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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: penedesenca on March 10, 2020, 11:47:29

Title: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: penedesenca on March 10, 2020, 11:47:29
Sorry for the delay, yes folks here is the 2020 seed saving circle thread, jump in and shout if you wish to join.

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

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

I think most of us have found out, some vegetables are easier than others to grow from 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 gave the idea for the circles. Their site gives some great seed saving tips as well as being a great seed catalogue http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedsavinginfo.html

For anyone interested in the previous years Seed Parcels and what we finally shared from 2017 onwards they can be found at https://seedsaverscircle.home.blog/
For anyone interested in the previous years Seed Parcels and what we finally shared from 2016 and oprevious they can be found at http://seedsaverscircle.org/seed-circle/

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


Could a kind Mod please pin this?  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on March 10, 2020, 18:36:42
Count me in  :icon_cheers:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on March 11, 2020, 08:16:59
Me too!
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on March 11, 2020, 14:29:48
And me! :happy7:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: penedesenca on May 12, 2020, 06:54:40
Hi folks hope you are all keeping safe and well. With everything that is going on I hope you are raring to save lots of seeds.

Just wanted to let you know I am handing over the circle baton (as of now) to JanG who I am sure will be fantastic.

Take care and stay safe
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on May 13, 2020, 09:40:19
Thank you both , I am forging ahead ,one of my choices is Hangman’s Door pea sounds a bit Farrow and Ball !
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on May 13, 2020, 21:15:48
Great! And quite a name. I wonder what the history of that is. There's not much on line about it, just Adam Alexander saying he had a disaster with it!

Do you know anything about it or its history? Mangetout? Shelling?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on May 14, 2020, 08:11:26
Morning, yes the pea was from Adam Alexander, the only information I have is that it grows 1.2 meters is purple podded and from his picture on his seed list looks like a shelling pea , he also described it as unique, so armed with this I’ll keep you informed,especially on the flavour front.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on May 14, 2020, 08:35:39
Seed circle for learning how to save seeds and share with the group – 2020

First of all, I’d like to thank Penedesenca for so ably running the seed circle distribution for the last three years, thank those who have already expressed interest in joining this year’s seed circle and welcome new members. 

During lockdown, there has been an unprecedented interest in growing vegetables at home, and at the same time massive disruption to seed availability. Restrictions on agricultural workers and problems with supply and demand due to Covid and Brexit might well bring about shortages of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially salad crops. This spring has already seen many shortages in the seed industry. Our seed circle can help with exchanging seeds and with seed saving advice.  To be able to exchange seeds has never been more important and when we save seeds for ourselves and share with others, we’ll have great variety and won’t go short on seeds next spring.

The start of the growing year is a good time to reach out and welcome anyone who would like to save seeds to join our group of experienced seed savers who have already signed up. As the year goes on, we can keep seed saving in mind both for ourselves and to share within the group. We welcome new members who are happy to commit to growing at least two vegetables to seed, irrespective of their previous experience.

With that in mind it would be great if we have some ongoing discussion about what seeds can be saved, when and how, and share experiences. A reminder that  peas, French beans and tomatoes ae especially easy to keep pure but there are plenty of others too and that you can join the circle seed sharing with just two crops. This is all explained more fully in the first post of this thread and you can find very helpful seed saving guides on the Real Seeds website at, http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedsavinginfo.html

It would be great if old and new members could share what seed saving experience you have, whether just starting, or interested in very specific varieties. It would be good also to share what you’re particularly interested in saving, contributing or receiving this year. Thank you again to those who have already expressed an intention to take part. And to those who are thinking they might like to join in, please do express your interest.

I’ll start the ball rolling in a separate post with lamb’s lettuce and land cress and one or two suggestions.
 
I look forward to your posts.  Do join in any discussion or ask any questions about seed saving in general or for specific crops. 
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on May 14, 2020, 08:45:03
Good to know that Hangman's Door came from Adam Alexander. Worth growing for the name alone! There must be a story behind it.
Good luck with it.
Yes, it will be good to hear how the flavour is. I think quite a few purple podded peas are a bit bitter - but always good for stews, soups and stir-fries even if they aren't very sweet.

I'm growing two of his varieties this year. One is Jaune de Madras which is a yellow-podded mangetout which he thinks might be the same as Golden Sweet, and the other is Avi Juan which he gives quite a story for. I hope to able to  contribute seeds of those if all goes well.

1.2 metres is a nice height. easier to support perhaps than a very tall variety.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on May 14, 2020, 09:52:28
 I don’t know if this would be enough interest to the group , but I am growing Nasturtium Blue Pepe , this is the one fancy pants chefs use . I’ve had a number of seeds from Adam Alexander, he also gave me extra Syrian broad beans to share with some chaps from Syria .
JanG ,seed saving and sharing is very satisfying too, I shared the ones I had from the 2019 circle and I know some of those have  been passed on and on.
I noticed some volunteer runner beans on the plot, and after two frosts some are still magnificently defiant, I shall ear mark those although unnamed for growing well on our plots  and share with newbies who sometimes plant out too soon and get despondent, being very careful how to label them or we end up with another Hangman’s Door.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on May 14, 2020, 10:15:26
Right now in my garden I have lamb’s lettuce and land cress flowering and beginning to set seed. They are both great salad ingredients to grow through the summer, but I think they’re especially good sown in about September and left over winter and into spring.
If they’re left to go to seed it’s easy to gather copious amounts or leave them to self seed and create a patch for next year. Both are great crops for minimal effort and at a time of year when other salad leaves are probably in short supply.

It’s also good right now to leave some lettuce to flower and go to seed. It rarely crosses with another variety and so if it’s reasonably on its own or you just save one type, you can be sure it will stay true to type. Or, of course, for your own purposes you can let different varieties cross and see what emerges. The result will probably be well adapted to your conditions. I have a reddish lettuce which lasted in good condition outside and unprotected all winter. I’m interested to save seed from it and see whether it becomes a good winter performer.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on May 14, 2020, 10:26:57
Nasturtium Blue Pepe sounds great to me, Markfield Rover. I shall google with interest.

Yes, the passing on and on is a big part of the pleasure I agree and how lovely to be able to share a Syrian variety with some Syrians. they have such a rich heritage of growing which must be much missed.

I think unnamed varieties with special attributes are really good to save too and pass on with an explanation of their usefulness. I guess that's contributing to the adaptation to particular conditions which is another advantage of saving seed rather than relying on commercial companies.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on May 14, 2020, 11:25:49
That reminds me I have lettuce Bloody Warrior which can be sown as late as October to over winter ,always seems counterintuitive but works.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on May 14, 2020, 12:03:28
Thank you penedesenca and JanG  :icon_cheers:

It's nice to see renewed discussion on the subject. As mentioned previously, peas are extremely easy to save for seed.  Though it is best not to attempt to save seed and eat pods from the same plants. The reason being that the earliest pods yield the highest quality seed - but if you leave pods to mature, the plants stop cropping. So if you want both a good crop for the table and the best seed, just leave a few plants at the end of the row unpicked. The same is true of other legumes. This year I'm growing 3 pea varieties for the HSL, and 15 others for eating & seed saving. Many of those are just blocks of 8-10 plants, which will produce hundreds of seeds.
 
Celery here is just starting to bloom - another easy one but biennial. Mark out your finest plants and leave them to overwinter. In cold areas you should relocate to a covered spot. In spring they will bolt.

The staple crops Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash, Beefy Resilient Grex drying beans, and Magic Manna flour corn are going in direct-sown this month. I hope to add these to the circle if there is interest - not sure how popular flour corn is with British gardeners. Note that all kinds of corn requires a population of a few hundred to prevent inbreeding depression.

Something I'll be experimenting with this summer are late sown broad beans. June - early July sowing for September crop. This may be the only practical way to avoid crossing with the neighbours' plants.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on May 14, 2020, 17:52:27
I was wandering if I should sow the Syrian beans later , so I will now and hopefully have enough for the circle , I believe you eat them small and whole.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on May 14, 2020, 17:59:51
I have sown broad beans later and also at the back of the greenhouse to prevent any chance of crossing with broad beans and agricultural field beans.  And it worked out well.  :wave: 
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on May 14, 2020, 18:12:38
Good luck with the Syrian beans, Markfield Rover. Not too late for them I shouldn't think. Looking forward to hearing later how they are taste wise. Small and whole sounds good. we don't often eat mangetout broad beans, or at least I don't, but a variety particularly suitable sound very interesting.

