Allotments 4 All

First things first, I am happy to pass over the circle to any old hands, otherwise you are stuck with me again.  :tongue3: I know there is a few of us seedaholics that are all ready thinking about the 2018 circle, so here it is folks. 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 would/will be in its 8th year   and 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, saving enough seed for every other member to grow a crop the following year. The group could be 10 – 20 + people, although it seems to even out at around 15. Veggies will generally need to be heritage or open pollinated so that they will come true from seed, (potato seeds won't come exactly true).

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 they can be found at http://seedsaverscircle.org/seed-circle/

And the previous threads for the Circles;
Seed Circle 2017 https://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,81010.0.html
Seed Circle 2016 https://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,79990.0.html
Seed Circle 2015 http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,78706.0.html
Seed Circle 2014 http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,77280.0.html
Seed Circle 2013 http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,74928.0.html
Seed Circle 2012 http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,70816.0.html
Seed Circle 2011 http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,64431.0.html
Seed Circle 2010 http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,58860.0.html

Could a kind Mod please pin this?  :wave:

I'm in  :wave: 
I haven't the faintest idea what I'll be saving though ..........

I'm in. It'll be my 5th year, which I am assuming is worth celebrating with cake.

Likewise no idea but hoping the growing gods will be kind this season.

mmmm     cake  :coffee2:

Oh well I might as well!!
Thanks for offering to do this.
Will pin if I can remember how

Oo er, this will be interesting. I can't modify my first post anymore. Nevermind. Thank you Pumpkinlover for pinning the thread.


1. Penedesenca
2. Plot 18
3. Sparrow
4. Pumpkinlover

I don't know if that's because the post is now pinned.
So I will unpin it for today, see if you can do what you want to do then let me know.

Quote from: pumpkinlover on February 26, 2018, 07:39:55
I don't know if that's because the post is now pinned.
So I will unpin it for today, see if you can do what you want to do then let me know.

No it doesn't seem to be because of pinning.

Edit: It is a forum thing I think and once I log out it no longer lets me change posts.

Edit again: It definitely seems to be connected with logging out :( Thank you for trying though.

Umm, I think I just might, if that's okay?

Sounds good to me!

Off to spend a little quality time with the Real Seed catalogue !

Yes, please.

1. Penedesenca
2. Plot 18
3. Sparrow
4. Pumpkinlover
5. Markfield Rover
6. Silverleaf
7. Martinburo

Yes I'm in. It's still a struggle to get things sorted, but I'll have something to put in.

count me in for the seedcircle.

Looking a lot like a circle .. Thanks penedesenca .

Just checking how peeps are doing and if anyone else wants to join. Hope you are all doing better than me. It is very much  :BangHead: this year but I will pull something off  :happy7:

1. Penedesenca
2. Plot 18
3. Sparrow
4. Pumpkinlover
5. Markfield Rover
6. Silverleaf
7. Martinburo
8. Robert
9. Ruud

I am afraid that I will have to give it a miss this year. :crybaby2: :crybaby2: :crybaby2:

You could put me down as 'provisional' seeing as you're thin on the ground at the moment.

I have two kinds of interesting seeds, but by the time you get to it I may be too busy.

I've got Polish Amaranth - I have found this a very viable spinach alternative, the stems are particularly flavoursome, almost asparagussy. 

And Japanese Wineberry seeds - I would have to call this an edible decorative, rather than 'a cropper'.  It's beautiful, yet hellish fiddly to crop, but I enjoy browsing on this and a selection of wild strawberries for moments of extreme piquancy on my plot.

'Provisional' might be overstating it for me, but I will try if I can.  I should have enough seeds of lettuce Relic, which is so dark red, you could call it black.  I am afraid it is a commercial variety, but one that piqued my interest and I must admit I have never seen this colour on any lettuce.  Tomato Harbinger has done well, as it always does.  It is just round, red and ping pong ball sized, early and reliable. 

https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/lettuce-relic-looseleaf/gwr4957TM
https://www.kingsseeds.com/Products/Vegetables/Tomato/Tomato-Harbinger

Nothing very exciting this year, I'm afraid.  :wave:

Pumpkin, noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Would it make any difference if you joined with just one? If anyone is doing well this year they should give themselves a pat on the back. Hope it is nothing worse than a pants gardening year.

Thanks earlypea and Galina. Provisional is fine it is still a little way off. All I have enough of at the moment is seakale and caffreys oats.

1. Penedesenca
2. Plot 18
3. Sparrow
4. Pumpkinlover
5. Markfield Rover
6. Silverleaf
7. Martinburo
8. Robert
9. Ruud
10. Earlypea
11. Galina

Seeds here are looking a little better now.  (Saying this very quietly), no blight has meant that the tomatoes did much better than average.  And much tomato seed is fermenting on the window sill as we speak.  Including the elusive Kumato which is a 'club tomato' and whose seeds  will never be for sale.  Well we are a club and don't sell to each other. 

By the way, thank you MR for the wonderful display of dahlia flowers, which are so pretty right now. :wave:   

There really is something about a dahlia!
I haven't managed to save enough seed this season , so I shall call it a day for this year.  Next year on the other hand is going to be fabulous!
The catalogues are piling up nicely.

Hi All,

Just to say I haven't had the best year on the plot and I am very sadly out for this year. Like Markfield Rover, I am sure next year will be superb...:)

Sorry to say the same, but I'm out as well. I've hardly managed to save seeds at all :(

But a big thank you to penedesenca.

