoes.
I am running my other forum circle solely through personal contact and facebook these days; so if anyone wants to join that one as well, let me know. All welcome. It should include some ex HSL and GO employees who are seed saving in their new jobs so you never know what delights might come the circle's way!
Hi Aj, nice to see you pop by.
Seeds for the circle, that's thoughtful, I think many of last years members are in this circle too so that would work well. I still have your selection of seeds from the group if you would like them, or join in this group - or both! Let me know what you would like to do and if you need my address to send seeds to.
Your circle group sounds interesting, how do I join?
I'll join in this years if that's ok; I can't take last year's seeds when I haven't contributed! I'm not as busy as I was last year although you never know when that can change.
I'll PM you the link to the facebook group or I can just PM you on here - it's just like the old 'other forum' group that I ran but with a different mix of people. Some the same, some not.
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First update from me... :icon_cheers:
Gilfeather turnips that planted back out from storage about month ago have now lot of new green growth on..and I suspect they soon start to stretch out and flower! No winter losses with my storaged roots nor with those that were left outside, which are about to start flower already.
Sugar beets have over wintered on situ well too..and those have started to push up flower stalks..not ready for flowers quite yet, soon though.
Sugarlord peas have been planted outdoor for couple of weeks now..still intact and no sparrows have found their way inside the nets :icon_cheers: They haven't grown much but I suspect they will start stretching out once we get some rain.
Outdoor tomatoes have just started to germinate.
Chillies have made sudden growth surge and are ready for potting up for next stage before the final planting position.
So far everything is looking very healthy, nicely lush and green :icon_cheers: It is all go go go..... :icon_cheers:
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All sounds fab :icon_cheers:
My Gilfeather have just started flowering :happy7:
I had hoped the Sugar beets and Early Blood beetroots would be flowering at different times but it's to close to keep both so the sugar beet will have top go. I rather fancy trying beetroot x sugarbeet seeds to see what comes?!
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All sounds fab :icon_cheers:
My Gilfeather have just started flowering :happy7:
I had hoped the Sugar beets and Early Blood beetroots would be flowering at different times but it's to close to keep both so the sugar beet will have top go. I rather fancy trying beetroot x sugarbeet seeds to see what comes?!
Oh, extra sweet beetroot would be fab! :icon_cheers: Little crossing trial perharps?
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If you cut the flowers off one, will they produce another lot later, after the first has finished?
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Oh, extra sweet beetroot would be fab! :icon_cheers: Little crossing trial perharps?
Would be fun, I just can't work out yet how to do it without compromising seed of the beetroot :drunken_smilie:
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If you cut the flowers off one, will they produce another lot later, after the first has finished?
I don't know, they both flower over a long period. For me, to be safe both the beetroot and sugar beet would need to be delayed for quite a while, might be worth a try to see though. I did think perhaps to swap some pollen in the post but from the bits I've read their pollen only remains viable for 24hrs, though again it might be worth a shot if goodlife fancies a go? Or if someone else has some beetroot to run to seed I can try and delay sugar beet and send some later on? Though it might be a better job to wait until next year?
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Forgot to add, I've read that quite a lot of sugar beet varieties are male sterile, but without knowing if this one is...
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Forgot to add, I've read that quite a lot of sugar beet varieties are male sterile, but without knowing if this one is...
Umm...perhaps then it would be case of getting beetroot pollen on the sugarbeet.. :drunken_smilie:
are you able to transplant...say 3 of each and plant them together somewhere else..very closely..and stick few canes around them with some fleece wrapped around..like tight cage. Let them mingle and see what is results...maybe the selected crosses need re-grossing again depending how much beetroot 'heritage' there is left/available?!
Perfect one would be slightly bigger and sweeter root :icon_cheers:
Hmm...I have look to my plot if my roots are available to each other in same time..its all about group sex...'all together now'.. :icon_cheers: :drunken_smilie: :glasses9:
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Forgot to add, I've read that quite a lot of sugar beet varieties are male sterile, but without knowing if this one is...
Umm...perhaps then it would be case of getting beetroot pollen on the sugarbeet.. :drunken_smilie:
are you able to transplant...say 3 of each and plant them together somewhere else..very closely..and stick few canes around them with some fleece wrapped around..like tight cage. Let them mingle and see what is results...maybe the selected crosses need re-grossing again depending how much beetroot 'heritage' there is left/available?!
Perfect one would be slightly bigger and sweeter root :icon_cheers:
Hmm...I have look to my plot if my roots are available to each other in same time..its all about group sex...'all together now'.. :icon_cheers: :drunken_smilie: :glasses9:
I'm still trying to work out if it is possible :BangHead: I think fleece may not catch all the pollen and would risk contaminating the beetroot.
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I won't be able to get the beet crossing to work over here...sugar beet is just coming to flower and beetroot is no where near in same stage.
All these gusts were are experiencing over here...there is no pollen that will be hold in fleece cages...even the fleece is not staying situ..mind blowing..literally!
And message for Galina; You asked 'how did I get my lettuce seeds so 'clean'? Well....as a result of my vigorous cleaning and good lungs...I have lettuce seedlings popping up all over the place in my back garden..perfection is not that good idea to achive.. :BangHead: Then again.....getting lettuce 'crop' next to one's back door means very short food miles.. :icon_cheers:
Lesson learned...next time less 'lungs' :happy7:
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Yes it's pretty blustery here too the last few days. Mine are the other way around with Beetroot going to come to flower first.
Gilfeathers are a riot of yellow and when the weather is ok and the bees are around the flowers in abundance :happy7:
Sadly picture doesn't do them justice
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Early Blood turnips are sending up flower shoots and won't be long before they start to flower.
I'm thinking I'd like to add either a chilli or pepper to the circle, possibles are Romanian Rainbow (sweet pepper) chilli - Lantern, Pretty in Purple (from Jeannine) or Manzano Orange which was overwintered in the poly-tunnel and loaded with early buds? I'm growing several I've not grown before which also might be possibles.
Early Russian cucumbers did well last year and I'm growing it again this year. I'm also growing Beit Alpha from Baker Creek this year, they list these as a variety though the name is also used to describe a Middle Eastern Type cucumbers http://www.johnnyseeds.com/assets/information/cucumberterminology.pdf . Ruud has sent some Beit Alpha cucumber seed to be shared in the seed parcel, I can't make out much as I think the packet is in Turkish, they are perhaps the same and as Ruud has kindly donated a large packet not needed for more seed.
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My sugarbeet seeds were from 3 different sources..and as there wasn't any difference in their looks and they all produced equally well, I was going to allow them mingle and cross..BUT..nature says different. One of the varieties originate from Ireland. I don't know the full story but what I was told by the 'donor', the seed originate from site where there used to be old sugar'factory'. This 'variety' is miles ahead with flowering compared to other 2. So it looks like I'm going to able to separate at least one of them..and without any efforts :icon_cheers:
My Gilfeathers..those that were stored away and replanted are still couple of weeks away from flowering...which is good news..all other flowering brassicas will be over done with so I don't have to start checking what will cross and what not... :icon_cheers:
Those that were left into ground are in full flower now...but they are for bees as I have all sorts of rogue brassicas flowering nearby.
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Your S.beets coming from a disused sugar factory sound very interesting, should be no issues of male sterility.
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Green Lily has very kindly sent me seeds of a couple of Latvian tomato varieties she received from her Latvian friend. I've sown a few seeds and fingers crossed they do well.
'Tomati Milda' a large oval yellow/orange with a thin skin and Fontana, which we think is a beefsteak type and hopefully some more information will become available.
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Sounds exciting! :wave:
I am just hardening off the tomatoes (many of them seed circle tomatoes) - such a bounty. We are really able to enjoy some terrific flavours, thanks to all of you.
News here - the Salad Burnet herb is finally flowering! And the Sugar Lord peas aren't far behind. Fingers crossed for seed.
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Love toms :happy7: Hope they do well.
Looking forward to Salad Burnet, I'm not sure I've grown it before. Love peas :drunken_smilie:
My Gilfeather and Early Blood Turnips have taken a fair beating in the recent winds, fingers crossed not too much damage.
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Is it too late to join the Seed Circle? I've been saving Purple Sprouting Broccoli (variety lost in the mists of time, sorry) seeds each year now for 4 years, and sunflowers for 7, so I can offer those. Plus French Beans (looks for pic of seeds...) seem to be the type called YinYang or Calypso. Do French Beans need "isolating"? I've never thought of it before...
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The Georgian runners are up and there is "something of the night" about them!
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Is it too late to join the Seed Circle? I've been saving Purple Sprouting Broccoli (variety lost in the mists of time, sorry) seeds each year now for 4 years, and sunflowers for 7, so I can offer those. Plus French Beans (looks for pic of seeds...) seem to be the type called YinYang or Calypso. Do French Beans need "isolating"? I've never thought of it before...
Welcome aboard, it's not too late at all to join in :wave:
I wonder are your beans dwarf or climbing? No need to isolate French beans, they normally self pollinate before their flowers open so little chance of cross pollination with other French beans.
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The Georgian runners are up and there is "something of the night" about them!
Intriguing! - well almost scary - do tell us more :happy7:
Apart from the Sugar Lord mangetout (I have yet to see how they fared after yesterday's violent thunderstorm and hail :-( ), and the herb Salad Burnet, which has a pleasant cucumber flavour, I have also got two lettuces, which I hope will give us enough seed for the circle. One is a Salanova type lettuce Gaugin and the other a Korean 'wrapping lettuce', with a very long name, starting with 'Dduk'.
Also planning various courgettes, but nothing planted yet. I have one bigger courgette which is cloche and fleece protected, but that came from a stray seed that had germinated inside, when we cut a courgette open. Not one to save seeds from for that reason! But for an experiment in earlier courgettes it was just the ticket.
'
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The French Beans are the climbing sort.
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The French Beans are the climbing sort.
Great, the Yin Yang beans I've grown are were dwarf, so look forward to these. Another question, are the seeds black and white or brown-maroon and white?
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I have a long line in the greenhouse of beans including Jayb's black podded but the Georgians are the darkest ,inky black veins and the seed inside bit is very dark too! The seed case was coffee and caramel in tone. To be continued........
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I love the sound of these :blob7:
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Maroon-and-white (tries to find icon for a glass of wine...fails...takes another swig)
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Maroon-and-white (tries to find icon for a glass of wine...fails...takes another swig)
3 similar varieties spring to mind - Pea Bean Inca, Pea Bean Jack Edwards and Monastic Coco. All slightly similar, a type of bean that was near extinction, but pockets have been found and re-cultivated. A very good bean (and not a cross between pea and bean, but a French bean). Wonder where yours come from - maybe a fourth type. Exciting :toothy10:
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I have a long line in the greenhouse of beans including Jayb's black podded but the Georgians are the darkest ,inky black veins and the seed inside bit is very dark too! The seed case was coffee and caramel in tone. To be continued........
I see what you mean! Very decorative :wave:
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I can actually remember where my beans came from: our local eco-enthuseaste handed me an envelope with about 6 of them in it, he seemed very proud of them (in a nice way) so they might be the unusual ones you suggest. I've been saving and replantig every year since then. I'm absolutely certan I shall bump into him in the next couple of weeks or so, when I do I shall ask him what they are.
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I found an interesting little bean plant among my Barlotto Lingua di Fuoco a few years back - I forget exactly what the plant was like but it was definitely different, smaller and with only a few small pods. I saved 4 seeds for absolutely no reason, and from them I'd guess that the plant was a the result of a cross with Lingua as one of the parents since they have that characteristic speckling. They are much darker though, medium brown with medium-dark spots. Might plant them and see what they do.
I hear that although French beans can cross, but it's pretty rare, and a 6ft gap between varieties should be enough to maintain purity.
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I can actually remember where my beans came from: our local eco-enthuseaste handed me an envelope with about 6 of them in it, he seemed very proud of them (in a nice way) so they might be the unusual ones you suggest. I've been saving and replantig every year since then. I'm absolutely certan I shall bump into him in the next couple of weeks or so, when I do I shall ask him what they are.
Excellent :happy7:
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I found an interesting little bean plant among my Barlotto Lingua di Fuoco a few years back - I forget exactly what the plant was like but it was definitely different, smaller and with only a few small pods. I saved 4 seeds for absolutely no reason, and from them I'd guess that the plant was a the result of a cross with Lingua as one of the parents since they have that characteristic speckling. They are much darker though, medium brown with medium-dark spots. Might plant them and see what they do.
I hear that although French beans can cross, but it's pretty rare, and a 6ft gap between varieties should be enough to maintain purity.
I love finding something different :toothy10: good luck with your beans :wave:
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Update on progress from April 13th,
Goodlife, Sugar Lord mangetout, Peas, Gilfeather turnips, Sugarbeet, tomato seeds, ‘Snowdrop’, ‘Anja’, chilli seeds
Markfield Rover, Marianna's Peace & Sandpoint tomatoes, pea - Jeyes and runner bean Georgian.
Ian Pearson, Celeriac and Skirret
Pumpkinlover,
Jayb, Early Blood Turnip (Beetroot), Gilfeather Turnip, tomatoes, possibly pepper or chilli or aubergine, cucumber
Galina, Sugar Lord mangetout, Salad Burnet, lettuce, courgette
Sparrow, Alberto Locoto chillies, Kent Blue peas
Robert B,
Ruud, Ulluco and tomatoes.
SueK, tomatoes and peas
Silverleaf, beans and peas
Easyonthebrain, undecided
Aj, selection
RenewableCandy, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, sunflower , beans
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If you were to see any of the above on a menu you would know you were somewhere special.
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I'm really excited for this!!
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Silverleaf do have Jeyes pea in your collection? I notice you have a bean or two.... I am growing this but it has yet to survive bugs, beasties and their greatest threat me! If you don't have any I do have a few spare if you would like some.
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Silverleaf do have Jeyes pea in your collection? I notice you have a bean or two.... I am growing this but it has yet to survive bugs, beasties and their greatest threat me! If you don't have any I do have a few spare if you would like some.
Actually I hadn't heard of that one, but I do love any old varieties so I'd love to try it, thank you! :)
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They were from HSL , so if you PM me I will pop them in the post.
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My alberto's are possibly the slowest growing things ever. I have just put them in my culticave on the plot as the sun's now too high to come into the flat.
Is there anything I can do to encourage speedier growth? They have about 5 sets of true leaves, 4inches high and are in 4inch pots. They germinated about 10th March.
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I have a few Alberto's Locoto plants sown around the same time. They might be a bit ahead of yours but not much at around 7'' high. The main stem has divided into two and the first small flower buds can be seen, they were grown under lights before going out in a poly-tunnel. They do seem slow growing at first and then all of a sudden they take off. I'm sure with the extra light they will have, your's will put on good growth very soon, especially if we get some sunshine!
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Thanks Jayb, that's really helpful. :)
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Gilfeather is now a mass of developing pods :happy7:
Even on the most developed pods the seeds inside are still very immature. They will be some time before they start to ripen.
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Early Blood Beetroot won't be long before flowering.
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Early Blood Beetroot won't be long before flowering.