I have a courgette from Adam Alexander from Syria which he simply calls Syria. I think he had a seed gathering expedition there a few years ago and has a special interest in the richness of Syrian growing and in saving varieties which otherwise might be lost.
Also I grow a lettuce called Spotted Aleppo. Perhaps we could gather a few Syrian varieties for swapping this year. So many must have been lost over the years of conflict. It feels important to grow and save any which we can source in the hope that that might help in some small way.

For me keeping courgette (and squash) seed true to type by hand pollination is new. I hope to experiment and post here a bit later in the season how to do it and how I get on. But if anyone else has experience with cucurbits it would be great if they could share their experience.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on May 14, 2020, 18:17:06
Thanks for the advice on the best practical way to save pea seed, Vetivert. I'm growing more varieties of peas, by far, than I've ever grown before and was wondering how best to go about saving seed for sharing. I'll certainly go for the method you suggest.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on May 14, 2020, 18:24:21
vetivert wrote: 'The staple crops Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash, Beefy Resilient Grex drying beans, and Magic Manna flour corn are going in direct-sown this month. I hope to add these to the circle if there is interest - not sure how popular flour corn is with British gardeners. Note that all kinds of corn requires a population of a few hundred to prevent inbreeding depression'.

That's really interesting. I'm interested in making flour from the flour-type varieties of corn but have no experience. Have you made flour from corn? I've done some reading but haven't tried it.
Are you thinking of growing 100 plants of Magic Manna? I have Hopi Blue but don't think I have the space to grow enough to save seed.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on May 15, 2020, 16:52:52
I haven't made corn flour before. I'd like to grow at least 200 plants with intensive spacing. It's a small variety, maybe 4ft tall. I planted a few very late last year, July, as an ornament in some beds and to see how they developed. August was wet and awful, but they had cobs in September. These didn't get to drying stage when I pulled the plants up in Oct but I thought it was interesting to see nonetheless. And the plants are very pretty.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on May 15, 2020, 17:15:05
That will certainly give you a good genetic range for seed saving. Is the intensive spacing simply to use space efficiently or is it to do with wanting as much cross fertilisation within the block as possible? I guess it also means that plants in the middle of the block are safer from crossing with other varieties.

Do you have any farms growing maize anywhere near your growing space? Or other growers? No problems of that kind?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on May 16, 2020, 18:09:28
A bit of both really. There are other growers nearby so will only save seed cobs from the middle of the blocks. May not have to worry about it if they tassel earlier than nearby corn.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on May 17, 2020, 09:54:39
Perennial brassica cuttings - it’s a good time to take cuttings for distributing to the Seed Circle.

I've recently become aware how very useful Daubenton and Taunton Deane kales are in the Hungry gap - April into May when many other brassicas are going to seed. These plants are quite expensive and cuttings are quite easy to do, so now is a good time to be thinking about it.

To take cuttings of these brassicas I find that a small side shoot taken off the main stem often with a little heel on it works well. I make a sandy compost mix for good drainage and put three cuttings down the side of a 9cm pot. I put a plastic bag over the pot and cuttings, making sure it’s away from the leaves as far as possible. 

My Daubenton kale has tried to set seed and I’ve busily cut the shoots off to try to keep the plant going. I’m not  sure whether some strains are more prone to seeding than others and, if they are seeders, whether that means they won’t survive. Mine are only in their second season so rather too early to tell. As an insurance I’ve taken cuttings and now have two young plants as standby.

I also have a plant which I think is thought to be somewhere between kale and cabbage. I got the seed as Tronchuda kale, a Portuguese type. I believe it’s perennial but has tried like mad to have flowers, so much so that it’s been impossible to keep up with cutting them off. So I’ve taken cuttings of that too as I don’t know how long it will live.

I’d be interested if anyone has different methods or has experience of how critical it is to stop a perennial kale from flowering.

The first photo (I'm not sure why they've come out sideways) is of cuttings of the Portuguese kale. They have rooted and are ready to do without their plastic bag.
The other photo shows the many flowering shoots the plant thew up. However many I cut off more would keep coming
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on May 17, 2020, 10:10:00
Enjoy the tronchuda 'broccoli' florets.  A small amount of ripening flower shoots does not seem to matter.  I always miss a few.  Lives for 3 years for me.  Definitely take side shoot cuttings during third year. 

I also put a thin plastic baggie over the top, but cut a few small holes in it.  Goodlife who gave me my first cuttings advised not to have them in direct sunlight.  If rooting in summer, she puts them under the greenhouse staging.
 :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on May 17, 2020, 10:20:37
Good to know that you can carry on taking brassica cuttings through the summer as long as not in direct sunlight.

I seem to need to keep mine in the house to keep a parental eye en them!

And yes, all sorts of brassicas have very palatable budding shoots in April and May, another recent realisation. A whole other culinary delight.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on June 17, 2020, 17:26:50
Saving chilli pepper seed
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been making my first attempts to isolate chilli flowers so that I can save seed from a few different varieties and know that the seed will be true.

It’s all bit tentative but basically I’m trying three methods in the hope that something works.

The first method I’m experimenting with is the technique beautifully explained and illustrated by Jayb a few years ago on the blog she was keeping at the time.
 https://growingfoodsavingseeds.blogspot.com/2016/06/gluing-chilli-flowers-way-to-save-pure.html
It’s the PVA method where you use PVA glue to glue a flower shut so that it’s forced to self-pollinate, and therefore remain true to type. I ordered a bottle of glue and set to work hopefully. Once or twice I glued a flower shut only to find a couple of days later it had burst open. so I think it needs a good covering of glue and perhaps a second visit to put an extra layer on. Another setback was that I put coloured thread round the flower I’d treated but somehow it fell off so I couldn’t at all tell which flower was which. Sometimes it got very messy but generally speaking it was very satisfying and strangely enjoyable!

I’m hoping now after quite a bit of trial and error that I’ve got one or two to successfully form baby peppers. It seems to me though that it’s probably fairly impossible to apply this method to peppers with very small flowers, like Purple Tiger/Trifetti for example

The second method is the more well known bag method. It seems to me that the only way to apply a blossom bag is to put it over the whole of a shoot before any of the flowers have opened. The shoots occasionally seem to struggle a bit inside the bag and it’s too soon to be sure that any peppers have developed but fingers crossed.

The last method I’ve used was simply to find a windowsill in a room in the house where I could be sure that there was no cross fertilisation taking place. This is appealingly simple, of course for a prized specimen . The only disadvantage for me has been the tendency to get greenfly. But I’m hoping to get Purple Tiger seed - I love Purple Tiger! - to pass on this way.

I’d be really interested to hear how anyone else has got on with any of these approaches or it would be great to have any other tips or experiences.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on July 02, 2020, 08:52:53
Following on from writing about chilli seed saving and having experimented a bit more, I'm realising that fruit setting inside the blossom bags is quite low. I'm thinking that what I need to do is a lot of shaking to encourage the pollination to occur - as Galina mentioned in connection with Aeron Purple Star bean.

For fruit set, at the beginning of the season I tried the electric toothbrush method on aubergines by agitating the back of the flower. The effect was stunning! Multiple aubergines set fruit, in fact too many probably for the poor plants to cope with.

So maybe an electric toothbrush on the chilli flowers plus a bit of regular shaking .......
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: saddad on July 03, 2020, 07:46:56
I have flowers on my Aubergines... , may sneak down the Lottie with an electric toothbrush this morning!
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on July 03, 2020, 08:03:25
If there is a lack of bumblebees one can employ this method with tomatoes, too. I know of a plant breeder who just straight up uses a vibrator for this purpose  :icon_flower:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on July 03, 2020, 08:10:49
Well that’s my coffee spilt all down my front know 😱😱😱
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on July 29, 2020, 07:18:24
Lettuce seed
We’re getting into big seed-saving time! I have buckets of upside down brown strawy heads of spinach, lettuce, corn salad, landcress, perpetual spinach etc waiting to be dealt with, not to mention trays of peas and broad beans for podding.

I love a relaxed evening of seed sorting. Handling the different shapes, textures and colours, and running them through fingers .....obsessively sorting out the last speck of chaff if you’re that way inclined ...

But I think the most patience-trying seed is lettuce. The seed seems to come away with fluff attached which is as light as the seed and so sieving, winnowing etc don’t work in the normal way.

