Topic: producing turnip seeds

[goodlife]

I'm familiar with principal of it..but..I've seem to read from somewhere that turnips could be placed into fridge for cold treament for 4 weeks and then planted again. 'With early sowing it should be possible to produce seeds within same year' ???
Have any of you tried this method yourself? I've got some varieties that I would like to keep going on..but the normal 'waiting game' is slow and you always loose too many in winter storage.  ::)

[saddad]

I've not tried any biennials... for that reason (Winter storage losses) but will keep an eye on this thread. I have some "red elephant" carrots in a dustbin that I want to bulk up...   :-\

[goodlife]

I found the page about cold storage..
http://www.seedsave.org/issi/904/expert.html
Saddad..the same page says about carrots "finger-size carrots store better than full grown ones"

[martinburo]

How about growing winter hardy varieties and leaving them in the ground? This year that worked for me in Norfolk with autumn king carrots. Am only growing turnips for the first time this year.

[goodlife]

Unfortunately they don't survive well in the ground during winter. For seed storage they have to be lifted stored away from the worst of the weather and all the bleeders that want to eat them ::)
Out 'in the wild' it is always too much hit and miss..and storage have to be just right too..not too wet, not too dry..not too cold or warm ::)
That's why got interested if anybody has tried early sowing and growing and cold treatment method..just to cut out the winter storage issue.
But looks like I just have try and learn if it is to be done ::)

[galina]

I have saved turnip seed a few times.  I sow late, July is good, and overwinter with cloche and fleece or a double layer of fleece.  Perhaps I have been lucky with my varieties, but they have always come through winter ok with frost protection.  Including last winter, which was cold.  I don't know yet how well this year's will be doing as this winter is even colder. 

Turnips still need a long time to produce seeds the following year.  It is not a quick process.

I'd be very interested to hear whether you will be successful in saving seeds in one year.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've left them over winter as an experiment, and got seed the following year, but I've never tried doing it in one.