Beetroot in flower has a lovely perfume :wave:
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Mmmm, yes gorgeous :drunken_smilie:
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Update for here too..
Sugar beet is in full flower...I didn't really know what to expect with the height...but the shoots are at my head height!...and I'm 5ft 9!
Gilfeather is in full bloom too and last few days when sun has been out...there's been 'zillions' of bees doing their thing.. :icon_cheers:
Tomato flowers have some net bags over too...
It is all going 'strong'...so far...
Oh..nearly forgot...not so 'strong'...sparrows found their way into GH....and have given really good 'go at' for my precious Swedish and Norwegian peas!.. :BangHead: I thought they were safe there..and was just about to move them outdoors and under nets... :BangHead:
Fingers crossed that the plants will put some new growth and I get at least few pods for another 'go' for next year..
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Would it be ok if I swapped the kent blues for something else when I've had a look later in the season? The plants really aren't doing as well as I had hoped, mostly I think because I put them in with my garlic as a rookie mistake. I'll get enough seed for me, but probably not enough to share out.
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Would it be ok if I swapped the kent blues for something else when I've had a look later in the season? The plants really aren't doing as well as I had hoped, mostly I think because I put them in with my garlic as a rookie mistake. I'll get enough seed for me, but probably not enough to share out.
Sparrow, we are all in the same boat. We aim to grow certain crops to seed and then have to switch to something else later. Happens to everybody and happens every year. Of course you can swap. Maybe next year will be great for the Kent Blues. It really is not a problem at all. :wave:
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Would it be ok if I swapped the kent blues for something else when I've had a look later in the season? The plants really aren't doing as well as I had hoped, mostly I think because I put them in with my garlic as a rookie mistake. I'll get enough seed for me, but probably not enough to share out.
Sparrow, we are all in the same boat. We aim to grow certain crops to seed and then have to switch to something else later. Happens to everybody and happens every year. Of course you can swap. Maybe next year will be great for the Kent Blues. It really is not a problem at all. :wave:
No worries at all, as Galina says. It's just a guide really so there is an idea of what is being saved for the group.
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Update for here too..
Sugar beet is in full flower...I didn't really know what to expect with the height...but the shoots are at my head height!...and I'm 5ft 9!
Gilfeather is in full bloom too and last few days when sun has been out...there's been 'zillions' of bees doing their thing.. :icon_cheers:
Tomato flowers have some net bags over too...
It is all going 'strong'...so far...
Oh..nearly forgot...not so 'strong'...sparrows found their way into GH....and have given really good 'go at' for my precious Swedish and Norwegian peas!.. :BangHead: I thought they were safe there..and was just about to move them outdoors and under nets... :BangHead:
Fingers crossed that the plants will put some new growth and I get at least few pods for another 'go' for next year..
Sorry to read about the sparrow attack on your peas :angry1: I hope they have recovered enough so you have some to save for yourself. Mice have been a nightmare here with my peas, I've been using garlic as suggested in another thread but I think I should have sprayed each day as they got the lot just as they were sprouting!
Now I've got the sparrows attacking the Gilfeather seed pods, starting to see torn pods, looks more like beak marks than pesky teeth :BangHead:
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Thank for warning about Gilfeathers...my plants are just next to bird feeders..and the seedpod are just in ripening progress.
Hmm...I must remember keep eye on them now..
Well...'nature' is full of 'wonders'...sparrows did get into great trouble to get into my GH for those peas (looks like they are not going to make it..) and yet those outside, covered with netting are not being troubled...see the peas grew out of their netting and are now growing 'wild' out in the open...and they are not even 'nibbled'!!! :BangHead: ...of course that is good thing, I just cannot work the 'bleeders' out. But even then....I love my sparrows...funny birds they are.. :icon_cheers:
I must finish this message in positive note...
My climbing peas...particularly sugar lord are BIG and BEAUTIFUL plants..6ft tall now and still growing.. :icon_cheers: :sunny:..oh and plenty of flowers and developing pods too.. :icon_cheers: :toothy10:
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My climbing peas...particularly sugar lord are BIG and BEAUTIFUL plants..6ft tall now and still growing.. :icon_cheers: :sunny:..oh and plenty of flowers and developing pods too.. :icon_cheers: :toothy10:
I wasn't going to say, not to jinx it, but after a pigeon attack, my Sugar Lords are also recovered (I am saying this very quietly! :BangHead: ) and there are lovely big pods. I have eaten one and it is delish. I have these growing on 8ft supports and they need it. Only taller are the Biskopen's Graaert. Fingers crossed for my half of the seed circle contribution. :wave:
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Would it be ok if I swapped the kent blues for something else when I've had a look later in the season? The plants really aren't doing as well as I had hoped, mostly I think because I put them in with my garlic as a rookie mistake. I'll get enough seed for me, but probably not enough to share out.
Sparrow, we are all in the same boat. We aim to grow certain crops to seed and then have to switch to something else later. Happens to everybody and happens every year. Of course you can swap. Maybe next year will be great for the Kent Blues. It really is not a problem at all. :wave:
Phew, thank you! If it's not too boring I will have courgettes (when the ruddy male flowers show up - why are men always late? ;) ) and black futsu/thelma sanders/queensland blue squash, depending on which one works. I likes my curcurbits, I does!
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I've just eaten a "sample" pod from the Jeyes pea, very yummy a lovely pea sweetness , the plant is almost six foot with white flowers , if I wasn't growing these for the circle I would have probably eaten them all there and then , brilliant raw!
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I've just eaten a "sample" pod from the Jeyes pea, very yummy a lovely pea sweetness , the plant is almost six foot with white flowers , if I wasn't growing these for the circle I would have probably eaten them all there and then , brilliant raw!
That's great to know! So glad I have this pea in my collection thanks to you. :) My seeds all germinated and the plants are only a foot tall so far but they're growing. I can tell they'll be tall.
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Just a quick update..
1. sugar beet stalks have 'millions' of seeds on them....and just starting show change of colour so I'm about to take some stalks to GH to dry... :icon_cheers:
2. I've started to gather Gilfeather turnip stalks too for final drying....before birds get them all.. :BangHead:
3. Sugar lord pod skins are going wrinkly and thin.. I've picked them to dry off...and I will carry on picking pods as they are getting ready...won't trust leaving them on plants, who knows what the weather or pigeons does.
And then I have question for you all..... would there be any interest for wheat or oat seeds? Looks like I'm going to get good crop of tall wheat..and hulless oats...I could add some into circle parcel if there is need? :sunny: :icon_cheers:
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I've just eaten a "sample" pod from the Jeyes pea, very yummy a lovely pea sweetness , the plant is almost six foot with white flowers , if I wasn't growing these for the circle I would have probably eaten them all there and then , brilliant raw!
That's great to know! So glad I have this pea in my collection thanks to you. :) My seeds all germinated and the plants are only a foot tall so far but they're growing. I can tell they'll be tall.
My Jeyes peas have been decimated by slimy little gits. :( Oh well, these things happen!
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Sugar Lord peas are starting to dry - still plenty on the plants too. I had to rogue one plant, because the pods were mangetout and not snap podded. The pods are very thick indeed, but their length is a little variable. Crunchy, solid and sweet - but I have of course only sampled very few pods. The plants are very tall, strong growing and have many sideshoots. As I am leaving the pods rather than harvesting continuously, fewer pods are being produced. I think that, because of all the side shoots the variety is capable of heavy harvests over a long time. I am looking forward to growing Sugar Lord peas to eat next year. :wave:
The early lettuces are stretching and getting ready to flower. I am growing a Korean Wrapping Lettuce and a Salanova Type lettuce for the circle this year. The herb Salad Burnett is producing seed heads which I am picking off as they develop.
My Sweet Cicely herb has produced seeds too. This is the herb that replaces at least half the sugar in rhubarb dishes and other sour fruits. I'll add it to the circle seeds.
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I'm going to add in mispoona - with any luck I'll have lots of seed since I have 25 or so plants flowering away!
It's grown really well and quickly, providing me with a good amount of green stuff, and the flowering stalks are nice like mini-broccoli. It's looking very variable in terms of leaf shape, size, colour (some plants are slightly purple), resistance to bolting, etc, so I reckon it'd be a good one to adapt quickly to your growing conditions.
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Silverleaf- in a quiet corner of the plot my Jeyes peas are drying nicely so fingers crossed ! Next year will fabulous!!
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Urgh. My mispoona pods were looking wonderful until recently - some of them started to get brown edges so I thought they must be ripening. I picked a pod and opened it up to check whether they were ready to harvest yet, and was confronted with some tiny white grubs, maybe a millimetre long. Not good!
I checked 10 or so pods from the middle of the stalks of different plants. Every single one has multiple grubs, with some having around 20 or 30 of the things, and not many seeds left!
Maybe some of the later/earlier pods will escape. Maybe. :(
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Ha! My Kent Blues had a sudden spurt and there should be enough for the number of people currently in the circle. Turns out I don't really like mangetout, so I'll be sticking all the seed in. They really are very, very pretty.
I have 5 hand pollinated thelma sanders squash growing away nicely so I will sub in the seeds from there. Have checked the previous seeds thread and I can't see them on there so I hope that's ok.
The alberto chillies have 3 small chillies on one plant and not even a flower bud appearing on any of the other 3. I've obviously done something wrong, but I don't know what! :BangHead:
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Ha! My Kent Blues had a sudden spurt and there should be enough for the number of people currently in the circle. Turns out I don't really like mangetout, so I'll be sticking all the seed in. They really are very, very pretty.
I have 5 hand pollinated thelma sanders squash growing away nicely so I will sub in the seeds from there. Have checked the previous seeds thread and I can't see them on there so I hope that's ok.
The alberto chillies have 3 small chillies on one plant and not even a flower bud appearing on any of the other 3. I've obviously done something wrong, but I don't know what! :BangHead:
Looking forward to that Thelma Sanders squash. I am growing Alberto Locoto and they are second year plants (they survived in the greenhouse!) and I have only had 5 fruits so far. First year plants produce even later. The plants are so big they seem to need ages to grow and only when they are about 5 or 6 ft tall they produce fruit it seems. There is still a lot of growing time left, don't worry yet! :wave:
Sparrow, if you don't like mangetout, I hope you like snap peas? The Sugar Lord's are in and dried and shelled. It is a good variety. A little variable in size, but some of the pods are twice the length of the 'standard' sugar snap. I was impressed. Looking forward to trying more than a couple of pods for myself next year :icon_cheers:
Just thinking about a tomato to add to the circle. Lylia did impress with a certain amount of blight resistance this year, a grape type tomato. Auntie Madge's is a favourite of old, a smallish plum tomato just right to eat straight off the plant in the greenhouse :sunny:
As usual I can't tell how many seeds are in the hand pollinated squashes, so no promises but I am looking at adding one.
I am picking off Salad Burnett seed heads one by one and should have enough for everybody in a couple of weeks. The Korean wrapping lettuce is in and drying, but needs its little tufts picking off and winnowing. The other lettuce is very slow in flowering and there are few flowers, it may not happen for the seed circle this year.
Looking at Cousin Oliver's and Musje Eikes (Sparrow's Eggs) for the seed circle, which are a family heirloom beans from the USA and a Dutch landrace bean respectively.
Hope everybody else is getting joy from their chosen varieties.
And a report from last year's circle seeds: have just harvested a good quantity of Purple Teepee beans. I am not a great fan of dwarf beans, what with our mice/voles and slugs, but these seem to thrive against adversity and the beans taste good too. Thank you :toothy10:
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Galina, I love sugar snaps, and pretty much any other kind of pea. Mangetout just don't have enough pea for me. ;)
Very much looking forward to this!
Thanks for letting me know about the albertos too. They are in an open culticave, so will be a bit cooler than yours. But I have a new polycarb greenhouse to put up this autumn so they will be warmer next year, if they make it with my dubious levels of care!
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Galina, I love sugar snaps, and pretty much any other kind of pea. Mangetout just don't have enough pea for me. ;)
Very much looking forward to this!
Thanks for letting me know about the albertos too. They are in an open culticave, so will be a bit cooler than yours. But I have a new polycarb greenhouse to put up this autumn so they will be warmer next year, if they make it with my dubious levels of care!
Alberto Locoto can survive a tiny little bit of frost - mine had frost damaged top halves. And we had a very mild winter. Most years they would need to be taken indoors, which is a job given their size.
Not sure what a Culticave is - must google that one :happy7:
Well, perhaps I can change your mind about mangetouts with this one. Picture of Bijou Mangetout at 15cm long :wave: I had my seeds from goodlife (lovely!), but we haven't had this one in the circle yet. Next year?
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This is a culticave: http://www.caveinnovations.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=5&zenid=64b79becb38b233a251b00df41e6c9d6 (http://www.caveinnovations.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=5&zenid=64b79becb38b233a251b00df41e6c9d6)
They are really good, but not as good as a greenhouse.
Am openminded about mangetouts, honest. :)
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The Jeyes peas are in!! A very nice pea too.
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Yohoo...I'm still alive and kicking.. :wave:
All my peas are in...as well as sugar beet...Gilfeather...wheat/oats (if these are required)..GH is just full of dry/drying 'stuff' :icon_cheers:
I'm in the middle of 'harvesting' tomato seeds...chillies/peppers have plenty of fruit on but not ripe ones yet, they look promising.
So despite low gardening mojo and overall not so good year...looking at the amount of seed stored for cleaning, one would say it haven't gone bad at all... :drunken_smilie:
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Harvested and processed Gilifeather a while back, lots and lots of seeds!!!!
Disaster with Early Blood turnips, not sure there are enough to salvage.
Beit (sp) cucumber are picked and are very slowly turning a nice yellow, I won't know if they have enough seed inside until I cut them open.
Rocoto Manzano Orange, looks very likely to make the short list as they have done so well.
I'm hoping for a couple more Cisineros fruit to ripen, these tomatillos really are big!
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Harvested and processed Gilifeather a while back, lots and lots of seeds!!!!
Disaster with Early Blood turnips, not sure there are enough to salvage.
Beit (sp) cucumber are picked and are very slowly turning a nice yellow, I won't know if they have enough seed inside until I cut them open.
Rocoto Manzano Orange, looks very likely to make the short list as they have done so well.
I'm hoping for a couple more Cisineros fruit to ripen, these tomatillos really are big!
Looking good but shame about the 'Early Blood', which are troublesome for you as well :BangHead:
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Mmm! More peas :blob7:
Thanks for showing us what a culticave is Sparrow. :wave:
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Sandpoint tommies are in! I am in the process of saving Marianna's Peace tom as in one fruit the first time I have had only one fruit ! On any tom! So is this a sad plant and not good enough for seed saving?
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This waiting about for things to be ready is really really bad for someone with no patience! The 5 thelmas are still growing on the vines, my albertos are finally flowering again and have some baby chillies on but they are all not ready to harvest yet.
So in all the thumb-twiddling I've started planning for next year....ordered some lovely winter squashes from Baker Creek and some interesting chillies.
I also have one musquee de provence my neighbour's son dropped (mini-grrrrrr) and it split a little on one side. It was already changing to tan, so I am hoping that a couple of months on a sunny windowsill will ripen it fully. Would you be interested in some seeds from it for the circle this year?