Does anyone else find lettuce seed laborious to clean? Or any handy suggestions? Any other seeds which are particularly satisfying to process or other particular bugbears?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on July 29, 2020, 09:03:52
Yes very.  One way round is to pick off the black or white seeds manually or gently rub and carefully winnow.  I winnow into the greenhouse.  Lost seed settles among the tomato plants and eventually germinates, which could be just before winter or in early spring.  Careful winnowing means small losses only and winnowing into the greenhouse means that the spoils are being put to good use.  Better use than on the lawn at any rate. 

There is no point for amateurs and seed circles to have perfectly winnowed lettuce seeds.  If you do nothing at all just collect the seed heads and crush a bit at sowing time, they will still germinate.  Not that I recommend that for sharing, but there is no reason to produce immaculately winnowed lettuce seed if that means unacceptable losses.  Seed houses have complicated machines for the job, we don't, we just rub with our hands, then use a domestic sieve for the coarse stuff where the seed goes through the sieve, and a gentle winnow to get rid of most of the white fluff and leave it at that.  You can also use a high sided container after sieving, and shake the seed from side to side for an initial clean, the fluff will go to the top and relatively clean seeds will collect at the bottom.  These can be spooned out with a small teaspoon into a container more suited to winnowing, ie not quite as high sided, for a gently final blow across to remove more fluff.  Lettuce fluff can get into your nose and eyes, so angle away from face.     

:wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on July 29, 2020, 09:08:13
But an even worse problem with lettuce seed is that often when the seeds are developing we get wet and damp weather, which stops seed development.  Then it is often difficult to harvest enough for my own needs.  I have tried to pull up the whole lettuce and hang it dry, but that also seems to result in fewer seeds.  If I am really down to only a few seeds, they go into the greenhouse, where a good seed harvest is guaranteed.  Any other cover can be used too.  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on July 30, 2020, 06:02:51
But an even worse problem with lettuce seed is that often when the seeds are developing we get wet and damp weather, which stops seed development.

I had a row of two or three self-seeded lettuces which survived winter very well in the open garden and have already gone to seed. I’m saving them for winter hardiness but their other advantage is that they produce seed in mid summer. Having said that, it’s been unseasonably wet lately.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on August 04, 2020, 09:13:27
There is no point for amateurs and seed circles to have perfectly winnowed lettuce seeds.  If you do nothing at all just collect the seed heads and crush a bit at sowing time, they will still germinate.  Not that I recommend that for sharing, but there is no reason to produce immaculately winnowed lettuce seed if that means unacceptable losses.  Seed houses have complicated machines for the job, we don't, we just rub with our hands, then use a domestic sieve for the coarse stuff where the seed goes through the sieve,

I tend to get a bit obsessive about cleaning seed, carrying on well past the point of usefulness.

To carry the domestic sieve theme a bit further, I found that you can get small pieces (about 6” x 8”) of various types of wire mesh online as free samples or for a pound or two. My carpentry is abysmal but I knocked together some seed sifting screens for smallish scale use. Seem to do the job well in spite of the bodged frames.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: pumkinlover on August 04, 2020, 12:37:22
Looks like a neat set to me, well done
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Jeannine on August 05, 2020, 05:44:52
I have several packets , this years I bought a good selectiob of seeds lettuce from Johhnys and West Coast, some a  pelleted. I grew a few this year  but I had ton more than I needed. I grew exatras for my daughet hwo didnt want it, there some very nice colorful ones among them.I wont use tn again as I will onle grow the mini lettuces as they will be just for. me.

Ate they any use for your seed saving club I didn;t grow these seeds but they are ood  oand may have some you can;t get there,If interested let me know and I will fish out the file and give you the names.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on August 05, 2020, 06:59:45
Jeannine, that’s a very kind offer. Although the seed circle is usually for exchange of home saved seed I think members would very much appreciate being able to grow some different varieties especially ones only or more easily available west of the Atlantic.

Is there anything you’re looking for which is more easily available here? An exchange would be good.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Jeannine on August 07, 2020, 06:29:34
Hi, it a long time since I passed seeds to you all, so maybe someone could use them.I will be seriously cutting down my stash..again..LOL. I will fish out what I have and get back to someone..have a great harvest XX Jeannine

PS sorry for the dreadful typing earler, huge pain level that day, lousy typing and I had nothing left to go back and correct it
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on August 12, 2020, 09:04:09
Jeannine, I wrote a reply to your last post several days ago but it seems to have disappeared, probably somewhere in my laptop!

I'm sorry you had the high level of pain that day and very much hope it's eased now. I sent a PM. Hope you received it. let me know if that somehow got lost too.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on August 12, 2020, 09:12:21
Seeds for Lebanon

A Lebanese, Azul Thomé, living in England has put out a request for organic seeds which he can get sent to Lebanon. He posts on Facebook and will send his home address by Messenger to anyone who can send surplus seeds, mainly for growing this season as an immediate response to the crisis there. https://www.facebook.com/azul.thome/posts/10158673452612495.

This is his message in case the link doesn't work is. He specifies a time which has passed but he has other contacts going over soon.
 
Hello friends - I am Looking for people and organisations who can donate healthy organic or biodynamic seeds (only) to be sent to Lebanon the land of my heart and my father. People are starving and starting to grow food!
Please PM me and we can coordinate with trustworthy people. Sending money is complicated and a nightmare of crooked paths.  But seeds....
It reminds me of a time when I was a grower in London on the roof of a supermarket.
We taught children about urban food growing.  One day each child had two things placed in each hand.  in one hand was placed a coin, in the other hand was placed a seed of a bean plant.  We invited them to plant both in a little pot filled with soil. 
then we asked them: which one do you think will feed your family the longest over time? Their dear little faces lit up...a moment I will never want to forget and hope they have never forgotten.
Still time to plant these:CHICKPEAS <<cBEETS<CARROTS< LETTUCE< PEAS<POTATOES< RADDISHES<SWISS CHARD< TURNIPS ❤ Uk and Europe Today, tomorrow and Wednesday are the days to send them to me first class, to arrive in time. Thank you 🙏  pm me for address in Uk 🙏🌱🙏
Can you share this post.
Deep gratitude. ❤
Azul Thomé
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on August 12, 2020, 11:54:37
count me in for this year
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on August 12, 2020, 15:31:00
Great. Good to hear from you, ruud.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on August 13, 2020, 13:20:30
Just wanted to report that the little fig cutting from a couple of years ago has grown a lot - and the ripe figs (yes!) are absolutely delish!  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on August 14, 2020, 06:57:10
That’s great going to have ripe figs two years on. I have a much older fig, maybe seven or eight years old, and I‘ve just managed my first properly ripe fig. A lot tend to fall off.
You’re obviously doing something very right!
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on September 02, 2020, 07:18:05
Dehybridising
I’ve been growing on the ever popular Sungold tomato. As it’s an F1 hybrid I knew the next generation would give me a range of offspring. In fact what I got was two or three plants just like Sungold, two or three with small red cherry tomatoes and some stripy ones a but like Tigarella. I was surprised by the stripy ones but just saved seed from the orange cherry Sungold type.

This year from the F2 seed I have about three Sungold lookalikes which luckily also taste like the real thing. Some plum shaped tomatoes have appeared amongst the mix too. I’m again just saving the orange ones.

I wondered whether anyone else had tried dehybridising - Sungold or any other F1 hybrid - and how successful it had been. I guess a few more years are needed before it’s stable but everything along the way is fine to eat, if not quite as good as the original. 

Also I’d be interested to know whether the general view is that it’s fine to offer such seed to the circle (with a clear description) as there might be members who would like to grow on, knowing that the results might be unpredictable.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on September 02, 2020, 07:46:55
Absolutely yes for the circle with appropriate description.  If you are getting Sungold offspring that looks and tastes like Sungold, it may well be of great interest.  We have had F2 seeds in the circle before from a blight proof F1 tomato a few years ago labelled appropriately and sent for that reason.

My most interesting and productive Sungold offspring is a long horn shaped red cooking tomato.  Ideal halved for a fried breakfast.  Started out with a delicious orange plum in F3 and has turned into a red long tomato.  This seems to be fairly stable now at F5. 

But that delicious orange plum has never returned unfortunately. And neither have the actual sungold types.  Tim Peters, the plant breeder, dehybridised Sungold and never got a stable golden colour.  Most of his are red. 

The breeding of Sungold must have been fairly complex given what types emerge when dehybridising.  To get a copy of the real thing, is very lucky

 :sunny:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on September 17, 2020, 21:12:42
How many folks are in this year? Just curious so I can gauge what will be feasible to add. Hope you all are well  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: saddad on September 18, 2020, 07:58:19
Count me out for 2021, am booked for two operations, one on each wrist in succession anytime from this December onwards, although with COVID not sure when it will happen.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on September 18, 2020, 17:58:27
Good luck with your operations, saddad. Sorry you won't be able to join the circle.

