Seed Sharing Circle 2012

[goodlife]

A question or two about the "Kaulion Valkea (Kaulion's White)"

It (You) say(s) they are very frost tolerant..   "..but coming from Finland, their 'frost' is UK 'FREEZING COLD!..so should be able to take our weather."....

Can you recommend the best time to sow ?

Cheersees. :-)

You can sow them same as you would any other broadbean...starting from anytime soon..
As for the 'frost'..well..frost is frost where ever it is. Nothing will grow if the ground is frozen solid.  Last year when everything else struggled..those beans were doing really well..

[goodlife]

[Jayb]

Sorry Deb's I've not tried growing Laurel seeds before either. I came across Forestry Commission site and I'm a little worried I may have saved the bay seeds in the wrong manner, they might have been much better picked fresh just before sending  "A few broadleaves (e.g. beech, laurel and Norway maple) combine the intermediate storage characteristics with deep dormancy. This means that they require careful drying, relatively precise storage conditions and also very lengthy pretreatment. "
Page 18 has details for Bay Trees http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/fcpg018.pdf/

I hope some will germinate. There should still be some on the tree if anyone needs some fresh?

[galina]

NigelB, could you please tell me how tall Mangetout 'Eat Me' plants from Hong Kong grow?  Looking forward to trying these, just need to know how tall the supports need to be. 

[Nigel B]

NigelB, could you please tell me how tall Mangetout 'Eat Me' plants from Hong Kong grow?  Looking forward to trying these, just need to know how tall the supports need to be.

Ah. Sorry guys... They will need support. Four to Six-footers, if I remember correctly... :-)

[galina]

They will need support. Four to Six-footers, if I remember correctly... :-)

Thanks Nigel.

[Jayb]

They will need support. Four to Six-footers, if I remember correctly... :-)

Thanks Nigel.

Thanks, just planning what goes where.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Unless I'm missing something, there's nothing on the web page about Purple Passion peas. I'm not even sure who included it in the parcel, and I'm wondering what the plant looks like. I want to grow it with a variety that looks completely different so I can't mistake it!

[Robert_Brenchley]

Cancel that, I'm getting confused. I know where it came from now.

[Jayb]

Lol, you got me worried there Robert, I was just wondering why I hadn't any in my parcel

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'd forgotten I had some rare peas come from the States recently. It's one of those.

[galina]

Lol, you got me worried there Robert, I was just wondering why I hadn't any in my parcel

Maybe you will have some in your parcel next year ................................................... :-)

[Robert_Brenchley]

It's just a single seed of a purple-seeded mutation. I think it'll take more than one year to bulk it up, but all being well I might have one or two umbellate peas, with a growth habit similar to Salmon Flowered. I've been looking for more of these for a while.

[Jayb]

It's just a single seed of a purple-seeded mutation. I think it'll take more than one year to bulk it up, but all being well I might have one or two umbellate peas, with a growth habit similar to Salmon Flowered. I've been looking for more of these for a while.

Your purple seeded mutation sounds interesting, hope it does well.

How exciting, I'd be really interested other umbellate pea varieties. What colour are the flowers?

[Robert_Brenchley]

I have two labeled 'umbellata' with accession numbers; I assume they came from a seed bank, but I know nothing about them. Mummy White should be umbellate if it's the variety I've read about, and is presumably white. Mummy pea could be anything. We'll see! It's taken me several years to get hold of these, and I'm as excited as anyone.

[Jayb]

I'll be really interested to follow how they progress with you, and yes if at some point in the future you have a few spare for me that would be awesome.

I've some Salmon Flowered F2 crosses to grow out this year, I'm really hoping for the possibility of a new variety of crown peas in the making!

[Nigel B]

When's best to plant the Riebel Maize anyone? Any tips on growing it?
I hope it's tougher than regular sweetcorn because I've had no luck at all with those the last few years. I had a bit of a read about the maize and found a recipe for it so I'd really like to get a good crop from it if I can....

[galina]

When's best to plant the Riebel Maize anyone? Any tips on growing it?
I hope it's tougher than regular sweetcorn because I've had no luck at all with those the last few years. I had a bit of a read about the maize and found a recipe for it so I'd really like to get a good crop from it if I can....

All corn is frost tender, but just slightly less than cucurbita or beans.  You get away with a dip to 0 or -1C  it the ground isn't wet.  I always start indoors, because it is too late to sow when the ground outside has warmed up sufficiently. 

Corn is a good candidate for toilet paper tubes or paper pots of similar size.  Earliest start perhaps at the beginning of April.  Some corn needs warmth for germination, especially the supersweet varieties.  Middle of April or late April indoors start for areas with late frosts.  To help corn settle in well after transplanting, it helps to prevent windrock by really firming plants in and mulching with compost or making little mounds around each stem, not quite as much as say earthing up potatoes, just enough to make sure the plants are firmly anchored in the soil.

Last year was a struggle even with an early variety.  The weather couldn't have been much worse for corn.  This year is surely going to be better 
(garden waterlogged once again after the recent snow and rain, surrounding fields have developed extra lakes  )

[Nigel B]

Jeannine's Soya beans:  :wave.gif:  .... How when where.....?

I didn't even know we could grow them here...

I am loving[/i] this seed parcel business..... :-)

[galina]

NigelB, could you please tell me how tall Mangetout 'Eat Me' plants from Hong Kong grow?  Looking forward to trying these, just need to know how tall the supports need to be.

Ah. Sorry guys... They will need support. Four to Six-footers, if I remember correctly... :-)

With all the rain earlier in the season they have topped 6ft here.  And the pods are just huge, the longest 7inches!!! and very sweet indeed.  Thank you for a fine pea variety.  Have blanched and frozen several portions.  Hope they will still be as good in the winter as they are now.

You said they were like a little drink - well they are like a small meal here    and they are very juicy.

[Jayb]

Doh, can't believe I didn't get mine sown. Good info, thanks Galina