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Most of my mispoona seeds are drying, but there's still one plant to harvest once the pods are mature - I especially want to add those genes to the pool because that plant took forever to start flowering, I was picking pods from the other plants before it even had buds. Also one of the plants showed some anthocyanin in the foliage, so there's the possibility of developing a purple strain. :)
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Sandpoint tommies are in! I am in the process of saving Marianna's Peace tom as in one fruit the first time I have had only one fruit ! On any tom! So is this a sad plant and not good enough for seed saving?
If you have any doubt Markfield, you could take seeds, grow it next year and see whether it adapts to our growing conditions. If you got the seeds from a source far away, it may not be a bad plant, just a plant that isn't too well adapted. If it is still below par grown from your own seeds, then is the time to make a decision whether the growing space and tending time is justified.
Sorry this is not the 'yes or no' answer you may have been hoping for. Plant adaptation (or not) is a fact of growing. I have several varieties that I like and put up with lower harvest and more difficult growing, but I would not put them into the seed circle. Please give this one another chance and then decide. It certainly has rave reviews. :wave:
Looking forward to the Sandpoints.
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Thanks for that, I suspect the problem is me and that others will do better so I will pop them in and hope others do better, the seeds were from HSL.The Georgian beans are in too.
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Dear Jayb and others,
sorry to be a bit late checking in with my offerings for the circle. Nothing spectacular I'm afraid but I have saved quite a lot[for me] of Amish plum, some Purple Ukraine [also plum], some Blush and some Betimes macbeth. Onions are my second growing of Jeune Paille, and I've rocket and oriental mustard both in abundance if of any interest. Sorry didn't get anything else done as I hoped to sell my house [ and didn't] so cut down on garden veg. People said it was too high maintenance and wanted grass and borders.... So I'm still here and planting again but a bit less than before as I've put in some shribs etc to make it easier. Love to everyone :wave:
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Markfield Rover and Greenlily, sounds like you both had a good seed year mostly and looking forward to growing from your seeds. :wave:
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I have just popped up the plot , beautiful sunshine I now have pockets full of seeds mainly dahlia and cosmos but very satisfying . Plenty if anyone wants some, the cosmos grew to 7ft!
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Hi Galina,
When I've finished cleaning and packing my seeds shall I send them to you or Jayb? If you, will you please PM your address. Thanks
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Hi Galina,
When I've finished cleaning and packing my seeds shall I send them to you or Jayb? If you, will you please PM your address. Thanks
Green lily,
last year Jayb was unwell for quite some time and the circle got delayed. Should this happen again, I will step in and help out. This is only a back-up plan. I expect Jayb will be along any minute and tell us when she is ready to start receiving seeds.
Great that you are ready and have already portioned and packed your seeds. I think we were looking at sending the parcel out in January after the Christmas rush and before the earliest seeds get started. :wave:
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:wave:
I have FINALLY shelled all the peas from GH...and started shifting rest of the seeds into house too. Mice started to get bit interested of my stores.. I've been keeping my eye on them, expecting it to happen and jumped to action as soon as I saw first signs of the darn things. Pheww...in time :icon_cheers:
Now I'm waiting beans to finish off on plants....nearly there and if the weather is kind for little while longer they are ready for picking and drying...fingers crossed.
:sunny: :coffee2:
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Hi Galina,
When I've finished cleaning and packing my seeds shall I send them to you or Jayb? If you, will you please PM your address. Thanks
Green lily,
last year Jayb was unwell for quite some time and the circle got delayed. Should this happen again, I will step in and help out. This is only a back-up plan. I expect Jayb will be along any minute and tell us when she is ready to start receiving seeds.
Great that you are ready and have already portioned and packed your seeds. I think we were looking at sending the parcel out in January after the Christmas rush and before the earliest seeds get started. :wave:
Thanks Galina :happy7:
If everyone is in agreement, seeds to be sent in by Christmas at the very latest, prefreably before to miss the worst of the festive post. Then parcels to be sent out to everyone the second week of January.
We need numbers of who's still in, so seed packs can be packed up.
I'm still not sure of everything I'm putting in, I'll try and decide very soon.
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Just looking through the most recent posts it seems currently active in the group are,
Galina
Goodlife
Green Lily
Markfield Rover
Silverleaf
Sparrow
Jayb
Pumpkinlover
Aj
Ian Pearson
Easyonthebrain
Ruud
I’ll pm the others as they don’t seem to have been on this thread for a while and ask them to confirm, hopefully a few more names to add to the list.
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I have some dwarf beans and hopefully some mangtout peas..
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I have mispoona definitely, and I'll see what else I can manage.
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I have some dwarf beans and hopefully some mangtout peas..
Brilliant, I've updated above list.
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Pm's/emails sent.
Final numbers to be confirmed by 30th October.
I'll then send my address for the parcels to be sent to :blob7:
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I'm still in - still collecting so will look at things that haven't been saved and see if I can fill in any gaps.
Cheers
AJ
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Me too. Katja tomato, celeriac, and culinary dandelion.
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Me too. Katja tomato, celeriac, and culinary dandelion.
Have just read up on Katja tomato. Oh wow!
I'll add Rosalie's Early Orange tomato, which has done so well outdoors this year. At one stage after the first fruits were harvested, blight struck and I though t'that's it', but actually after a few blighted fruit the plants really got going and produced a massive crop of healthy fruit and they are still going now, although I now take them in at the first sign of colour. Our first slight brush with frost did not harm them. The only problem with them is that early fruit is huge but (practically) seedless. Later fruits have far more seeds. My outdoors plants actually have done a lot better than the greenhouse plants I had planted 'for insurance'.
The other tomato I am thinking of adding is Lylia, a small sweet cherry on long trusses. And the third is Sosulka Rozovaya aka Pink Icicle, which is the pink sister variety to Sosulka Chernaya aka Black Icicle that we had in the circle before. As with Rosalie's Early Orange, I am still picking fruit at the moment.
Pea 'Sugar Lord' in conjunction with goodlife, Salad Burnet herb and a bean or two (depends on final numbers to make sure that everybody gets a decent portion). I definitely have enough of 'Cousin Oliver' climbing French Bean.
The Piquante peppers from Jeannine's parcel are finally turning red (peppadew type of pepper), might add those seeds. Squash seeds haven't been harvested yet, so I don't know yet what I have. That's the situation here. :wave:
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Hi, i'm still in albeit had a few problems with original stuff i'd signed up to so it will be San Marzano broccoli Raab/Turnip Broccoli and Minidor Yellow Dwarf French Beans. Hope these are alright for everyone. I do have Aeron Purple Star Runners if anyone wants some of these although still drying out at present.
Regards Eric
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You can count me in
Already looking forward to participate the round robin.I am already harvesting and drying seeds so lets starting. :blob7: :blob7: :blob7:
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I can probably manage a small offering of Blue Lake climbing French beans - sorry they aren't terribly exciting or rare or anything, but they massively outperformed all my other climbing beans despite millions of slugs, very dry weather, and a late start. The other beans have done practically nothing. Shame, because I wanted to share some of those. :/ I should be less neglectful next year!
Probably also Telephone peas, but again only a few.
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List updated, 3 more to hear back from and then we have our final number :happy7:
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Oh - forgot - African Horned Cucumber aka Kiwano aka Jelly Melon. This spiky monster should have been my little unusual, exotic plant, tucked away in the corner of the greenhouse! Little did I know! Like achocha, these are set to take over the world! I ended up guiding the long vines out of the greenhouse door or they would have swamped everything!
You halve the fruit and spoon out the central 'jelly' and eat that. It is very juicy, and tastes like 'cucumber meets passion fruit'. You can also shave off the cucumber-like outer flesh underneath the skin with the spikes on and that has a melon/cucumber flavour.
Definitely a fun 'fruit come vegetable' and quite a talking point with its Jurassic Park looks :wave:
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They look super, been a good year for them I should think :happy7:
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Spiky cukes, awesome!
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They look super, been a good year for them I should think :happy7:
Thanks both - or beginner's luck, as this year was my first time growing them :icon_cheers: I had no idea what to expect.
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I'm in again. I've had some problems recently, since my mother had a stroke, but she's OK, and I'm still around!
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Glad to hear your mum's okay. :) and you too!
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My kent blues are dried and ready, and I will have thelma sanders ready - they are still maturing on the windowsill but I am getting hungry... ;)
I also have lots of lemon drop chilli and potimarron squash seeds seeds ready, though they are my favourites, I know they aren't particularly rare/exciting. I don't know if I'll have eaten the muscat de provence by the time seeds would need to be dried for sending in, but am happy to if I have and people want them. Any thoughts? I don't really want to send things in that are unwanted.
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Sparrow , all sounds good to me and I am always interested in others' favourites as that is often where the flavour is.
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My kent blues are dried and ready, and I will have thelma sanders ready - they are still maturing on the windowsill but I am getting hungry... ;)
I also have lots of lemon drop chilli and potimarron squash seeds seeds ready, though they are my favourites, I know they aren't particularly rare/exciting.
Never grown lemon drop chilli = definitely rare and exciting to me :blob7:
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My kent blues are dried and ready, and I will have thelma sanders ready - they are still maturing on the windowsill but I am getting hungry... ;)
I also have lots of lemon drop chilli and potimarron squash seeds seeds ready, though they are my favourites, I know they aren't particularly rare/exciting.
Never grown lemon drop chilli = definitely rare and exciting to me :blob7:
I think I tried them the year that I was too ill to do very much, so of course they all died.
I'd definitely be interested in them!
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Both Lemon Drop chilli and Potimarron squash would be lovely additions and gratefully received :toothy10:
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Oh, don't know what happened! We lost the photos in our earliest seed sharing circle catalogues. Pity! At least the text is still all there. These are such a good reference and I often go back and check up on varieties.
https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/seed-parcel/seed-parcel-2010
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I don't know why that has happened? The images have just disappeared. No recent edits on those 2 parcels, the remainder seems ok at the moment. I wonder if I can get some help fixing them with google?
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Oh no....! No photos? :BangHead:
Honest!..I haven't been pressing the 'buttons' and caused havoc... :angel11:
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Thanks for the vote of confidence in my seeds, much appreciated! :toothy10:
I have some lovely exotic squashes and chillies for next year - can't wait!
Can't see images for the previous seed circles either on my browser .
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I'm in again. I've had some problems recently, since my mother had a stroke, but she's OK, and I'm still around!
Sorry about your Mum, but glad she is ok :wave:
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Confirmed in the group
Galina
Goodlife
Green Lily
Markfield Rover
Silverleaf
Sparrow
Jayb
Pumpkinlover
Aj
Ian Pearson
Easyonthebrain
Ruud
Robert_Brenchley
Sadly Suek is going to pass on the circle this year, but sends her good wishes to us all for a good harvest and hopes to be back on A4A soon.
Just waiting to hear from RenewableCandy, everyone else has replied.
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EeeeeeeeeeeeeeeK! Just seen the email from on 19th! <runs in under the wire>
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Gave in and baked a Thelma last night. Definitely needed a bit more maturing as the flavour was very mild, so I will wait till the end of Nov for the next one. But the amount of fat seeds is impressive. You want lots, right? ;)
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Gave in and baked a Thelma last night. Definitely needed a bit more maturing as the flavour was very mild, so I will wait till the end of Nov for the next one. But the amount of fat seeds is impressive. You want lots, right? ;)
I'm not sure what kind of flavour you did expect from Thelma, but it is more of 'mild'/blander tasting squashes. Very prolific plants though! :happy7: :icon_cheers:
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Gave in and baked a Thelma last night. Definitely needed a bit more maturing as the flavour was very mild, so I will wait till the end of Nov for the next one. But the amount of fat seeds is impressive. You want lots, right? ;)
I'm not sure what kind of flavour you did expect from Thelma, but it is more of 'mild'/blander tasting squashes. Very prolific plants though! :happy7: :icon_cheers:
Nutty and quite sweet when really mature (eaten around Christmas time) is how I remember Thelma Sanders, not mild exactly, certainly not compared to, say, a marrow. Looking forward to growing them again. Lots of seeds is fine by me :icon_cheers:
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Nutty and quite sweet when really mature (eaten around Christmas time) is how I remember Thelma Sanders,
REALLY!? Mine didn't taste like that all when grew them few years back....well.....I might as well try growing them again and hang on to the fruits until much later... :icon_thumleft:
MORE SEEDS PLEASE!!!!!!??? :icon_cheers:
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I haven't grown them for a few years, but I remember them as having a nutty type flavour although not very sweet, which is good sometimes depending how you are cooking them. Perhaps I didn't leave mine long enough either!
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EeeeeeeeeeeeeeeK! Just seen the email from on 19th! <runs in under the wire>
Just in :toothy10:
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Here we all are :blob7:
Galina
Goodlife
Green Lily
Markfield Rover
Silverleaf
Sparrow
Jayb
Pumpkinlover
Aj
Ian Pearson
Easyonthebrain
Ruud
Robert_Brenchley
RenewableCandy
Fourteen in the group = Fourteen packets of seeds of each variety to be sent in (13 for the group and one spare)
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:icon_cheers:
And remind me again...when do you want the seeds sent to you...?
I better start getting things together and see if the last lots (still inside the veg) are ready for harvest....am I going to have last 'minute' rush..?!
Nearly there......
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Parcels are welcome any time from now until Christmas. Although it might be best to miss the seasonal rush? The cut off date this year will be by 25th December, if anyone thinks they may have a problem getting their parcel to me by this date, let me know. I’ll send my details at the beginning of November (be nice to get the pass the parcel out first :happy7:)
I'll be posting everyone's goodies back 1st/2nd week of January :blob7:
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I haven't grown them for a few years, but I remember them as having a nutty type flavour although not very sweet, which is good sometimes depending how you are cooking them. Perhaps I didn't leave mine long enough either!
To improve sweetness with baked squash is easy: just add half a teaspoon of sugar, or better honey, into each halved Thelma. This is what the Americans do. Tried it once, too sweet for me ..................... :wave:
I put the halved squash in the oven for about the last 30-40 minutes cooking time with a roast. I add a bit of the cooking juices from the roast and a whole shallot and/or a clove of garlic into the seed cavity. Prefer them like that.
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I put the halved squash in the oven for about the last 30-40 minutes cooking time with a roast. I add a bit of the cooking juices from the roast and a whole shallot and/or a clove of garlic into the seed cavity. Prefer them like that.
Mmm sounds good to me :happy7:
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Parcels are welcome any time from now until Christmas. Although it might be best to miss the seasonal rush? The cut off date this year will be by 25th December, if anyone thinks they may have a problem getting their parcel to me by this date, let me know. I’ll send my details at the beginning of November (be nice to get the pass the parcel out first :happy7:)
I'll be posting everyone's goodies back 1st/2nd week of January :blob7:
:toothy10: :toothy10: :toothy10:
So you get them all for Christmas, and we have to wait until January???
LOL :tongue3: :wave:
Being serious now ................ thank you for doing all the packing and admin for us again. The seed circle packet day is a highlight every year. Great stuff!