I think we might be quite a small band this year. Ruud and Markfield Rover have both said they're in. It would be great to persuade a few more to join us, especially at this time of renewed interest in growing one's own food and also in view of seed shortages earlier in the year.

As I think you're suggesting, we need to know quite soon how many are in the circle so that we know how many we are preparing seed for.

Do suggest any way you can think of to attract a few more participants or also share any speculations as to why there aren't more A4A growers interested in taking part. 
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on September 18, 2020, 21:49:19
Sorry to hear that saddad, difficult time with all the COVID uncertainty.

Jan, I really haven't a clue - it's such a shame subscriptions appear to have dropped so much over the years. With the situation this year in particular I would have expected a hive of activity, though I know many who equally haven't had the chance to participate in their usual gardening routine.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on September 19, 2020, 04:16:31
I think I can be 'in', didn't think so earlier but may I?  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on September 19, 2020, 06:33:32
Yes please! That’s excellent news, Galina. It’s been a difficult year for most but with your extra pressures that’s a particularly valiant and valued contribution.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on September 25, 2020, 07:24:19
I am eyeing up the pods  ,fermenting the toms and whispering Sweet nothings to the lettuce.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on September 26, 2020, 11:55:45
Great stuff. I'm fermenting toms too.
This year I’ve grown two largeish cherry toms which look quite similar to my eye, Black Opal (bred from Black Cherry) and Rosella. They’re both a colour which I can’t find a word to describe (any suggestions?) - but very pleasing to the eye. Dusky cherry perhaps.
I found they were both bred by Mark Rowland of Gourmet Genetics (now marketed by Kings Seeds) who is the only English breeder of tomatoes I’ve heard of.
Anyway, I did a taste comparison and although I like both, reckon that Rosella has the edge. It’s a little tangier with a mixture of sweet and acidic which I really like.
Hoping to have lots of seed of Rosella and Black Opal, if not too much of a good thing.

Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on October 03, 2020, 10:52:19
More tomato harvesting and seed saving. I came back yesterday from a week away and picked nearly eight pounds of a new-to-me tomato, Super Marmande, just from one plant.
It's an amazing crop. I could only just lift the basket! Sixteen huge heavy tomatoes. I've used one to separate out the seeds for fermenting in a jam jar for three days, then drying and saving and the others will make wonderful fried tomato or, as I'm lucky enough to have generous freezer space, will get frozen for cooking through the year. Lots of soup and vegetable stews in just one haul.

They came from last year's Seed Circle kindly donated by Penedesenca. Quite a discovery for me and lovely as so often with seed circle to be introduced to something new and a bit different.

It's always satisfying how easy tomato seed is to save and how mostly you get lots of seed from one tomato. I imagine this one tomato will produce sixty or seventy seeds.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on October 03, 2020, 10:58:50
Photos meant to be with last posting. Still struggling with attaching photos.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on October 03, 2020, 11:02:01
And more
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on October 05, 2020, 16:23:13
Nice work :) What do you think of Solar Flare?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on October 05, 2020, 17:32:37
I think Solar Flare is a beautiful looking tomato and tastes good but I found it very low yielding.

How did you find it?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on October 05, 2020, 19:09:09
It does look lovely. I haven't grown it! Was wondering whether it was worth considering for next year - but if yields are very low I'll pass.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on October 05, 2020, 20:50:22
I'd be interested to know whether my experience is typical. Maybe I'll just have to grow it again myself, to make sure I have a sample of more than one plant!
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on October 13, 2020, 07:55:40
It seems a good time to see how we’re all doing, seed harvest wise. I’ve listed anyone who has already said they’d like to join this year’s seed circle. It would still be great if anyone else thinks they’d like to. You’re asked to commit to contribute only two different varieties of seeds and in exchange you receive a lot of interestingly diverse contributions from others. Please see the first posting on this thread for details.

By each name I’ve put possibilities mentioned. Please update if things have turned out differently or you’ve had further thoughts. Harvests don’t always turn out as hoped for or expected! And of course, some seed harvesting might yet be still to come.

1. Vetivert - Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash, Beefy Resilient Grex drying beans, and Magic Manna flour corn
2. Markfield Rover - Hangman’s Door pea, Nasturtium Blue Pepe, Syrian broad bean, Bloody Warrior lettuce
3. Galina
4. Ruud
5. Jang - tomatoes (Rosella, Dancing with Smurfs, Black Opal, dehybridised  Sungold), peas (Avi Juan, Magnolia Blossom, Opal Creek), lettuce Bloody Marvel (?), some basics like land cress, dill, wild rocket
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on October 13, 2020, 08:58:16
Just fermenting a few tomatoes,  Mini Orange, Orange Banana and Reisetomate.  A couple of beans gave a good harvest too.  Bosnian, Tirana's Rotviolette and Mazlenk Rumen Visok II.  And one of the courgettes, probably Golden Marbre.  Our new neighbours have bees, I hope this has not increased the crossing rate in beans and tomatoes.  Does anybody else have bees in the vicinity?  They should still be nearly all selfpollinated before the flowers open.  The golden pattypan courgette was isolated and handpollinated.  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on October 13, 2020, 12:43:03
That sounds great, Galina. Lovely selection. I'll add your possibilities to the provisional list.

I keep bees and have never so far had cross pollination of beans. I haven't been saving tomato seed for long enough to judge. Mind you, the hives are probably nearly 100 metres from where the beans grow, and perhaps your neighbour's bees are closer? 
But I think with home saved seed we can never totally guarantee that seed is 100% true to type. Bees travel 3 miles from home to find nectar! And there's lots of interest and pleasure to be gained from the occasional surprise. But, as you say, they should be nearly all self-pollinated before the flowers open. I think the risk is very low indeed.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on October 13, 2020, 13:02:45
Thank you for the vote of confidence Jang.  I would love feedback on it from everybody when these are grown please.  What happened to Solar Flare?  Please could I have a couple of seeds, even if you don't put it on your list.  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on October 13, 2020, 14:56:20
Haven't heard of those beans before galina, very exotic.

I can confirm:
Blooming Prairie dual-purpose dwarf bean
Beefy Resilient Grex dwarf drying beans
Sweet Meat - Oregon Homestead maxima squash
Mullein
Früher Heinrich mangetout pea
Redventure celery
Magic Manna flour corn
Hooker’s Sweet Indian sweetcorn

Did anyone grow the Anna Russian rogues I included last year?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on October 13, 2020, 17:05:37
Yes I have.  3 plants all pink, 2 large plums, 1 beefsteak.  They tasted nice, but unfortunately after a couple of fruit, the dreaded blight had its way.  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on October 13, 2020, 17:25:47
All climbing French beans.  Bosnian - green pods with large seeds, develop pattern later.  Pods stringless and stay edible as green beans almost until the seed is mature enough for seed saving.  Nice fat white seeds with black dots and swirl pattern, which I shell and freeze rather than dry.  My seed donor was Jaap Vlaming who got them from Bosnia. http://www.bohnen-atlas.de/sorten/b/564-bosnian

Mazlenk Rumen Visok II has wonderful large golden yellow stringless pods, excellent as pods.  Later these get a reddish pattern, very pretty, but when they do it indicates seed maturity and the pods are past eating.  My source Sharon Vadas my seedsaving friend from Colorado, but the bean is originally from Slovenia.  Name means Tall yellow from the Mazlenk family. A couple of photos attached.

Tirana's Rotviolette is from Bohnenatlas. Very high yielding.  Long narrow pods. Better as shelling bean but young pods are nice.  OS from Tirana in Albania  http://www.bohnen-atlas.de/sorten/t/1708-tiranas-rotviolette-1506
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on October 14, 2020, 08:48:58
galina i will put in some solar flaire seeds.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on October 14, 2020, 12:25:59
Thank you Ruud  :sunny:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on October 14, 2020, 20:57:24
Great to have your confirmed list, Vetivert. Hooker's Sweet Indian sweetcorn sounds very interesting. From a quick google it seems that it's slightly shorter than some but I'm very curious to know more about your experience of it and how you sourced the seed.

And your climbing beans all sound wonderful, Galina, in their very different ways. And lovely to have such detailed information on both the source and the characteristics.

