Seed Sharing Circle 2014?

[Jayb]

Excellent 


Can't wait till you spill the beans

[Jayb]

[goodlife]

Excellent 


Can't wait till you spill the beans

Oh well...ok then...
One of the tomato varieties I'm trialling is called 'snowdrop'. It is bred for Western Russian/Karelia region climate where spring will linger looooong time and late frosts are still possibility until mid June. But because of the 'frost resistance' they don't recommend starting these tomatoes too early and getting the plants into ground while they are still relatively small. They claim if that if you sow the seed mid April, plant them out by mid June..they'll be cropping by early-to mid August.....so we'll see what happens..though I really should have sown these little bit earlier to put the plants truly in test with their frost hardiness, our climate is few weeks ahead for what they are bred for.
Other one is bit of 'novelty'...being named 'Anja'.. But it is outdoor variety too and with 'high dry-matter' content but is for 'fresh consumption'.
And then I have Finnish tomato 'Simo'..that one comes from Nordic seedbank...but I don't have much info about it...red fruiting and bush type is far as I know. I suspect it is 'old fashioned' tomato that was traditionally cultivated against cow shed wall on bed that was built up with straw bedding from the shed...talking about short 'food miles' and recycling
Simo is going to be grown on back yard in buckets..it is a bit of 'hot spot' in summer and should suit tomatoes well...the contents of the buckets are from my 'builders bag planters'..composted straw/wool/grass clippings and old compost.
I'm growing whole lot of veg in that same small area instead of the 'usual' summer flowers..I'll have different kind, useful flowers
OHHHH...I CAN'T WAIT!  Soooo exciting....

[Jayb]

Snowdrop sounds excellent, it's one I looked at before and short listed, so I'll be really interested to hear how you get on.
http://www.doublehelixfarms.com/snowdrop
http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Snowdrop
http://www.seemnemaailm.ee/eng/index.php?GID=916

I'm not sure if any of these are the same as yours. The fruit look much bigger in Seemnemaailm's picture? Might be different varieties with the same name or perhaps picture doesn't match variety.

Anja, what a lovely name for a tomato  I like the sound of all your tomato varieties 

Can't have too many tomatoes! 

[goodlife]

It sounds like they all 'talk' about same tomato but all describe the fruit size slightly differently..
My seeds are from Seemne...and I'm glad now that I have managed to pick something that you have 'short listed' but don't have...yet.. Unless you fancy some seeds now and join for the growing with me...?..some left in a packet 

[Jayb]

Thanks, but I'm happy to wait and see if they get your recommendation
Works well for me because I wanted to try a few early types to compare next year 

[aj]

Hi all

I still have the seeds that I saved from last year for the circle; as I didn't manage to get them sent in time so I may as well let you all have them this year.

I can't remember what they were now [in a dark cupboard] but I think they were a few varieties of beans, peas and Vietnamese mustard...and from a fair amount of tomatoes.

I am running my other forum circle solely through personal contact and facebook these days; so if anyone wants to join that one as well, let me know. All welcome. It should include some ex HSL and GO employees who are seed saving in their new jobs so you never know what delights might come the circle's way!

Hi Aj, nice to see you pop by.
Seeds for the circle, that's thoughtful, I think many of last years members are in this circle too so that would work well. I still have your selection of seeds from the group if you would like them, or join in this group - or both! Let me know what you would like to do and if you need my address to send seeds to.
Your circle group sounds interesting, how do I join?

I'll join in this years if that's ok; I can't take last year's seeds when I haven't contributed! I'm not as busy as I was last year although you never know when that can change.

I'll PM you the link to the facebook group or I can just PM you on here - it's just like the old 'other forum' group that I ran but with a different mix of people. Some the same, some not.

[goodlife]

First update from me... 
Gilfeather turnips that planted back out from storage about month ago have now lot of new green growth on..and I suspect they soon start to stretch out and flower! No winter losses with my storaged roots nor with those that were left outside, which are about to start flower already.
Sugar beets have over wintered on situ well too..and those have started to push up flower stalks..not ready for flowers quite yet, soon though.
Sugarlord peas have been planted outdoor for couple of weeks now..still intact and no sparrows have found their way inside the nets  They haven't grown much but I suspect they will start stretching out once we get some rain.
Outdoor tomatoes have just started to germinate.
Chillies have made sudden growth surge and are ready for potting up for next stage before the final planting position.
So far everything is looking very healthy, nicely lush and green It is all go go go.....

[Jayb]

All sounds fab 

My Gilfeather have just started flowering 
I had hoped the Sugar beets and Early Blood beetroots would be flowering at different times but it's to close to keep both so the sugar beet will have top go. I rather fancy trying beetroot x sugarbeet seeds to see what comes?!

[goodlife]

All sounds fab 

My Gilfeather have just started flowering 
I had hoped the Sugar beets and Early Blood beetroots would be flowering at different times but it's to close to keep both so the sugar beet will have top go. I rather fancy trying beetroot x sugarbeet seeds to see what comes?!