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Lol, good isn't it! :tongue3:
It's great fun seeing all the parcels come, I love unpacking them and sorting them into everyone's packages. And I adore surprises so I never peek at seeds or anything and I'll be waiting to open mine just the same, it nearly kills me but more fun to open as a parcel :happy7:
If they all happen to arrive in good time we could bring it forward, but it might be too much of a rush for some.
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but it might be too much of a rush for some.
I'll try!.... :toothy10:
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You are a star, but no rush, when you're ready :happy7:
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Mine won't be ready much sooner either. Like goodlife I still have seeds inside fruit. Put the last batch of tomato innards to ferment only yesterday. Haven't looked inside the squashes yet either. And some of the later beans are still drying. :wave:
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Me too :happy7:
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IT IS TIME TO SWAP. :blob7: :blob7: :blob7: :blob7:
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IT IS TIME TO SWAP. :blob7: :blob7: :blob7: :blob7:
Yep :sunny:
A lovely surprise, the first of the Circle seeds came in yesterday :icon_cheers:
Thank you Green Lily.
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Phew - I'm glad that's done! I had forgotten all about the Korean Wrapping Lettuce (large leaves to wrap snacks in) with the unpronounceable name 'Dduk Seom Jeok Chuk Myeon'. This was an oddball 'find' at the Trumpington seed swap. No idea where it came from. The packet was a bit out of date, but it was one of those commercial, hermetically sealed ones, so I just had to try it. The picture showed a pretty large loose leaf lettuce with red, slightly frilly edges. Very pretty and the real lettuce did not disappoint either.
Just found the florist bucket with the dry seedheads in a corner under my desk. Processing lettuce is always a bit hard on the breathing with all the tiny particles.
For winnowing I had a brainwave - did the job inside the greenhouse! Any accidentally spilled seed can happily germinate for very early spring lettuces. :wave:
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That lettuce sounds like mouthful :icon_cheers: Interesting...
I'm just about to get my chillies harvested...they are now fully ripe and the seeds soon dry out for packing up. I'm nearly there..... :icon_cheers:
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Same here with the 'Piquante' peppers from Jeannine (the Peppadew type of pepper). At the first sign of colour change on one I removed a few large fruits from the plants to ripen off indoors. Then I took the plants into the conservatory. By now (lovely long autumn) the fruits still on the plant are also turning red and I can harvest seeds from fully ripened peppers, rather than emergency ripened.
Have just spotted this: Well the lettuce was not quite this red, but this is the variety. Have to dig out my own photos if we are doing a little catalogue again for our swapped seeds.
http://market.asiaseed.net/sub/product/detail.asp?idx=102
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The lettuce looks fantastic.
My lemon drops are now out and drying - forgot to wear gloves and the ends of my fingers are very spicy!
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The lettuce looks fantastic.
My lemon drops are now out and drying - forgot to wear gloves and the ends of my fingers are very spicy!
Great Stuff! :sunny: Yes, just touching the dried Alberto Locoto seeds here has the same effect - fresh are even more powerful. DO NOT touch eyes afterwards. Washing up after a big family dinner is a useful way to get the hot stuff off fingers. :icon_cheers:
Have packeted lettuce and peas today. Quite a good way to spend a foul weather afternoon.
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It's nearly Seedmas!!! :blob7: :blob7: :blob7:
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It's nearly Seedmas!!! :blob7: :blob7: :blob7:
Woohooo :toothy9:
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I should have hand pollinated the Beit Alpha cucumbers as the viable seed count for each fruit was low, looking at the drying seed there should be enough for a small amount of seed for everyone. I found they grew well in an open ended polytunnel, producing a good crop of tasty fruit.
http://www.rareseeds.com/beit-alpha-cucumber/
I'd also like to add Violetta TPS to the circle, pods aren't ripe yet but they are starting to soften and I'm starting to get little wafts of scent from them. Violetta are an early maincrop producing a good crop of potatoes although mine were overall fairly small in size, I think due to Late Blight shortening their life span. Skins are darkest purple black and the flesh also has very good dark purple colour. I'd expect TPS to produce a number of early producing plants and should produce in the first year or grow in pots for mini tubers for the following year. Colours, anything from dark purple through to reds and whites, some with solid colour others faint flesh colour or perhaps rings of colour. These are all open pollinated and may be self pollinated or crossed with other varieties. Closet growing potatoes were Hot Dog and Snookie, both very long fingerling potatoes and Palest Pink Eye, a very L. Blight resistant variety.
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From Jeannine's amazing seed parcel I am happy to add two items.
First, the Piquante peppers, aka Peppadew. I have spent fun time in the kitchen trying to recreate how to turn them into Peppadews, stuffed with cream cheese. Cleaned them out (saved seeds :toothy10:), boiled in a little water with a dash of salt, a capful of balsamic vinegar and stevia (sugar would be the normal choice). Tasted and decided to add a second capful of vinegar and it smells just like the commercial item. I think they cook the commercial ones for a little longer, mine weren't quite soft. A bit of cream cheese and Yum - so good! We only tasted one each so far, to allow the others to infuse in the brine a bit longer.
Jeannine often commented that the choice of squash in the UK was not great. One of the varieties she added was Temprano de Argelia aka Early of Algiers. A nice, very slightly bulbous, early, light green courgette. Only one handpollinated fruit 'took', but there are a few seeds each.
Both are just drying. :wave:
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Looking forward to those TPS, the last ones we had are doing well here, had a nice harvest. It will be fun doing it all again. Looking forward to the cucumber too. :wave:
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Seedmas... :icon_cheers:
It has been seedy day here....last of the 'seed' chillies are now chopped and seeds taken to dry out.
And the 'disaster'....
Ventured into GH to get last of the dried seed into house for sorting....all seeds were stored in a buckets...hung up high under the GH eaves....AND...BLOODY MICE! :BangHead: They've managed to climb up and some how make a 'rope walk' on wires...and they've made right mess on my seed stores... :angry4:
As it was late in the day...I just grabbed the buckets...checked there were no living things hiding and moved them swiftly into safe place until I can access how big damage they've managed to make... :BangHead: There is sugarbeet, gilfeather and old Welsh wheat that has had hit :BangHead:
The good thing is that most of the other seed crops weren't kept in GH so I've got plenty to 'go for'...
Oh well....should have known that the mice WILL find them eventually and be on the ball much sooner...but, but..etc...
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TPS are veeerrrrrrrrry exciting! Will definitely be reading up on them this weekend. And Peppadews too! *big cheesey grins*
Apart from the lemon drops, which are still drying out, all the other seed will be out of the rice jars and packed up this weekend ready to send off.
Sorry you've had a furry disaster goodlife. Is a good warning though - will have to check the seeds hanging in my shed.
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PS is there an uptodate list anywhere of what's going in? No worries if not, I was just looking for a list of seeds to dribble over. :blob10:
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PS is there an uptodate list anywhere of what's going in? No worries if not, I was just looking for a list of seeds to dribble over. :blob10:
Sparrow, not as such. What we have done in the past is written little catalogues, but we had problems with the site with photos disappearing. I hope we are doing it again but somewhere without disappearing issues. This was our last seed circle catalogue
https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/seed-parcel/seed-circle-2013
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That comes up as 'page not found'. No worries, like I said, was just wanting to dribble over seed lists and do some gentle planning in the dark evenings.
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That comes up as 'page not found'. No worries, like I said, was just wanting to dribble over seed lists and do some gentle planning in the dark evenings.
https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/seed-parcel/seed-parcel-2013
Should work :BangHead:
I tried it just now and it worked fine. :wave:
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thanks, it does. The first link says circle not parcel. Took me ages to spot that! Must go home...
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Half of my seeds are now packed and labelled....!!!!!! :hello2:
....and more to do tomorrow... :whip2:
....starting to feel like things are progressing ahead... :icon_thumleft:
I won't be long now.......... :toothy10:
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Half of my seeds are now packed and labelled....!!!!!! :hello2:
....and more to do tomorrow... :whip2:
....starting to feel like things are progressing ahead... :icon_thumleft:
I won't be long now.......... :toothy10:
Does that mean the mouse damage was contained? hope so.
About the same here. Done Rosalie's Early Orange tomato and herb Salad Burnet today. Getting there. :wave:
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Does that mean the mouse damage was contained? hope so.
Umm..don't know that yet...I'm facing that tomorrow...
What I saw when I was moving the buckets away...the sugar beet seeds looked quite badly damaged..not sure about the others yet.
Some while ago I had another seed 'disaster'...had some lettuce seeds that I had collected into plastic cup. The cup was pegged on end of cane next to the plants...each day I kept collecting the seed into cup....cup was filling out nicely, nearly ready for cleaning...then came rain and OF COURSE the GH roof had to leak! :BangHead: Drip, drip...one small drop at the time and straight into cup...couldn't planned it better :BangHead: SO...tipped the cup over into bed and forgot that 'job'....and now I have lettuce seedlings growing on in great thicket!!! :icon_cheers: :drunken_smilie:
Oh it would be boring if everything would progress 'swimmingly'... :sunny: But lets hope there is no more surprises ahead...other than the sight of the big and fat seed parcel that postie lady will struggle to carry to me... :tongue3: :icon_cheers:
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Right...we had dry break with weather this afternoon so decided to face the damage...
...and the outlook is not quite as bad as I thought :icon_cheers:
Gilfeathers turnips were fine :icon_cheers:
wheats and oats fine :icon_cheers: ...with those mice had good chomp through my stock for 'eating' and the seed storage heads were untouched :icon_cheers:
BUT....the sugarbeet have had good 'hammering'...there was more mice poo in the bucket than what was left of the seeds :BangHead: I did sieve it but you just couldn't tell if there were still any seeds there.
BUT....I had good look at the old seed heads and those that were still standing upright, they had number seeds still on them!!!???
I collected what I could together and there is enough to go around...but how they are going to be after been so long in all weathers outside..?? They didn't look or feel soggy :dontknow: So...I give them a week to thoroughly dry out...and bag them up anyway.
BUT...the good news is...the old roots are still alive have put lots of green growth on...maybe I get another 'round' of seed from them next year rather than having to start it all over again... :drunken_smilie: Time will tell...but what I could see ,almost every 'original' root have grown :sunny:
I shall carry on bagging the seeds...chillies, peppers, peas and tomatoes are all sorted, tonight I get more done and hopefully back end of the next week I get all posted to Jayb :icon_cheers:
These were my seeds that I saved from the mice damage today...still lot of 'rubbish' in but of course when it is needed, the wind died down!!! Just 'perfect'... :BangHead: :drunken_smilie:
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Does anyone else get excited by the above photo? Or is it just me?
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Yes, it's that touchy feeling thing, diving your fingers into the seeds :icon_cheers: Plus the sense of achievement that goes had in hand with saving wonderful seeds, coupled with the promise of what's coming next season :blob7:
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I'm just doing a bit of an update and will be pm'ing address later on today. Exciting :blob7:
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Hope to post seeds Monday .
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Hi Jay - did you send the PMs out? Only if you did, mine didn't reach me. :(
I will be sticking in some Black Futsu seeds too, which I grew for another seed circle, but there are so many seeds and the squash is so darned tasty I'd like to put some in. It's a really deep flavour, and quite sweet. Watching them change colour from black to chestnut is great too. They are now on my 'must grow' list.
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Hi Jay - did you send the PMs out? Only if you did, mine didn't reach me. :(
I will be sticking in some Black Futsu seeds too, which I grew for another seed circle, but there are so many seeds and the squash is so darned tasty I'd like to put some in. It's a really deep flavour, and quite sweet. Watching them change colour from black to chestnut is great too. They are now on my 'must grow' list.
Oh lovely - I had some once from a seed exchange, but got none of the seeds to germinate. Love to try them at last. :wave:
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Hi Jay - did you send the PMs out? Only if you did, mine didn't reach me. :(
I will be sticking in some Black Futsu seeds too, which I grew for another seed circle, but there are so many seeds and the squash is so darned tasty I'd like to put some in. It's a really deep flavour, and quite sweet. Watching them change colour from black to chestnut is great too. They are now on my 'must grow' list.
No, the weekend ran away I'm afraid! Pm's sent this morning :happy7:
I've not grown Black Futsu, yumm they do look good :toothy10:
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Have to dig out my own photos if we are doing a little catalogue again for our swapped seeds.
Yes please everyone :toothy10:
Information and pictures about the varieties you are adding will be fantastic.
I'm still working on a new home for the info for past circles info, some smashing varieties shared, it would be such a shame to loose.
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From Jeannine's amazing seed parcel I am happy to add two items.
First, the Piquante peppers, aka Peppadew. I have spent fun time in the kitchen trying to recreate how to turn them into Peppadews, stuffed with cream cheese. Cleaned them out (saved seeds :toothy10:), boiled in a little water with a dash of salt, a capful of balsamic vinegar and stevia (sugar would be the normal choice). Tasted and decided to add a second capful of vinegar and it smells just like the commercial item. I think they cook the commercial ones for a little longer, mine weren't quite soft. A bit of cream cheese and Yum - so good! We only tasted one each so far, to allow the others to infuse in the brine a bit longer.
Your recipe sounds superb :sunny:
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Sparrow, looking at the stems, they are cucurbita moschata? Looks like they must be an early moschata. Do they ripen fairly early for you? Or did you start really early?
On the picture of the whole mature squash you can see that it has a waxy coating. These type of squash usually store well. How long do they last for you?
Last question - did you roast these slices in butter and milled pepper over them? Drooling here ........... :icon_cheers:
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Below is a list of who's saved and sending what, I've posted it in white so if you want to be surprised don't go peeking, otherwise use your mouse to highlight the text. The list has also been updated on the Seed Circle document and is visible.
Goodlife, Sugar Lord mangetout, Gilfeather turnips, Sugarbeet, tomato seeds ‘Snowdrop’, ‘Anja’, chilli seeds, possibly wheat and oats
Markfield Rover, Sandpoint tomatoes, pea - Jeyes and runner bean Georgian.
Ian Pearson, Katja tomato, celeriac, and culinary dandelion.
Pumpkinlover, dwarf beans and hopefully some mangtout peas
Jayb, Gilfeather Turnip, Rocoto Orange Manzano, Beit Alpha cucumber, Violetta TPS, tomatillo Cisineros
Galina, Sugar Lord mangetout, Piquante peppers aka Peppadew, Temprano de Argelia aka Early of Algiers courgette, Rosalie's Early Orange tomato, herb Salad Burnet, 'Dduk Seom Jeok Chuk Myeon' Korean wrapping lettuce, African Horned Cucumber. Cousin Oliver CFB Also possibly Sosulka Rozovaya aka Pink Icicle and Lylia
Sparrow, Black Futsu, Thelma Sanders and Potimarron squash, Lemon Drop chillies, Kent Blue peas
Robert B,
Ruud, Ulluco and tomatoes.