Ruud beat me to it on Solar Flare. I certainly have enough seeds for you, Galina, or anyone specially interested, but not quite enough for a circle contribution. But if Ruud is happy to donate to the Circle, that's great.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on October 21, 2020, 16:54:51
Sorry if I’ve missed it , but do we have circle size ?  Hangman’s Door pea and Burmese Sour tomato ready so far ..........
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on October 21, 2020, 21:04:30
I believe the confirmed participants excluding yourself are Galina, Jang, Ruud and I.

How sour are the Burmese Sours?  :tongue3:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on October 22, 2020, 06:18:16
Good to hear from you, Markfield Rover. Yes, we are a circle of five, so packets of four of each variety.

Hangman’s Door and Burmese Sour sound great. Can you tell us any more about the Burmese Sour?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on October 25, 2020, 13:13:03
Afternoon, Burmese Sour , is sour , my first thought was an ideal tomato to eat with a salty cheddar . The seed was from Adam Alexander , he found the seed in Yangon , it is used in sour cuisine. A multi lobed  cordon variety.  Also from him I will have tomato  Syrian Stuffer. Lettuce Bloody Warrior. Syrian Small broad bean. Hangman’s Door ...pea
And from elsewhere Purple pod pea.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on October 26, 2020, 17:41:02
That sounds great. I'm personally really pleased you're able to contribute the two Syrian varieties. I totally failed to save pure seeds from the Syrian courgette I had from Adam Alexander but will try again next year. It's reassuring that there are some efforts to preserve varieties from the rich heritage of Syrian growing which would otherwise be lost (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/04/syria-seeds-experimental-farm-network-plants-biodiversity)

Carrying on the Syrian theme, I also love red tinged or spotted lettuces and a favourite is Spotted Aleppo aka Bloody Cos. Unfortunately I haven't sown it this year so can't add to the Syrian varieties with that either. Again perhaps next year. But I'll be interested to grow Bloody Warrior alongside  Bloody Cos.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on October 27, 2020, 07:30:08
Carrying on the Adam Alexander theme.  I received a gift of seeds from I am pretty sure it was you Markfield Rover, but stupidly I did not note it down, of cucumber Zanzibar, which originally was from him.  This year many things were difficult.  Including a last minute lash up watering system for the greenhouse that overwatered and wetted the tomatoes followed by a long absence: On return blight had done its worst and the tomatoes had effectively collapsed. 

But Zanzibar and also the square seeded large Bolivian Achocha took over and covered everything.  Now it unfortunately does not look like the achocha will ripen.  It now has the greenhouse to itself and sharp frosts willing it may have a little time left.  The cucumber on the other hand has given us pounds of fruit and would still be going if I hadn't tidied up the tomato remnants with the intertwined cuke plant.  I hope that the dark brown fruit will give plenty of seeds after a few more weeks of maturing off the plant.  If so, I will add to the circle.  Not handpollinated, but only one in the greenhouse.  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on October 29, 2020, 06:22:08
That would be a great addition to the circle. A quick google suggests that Adam Alexander describes this variety as turning brown when ripe. Do you wait until it’s brown before eating it, or is it simply that it turns brown rather than yellow when it’s past its best for eating? He also calls it rampant as you’ve definitely found!

The Avi Juan pea I’m planning to contribute is also from Adam Alexander so definitely an AA theme this year.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on October 30, 2020, 12:03:07
Jang,

Brown does not equate to 'ripe to eat'.  The best stage for eating is like the two green smaller cucumbers in my picture.  I think (well hope) dark brown means 'seed ripe'.  The nearly full sized cucumber that is slightly turning brown, is also good eating, and still has immature seeds that do not need to be removed.  At this stage the variety could perhaps benefit from peeling, but we have not needed to.  I have not looked inside the fully brown one and it is the first time I have been growing this variety.  Fingers crossed for mature seeds inside.  But I will leave it to mature further before cutting and extracting seeds.

This variety is very sweet, seeds are developing quite slowly and I have not had a hint of 'burp back'.  They are different from ordinary cucumbers.  :wave:

Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on October 31, 2020, 13:13:55
Talking of Adam , I do not have enough for the circle , but I do have 2 seeds of Syrian cucumber and six seeds of Syrian courgette if anyone fancies ....  He is local and when he can attend the seed swap is always interesting .
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 01, 2020, 07:01:51
I can see why you have quite a lot of AA varieties, Markfield Rover. Great!
If no-one else takes you up on your offer of Syrian cucumber seeds I’d appreciate them.

Thanks for the description of the growth habit of Zanzibar cucumber, Galina. It sounds intriguingly different. Your fully brown fruit looks very promising for mature seed. Fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on November 01, 2020, 13:02:31
wenn do you want the seeds?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 02, 2020, 06:46:09
Good question, Ruud. The simple answer is the sooner the better. If you have them ready, please send. I’ll pm everyone the details.

We also need a cutoff time and I’d welcome feedback on this. Looking back, the latest date to post over the last few years has been in January or even February. What does anyone feel about moving this forward? December of course means packets getting embroiled in the Christmas logjam. Is near the end of November too early for people? Some seed of course might struggle to be ready that soon so do let me know what works best for you.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on November 02, 2020, 11:32:58
End of november suits me fine,but i cant speak for the rest.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on November 02, 2020, 11:55:51
End November good here to , thanks.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on November 02, 2020, 15:57:30
Late Nov is fine for me, too. Like an early Xmas package... a seedy Advent calender if you will... a bit of a stretch?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on November 03, 2020, 07:27:45
An Advent calendar,that keeps on giving , you’ve given the likes of T&M food for thought (literally) Dragons Den!! When I receive the parcel I’ve been known to circle it for at least a week waiting for the right moment .
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on November 03, 2020, 07:49:34
Possible here as well, maybe with different content.  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on November 03, 2020, 16:23:05
Sorry it is too early for mature seed from Courgette Golden Marbre and for the cucumber Zanzibar, maybe next year.

We have: 

White Courgette Greek from HSL 2019

Red veined Sorrel 2019

CFB Mazlenk Rumen Visok II 2020

DFB Snake from HSL 2020
description and picture in 2015 catalogue
https://studyres.com/doc/7774487/heritage-seed-library
Grown on the edge of the Lincolnshire Fens by our donor’s father since the 1940s, these prolific and bushy “knee high” plants produce beautiful mauve flowers and striking flat, green pods with purple striping. Best as young, tender pods, when they are delicious steamed, though the dried beans have a great flavour and meaty texture.

Melon Collective Farm Woman from Realseeds. 2020
https://www.realseeds.co.uk/melons.html

CFB Tirana's Rotviolette (red violet from Tirana) from Bohnenatlas 2020

CFB Bosnian 2020

 :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 04, 2020, 11:13:13
Thanks Galina. A great selection, and thanks to you and to everyone for being happy to adjust to an earlier exchange by the end of the month. I hope that seed returns will make a pleasant early Christmas present at a time when other pleasures might be thinner on the ground than usual.

I've sent out PMs with details. Let me know if any problems. Looking forward to some exciting exchanges as we enter the gloms of winter and Lockdown Two!
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 04, 2020, 21:53:34
Varieties in the pipeline. Do update if no longer the case.

Galina
White Courgette Greek
Red veined Sorrel
CFB Mazlenk Rumen Visok II
DFB Snake
Melon Collective Farm Woman
CFB Tirana's Rotviolette
CFB Bosnian

Vetivert
Blooming Prairie dual-purpose dwarf bean
Beefy Resilient Grex dwarf drying beans
Sweet Meat - Oregon Homestead maxima squash
Mullein
Früher Heinrich mangetout pea
Redventure celery
Magic Manna flour corn
Hooker’s Sweet Indian sweetcorn

Markfield Rover
Hangman’s Door pea,
Nasturtium Blue Pepe,
Syrian broad bean,
Bloody Warrior lettuce

Ruud
Solar Flare tomato?

Jang
Rosella tomato
Dancing with Smurfs tomato
Black Opal tomato
Dehybridised Sungold tomato
Avi Juan pea
Magnolia Blossom pea
Opal Creek pea
Dill
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on November 05, 2020, 08:24:28
Update... plus
Tomatoes.. Syrian Stuffer and Burmese Sour.
Pea ..........Victorian   Purple Pod.
 
Cheers
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 05, 2020, 11:26:51
Thanks. Sorry I hadn't added.