Oh, extra sweet beetroot would be fab! Little crossing trial perharps?

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you cut the flowers off one, will they produce another lot later, after the first has finished?

[Jayb]

Oh, extra sweet beetroot would be fab! Little crossing trial perharps?

Would be fun, I just can't work out yet how to do it without compromising seed of the beetroot 

[Jayb]

If you cut the flowers off one, will they produce another lot later, after the first has finished?

I don't know, they both flower over a long period. For me, to be safe both the beetroot and sugar beet would need to be delayed for quite a while, might be worth a try to see though. I did think perhaps to swap some pollen in the post but from the bits I've read their pollen only remains viable for 24hrs, though again it might be worth a shot if goodlife fancies a go? Or if someone else has some beetroot to run to seed I can try and delay sugar beet and send some later on? Though it might be a better job to wait until next year?

[Jayb]

Forgot to add, I've read that quite a lot of sugar beet varieties are male sterile, but without knowing if this one is...

[goodlife]

Forgot to add, I've read that quite a lot of sugar beet varieties are male sterile, but without knowing if this one is...

Umm...perhaps then it would be case of getting beetroot pollen on the sugarbeet..
are you able to transplant...say 3 of each  and plant them together somewhere else..very closely..and stick few canes around them with some fleece wrapped around..like tight cage. Let them mingle and see what is results...maybe the selected crosses need re-grossing again depending how much beetroot 'heritage' there is left/available?!
Perfect one would be slightly bigger and sweeter root 
Hmm...I have look to my plot if my roots are available to each other in same time..its all about group sex...'all together now'..

[Jayb]

Forgot to add, I've read that quite a lot of sugar beet varieties are male sterile, but without knowing if this one is...

Umm...perhaps then it would be case of getting beetroot pollen on the sugarbeet..
are you able to transplant...say 3 of each  and plant them together somewhere else..very closely..and stick few canes around them with some fleece wrapped around..like tight cage. Let them mingle and see what is results...maybe the selected crosses need re-grossing again depending how much beetroot 'heritage' there is left/available?!
Perfect one would be slightly bigger and sweeter root 
Hmm...I have look to my plot if my roots are available to each other in same time..its all about group sex...'all together now'..

I'm still trying to work out if it is possible    I think fleece may not catch all the pollen and would risk contaminating the beetroot.

[goodlife]

I won't be able to get the beet crossing to work over here...sugar beet is just coming to flower and  beetroot is no where near in same stage.
All these gusts were are experiencing over here...there is no pollen that will be hold in fleece cages...even the fleece is not staying situ..mind blowing..literally!

And message for Galina; You asked 'how did I get my lettuce seeds so 'clean'? Well....as a result of my vigorous cleaning and good lungs...I have lettuce seedlings popping up all over the place in my back garden..perfection is not that good idea to achive..   Then again.....getting lettuce 'crop' next to one's back door means very short food miles..
Lesson learned...next time less 'lungs' 

[Jayb]

Yes it's pretty blustery here too the last few days. Mine are the other way around with Beetroot going to come to flower first.



Gilfeathers are a riot of yellow and when the weather is ok and the bees are around the flowers in abundance 
Sadly picture doesn't do them justice

[Jayb]

Early Blood turnips are sending up flower shoots and won't be long before they start to flower.

I'm thinking I'd like to add either a chilli or pepper to the circle, possibles are Romanian Rainbow (sweet pepper) chilli - Lantern, Pretty in Purple (from Jeannine) or Manzano Orange which was overwintered in the poly-tunnel and loaded with early buds? I'm growing several I've not grown before which also might be possibles.

Early Russian cucumbers did well last year and I'm growing it again this year. I'm also growing Beit Alpha from Baker Creek this year, they list these as a variety though the name is also used to describe a Middle Eastern Type cucumbers http://www.johnnyseeds.com/assets/information/cucumberterminology.pdf .  Ruud has sent some Beit Alpha cucumber seed to be shared in the seed parcel, I can't make out much as I think the packet is in Turkish, they are perhaps the same and as Ruud has kindly donated a large packet not needed for more seed.

[goodlife]

My sugarbeet seeds were from 3 different sources..and as there wasn't any difference in their looks and they all produced equally well, I was going to allow them mingle and cross..BUT..nature says different. One of the varieties originate from Ireland. I don't know the full story but what I was told by the 'donor', the seed originate from site where there used to be old sugar'factory'. This 'variety' is miles ahead with flowering compared to other 2. So it looks like I'm going to able to separate at least one of them..and without any efforts 

My Gilfeathers..those that were stored away and replanted are still couple of weeks away from flowering...which is good news..all other flowering brassicas will be over done with so I don't have to start checking what will cross and what not...
Those that were left into ground are in full flower now...but they are for bees as I have all sorts of rogue brassicas flowering nearby.

[Jayb]

Your S.beets coming from a disused sugar factory sound very interesting, should be no issues of male sterility.