Silverleaf, mispoona, Telephone peas and Blue Lake CFB
Aj, selecting to fill in gaps
Green Lily, Amish Plum, Purple Ukraine [also plum], Blush Betimes Macbeth
Easyonthebrain, San Marzano, broccoli Raab/Turnip Broccoli and Minidor Yellow Dwarf French Beans
RenewableCandy, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, (RenewableCandy's own strain) Sunflowers, Calypso CFB
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invisible ink! Now that takes me back ....................
Please scratch the Salanova. The Korean Wrapping lettuce worked and has produced loads of seed, unfortunately the Salanova lettuce less than a quarter teaspoon :( nowhere near enough to share.
Sosulka Rosavaya are already portioned and packeted.
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I love the secret writing!
It's an amazing parcel, how on earth am I going to fit all this in....?
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That's a very exciting list! I'd better start packing my seeds up...
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but what is CFB? am confused.
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ahem, figured it out. :happy8:
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invisible ink! Now that takes me back ....................
Please scratch the Salanova, unfortunately the Salanova lettuce less than a quarter teaspoon :( nowhere near enough to share.
Lol, I remember being given inviable ink as part of a 'Secret Agent' kit for Christmas! Then there was I think writing in onion juice which was invisible till warmed with the flame of a candle!
Salanova removed, I'm glad you have some fresh seed to carry over after your hard work :happy7:
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My fault, I was being lazy :angel11:
CFB, climbing French bean
DFB, dwarf French bean
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I love the secret writing!
It's an amazing parcel, how on earth am I going to fit all this in....?
...all comes to visible with press of the hot iron... :icon_cheers: Childhood memories indeed... :drunken_smilie:
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Right...my parcel is just about ready :icon_cheers: Last seeds to bag up tonight or tomorrow and the parcel will be posted Friday.
Just little word of warning....make yourself bigger letter box opening on door..the parcel is going to be big one this year :angel11: :tongue3:
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Right...my parcel is just about ready :icon_cheers: Last seeds to bag up tonight or tomorrow and the parcel will be posted Friday.
Brilliant, can't wait :drunken_smilie:
Just little word of warning....make yourself bigger letter box opening on door..the parcel is going to be big one this year :angel11: :tongue3:
:toothy10: Blimey, it's been pretty packed before (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-shocked003.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
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Sparrow, looking at the stems, they are cucurbita moschata? Looks like they must be an early moschata. Do they ripen fairly early for you? Or did you start really early?
On the picture of the whole mature squash you can see that it has a waxy coating. These type of squash usually store well. How long do they last for you?
Last question - did you roast these slices in butter and milled pepper over them? Drooling here ........... :icon_cheers:
Spot on, they are a moschata. I didn't put them out as early as I could have, but yes, they were fairly quick off the mark. It's taken about 5 weeks for them to turn the chestnut colour, helped with sunbathing on the windowsill. I have no idea about storage, I haven't grown them before, but someone else has been raving about them to me and I am glad I listened. I have 2 left, one of which is also a seed circle squash so needs to be eaten by mid-December! Average weight 1.5kg.
Roasted with a splodge of olive oil, some salt & pepper and a smear of butter. My oven is awful, so there was also some water in the bottom of the dish to stop the thing burning.
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Hi I am disorganised as usual! I have a reasonable crop of oca this year but I suspect most of you have it so not going to send unless you say you would like. So if any participants in the circle do want any let me know and I will send some for you :happy7:
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My oven is awful, so there was also some water in the bottom of the dish to stop the thing burning.
I do my squash in slices/chunks under the grill...quick and easy :icon_cheers:
And now the update.....ALL SEEDS ARE BAGGED UP!! :toothy10: ...and parcel will be sent tomorrow. :icon_cheers:
That's that then....having patience for waiting game is next.. :drunken_smilie:
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I hope to post today too, I will be over the border so getting ever closer, and as galina says "waiting game " but we will be distracted by Christmas and as the dust /glitter settles in the new year out of the early morning fog arrives the postman and as we will most certainly have those biscuits/choccies we squirreled away waiting for the perfect moment and being able to recycle the choccy box as a box of "seedy "dreams for 2015. Thanks for organising this Jayb , exciting .
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Your recipe sounds superb :sunny:
Thank you Jayb - here they are with slices of Potato Leaf White tomato and the little Lylia tomatoes (also in the seed circle). Should have piped the cream cheese, rather than just stuffing with a spoon, but wanted to show you anyway.
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Oh wow they do look good, thanks for sharing :drunken_smilie:
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Hi I am disorganised as usual! I have a reasonable crop of oca this year but I suspect most of you have it so not going to send unless you say you would like. So if any participants in the circle do want any let me know and I will send some for you :happy7:
That's a lovely offer :happy7:
I haven't packed any seeds up yet either, I must get on with it or the parcels will be arriving before I know it!
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Oh my, I'll get the wheelbarrow ready for incoming seed parcels :icon_cheers:
I hope to post today too, I will be over the border so getting ever closer, and as galina says "waiting game " but we will be distracted by Christmas and as the dust /glitter settles in the new year out of the early morning fog arrives the postman and as we will most certainly have those biscuits/choccies we squirreled away waiting for the perfect moment and being able to recycle the choccy box as a box of "seedy "dreams for 2015. Thanks for organising this Jayb , exciting .
You're very welcome. Now chocolates and seeds, WOW what a combination :drunken_smilie:
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Postie brought a lovely parcel of seeds today from Markfield Rover :blob7:
A gorgeous card too Thank You :happy7:
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I need to get my seed tins back from the allotment, and get some stuff sorted!
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Another parcel arrived yesterday, of the large and sumptuous type, thank you Goodlife. And for my wonderful treat, a bar of choccy :blob7:
So tempting to have a good look through and google names, but I didn't, well proud. I haven't sorted them into everyones parcel yet as I think I need time to de-sensitive myself from the lovely parcels we have had so far. I think it's already looking like it will be an amazing seed sharing parcel!
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Very quick question - are we allowing stamps for a small parcel for the return package? Am guessing this will be fairly large!
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Very quick question - are we allowing stamps for a small parcel for the return package? Am guessing this will be fairly large!
I just put book of stamps in and Jayb will then use what is needed for return...there is always chance that 'small' parcel postage is not enough...(hoping)... :tongue3: :icon_cheers:
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I gave my package in the hands(wings) of the international pigeon.I hope he has a tomtom to find his way to jayb. :wave: :wave:
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I gave my package in the hands(wings) of the international pigeon.I hope he has a tomtom to find his way to jayb. :wave: :wave:
They've not failed us yet :icon_cheers:
Although one you send was held up a while and opened by customs a few years back. I think it was the parcel which had a brief stop here before being sent back to Jeannine.
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Very quick question - are we allowing stamps for a small parcel for the return package? Am guessing this will be fairly large!
Previous years it has always fallen in the small parcel up to 1kg which works out at £3.20 for 1st or £2.80 for 2nd. Loose stamps are fine.
Lol, like your thinking G'life :toothy10:
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Yayyy :icon_cheers:
Ruuds parcel landed today, looks a beauty thanks :wave:
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:blob7: :blob7: :blob7: hurdles taken.
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Last seed of the Kiwano is now dry enough to break in half rather than bend, I guess that means I can pack them up and finally send my contribution tomorrow. Am I the last this year? :wave:
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Nope, I've been ill and haven't got mine sorted out yet. I'll try to get it done this week.
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Last seed of the Kiwano is now dry enough to break in half rather than bend, I guess that means I can pack them up and finally send my contribution tomorrow. Am I the last this year? :wave:
Brilliant, I'll be on parcel watch until they are all here. Luckily our postie is on the ball and parcels are delivered rather than end up at the sorting office.
No, I think I'll be last at the rate I'm going at the moment! Only 4 parcels delivered so far. Another one is on the way and yours very soon :blob7:
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Nope, I've been ill and haven't got mine sorted out yet. I'll try to get it done this week.
Sorry to hear you've been unwell, hope you are on the mend :wave: Let me know if you need a bit longer.
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Anyone have a clever way of "cleaning" brassica seeds? I don't want to send you guys the tiny ones that probably won't germinate, and bits of pod, and dried up remains of tiny grubs... ;), just the good seeds!
Thanks Jayb, been suffering with the fibromyalgia but I'm trying to plod on, I'm just a lot slower in mind and body then usual. I'll get there soon, hopefully.
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Owhh, gentle cyber hug on it's way.
I stomp the pods in a big old sheet and once collected in a big bowl skim off the obvious bulk. I run them trough a colander to keep back the big bits to discard. Then whirl around in a sieve to take out the dust and hopefully the smallest seed. Bit of a faff but I find safer than winnowing as I'm not too good at that and most of the seeds end up on the ground!
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Owhh, gentle cyber hug on it's way.
I stomp the pods in a big old sheet and once collected in a big bowl skim off the obvious bulk. I run them trough a colander to keep back the big bits to discard. Then whirl around in a sieve to take out the dust and hopefully the smallest seed. Bit of a faff but I find safer than winnowing as I'm not too good at that and most of the seeds end up on the ground!
And that is exactly what I do with brassica. As an alternative to stomping you can also put the seedpods into a bag or pillow case and go over them with a rolling pin, which breaks brassica seed pods. The rolling pin method is what I prefer for leeks but also works for brassica. If you have one of the smaller sized muck buckets, you can stomp on top of brassica stems and seed inside that too. Another quick indoor method is to put the stomped/rolling pin treated seed through a colander and then into a deep bowl and shake. The good seed will go to the bottom. You can then spoon off the debris from the top, shake again, spoon again and what is left in the bowl should be fairly clean, but you will have spooned some good seed off too. Then sieve the clean seed from the bowl and that should be good enough for the seed circle packets.
By the way, perfectly cleaned seed is just not necessary. We are not producing commercial packets and don't have commercial seed cleaning equipment. Hope you feel stronger soon :wave:
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By the way, perfectly cleaned seed is just not necessary.
I was just coming back to add similar :toothy10:
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Last seed of the Kiwano is now dry enough to break in half rather than bend, I guess that means I can pack them up and finally send my contribution tomorrow. Am I the last this year? :wave:
Nope, my stuff is still in rice. :)
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I packed most of mine yesterday but still drying some last minute piri piri chilli seeds.
I have dwarf French bean May bean and Eastern butterwax and Hannibal leek.
Did anyone want oca?
Apologies for being late . :glasses9: Hope you feel better soon silverleaf.
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Thanks everyone, what I have is mostly seeds but there are definitely some bits of dried dead grubs in there and I'm sure no-one wants that!
PL, I'd love some oca if you have some spare. Probably doesn't make sense for you to post it though, right? ;)
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I packed most of mine yesterday but still drying some last minute piri piri chilli seeds.
I have dwarf French bean May bean and Eastern butterwax and Hannibal leek.
Did anyone want oca?
All sounds great :toothy10: My mum loves Piri Piri chicken and will be chuffed if I grow these chillies for the dish, she may even want her own plant!
I'm ok for Oca thanks.
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Am also ok for oca thanks - had my first meal with it yesterday. S'lovely stuff! :blob7:
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Am also ok for oca thanks - had my first meal with it yesterday. S'lovely stuff! :blob7:
Here too, but thank you for the oca offer, Pumpkinlover. Your beans sound great. Now May bean is not the same as Mayflower bean, Mayflower is tall from what I remember? Hannibal leek is an early type. I am planning on growing Blue Solaise for late leek next year. We should be very well provided for. Thank you. Now Piri Piri Chicken - yum! I didn't know there was a Piri Piri pepper. Sorry I don't have your self-control Jayb and I have googled all seeds in anticipation.
Just finished with the cellotape and off to the Post office we go :happy7:
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Enough oca here too....but YES for the rest of the seeds... :icon_cheers:
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A lovely parcel arrived from Ian Pearson today :icon_cheers:
Thank you.
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I got the piri piri chilli seeds from a "pass the parcel" swop on here a few years ago. I always suspected that they came from Ceres as she donated a lot to that swop. Piri piri sounds a bit hot and so precautions were taken during the cleaning process.
Re HSL in the other thread and galinas post re the May bean I got worried I had it wrong. I used to Google or search for HSL varieties from previous years but couldn't find anything about them. Any way I found the packet! Which is a relief in case I had had a senior moment.
Silverleaf as you say it is a bit daft posting the oca. By the way did you get my message about the white currents? They are still here if you would like. :toothy10:
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I am so sorry for making you worried. That was quite unintentional. I tried to grow Mayflower this year but got nothing at all, big flop, so wondered whether they might be the same. More like thinking aloud really. They are not and I am looking forward to your seeds.
How hot are the Piri Piri? Serious precautions there :toothy10: - nice looking pepper. Thanks for showing us. :wave:
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How hot are the Piri Piri? Serious precautions there :toothy10: - nice looking pepper. Thanks for showing us. :wave:
Just a little tingle on the tongue... :angel12: :evil6:
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I am so sorry for making you worried. That was quite unintentional. I tried to grow Mayflower this year but got nothing at all, big flop, so wondered whether they might be the same. More like thinking aloud really. They are not and I am looking forward to your seeds.
How hot are the Piri Piri? Serious precautions there :toothy10: - nice looking pepper. Thanks for showing us. :wave:
Sorry my comment was not well put. It wasn't your comment that worried me but that when I did check there was nothing I could find. I had HSL on the label and usually you can find information about seeds from old catalogues on line easily.
I haven't tried the chillies but they are description as "extremely hot" so I will be drying and bottling (carefully)!
I didn't bag anything this year but the leeks were grown in a greenhouse as were the chillies and hopefully will be true.
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Mine aren't sorted either.
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No worries Robert, still a little bit of time to go, although it's creeping up fast and I'm not sure which is the last day for posting parcels, anyone know?
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Yayyy, thanks Galina, your parcel arrived today :icon_cheers: Beautifully sorted and packed thanks :drunken_smilie:
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Glad it made it safely there :wave:
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Still quite a few parcels to come in, the last 2nd class posting day is Thursday 18th December - 6 days left to post!
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:angel5: :angel5: :angel5: :angel5: :angel5:
Well not really but I have been and posted mine.
No fancy packets I am afraid and they were not bagged but the chillies and leeks were in a greenhouse.
My bag technique needs improvement.
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Postie's been, Pumpkinlover your parcel has arrived, Thank you. All looks great and bonus they are all bagged in their variety. :sunny:
I'm very tempted to take a peek at May beans and Eastern Butterwax, love touchy feely seeds :toothy10:
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:angel5: :angel5: :angel5: :angel5: :angel5:
Well not really but I have been and posted mine.
No fancy packets I am afraid and they were not bagged but the chillies and leeks were in a greenhouse.
My bag technique needs improvement.
It's great that you got good pollination with leeks in the greenhouse. if no other variety was grown to seed in close vicinity, I am sure purity will be fine. Same for chillies.
With chillis you can make a fleece tent for the whole group of plants (or for several plants in a big planter). They don't need bees or other insects for pollination, or you can slip a flower baggie over each branch just before the flowers open and take it off after the peppers have started developing.
Looking forward to growing your seeds.
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Postie's been, Pumpkinlover your parcel has arrived, Thank you. All looks great and bonus they are all bagged in their variety. :sunny:
I'm very tempted to take a peek at May beans and Eastern Butterwax, love touchy feely seeds :toothy10:
That's a relief. Does everyone else worry while parcel on the way to jayb? I do!!