Galina
White Courgette Greek
Red veined Sorrel
CFB Mazlenk Rumen Visok II
DFB Snake
Melon Collective Farm Woman
CFB Tirana's Rotviolette
CFB Bosnian

Vetivert
Blooming Prairie dual-purpose dwarf bean
Beefy Resilient Grex dwarf drying beans
Sweet Meat - Oregon Homestead maxima squash
Mullein
Früher Heinrich mangetout pea
Redventure celery
Magic Manna flour corn
Hooker’s Sweet Indian sweetcorn

Markfield Rover
Hangman’s Door pea,
Nasturtium Blue Pepe,
Syrian broad bean,
Bloody Warrior lettuce
Burmese Sour tomato
Syrian Stuffer tomato
Victorian Purple Podded pea

Ruud
Solar Flare tomato?

Jang
Rosella tomato
Dancing with Smurfs tomato
Black Opal tomato
Dehybridised Sungold tomato
Avi Juan pea
Magnolia Blossom pea
Opal Creek pea
Dill
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on November 07, 2020, 15:26:26
tomatoes for the seed saving circle 2020:pamplemousse du grand pere
                                                           solar flare
                                                           dalyan
                                                           heathertington pink
                                                           green cherokee
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 09, 2020, 06:31:20
That’s great, Ruud. Thanks. Will revise the list.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 09, 2020, 10:33:27
I've also added a couple more things -  Red Orach and Jaerert pea, a very petite Norwegian heritage variety

Galina
White Courgette Greek
Red veined Sorrel
CFB Mazlenk Rumen Visok II
DFB Snake
Melon Collective Farm Woman
CFB Tirana's Rotviolette
CFB Bosnian

Vetivert[/b][/u]
Blooming Prairie dual-purpose dwarf bean
Beefy Resilient Grex dwarf drying beans
Sweet Meat - Oregon Homestead maxima squash
Mullein
Früher Heinrich mangetout pea
Redventure celery
Magic Manna flour corn
Hooker’s Sweet Indian sweetcorn

Markfield Rover
Hangman’s Door pea,
Nasturtium Blue Pepe,
Syrian broad bean,
Bloody Warrior lettuce
Burmese Sour tomato
Syrian Stuffer tomato
Victorian Purple Podded pea

Ruud
Solar Flare tomato
Pamplemousse du Grand Père tomato
Dalyan tomato
Heathertington Pink tomato
Green Cherokee tomato

Jang
Rosella tomato
Dancing with Smurfs tomato
Black Opal tomato
Dehybridised Sungold tomato
Avi Juan pea
Jaerert pea
Magnolia Blossom pea
Opal Creek pea
Dill
Atriplex hortensis Red Orach
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on November 09, 2020, 13:13:56
Wow!  So much to look forward to.   :sunny:

My seeds are in the post on their way to you.   :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 10, 2020, 06:57:59
Thanks Galina. Looking forward! And yes, a very exciting range. Markfield Rover’s seed already arrived a couple of days ago - very quick off the mark!
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on November 18, 2020, 12:00:39
The parcel has been sent, but I'm sorry to say it's without the mullein seeds. I couldn't for the life of me locate the seed heads I stashed away though I could swear I saw them last week...
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 18, 2020, 16:21:37
Even without the mullein seeds, it’s a great range!

It gets a bit like that at this time of year - packets, dishes, buckets, bags ........
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on November 21, 2020, 10:57:43
Two turkish peppers:kandil dolma and tursusu,one hot and one sweet.The following bean varieties:red carolina
             arikoro
             salewski`s ungarn
             pastoral
If you recieve the beans put them in the fridge for 24 hours,just in case.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 22, 2020, 09:47:04
Great stuff. Another exciting range of varieties. We're a small circle but certainly make up for it in range and number of contributions. Great thanks to everyone.
Once Ruud's seeds arrive, I'll despatch as quickly as possible. We just need to hope the pre-Brexit postal service pulls out the stops for us.

It would be great if we could put together notes about the varieties we're contributing - any known history, where our seeds came from, growing/cooking experiences etc. They can be as brief or as detailed as you like.

They can be posted here (with photos if available and helpful), and I will also put them somewhere central so that they can be consulted for years to come. Perhaps this is something we can do over the next month with a view to having a full set of notes by the new year. Do say if this presents any difficulties .....
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on November 22, 2020, 13:29:26
Greek squash, sorry no photo to hand.  As the photo shows, the plants are so light green, that the term 'white' is quite correct for this squash.

https://hsl.gardenorganic.org.uk/seedlist/squash/greek

Red veined sorrel, again sorry, no photo to hand.  Seems to shake off frost well.  Leaves are a bit tough this time of year, but the red stems are still very yummy.  New leaves in spring in abundance followed by flowering stem in late summer.  If stem cut off, plants will just carry on.   

https://www.magicgardenseeds.co.uk/The-Good-To-Know/Bloody-dock-red-veined-sorrel-(Rumex-sanguineus)-A.1003-
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 23, 2020, 06:43:15
Thanks Galina. Great start. The HSL notes say the Greek squash can be eaten young or left to grow into more of a marrow. I’ve not grown summer squash before. If picked young would you use them much as you would use a courgette?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on November 23, 2020, 06:46:45
I think I have commented on the beans before. 

Yes exactly.  Use like courgette as normal.  Skin stays soft for a long time, so can be used as a marrow too.  Like halved and stuffed.  Our Italian neighbour admired the large flowers for stuffed courgette flowers.  Unfortunately for him I said no, because I needed every one to have enough for isolating and handpollinating.  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 23, 2020, 07:07:49
Yes, you have commented fully on the beans. Thanks.

Looking forward to growing the Greek squash.  I like your dedication to the seed-saving cause!
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on November 23, 2020, 09:22:08
Thank you Jan.

To the group.  How would you date a squash whose seeds were grown in one year and harvested in another?  The Greek was grown in 2019, but seeds extracted early in 2020.  Is it the seed extraction date or the growing date?  I always go by the growing date, but there may be a different convention.  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on November 23, 2020, 09:52:56
If faced with that dilemma I would also opt for the growing date. My justification would be that recording the season of growth is more useful for future reference than when the seeds were extracted.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 24, 2020, 09:32:03
Yes, I'd use the growing season too.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on November 24, 2020, 10:02:49
Thank you both.  :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on November 27, 2020, 14:22:01
Bush bean arikara https://www.victoryseeds.com/bean_arikara-yellow.html
pole bean salewskis ungarn http://www.bohnen-atlas.de/sorten/s/2150-salewski-s-ungarische
you have to translate this page because it is in german.
pole bean pastoral  and bush bean red caroline not very much information about those two.Red caroline is a kidney type of bean,pastoral is a climbing snapbean wenn picked young.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 28, 2020, 06:31:14
Thanks Ruud.
That’s very helpful. From the Bohnen-Atlas link, the Salewski’s Ungarn (Salewski’s Hungarian) is apparently a mixture which grew from Blaue aus Ungarn (Blue from Hungary).
I grew Blaue aus Ungarn this year. It was a late bean but I have seeds still drying from it. It was also very flat podded and I think tender though I didn’t really get to eat it as I was keen to save the seed.
Were yours similar in being flat-podded and quite late, and did you get the mix?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on November 28, 2020, 10:42:07
yes,they are quite late and the beans are quite a mix.I had more than 4 different types of beans.Intresting to see what happens if you grow them seperatly.Do you get a mix or not.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 28, 2020, 20:34:20
Good news! All the seeds have now arrived, even those which had to cross the Channel. They’ve now been parcelled up and dispatched and will hopefully be with the island dwellers in the next two or three days and others as soon as possible.
A small number of people but a great range of seeds - so thank you very much to all participants for such imaginative contributions. Definitive list to follow.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 29, 2020, 09:42:18
The final list of seeds contributed and sent out.