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That's a relief. Does everyone else worry while parcel on the way to jayb? I do!!
I do too, all that work. Couldn't replace the seeds either. If I had to do a second emergency parcel, it would be a very light one. :wave: Hope they all arrive safely!
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Just packed up mine ready to send - small panic when I lost my little labels & had to do them again. They are somewhere in this flat...(d'oh!)
Hope they arrive with you ok - I couldn't replace them if they don't. And I had to pick one of the busiest postal weeks to send it! :BangHead:
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Brilliant another two on the way :toothy10:
Let you know when they arrive.
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:angel5: :angel5: :angel5: :angel5: :angel5:
Well not really but I have been and posted mine.
No fancy packets I am afraid and they were not bagged but the chillies and leeks were in a greenhouse.
My bag technique needs improvement.
I use large, drawstring, wedding favour bags - not sure how they would do for really big allium flowers, but they worked really well for chillies and squashes.
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:angel5: :angel5: :angel5: :angel5: :angel5:
Well not really but I have been and posted mine.
No fancy packets I am afraid and they were not bagged but the chillies and leeks were in a greenhouse.
My bag technique needs improvement.
I use large, drawstring, wedding favour bags - not sure how they would do for really big allium flowers, but they worked really well for chillies and squashes.
Yes, mine are similar to wedding favour bags but home made out of a remnant of net curtain from the charity shop for 50p.
Not a good idea for alliums because they are outbreeders and need insects going from one flower to the next, they don't self pollinate to any great extent. For alliums you need either no other alliums of the same species in the vicinity or a fleece tent and trapped insects inside (for example grown from fishing maggots). That is far more labour intensive, easier to grow them to seed in a back garden if the neighbours don't grow leeks to seed.
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Have to dig out my own photos if we are doing a little catalogue again for our swapped seeds.
Yes please everyone :toothy10:
Information and pictures about the varieties you are adding will be fantastic.
I'm still working on a new home for the info for past circles info, some smashing varieties shared, it would be such a shame to loose.
Is there anywhere special to send these, or should they just be posted on this thread? I have a few pictures. :)
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Yes please everyone :toothy10:
Information and pictures about the varieties you are adding will be fantastic.
I'm still working on a new home for the info for past circles info, some smashing varieties shared, it would be such a shame to loose.
Is there anywhere special to send these, or should they just be posted on this thread? I have a few pictures. :)
I have started adding my information. You need to get permission from the site owner (Jayb) to be able to make changes to the document.
It is here
https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/seed-parcel/seed-circle-2014
If there are any difficulties I can help you (or anybody else) upload their information and/or pictures.
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:angel5: :angel5: :angel5: :angel5: :angel5:
Well not really but I have been and posted mine.
No fancy packets I am afraid and they were not bagged but the chillies and leeks were in a greenhouse.
My bag technique needs improvement.
I use large, drawstring, wedding favour bags - not sure how they would do for really big allium flowers, but they worked really well for chillies and squashes.
Well wedding favour bags is a new one on me :glasses9: For the benefit of other dinasours and probably the blokes on here it is a little bag made of thin silky type material used to give out trinkets or sweets.!!
I made my bags out of some fairly stiff screening type material but because the bag is so thick an with me forgetting to take the bag off often means that I get fungus on the flower. I will have more time next year and have made some bags out of net curtain material now. I hope that the seeds are true but just wanted you to know so you can rogue out any oddities.
Thanks for all the help and advice. :wave:
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RenewableCandy's seed parcel arrived today - thanks :toothy10:
All divvied up and the seed packets are filling up nicely :icon_cheers:
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Finally managed to get my seeds posted this afternoon, continuing to be very slow here I'm afraid. I really hope they arrive on time now. :/
I haven't been able to send as much as I wanted to unfortunately, just didn't have enough for so many people. Hope you'll forgive me! Hopefully I should have lots more if there's a swap next year.
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Lurvely parcel from Sparrow, just about to sort them into everyone's envelope :toothy10:
Whilst eating chocolate, what could be better :drunken_smilie:
Thank you.
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And another :icon_cheers:
Silverleaf's gorgeous parcel has arrived too. A seedy morning!
Thank you so much :happy7:
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Finally managed to get my seeds posted this afternoon, continuing to be very slow here I'm afraid. I really hope they arrive on time now. :/
I haven't been able to send as much as I wanted to unfortunately, just didn't have enough for so many people. Hope you'll forgive me! Hopefully I should have lots more if there's a swap next year.
Oh don't worry...it is all learning curve...and each time round you find it 'easier' and you find yourself saving more and more... :drunken_smilie: ...and that last bit comes with warning.... :evil6:
Actually I did find this time round 'numbers' more manageable...saving for 20 for some reason is much more effort :icon_scratch: (..not complaining...it is nice to have lots of people coming along..)
Oh I hope we have another one again next year........!?
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Lurvely parcel from Sparrow, just about to sort them into everyone's envelope :toothy10:
Whilst eating chocolate, what could be better :drunken_smilie:
Thank you.
Hurrah! Am very glad it got to you this side of Christmas!
Really looking forward to next year's too...*hopeful smile*
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I'm relieved my seeds got there safely (and weren't eaten by hedgehogs ;)).
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I'm relieved my seeds got there safely (and weren't eaten by hedgehogs ;)).
No way they are far too nice and well behaved :toothy10:
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Really looking forward to next year's too...*hopeful smile*
Yes, I hope so, as long as there is interest. I'll start a new thread very soon :blob7:
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Seed received from Easyonthebrain, thanks, all looks great.
And another parcel received, but I'm not quite sure who from, I'm guessing for the circle as it has the right amount of seed packets? But there doesn't appear to be a label or stamps and no postmark on the envelope.
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Seed received from Easyonthebrain, thanks, all looks great.
And another parcel received, but I'm not quite sure who from, I'm guessing for the circle as it has the right amount of seed packets? But there doesn't appear to be a label or stamps and no postmark on the envelope.
Can you deduct who it is from the seed varieties sent? Not many parcels to come now.
:wave:
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I don't think either posted what they might be sending.
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WHoaw a mystery box :blob7: :blob7: :blob7:Happy new year to everybody.
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Oh I gave in :angel11:....and started to snoop in our 'catalogue' page what we've got to come.. :toothy10:
....and while I was there..I managed to edit some new entries with added photos too :glasses9: ..few more to do and that's me done :happy7:
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:icon_cheers:
Brilliant
Loving your pictures and descriptions, making me drool :toothy10:
Actually loving everyone input and I can't wait to get the parcels out and get a proper look at mine. Must be sowing time for chillies :icon_cheers:
Anyone else who has pictures or grow/eating description they want to add, now is the time.
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That sounds like my parcel. Sorry, I haven't been well, and forgot the postage. what do you need?
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How do I log in and enter what I sent? It should be Vivid Choy and parsnip Hollow Crown x Avon Resister. Apologies again, I sent it from my daughters, and only have very limited internet access while I was there.
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I still can't login to add photos, sorry Jayb. I sent you some photos before Christmas, and hope they arrived ok in your inbox. I did try to re-size the photos so they wouldn't be huge.
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I've looked again, I'm really not sure why google isn't letting you log in. Is anyone else having problems?
I'm soo sorry Sparrow, only now I found your lovely pictures, can't believe I didn't see them before, I'm sure they weren't there when I first read your email. Lol must be loosing it!
Is there any blurb you'd like me to add along with the piccies?
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That sounds like my parcel. Sorry, I haven't been well, and forgot the postage. what do you need?
Thanks for sending them Robert, really hope you start feeling better very soon. I think I already have your address, so can post them on to you. You could perhaps add some stamps to the Pass the Parcel when it gets to you?
How do I log in and enter what I sent? It should be Vivid Choy and parsnip Hollow Crown x Avon Resister. Apologies again, I sent it from my daughters, and only have very limited internet access while I was there.
I've checked, you are registered to be able to edit and as far as I know you just go to the site and log on?
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Just a reminder. For adding information to our booklet, we have to click on the pencil symbol on top of the page. This then loads the text editor, before we can make any changes (ie add our information).
When everything is typed in and/or pictures added, we need to press the 'save' button to finish off.
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Been out-of-action with the lurgy and now discover I haven't sent you everything that's needed! Grovelling apologies and that! Could you tell me what else exactly I need to send? Does it include an envelope to put everything in and if so how big does it need to be?..and if it includes stamps, any idea what value? Sorry, but I really can't remember the last time I posted anything and the prices are all silly now so I haven't got a clue...
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I'll just bring our 'catalogue' bit more forward again for easy 'reach'... https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/blog/seeds-shared (https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/blog/seeds-shared) Could it be on display more permanent bases, somewhere where lazy people like me don't have to go through some extra clicks to find it... :tongue3: :glasses9:
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I'll just bring our 'catalogue' bit more forward again for easy 'reach'... https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/blog/seeds-shared (https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/blog/seeds-shared) Could it be on display more permanent bases, somewhere where lazy people like me don't have to go through some extra clicks to find it... :tongue3: :glasses9:
This is the page which lists everything that was shared since the seed circle started. And here is where we list this year's seed saved goodies, together with pictures, growing information, origin of seed or just why we like the variety.
https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/seed-parcel/seed-circle-2014
The booklet is growing nicely and a joy to look at. This is again going to be a super seed share. :wave:
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I'll just bring our 'catalogue' bit more forward again for easy 'reach'... https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/blog/seeds-shared (https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/blog/seeds-shared) Could it be on display more permanent bases, somewhere where lazy people like me don't have to go through some extra clicks to find it... :tongue3: :glasses9:
I've added the link to my signature if that helps?
I'm still setting up a new home for the Circle catalogue, one I hope which will be more stable than the google one, which is also fast running out of space!
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I'll just bring our 'catalogue' bit more forward again for easy 'reach'... https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/blog/seeds-shared (https://sites.google.com/site/seedsharingcircle/blog/seeds-shared) Could it be on display more permanent bases, somewhere where lazy people like me don't have to go through some extra clicks to find it... :tongue3: :glasses9:
I've added the link to my signature if that helps?
I'm still setting up a new home for the Circle catalogue, one I hope which will be more stable than the google one, which is also fast running out of space!
:icon_thumleft: I'll do nicely...!
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Won't be long :sunny:
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Jayb you are psychic! I was just going to ask whether we were close to lift-off...
Now I need a cup of tea and a proper peruse of the catalogue. Possibly while humming happily to myself! :toothy10:
PS - I know which one's mi-iiine!
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Won't be long :sunny:
OOOOOOH....AHHHH.... :toothy10: ...we are nearly there... :icon_cheers: Darn snow that they are forecasting is NOT going to ruin postiwoman's round now...I'll fetch the parcel if they try to say they cannot deliver...I'll get my ski's ready... :happy7:
Jayb...how far did you live again...? :glasses9: :tongue3:
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Won't be long :sunny:
OOOOOOH....AHHHH.... :toothy10: ...we are nearly there... :icon_cheers: Darn snow that they are forecasting is NOT going to ruin postiwoman's round now...I'll fetch the parcel if they try to say they cannot deliver...I'll get my ski's ready... :happy7:
Jayb...how far did you live again...? :glasses9: :tongue3:
Eew, have you got snow? 'Tis drizzy damp here, forgot to check the weather!
Hope you don't need to slalom :wave:
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Jayb you are psychic! I was just going to ask whether we were close to lift-off...
Now I need a cup of tea and a proper peruse of the catalogue. Possibly while humming happily to myself! :toothy10:
PS - I know which one's mi-iiine!
Lol, it is distinctive! Yes all but one on their merry way Hurrah! :icon_cheers:
Big relief to have them on the way and really, really looking forward to opening mine, tomorrow I hope :toothy10:
I've saved 1/2 a bar of choccie from Goodlife for the occasion!
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Eew, have you got snow? 'Tis drizzy damp here, forgot to check the weather!
Hope you don't need to slalom :wave:
No, not yet. Everywhere is frozen...soooo cold, and biggest hype in news is 'how much snow is supposed to land' tomorrow....not looking forward for that!
I don't have any chocks to chomp while going through seeds,,,but I have saved a hot chocolate drink, special one, just for the occasion...(ahem Galina!)
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Very exciting!
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Looking forward to parcel arriving. But I hope you will not go out if you have horrible weather jayb .Stay in and have one of these :coffee2:
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Thanks for your thoughts but weather is much better here than for some, which is why I didn't think not to post because they may get caught in snow! Hope you are all snow free and
Hurry up posties :blob7:
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Note to self, must relieve "celebrations" tub of its contents to make way for seeds! Dirty work but somebody has to do it. No snow here but the Black Mountains look beautiful , I will keep an eye out for goodlife crossing them.
Cheers Jayb.
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I've added a couple of packs of tubers which will need attention fairly soon. Only a very small amount in each pack though.
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Note to self, must relieve "celebrations" tub of its contents to make way for seeds! Dirty work but somebody has to do it.
Cheers Jayb.
I feel your pain :glasses9:
No snow here but the Black Mountains look beautiful , I will keep an eye out for goodlife crossing them.
Cheers Jayb.
I have a lovely image of Goodlife in full kit, rucksack on her back, zooming up and down hills :toothy10:
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Note to self, must relieve "celebrations" tub of its contents to make way for seeds! Dirty work but somebody has to do it.
Cheers Jayb.
I feel your pain :glasses9:
No snow here but the Black Mountains look beautiful , I will keep an eye out for goodlife crossing them.
Cheers Jayb.
I have a lovely image of Goodlife in full kit, rucksack on her back, zooming up and down hills :toothy10:
Yes...I have image too....but it aint that lovely :laughing7:...girl is not quite that fit that she used to be...
Not much 'zooming' to do neither.... we had some white stuff last night and already I can hear 'drip, drip, drip'...I doubt it will last for long. Hmm...how does one 'zoom' with wellies on... :drunken_smilie:
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Note to self, must relieve "celebrations" tub of its contents to make way for seeds! Dirty work but somebody has to do it. No snow here but the Black Mountains look beautiful , I will keep an eye out for goodlife crossing them.
Cheers Jayb.
Sight not to be missed... :icon_cheers:
Do I really have to go and buy some chockies now that you all are talking about it......tummy made funny sound now I can't get the idea off from my head.. :BangHead:
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Do I really have to go and buy some chockies now that you all are talking about it......tummy made funny sound now I can't get the idea off from my head.. :BangHead:
Yep, but don't be long, or postie will leave you a hand written card!
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It's here!! Thanks Jayb , to celebrate( now that OH has left for work ) I am going to put the heating on so that I can sit in comfort , and enjoy. Goodlife can safely return to base camp.
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:icon_cheers:
Bang goes the hoovering!
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Nothing here yet, but there's about 3 inches of snow so I expect that'll disrupt things.
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Mine'z here!!
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Hmp...I'm not impressed with postie... :tongue2: Ever since they chanced to use those silly 'prams' to deliver their post, little bit of difficulty with weather and they cannot deliver. They never failed with good old bikes.
YEP...not post...nothing...nada...ei postia! And there is not even that much snow out there...couple of inches at most, but it is all VERY sloshy.
Oh well...another day, another delivery...I hope...
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Oh dear (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/sad.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
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I've added a couple of packs of tubers which will need attention fairly soon. Only a very small amount in each pack though.
Tubers?? TUBERS? That's me bouncing up and down in my seat! And thinking I have to re-jig my plot plan again.
Postie didn't bring me anything. But I am making some sticky gingerbread for when he does. And possibly pouring a sloe port or two.
(Apologies, my seedaholism is of the excitable kind)
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What are the tubers? I can't wait, but meanwhile a gigantic seed parcel has just arrived so I can't complain!
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Don't get too excited, they are nothing big and really just a minimal offering I'm afraid. They won't take up much space and probably better off in a pot or container.
Oooh yum gingerbread, lucky you.
Lol know what you mean!
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What are the tubers? I can't wait, but meanwhile a gigantic seed parcel has just arrived so I can't complain!
Sorry Robert I sent yours 2nd, hopefully with you tomorrow, though sounds like you have your hands full with the other parcel at the moment :toothy10:
If you want to peek, the almost finished list is here http://seedsaverscircle.org/seed-circle/a4a-seed-saver-group-2014/
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Well I was wrong, mine arrived today. Lots of awesome stuff in there!
Looking forward to sorting through it. Thanks everyone!
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Well I was wrong, mine arrived today. Lots of awesome stuff in there!
Looking forward to sorting through it. Thanks everyone!
Mine might come today then!
Mind you they had to walk past end of my road to get to yours! Could have dropped it off at the same time :tongue3:
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Hopefully they will all arrive, I feel a bit guilty going through my collection when most of you are still waiting. But I'm loving everything, big thanks to everyone taking part it's awesome. Where to grow it all!!! :icon_cheers: I particularly like the tomatoes, beans, peas, grains, squash :blob7: I won't do varieties in case anyone's trying to keep it a secret still.
If not
If you want to peek, the almost finished list is here http://seedsaverscircle.org/seed-circle/a4a-seed-saver-group-2014/
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IT IS HERE!!! :icon_cheers: :toothy10: Looovely, lovely...
I've just tipped the seeds on table and started looking through...chockies long forgotten, this is much more interesting..!
And what did I see first.....?!.....culinary dandelions! :icon_cheers:...well, they are all edible what grow outside...but having a labelled 'variety' is BRILLIANT, now nobody can't complain that I grow weeds...oh no, these are special dandelion, purposely grown and lovingly cultivated for the table... :laughing7: Cheers for that.. :icon_thumleft:
Hmm...what else is there?....(I'll disappear for now and will come back in a bit)
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Me again... :glasses9:
Isn't it 'funny'....one can snoop the list in advance and oogle all the wonderful seed varieties, but it doesn't really sink in and feel the same until you actually have the packets in your hand see the seeds :drunken_smilie:
I have to say that although circle's parcel is always REALLY good, this one has for some reason really 'hit my spot'...there is not a single seed packet that I would not fancy growing. I cannot sow them all in one year, so it will be tough job to start choosing later on what I grow first.
Some others 'bits' that jumped out the pile was....
-chufa's...I haven't grown them for few years and I doubt what I saved would grow anymore and last time bleeding vine weevils chomped through all the best ones :BangHead:
-chillie's!!! :icon_cheers: I'll be sowing some today... :icon_cheers:...don't know where I'm going to plant them all but hey ho...I just have to sow more... :drunken_smilie:
-giant fennel....I've got self seeded fennel spreading like riot on allotment....but MORE is merrier!!!...and I don't have giant one..yet.. :tongue3: :icon_cheers:
-OOooh...and all the different squashes and pumpkins....lovely, must grow plenty of those...
AND.....AND.....AND....like I said, good parcel! Thank you for everybody :icon_thumleft:
Ruud....I haven't had chance to look for info yet, but what sort of tomato is SC2121?
Jayb...Special thank you for finding time and making effort to do this again....'KISS'!...BUT, you have been naughty girl!!! :nono:...didn't I say 'use the stamps for 'what ever'...and here I find them in my parcel!? Well..they will be very well travelled unused stamps when I put them in use with next seed parcel.... :angel11:
So happy....and MUCH better than Christmas..!!!! :hello2:
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Chufas? I didn't get chufas!
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Chufas? I didn't get chufas!
?? :icon_scratch:
Do you want few from my envelope? I don't necessary need that many and can wait to get more when they grow...usually there is no shortage of tubers once they get growing.
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Got it today, thanks. I'm particularly glad of the ulluco, I tried it last year and it did nothing. The slugs probably had it since it was well above the water table. Maybe it'll work better if I start it in pots.
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I've had some experience of tree lupins, which were planted all over the china clay tips round where I used to live in Cornwall. It likes a poor sand or grit, and hates wet soil. It's not a very long lived shrub, so be prepared to replant every few years.
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Chufas? I didn't get chufas!
?? :icon_scratch:
Do you want few from my envelope? I don't necessary need that many and can wait to get more when they grow...usually there is no shortage of tubers once they get growing.
Thank you, that's very kind. I'd love a few if you're sure you can spare them?
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I've had some experience of tree lupins, which were planted all over the china clay tips round where I used to live in Cornwall. It likes a poor sand or grit, and hates wet soil. It's not a very long lived shrub, so be prepared to replant every few years.
Good job you said that, I was planning on putting a few in my borders but if they don't like wet soil they'll hate my clay. Mind you, it's usually hard and dry all summer... ;)
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It's landed!!
And it's amazing, thank you so, so much!
My head's spinning like goodlife's. What can I put where??? And i love seeing all the different styles of packaging. Pumpkinlover, are you an origami expert?
Some of these I have been after for a little while, others I cannot wait to try (new squash!! and chillies!!) and some I had never heard of (tubers, this means you!).
I am over the moon! If you'll let me play again, I cannot wait for next year. Though I will definitely need a second half-plot now...
PS love the new seed saving website and the genius logo.
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It's landed!!
And it's amazing, thank you so, so much!
My head's spinning like goodlife's. What can I put where??? And i love seeing all the different styles of packaging. Pumpkinlover, are you an origami expert?
Some of these I have been after for a little while, others I cannot wait to try (new squash!! and chillies!!) and some I had never heard of (tubers, this means you!).
I am over the moon! If you'll let me play again, I cannot wait for next year. Though I will definitely need a second half-plot now...
PS love the new seed saving website and the genius logo.
:icon_cheers: AND she 'swallowed the hook and all'... :evil6: Nobody can't save you now...YOU ARE seedsaver! BWA-HA-HA (that's supposed to sound really wicked) :evil6:
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Mine arrived yesterday . Fantastic thanks to every one involved in contributing and especially to jayb. Why you should feel guilty for getting to look first! No way! :wave:
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:blob7: :blob7: :blob7:The pigeon arrived safe and sound.What a great bunch of people to have as gardenfriends.My weekend is already great,what a great variety of seeds.Thanks a lot especially jaybe for organising all. :wave: :wave: :wave:Have no time anymore have to find out what all those little treasures are.
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So many lovelies, looking forward to the wheat, I think I shall thatch the greenhouse!
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So many lovelies, looking forward to the wheat, I think I shall thatch the greenhouse!
:icon_cheers: :laughing7: :drunken_smilie:
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I got my seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedz!!
Thanks guys!!
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Chufas? I didn't get chufas!
Oops, you should have! Did you get two lots of Ulluco instead?
I'll pop some in the post to you.
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:blob7: :blob7: :blob7:The pigeon arrived safe and sound.What a great bunch of people to have as gardenfriends.My weekend is already great,what a great variety of seeds.Thanks a lot especially jaybe for organising all. :wave: :wave: :wave:Have no time anymore have to find out what all those little treasures are.
A racing pigeon no less, glad it arrived so quickly :happy7:
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I have two questions regarding our seed harvest:
Markfield Rover, is 'Georgian Runner' bean a runner bean or a French bean (which are often called 'runner' if they are climbing, because they 'run' up the pole?)
Ruud, are your white seeded Cherokee Trail of Tears descendants from Mr Yeoman's Whiteseeded Cherokee Trail of Tears beans which I shared in an earlier seed circle, or are they a different white seeded strain?
Thanks Jayb for uploading the seed pictures. Great stuff :wave:
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Hi galina, the seed was from a HSL swap, they grew to 10/12 feet to me they were more a fine runner, very tasty when small then again there was something of the French bean about them, sorry to confuse, iam back at the same seed swap soon so will ask the chap who had them for clearer info.
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Looking at the seeds, with their colour and markings, I thought they looked more like French beans? I guess we will know for sure when they germinate. I'm looking forward to sampling them whichever :toothy10:
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The look like French beans to me as well. I just assumed they were climbing Frenchies.
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Hi galina, the seed was from a HSL swap, they grew to 10/12 feet to me they were more a fine runner, very tasty when small then again there was something of the French bean about them, sorry to confuse, iam back at the same seed swap soon so will ask the chap who had them for clearer info.
Thankyou all. They looked like a french bean to me too, but then you can't always tell. Yes it would be great to have a little more origin info Markfield Rover, if that is possible. They look a great bean whichever and I am looking forward to growing them :wave:
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Possibly a bizarre question - at any point was Mr Fearns Purple Flowered CFB on the list for this parcel?
Only it's snuck onto the things-to-grow list for this year but I can't figure out where I would have got the seeds from. I certainly don't have any. Please can someone put me out of my misery? I don't need seeds (my boxes are overflowing!) I just want to know where I got the idea from!
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No I don't think it was from this Circle, we have had them in the past though. I think there were seeds in the Seed Swap parcel, I can check when it arrives back, in case you change your mind.
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Thanks Jayb - perhaps I dreamt it! I really don't need more seeds though thanks v much for your suggestion, I will struggle to grow as much as I want from the fab seed circle this year.
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Hi galina,the cherokee trail of tears white seeded are from a swap i had.They are coming from the states and i think they are from an other source.
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RUUUD! :wave:
..sorry about shouting, just wanted to make sure you notice... :happy7:
I wanted to know what sort of tomato is SC2121?
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Hi goodlife,tomato SC2121 is a commercial grown tomato in turkey.I bought the seeds on a market in turkey.The tomatoes are salad kind of tomato golfball size big.I hope you have enough information,they are producing well in a greenhouse never tried them in the open.
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They sound good and from the bit I found on the internet, a tasty red round 160g fruits, medium early, strong growing determinate variety.
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At last! Although the pictures were great to look at. But actually holding these amazing little packets and looking them over and planning, is just something completely delightful. Trying to visualise a whole tomato garden from everything we received. Amazing shapes colours and no doubt flavours to look forward to. Thank you everybody so much :wave: :icon_cheers:
Thank you Ruud for all the info. Yes I wonder. :drunken_smilie: I know that Mr Yeoman did send some seeds to the USA, but on the other hand I have heard reports that Cherokee Trail of Tears throws up a white seeded mutation from time to time (another has been reported at Ryton, but there were no seeds distributed that I know of). In any case, both being mutations from the same bean, should in principle be as identical as two different lots of seeds from the same variety ever can be. :wave:
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Hi goodlife,tomato SC2121 is a commercial grown tomato in turkey.I bought the seeds on a market in turkey.The tomatoes are salad kind of tomato golfball size big.I hope you have enough information,they are producing well in a greenhouse never tried them in the open.
http://www.kucukciftlik.com/seed/87
There is quite a bit of information on www about this tomato, with a little help from Google Translate. I have not found a definitive statement that SC2121 is open pollinated, but noticed that other tomatoes are labelled as F1 hybrids by the same companies that offer this tomato. I therefore expect that this variety is OP and breeds true.
We are able to grow some really special tomatoes from shared seed :sunny: Thank you all for diverse and interesting varieties. And of course not just the tomatoes, the number of grains, brassica, tubers, legumes, fruit and veg from this circle is fabulous. :blob7:
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Great...thank you all for the tomato info...I shall look at all the links :icon_thumleft: I don't know what has happened to my brain...but I just couldn't find anything about this variety :drunken_smilie: I did find it mentioned in people's blogs and 'to grow' lists but no real info.
Hmm...maybe I should sleep more..I've been doing my night owl activities quite a lot lately and head is not quite as sharp as it should be ...or too much :coffee2: :angel11:
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No I don't think it was from this Circle, we have had them in the past though. I think there were seeds in the Seed Swap parcel, I can check when it arrives back, in case you change your mind.
My info says that I had them from A4A swaps, two sources Plot51a and aj.
By the way, does anybody else get advertisements for 'The Circle' which seems to be a telephone fortune teller :BangHead: :glasses9:
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Unstickied, a link to this thread can be found on the first post of the 2015 circle.
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My info says that I had them from A4A swaps, two sources Plot51a and aj.
By the way, does anybody else get advertisements for 'The Circle' which seems to be a telephone fortune teller :BangHead: :glasses9:
Same here, Mr Fearn's Purple Flowered were added to the 2010 Seed Circle by Plot51a. I've some seeds also from Aj, but possibly not from a swap on A4A.
I use Adblock Plus as I got annoyed at some of the ads that were presented, much better now :happy7:
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Are Ambercup squash a hybrid? I was looking for some info to add to the site?
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Are Ambercup squash a hybrid? I was looking for some info to add to the site?
http://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/squash.html
Ambercup - [C. maxima]
A cross between the Buttercup and Golden Hubbard squash, the Ambercup looks like a small pumpkin and generally weighs around 2-1/2 pounds. An exceptionally sweet winter squash, it's considered one of the finest for eating. This squash has an extraordinarily long storage life.
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The only thing I can't find out is whether Ambercup is a hybrid or not. Did Ruud share or grow and save these seeds?
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Nice link, thanks.
Yes that's the bit I don't know, I found a couple of references to them being a hybrid, but quite a few that don't.
Hopefully Ruud will be along to chime in :wave:
Either way they look delish :drunken_smilie:
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The ambercup i have grown last summer was from seed from my neighbour allotmentholder.I think it is almost sure not a hybrid because i am now 8 years on this plot and my neighbour is grown hin since.He always kept some seeds for the next summer.I hope it is enough information.Bytheway after 8 years it is dehybridsated and adept to certain circumstances.
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Great information Ruud, thank you. It looks a very good squash. :sunny:
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Not only looks galina tastes even better than it looks.
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Not only looks galina tastes even better than it looks.
I am looking forward to growing and t a s t i n g them to find out. Are they producing long vines or a bush variety with shorter vines? How much space do you give each plant? Is a square metre enough? :wave:
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I found a mystery packet in my seed swap parcel. I hope somebody can enlighten me. A dozen broad bean seeds wrapped in a sheet of the Yorkshire Post newspaper. Unfortunately no variety name. Who do I thank for them? :wave:
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Yes i have them also in my package,i already read the newspaper but i dont know the variety of the broad beans.
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I found another little online snippet about different strains of white seeded Cherokee Trail of Tears. Many years ago Ben Gabel (from Real Seeds) apparently offered these vie the Seed Savers Exchange in the USA. :wave:
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Gifted Broad beans are still a mystery :wave:
Jayb, is there a way we can add descriptions to the new seed circle site? I have completed my descriptions and photos on the old site, but don't know how to upload to the new site. Could you please transfer the Piquante Pepper and the Argelia Squash info?