Galina
White Courgette Greek
Red veined Sorrel
CFB Mazlenk Rumen Visok II
DFB Snake
Melon Collective Farm Woman
CFB Tirana's Rotviolette
CFB Bosnian

Vetivert
Blooming Prairie dual-purpose dwarf bean
Beefy Resilient Grex dwarf drying beans
Sweet Meat - Oregon Homestead maxima squash
Früher Heinrich mangetout pea
Redventure celery
Magic Manna flour corn
Hooker’s Sweet Indian sweetcorn

Markfield Rover
Hangman’s Door pea,
Nasturtium Blue Pepe,
Syrian Small broad bean,
Bloody Warrior lettuce
Burmese Sour tomato
Syria Stuffer tomato

Ruud
Solar Flare tomato
Cherokee Green tomato
Heatherington Pink tomato
Pamplemousse du Grandpère tomato
Dalyon tomato
Tursusu chilli pepper
Kandil dolma sweet pepper
Pastoral cfb
Salewski’s Ungarn cfb
Red Carolina dfb
Arikara Yellow dfb

Jang
Rosella tomato
Dancing with Smurfs tomato
Black Opal tomato
Dehybridised Sungold tomato
Jaerert pea
Magnolia Blossom pea
Opal Creek pea
Dill
Magenta spreen - Chenopodium giganteum
Red mountain spinach/ Red orach - Atriplex hortensis var. rubra
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on November 29, 2020, 12:38:03
two peppers from turkey a hot one called tursusu http://www.fordsfieryfoodsandplants.com/turkish-heirlooms/Tursusu-biber-seeds
and a sweet one called biber kandil dolma  https://iklimbahce.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=23
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on November 29, 2020, 13:39:53
tomatoes:solar flare https://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/tomato/wild-boar-farms/solar-flare-tomato#:~:text=This%206%2D10%20ounce%20beefsteak,of%20his%20%E2%80%9Cwork%20horses.%E2%80%9D
cherokee green https://www.victoryseeds.com/tomato_cherokee-green.html
heatherington pink https://tomatoeden.com/?751,heatherington-pink
pamplemousse de grandpere https://www.worldtomatosociety.com/tomato/pamplemousse-du-grand-p/  I hope you have enough information now.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on November 29, 2020, 15:39:20
:icon_cheers: Thank you everybody!   :icon_cheers:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 29, 2020, 16:11:28
Thanks Ruud. The pickling pepper sounds very interesting. Is it a real scorcher?

I've never tried pickled chillis. I imagine it's a Turkish tradition. Do you know if they're for eating straight from the jar? Quite an intense experience I imagine!
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on November 30, 2020, 08:51:49
They have arrived!! So in comes the Christmas tree I’ll pop them under and when the time is right , what immeasurable joy. Thank you everyone especially JanG , through flood and pandemic ( as for Syrian beans ,war too)we made it happen ,so bring on 2021 we have the seeds. Warmest wishes to you all.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 30, 2020, 10:36:04
Brilliant. Glad they've arrived so quickly.

Here are some notes for my varieties. I'm working on putting all notes somewhere central and hope to have that sorted shortly in a way which might or might not work!

_____________________________________________________

Rosella tomato

Bred by Mark Rowland of Gourmet Genetics, an English setup now marketing through Kings Seeds.
People comment on a smoky flavour which I’m not sure I noticed but I certainly enjoyed it very much


Black Opal tomato
Also bred by Gourmet Genetics. I’m not sure why they have released two tomatoes which to my taste and eye are quite similar but I like them both

Dancing with Smurfs tomato
A variety bred by Tom Wagner. I found the plants to be pleasingly blight resistant and productive and loved the red blushed dark tomatoes.
It was apparently released in 2012 and offered commercially by New World Seeds & Tubers, and named after the thirteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the TV series South Park. Indeterminate, with attractively dark foliage too.

Dehybridised Sungold tomato

I’ve been seleting since 2017 and only saving seed from Sungold types. From the beginning I’ve had over 50% sweet orange cherry tomatoes and Now perhaps 75%. There is also a striped form which has cropped up a few times which is bigger and keeps going after other varieties have succumbed to exhaustion or blight, so I’ve enjoyed that too but all of this seed has been saved from Sungold types.

Jaerert pea
An unusual Norwegian variety from the area of Jæren. It is little known outside that area but has been taken up by Arco del Gusto as a variety to be protected. The plods and peas are small, rather like a petit pois so a number of pods are needed to make a helping! Apparently it is good also as a mangetout although I didn't try it that way. It was probably grown in the traditional way for the area with oats as support, the two crops being harvested together.

Opal Creek pea
An Alan Kapuler variety. A yellow podded snap pea, The peas have a characteristic curved shape. It's a tall variety but not as vigorous as some. It was quite comfortable on a cane wigwam. It was named after the Opal Creek Wilderness Area in the Willamette National Forest in Oregon.



Magnolia Blossom pea
Another Alan Kapuler pea. This has tendrils in place of normal leaves which are delicate and flavoursome to eat in their own right. It is vigorous and needs fairly sturdy support. Very attractive at all stages of growth

Dill
I love dill and often just enjoy it in the garden as it's so pretty and smells so good. It will grow to about 5' high and produce plentiful seed and it has begun to happily self-seed in my polytunnel.

Magenta spreen - Chenopodium giganteum
This gently self seeds in my garden and I tend to leave it because it's so attractive. The young leaves and the flower shoots, when young, can be added to salads or stir-fries. It grows up to about 5' high if you leave it that long. It is much loved by Carol Deppe

Red mountain spinach/ Red orach - Atriplex hortensis var. rubra
Another 5' plant if allowed to develop and another one which will self-seed gently if allowed. Like magenta spreen it can be used young in salad or stir-fried or wilted like spinach when older.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on November 30, 2020, 16:37:39
pickeld peppers are a little bit of a challenge to eat.I find the long green ones nicer to eat,not so hot.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on November 30, 2020, 17:11:37
Both Jayb and myself have seen curved as well as straight Opal Creek peas.  The pod on the left is pretty straight.  Even more so the pod in the middle at the bottom.  A very delicious pea. 
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 30, 2020, 18:07:38
Interesting re straight Opal Creek. When I grow them again I'll check more carefully but mostly I think mine were curved. Yes, it's definitely delicious!

Do you mean long green ones amongst the Tursusu peppers, Ruud? Or are you meaning a different charity?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 30, 2020, 18:12:44
Ruud, I guess your Dalyan tomatoes are from Turkey too. Are the Dalyan you contributed a commercial variety or seed from a tomato bought in Dalyan?
 I get the impression you have a special connection with Turkey?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on November 30, 2020, 19:44:25
Before too long I hope to add some info.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on November 30, 2020, 20:01:49
👍🏼👍🏼
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on December 01, 2020, 14:57:02
Long green peppers pickled also called pepperoni.This is a different kind of pepper,Dalyan is a tomato i got from the owner of the appartment i rented while on holiday.Yes i have a connection with the place dalyan in turkey.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on December 01, 2020, 17:22:14
For the varieties bred by Carol Deppe, please refer to her catalogue for full in-detail descriptions https://caroldeppe.com/Seed%20Catalog%202019.html

Blooming Prairie dual-purpose dwarf bean
Attractive little plants with full purple expression in the stems, veins, flowers, pods and seeds. Good as a filet bean and also when dry. Bred by the late Robert Lobitz.

Beefy Resilient Grex bush drying bean
Carol Deppe bred. Beats every other drying bean I’ve grown for savory flavour. Has an umami taste that you would expect from beans cooked with cured meat.
I harvested on four dates - yields increased as the season progressed, with renewed growth after late-August rains; the earliest were all dwarf bushes and the late-maturing plants had indeterminate forms with slight climbing habits. Interestingly, black beans were absent from the late maturing plants.
I’ve included seeds from the entire crop, so one has the choice to make the best selections for their conditions. My source was Brown Envelope Seeds.

Sweet Meat - Oregon Homestead squash
Thick-fleshed and very sweet when left to cure. A Carol Deppe mass reselection of Sweet Meat maxima squash, selected for the original small seed cavities and exquisite flavour lost from commercial strains. Cured squash make great desserts; less mature squash are good in soup, gnocchi, etc. (IMO cured squash soup is almost too sweet).
My source was Vital Seeds.

Früher Heinrich mangetout
Prolific and hardy round seeded mangetout. Pods 80-90mm, bourne in pairs, 8 seeds per pod, with firm string. Plants up to 1.2m tall. Good balanced flavour and sweet. Had success overwintering in modules for early transplants and heavy crops. By many accounts a German heritage variety, though some references claim that it is Dutch (Vroege Hendriks). My source was the Heritage Seed Library.

Redventure celery
Medium-sized red celery, very aromatic. Hardy overwintering outdoors in the south; withstood frost and frozen ground. Parentage Giant Red and Venture. Bred by Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seeds. My source was the Real Seed Catalogue.

Magic Manna flour corn
A truly beautiful Carol Deppe variety that appears well adapted to the British climate. Sow direct in mid-to-late May after soaking for a day.
Flour corn is quite ‘soft’, it is mostly starch and no more difficult to grind up than nuts or coffee. We’ve ground  some flour with a coffee mill and made delicious drop scones with the white kernels. I know this seems like an extremely obtuse observation, but they were so corny! Nothing like any cornbreads or polenta I’ve tasted, which are much blander. It must be the freshness.
My source was a donation from a kind Austrian grower.

Hooker’s Sweet Indian sweetcorn
(Important to note that this is seed from a small population, so it is greatly advised to let these cross-pollinate with other sweetcorn varieties and reselect to maintain vigour. It wouldn’t be the same variety anymore but I believe this strain could do with some enhancement from new genes anyway).
Short, high tillering. Small cobs with thoroughly enjoyable flavour. Sweet and chewy; I noticed some aromatic berry notes! Bred by Ira Hooker of Washington State, and selected for its hardiness. My source was Dreschflegel Saatgut.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on December 02, 2020, 06:17:22
And mine have arrived too.   :icon_cheers:   

Thank you very much for everybody's seeds.  Seed share day is always a wonderful highlight of the year.  Yes small circle, but the results are amazing.  I love growing seeds and thinking of their donors when the plants are up and looking bonny.  Far more special than growing from shop bought seeds. 

JanG thank you for doing the honours for us.  Gosh you turned that around extra quick, very efficient.  It is really appreciated.    :icon_cheers:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: pumkinlover on December 02, 2020, 12:52:59
I am glad to see that you are so early this year. It's great to see the seed circle so active.
I've just had an e-mail from Premier seeds direct saying that they will no longer be able to send seeds to Europe and Northern Ireland without an expensive £125 sanitation certificate. Does anyone know whether these regulations will affect non sales of seeds, ie circles like this.
I've posted on here in the hope that the comments stay on the subject of the seed circle rather than the reason for his happening!
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on December 02, 2020, 21:42:05
Yes, it will be like it is now with USA.  Small packets may make it through, but never a guarantee. One of the reasons for a timely seed circle this year.  Now is the time, the absolutely last good opportunity to get seeds from Ireland or EU, as after the end of the year everything is unknown.  I remember with great fondness how a couple of years ago instigated by Jayb, we collected all the interesting seed sources and that post even got pinned.   Apart from the phytosanitary certificate everybody who wants to sell to UK in case of no deal has to contact HMRC and pay VAT ahead, even for tiny purchases.  No exception like UK has now with USA and other countries where very low value items are exempt.  With a deal it may be a little better, but basically how that will affect seed purchases is unknown.  It is still a third country relationship, even with a deal.  Very sad but here we are.  Non sales still need the certificate in future or the luck of the small package,  And plant material will quite likely be prohibited altogether. 

We got the Heritage Seed Library catalogue yesterday and they advised all their European members to order asap, so that seeds can still be sent before the end of the year.
 
 :wave:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on December 02, 2020, 21:51:26
Yes, I had the email too. It very much brought it home, though Galina has for some time been warning of the realties of the situation both here and elsewhere. Let us hope that at least some poor minimal deal will soften things slightly and that in time some kind of common sense might prevail. But it certainly looks like it will be tricky for at least a while
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on December 03, 2020, 07:33:10
I’ve collected together the information about contributed varieties sent so far. Thank you very much for that. Further info gratefully received when a few minutes present themselves.
I wanted to put it all somewhere central for easy reference. I’m not at all qualified to create a website though I did look into it and believe you either need to pay out or put up with adverts. So I looked into putting the info free of charge onto Airtable which is a database which I very much enjoy using and thoroughly recommend.
I believe anyone can access this if sent a link, so I’m writing a pm initially to anyone interested but for the moment those who’ve donated seed. I’m just hoping that part works.
If it does please let me know whether you find it a helpful format and whether in general it seems a reasonable idea. Or do say if you have a better suggestion. An alternative is perhaps to creat a pinned post here on A4A but I like the way airtable presents photos and the manoeuvrability of it. Anyway, over to you
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: saddad on December 03, 2020, 11:04:46
I'll support the description of Fruher Heinrich...  very prolific, always have loads and being a round pea it is very hardy and so the first to be sown every year... don't even mind if the mice get some as we have loads... all from the twenty we got from HSL a couple of decades ago.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on December 03, 2020, 11:54:53
They've just arrived!  :icon_cheers:
Thank you all!
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on January 03, 2021, 14:12:09
Hello all , sorry to do this the Luddite way.......
Some information regarding seeds sent:
Seeds from Adam Alexander... veggingoutwithadam.com

Syrian Broad Bean, originally from Damascus , harvest young and eat whole equally good shelled. Small plant.

Burmese Sour Tomato, multi lobed cordon.Adam found this on a market stall in Yangon
(Rangoon) in Myanmar (Burma)  used in sour cuisine but also good with salt and olive oil.

Syrian Stuffer Tomato, from Future Seeds of Aleppo , semi determinate , thin skinned and aromatic.

Hangman’s Door, Tall pea . Very pretty flowers and purple pods . Adam has no history for this pea. I ate them all raw and they are tasty.

Bloody Warrior, lettuce.  Overwintering loose leaf cos, green with purple splashes . Can be sown as late as October with protection, harvest from March.

From Thomas Etty....
Nasturtium Blue Pepe, bred for culinary use , as seen on about every dish on the last series of Masterchef !! Small steely blue leaves.

HSL
Victorian Purple Podded Pea. Tall with very pretty flowers, purple pods which stand proud of the plant, again can only comment on raw taste , rather pleasant.

Just eyeing up some aubergine seeds , patience I know but......

Cheers
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on January 05, 2021, 10:48:10
Thanks for these helpful notes, Markfield Rover. I've added them to the airtable database.

I've had to make it Read Only now, as I was going to incur hefty charges for having put so much stuff on other bases. And any charges are multiplied for each collaborator.

It would be great though if we could add any observations about the varieties from our growing experiences as the year goes on. If any growing observations are made here on this thread, I'll aim to add them to the database as well for handy reference. This link should lead to it: https://airtable.com/shryC20nRNmUcgT30
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on January 06, 2021, 14:22:32
Just had a look at the airtable, really useful , thank you.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: ruud on January 07, 2021, 11:18:24
Yes after been lost somewere on a postoffice i finally got my parcel full of intresting seeds.Thanks everbody for the contribution and specially jang for organising the seedcircle.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on January 07, 2021, 17:05:41
That's great new ruud  :icon_cheers:

Markfield, what's your typical spacing for the Syrian broad beans? Do they tiller a lot?
Cheers.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on January 09, 2021, 16:26:42
Vetivert, I space them about 10 inches apart , I start them of in pots early spring . Sorry not sure what you mean by tiller !  I tend to leave after care and eating to OH as BB are the one  crop I find difficult to eat 🙁🙁
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: saddad on January 09, 2021, 16:41:12
Tillers are usually extra side shoots... sweetcorn does it a lot, broad beans less so but still quite common.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: markfield rover on January 09, 2021, 16:48:18
Ah , thank you saddad , I ll keep an eye , is it best to remove them?
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: Vetivert on January 09, 2021, 21:19:47
Thanks for the tip! And no don't remove the tillers, or you'll be removing a lot of your potential crop too!

Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: pumkinlover on January 10, 2021, 08:22:59
Tillers is a new phrase for me.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: saddad on January 11, 2021, 07:49:20
Everyday is a school day!
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on May 13, 2021, 06:34:55
I’m intrigued by Galina’s Greek White squash.

​​​​​​​I sowed three seeds and had 100% germination. 
What intrigues me is that one plant has romped away and become quite large, and the other two remained much smaller. It seems a remarkable amount of variation.

I wondered whether Galina previously or anyone this season has experienced such a degree of variability. I suppose it could just be a cultural accident but as far as I know I’ve kept them in roughly the same conditions.

Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: galina on May 13, 2021, 11:32:10
Let's hope there has not been a hand pollination mistake and one seed is an unintended F1
hybrid, displaying hybrid vigor.  I seriously hope not and have been careful with isolating and hand pollinating and then reclosing the female, but hybrid vigor could be a possible explanation.

The resulting fruit will soon tell you.   :BangHead:
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on September 15, 2021, 11:20:23
Rather late in the day, I can happily report that the Greek White courgette was indeed true to type. My large vigorous plant continued to prosper and produced perfect white courgettes. Thanks Galina.
Title: Re: Seed Saving Circle 2020
Post by: JanG on September 17, 2021, 10:12:06
I'm interested to know whether anyone else has grown Ruud's Pamplemousse du Grandpère this season. It's a lovely blushing largish, slightly beefsteak kind of tomato. It starts yellow, then develops a red blush when fully ripe.
I have only one plant which has the colouring shown in internet photos but mine have a pointed tip which I like very much, but which doesn't appear in any photos I've seen online. I imagine there's some variability in the tomatoes produced by this variety but I wonder whether anyone else has this pointed tip on their P du G.
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