Thank you. :sunny:
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Galina , the Georgian beans are CFB. I went to the swap and picked " Ingrid Marie "and "Blue and White" and "Romanian" & "Magorcan' I'll do a google and see if these might be worth a go for the 2015 circle. Hope this helps.
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Galina , the Georgian beans are CFB. I went to the swap and picked " Ingrid Marie "and "Blue and White" and "Romanian" & "Magorcan' I'll do a google and see if these might be worth a go for the 2015 circle. Hope this helps.
Thank you for finding out about the Georgian Beans, Markfield rover. :sunny:
Nice haul. You'll love Blue and White - big plants with big stems and big shelling beans, hardy whatever the weather throws at them. The type of Victorian bean that can be eaten as green beans young and/or shelled later. Have grown Romanian too, very early, lots of pods. The others I have never heard of. Hope they will do well. Sounds like there will be a great bean or two in the 2015 swap
:wave:
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Thanks for the info galina, I have some toms too but I'll mention them on the 2015 swap page I hope they might be interesting if googling them is anything to go by then I don't think they are too common.
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Gifted Broad beans are still a mystery :wave:
Jayb, is there a way we can add descriptions to the new seed circle site? I have completed my descriptions and photos on the old site, but don't know how to upload to the new site. Could you please transfer the Piquante Pepper and the Argelia Squash info?
Thank you. :sunny:
I'm pretty sure editors can be added to the new site, I'll see if I can work it out, I think there are different levels if someone wants to write bits on there etc.
I've copied over Piquante Pepper and the Argelia Squash info.
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Yes i have them also in my package,i already read the newspaper but i dont know the variety of the broad beans.
I've no idea what they are either. I've sent a pm to RenewableCandy asking her in case she doesn't see these posts.
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The ambercup i have grown last summer was from seed from my neighbour allotmentholder.I think it is almost sure not a hybrid because i am now 8 years on this plot and my neighbour is grown hin since.He always kept some seeds for the next summer.I hope it is enough information.Bytheway after 8 years it is dehybridsated and adept to certain circumstances.
Brilliant, thanks for adding that, I'm really looking forward to growing them :happy7:
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Gifted Broad beans are still a mystery :wave:
Jayb, is there a way we can add descriptions to the new seed circle site? I have completed my descriptions and photos on the old site, but don't know how to upload to the new site. Could you please transfer the Piquante Pepper and the Argelia Squash info?
Thank you. :sunny:
I'm pretty sure editors can be added to the new site, I'll see if I can work it out, I think there are different levels if someone wants to write bits on there etc.
I've copied over Piquante Pepper and the Argelia Squash info.
Appreciated :angel11:
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Do you want Galina as your username, or would you prefer another name, it apparently can't be changed.
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Do you want Galina as your username, or would you prefer another name, it apparently can't be changed.
yes please, or rather 'galina' to save having to remember the capital G.
Thank you. :wave:
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Greenlily (and everybody), I have just got the very first shoots of tomato Amish Plum, germinated 3 days after sowing, which is very fast :sunny:
could you please tell me a little about this tomato. Can't find any information online at all. Where did you get the seed? What did they look/taste like? Indeterminate or a bush variety? Did you grow them in the greenhouse or outside?
Looking forward to a super tomato garden this year. :wave:
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I have some really happy looking tsygansky baron and piquante seedlings on my windowsill, plus an orange manzano and an aji fantasy(I think my propagator is not quite warm enough so they are a bit reluctant). No sign of the trepadeira werners yet, but perhaps they are a little shy...
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I've been a bit late with my sowing but have had excellent germination with my chillies
Trepadeira Werner,
Piri Piri,
Lemon Drop,
Aji Fantasy
Celeriac Giant Prague Improved germinated quickly, the plants are still quite young but doing well.
Ulluco are planted up in pots out in the poly-tunnel and are popping up now, hope everyone else are doing well.
Just sowing my tomatoes today...
And lots more lovely things to be sown :icon_cheers:
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I've been a bit late with my sowing but have had excellent germination with my chillies
Trepadeira Werner,
Piri Piri,
Lemon Drop,
Aji Fantasy
Celeriac Giant Prague Improved germinated quickly, the plants are still quite young but doing well.
Ulluco are planted up in pots out in the poly-tunnel and are popping up now, hope everyone else are doing well.
Just sowing my tomatoes today...
And lots more lovely things to be sown :icon_cheers:
Same here, the peppers have come up so well (but I am not growing all this year). Giant Prague is also doing well here. Some of the tomatoes are getting biggish now, soon they will go from the conservatory into the greenhouse. Still looking for information please about Amish Plum tomato.
Ulluco is currently being treated as a house plant in a large pot and about 5 inches tall. Ambercup is germinating as we speak. I intentionally started a little early and let the squashes grow to bigger plants than I normally do before planting out, to make slug protection easier.
The green pear tomatoes are quite large now, they were quick to germinate and they're off. Peas are planted and looking forward to seeing how they go. Still much to sow here too, but thank you all for lovely strong seeds again in this parcel. :sunny:
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Oh, I'm happy of good news....I always worry a little about my seeds germination. I know, I've done the pollination and saving as one should, but there is always the 'what if' in the back of the mind.
All seeds that I've sown form the parcel..so far...have been germinating splendidly :icon_cheers: (I like that word...splendid... :tongue3:)
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I planted all my TPS out into seed trays yesterday. The diversity in growth rates is very striking, but everything's fine so far. Tubers from last year aren't showing yet, though a few King Edwards I dug up and moved yesterday were sprouting. Won't be long now!
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Same here too, I usually check seed trays before I put the kettle on first thing, must be love!!
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I sowed Ambercup, Black Futsu and Potimarron a couple of days ago and they literally sprung up, thanks both.
Collard Yates is up and running, Gilfeather Turnip and Vivid Choy just sown.
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Oh, I'm happy of good news....I always worry a little about my seeds germination. I know, I've done the pollination and saving as one should, but there is always the 'what if' in the back of the mind.
All seeds that I've sown form the parcel..so far...have been germinating splendidly :icon_cheers: (I like that word...splendid... :tongue3:)
Never had a non-germinating seed from you. The most important (apart from doing the growing right and keeping varieties pure and not crossed), is making sure they are fully dry. :wave:
Generally speaking, seed circle seeds have been excellent from everybody. There is a big difference between home saved and bought. My squash seeds and tomato seed also have just sprung into life, as have the lettuce and celeriac seeds. A joy to see :wave:
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Just a little report on a very good variety. I have now harvested the second big picking of pea Thomas Laxton. Amazing productivity and the plants are not finished yet. In the heatwave last week all flowering stopped and all peas ripened off fast. Yesterday I have taken everything off and eaten and frozen the shelled peas, hopefully another flush of flowers and peas will follow. I am just gobsmacked how many pods came off these few plants.
Plenty of seeds saved too, because this is a variety that must be grown again, it feeds the family!
Peas are nice tasting too. :wave:
Thank you :angel11:
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Forgot to say, these were also the first to flower this year. White flowers on 12 May and they are still going now, especially after the drop of rain we just had. My plants are actually fairly tall, around the 5ft mark. The lowest pods were about 8 inches off the ground, that is low by any standards. But the first flowers were much higher up the plants.
I have done a bit of research and found out that these peas are recommended in the Southern states of the US, where they are said to produce in 51 days from sowing. Well not here obviously, but this confirms that this variety is both early and capable to go into the summer heat too.
Also found out that these were not actually bred by Thomas Laxton, but named in his honour.
Thanks again for this addition to my ever growing pea collection. :wave:
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Had my first Katja tomato yesterday and have been picking Sandpoint for a few days now - both v tasty, thanks!
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Picked the first Katja here a couple of days ago but still waiting for Sandpoint. Katja does taste very good!
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Good to read seed Circle crops are doing well :happy7:
The squash I planted are starting to do well, quite a few fruit on both Potimarron and Amber Cup.
Young Potimarron
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Amber cup the largest is around the size of a large rugby ball.
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Black Futsu is a little slower to the party lots of little baby fruit, fingers crossed some will set.
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I've got Gilfeather Turnips in too, which look very healthy. Am glad my 2 squashes are doing well - I have 2 Potimarrons nearly ready to harvest, which is very early, even for them. I didn't have space for the AmberCup this year though.
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I have 2 Potimarrons nearly ready to harvest
Wow, that seems early, good growing. I don't think any of mine will be ready for ages. Yum I can't wait to get tasting though, I think I'm way to impatient to grow winter squash!
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I have a kiwano question - I'd really like to save seed from one of the fruits, any tips on how long to leave the fruits before opening and whether the seeds need fermenting to clean them?
I've got 6 possibly 7 fruits on one plant growing outside. We've eaten one green and it was really tasty, and I might be able to cloche the plant if early frosts look imminent. Though that would involve bundling all the tendrils together, and they are very prickly! :)
Purple Ukraine & Blush tomatoes have been amazing, so tasty! And the gilfeather turnip does seem to have broken my swede curse. Unless they've been heavily slugged underground, they will be the best I have ever grown. The tsygansky peppers have been prolific too and very nice stuffed.
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A few years back I picked and put a couple of ripe fruits on a windowsill and left them I think for a month, before cutting them open for the seeds. I think easiest to ferment them, same as tomatoes. I'm sure you know, scoop/squeeze out the seeds into a yogurt pot or similar and add a little water, leave nature work for a few days before rinsing and drying the seeds.
I like Purple Ukraine too, really useful type and grows really well.
Lol, go Gilfeather!
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I harvested the seeds as we were eating them, ie when the fruit was good and orange. I squeezed them onto a kitchen cloth and pressed to 'burst' the gel around them and then scraped them off with a knife and let them dry on a plate. Wasn't sure about fermenting, so didn't in the end. :wave:
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Thanks both. The good and orange stage is a ways off. :)
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I just love Georgian beans. With any luck I'll get enough seeds together for another bean from Georgia for the group. However, I'd like to comment on Georgian Runnerbean . Which is a French bean for definite. But the shape is just like a lovely long runnerbean, easy to see where the name came from.
Loads of beans and despite a very late start here and not the best place in the garden, these have done very well, love them, thank you MR :wave:
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So pleased you like them, occasionally you do wonder if there is a reason ie taste that seed falls from favour. Our beans suffered from black fly early on, I didn't want to spray so abandoned them only to look again two weeks ago to find a they they had "grown again" and are the tenderest I've every known.
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Scratch what I said about hoping to offer seeds from another of the Georgian beans this year - I didn't get enough seeds in the end due to late start here. Next year. But I certainly managed to harvest a healthy quantity of Georgian Runner seeds for growing again. Yes they are nice and tender, even when the pods are getting quite mature.
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I've got loads of elephant garlic seeds, but not as many perennial brassicas as I'd hoped due to poor pollination. I'll find something.
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I have a question. Unfortunately goodlife is not talking to us or I would have dropped her a message. It is about the Aji Fantasy pepper she shared with us last year. Mine grew well and have produced well. Very pretty, waxy looking, white peppers that are yummy, best raw in salads, with just a tiny hint of warmth. :sunny:
I definitely want to save seeds from this one for future years. Problem is that none of the fruit has turned red yet. I have now planted them up in the conservatory and still no red fruit. Presumably just like with any other pepper it is unwise to collect immature seeds from peppers that haven't turned red? But I have never grown these before.
Is anybody in the group growing them and can please advise whether their fruit is turning colour? What are the chances that Aji overwinters? Thanks in advance for any advice. :wave:
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Galina - I grew these and they are supposed to be yellow and don't ripen to red. I could be wrong but pretty sure they are what I grew and they were all yellow. I didn't save seed but I'll think they will be fine
http://www.fatalii.net/Chile_Peppers/Aji_Fantasy - shows packaged yellow fruit so I think you are good. I was going to overwinter them but left them out too long and they got frosted...
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Galina - I grew these and they are supposed to be yellow and don't ripen to red. I could be wrong but pretty sure they are what I grew and they were all yellow. I didn't save seed but I'll think they will be fine
http://www.fatalii.net/Chile_Peppers/Aji_Fantasy - shows packaged yellow fruit so I think you are good. I was going to overwinter them but left them out too long and they got frosted...
Shame yours got frosted.
There appears to be a more yellow and a pearly white version. The one from the seed circle is white. Thank you for the observation that they don't change colour. I was starting to wonder. And you have put my mind at rest. I will save seeds from the most mature, but not wait for a colour change any longer. Much obliged :-)
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I have now for the first time in many years of growing the 'Cara la Virgen' bean which was shared this year seen it on www.
http://www.miespaciogourmet.com/tienda/alubia-blanca-seca-cara-la-virgen-o-boliche-del-pilar.html#
As happens so often with handwritten seed labels on swapped packets, I should correct a minor spelling mistake and the translation of the bean's name which I adopted from my donor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Ba%C3%B1eza
La Bañeza is a town in the province of Castile and León, so the translation: 'Face of our Lady of Lions Bath' ought to be corrected to 'Face of our Lady of La Bañeza in León'. And the name is 'Cara la Virgen de la Bañeza León'.
Makes no difference to the qualities of the beans, but gives more accurate information on the origins of this variety. My donor bought the seeds from a market in Mallorca, but it seems they hail from mainland Spain. :wave:
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Thanks galina, have corrected my info. They are still a really lovely bean, irrespective of their name.
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Had a lovely surprise - I am growing pepper Tsygansky Baron from goodlife (held over from last year). The description said that the fruits are a deep purple and I am really looking forward to them. Anything deep purple means there is high anthocyanin content, that wonderful antioxidant that makes blueberries into a 'superfood' (but many other berries and veg contain high anthocyanin too).
What I had not appreciated is that the leaves are also quite a dark purplish green. I had to look twice to make sure I had not mixed them up with 'Pretty in Purple' chili peppers. No these are definitely Tsygansky. Goodlife described them as 'just a pepper', which sounded quite ordinary, but they are certainly standing out here even as small seedlings! :icon_cheers:
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Has anybody else grown Tsygansky Baron? Outdoors or greenhouse? Any experiences would be appreciated. :wave:
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I thought I had, in the poly tunnel, but now I really can't remember if I did or not!!!!!!
So no help from me!
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I thought I had, in the poly tunnel, but now I really can't remember if I did or not!!!!!!
So no help from me!
The seeds still germinated really well this year - I used them all, but I would stick any remaining in the freezer if I hadn't sown them. I hope to be saving fresh seeds too - fingers crossed, to keep the variety going. :sunny:
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A belated thank you to Sparrow. I only got around to growing your Thelma Sanders seeds this year. But just look at these beauties! :icon_cheers:
Plenty more in the garden, but these had turned colour from white to cream, so can be fetched in and the plants can concentrate on the younger fruits.
Can't wait to taste in a month or two. The third squash is an old favourite, Buttercup. :wave:
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I loved the Thelma Saunders too. On my must grow next year list so much more tasty
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Thelma is very reliable whatever the weather, I find. I've been growing it for years :)