I am in the same situation.  :BangHead:

Boo hoo. Sorry to hear so many of you have had a pants gardening year, but thank you for letting us know. Fingers crossed for next year.

1. Penedesenca
2. Earlypea
3. Galina
4. Martinburo
5. Robert
6. Ruud
7. Silverleaf

Out

8. Plot 18
9. Sparrow
10. Pumpkinlover
11. Markfield Rover

Hopefully next year will be better!!! Though the sun was nice :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:

Don't panic if you are not ready yet, but I know one or two are. I have sent pm's to everyone with my details (with the exception of Silverleaf as their inbox is full  :wave:) If you have not got it let me know.

Feel free to send your seeds to me (enough for 7 please) when you are ready. The sooner they are, in the sooner you get your return parcel. Don't forget to include your address and stamps to cover return postage £3.45 for 1st parcel £2.95 for 2nd.

Any issues just give us a shout.

x

Thank you Penedesenca for taking on the distribution again for us.  Looking better here for seeds now than it did earlier.  I can also include a couple of small tubers of Jayb's potatoes that she had crossed with the blight resistant variety Kifli to good effect.  They are late, but have rallied when the rains started to a good harvest a few days ago.  I also have Babington Leek bulbils again, which is a repeat, but with new people in the circle maybe of interest.  :wave:

We have a last minute addition. 7 packs is still fine and covers it  :happy7:

1. Penedesenca
2. Earlypea
3. Galina
4. Martinburo
5. Robert
6. Ruud
7. Silverleaf
8.JanG

Out

8. Plot 18
9. Sparrow
10. Pumpkinlover
11. Markfield Rover

Many thanks to Penedesenca for letting me join the seed circle at this late date.

My addiction is beans, although I grow a lot of other stuff too, and the seeds I have to contribute  this year are all beans. I do hope though to be a bit less narrow in what I successfully save another year.

My list of the beans I should be able to send is:

Trout bean
Smith River Super Speckle
Hidatsa Shield Figure
Tamila
Buxton Buckshot
Idelight

I'll post photos and a bit about the varieties in the next few days

I didnot started yet.Shall i make 8 bags of each.Will not be a problem for me.I will try to send my parcel end of these weak,if that will be allright.

Absolutely fine Ruud. I was being early, I know so no panic.  :happy7:

I have now set up a site to keep tabs on what we swap. Last years -  https://seedsaverscircle.home.blog/a4a-seed-saver-group-2017/ . If you could please let me have details and pics of what you swap either by message or post that would be great  :happy7:

Gosh you have been busy!  Great new seed circle catalogue pages.   

Sea kale?  Oh yes please.

:sunny:

My seed swap bean notes:
Trout bean (or Forellenbohnen).
A climbing bean, vigorous and prolific; very good as a dried or shelled bean. Originally from Beans and Herbs.
Apparently a newish Austrian variety, also appearing as Cranberry Lilac, Forellenbohnen  (Trout bean), Forelle fliederfarben (Lilac trout) or Cranberry Flieder. So quite some confusion over names

Smith River Super Speckle
A dwarf, productive, very attractive bean. From Russell Crow in US (see https://www.abeancollectorswindow.com). It was originally an outcross in the early 1980s from Jacob's Cattle but is now very stable

Hidatsa Shield Figure
A fairly productive climbing bean originally from Heritage Seed Library. It can be eaten fresh when very young, grown on for shelling or saved for very attractive dry beans. From the Hidatsa tribe who raised corn, squash, beans, and sunflowers in the Missouri River Valley of North Dakota. Shield Figure beans are described in the book, Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden. The seed coat pattern is said to resemble a warrior bearing a golden shield.

Tamila

A climbing bean, productive but not too rampant. Attractive roundish pink/red mottled beans.Another one from Russell Crow.He says, 'Oval 5 inch (12cm) pods contain between 5 to 7 seeds. The variety is grown in western Ukraine. My seed comes from a New York state "Seed Savers Exchange" member.' Heritage Seed Library also carries this bean and gives more background: Named after our donor's best friend this variety originates in the village of Kostilnyky, western Ukraine, an area where traditional crops continue to be grown on a large scale. The plants do show some variability, with some determined to climb, a normal characteristic of this type of local variety. Produces a heavy crop of pretty pink beans, best used for drying.  - HSL

Buxton Buckshot
An old variety that was grown around Buxton in Maine, US. The beans are small, round and birds' egg speckled. They're good for drying especially. It's semi-climbing growing to about 4ft and benefiting from some support

Idelight
A dwarf bean bred by a University of Idaho plant breeder and released to the public in 1951, and re-released in 2014 to celebrate the university's 125th anniversary. My seed came from HSL originally. HSL reckon it's also appears as Gourmet's Delight, which is fairly commonly available.It's good as a green bean and is almost stringless.

THE pigeon is on his way with a lot of goodies:Urfa peper is a turkish peper famous for his dried form but also very nice fresh,looks like a sweet peper,tastes like a sweet peper with a little heat.
Than i have a black broad bean called black russian,looks nice and tastes nice.
Two tomatoes: Bison who is a determinate(dwarf) red tomato and purple smaragd a plum shaped brown with green flames coloured tomato.Tastes sweet for a tomato.
Two beans: Garden of eden is a pole bean who can used as a young green or as a dry bean.
                  Cyrus green who is a dwarf bean used as a green beab,snap bean.I hope that my contribution will encourage diversity.Have a nice weekend.

Just to say that I did get the PM and I have good intentions  :glasses9:  that's not translated into any action yet though.

I'm quite busy this week, hopefully next.

Quote from: earlypea on November 25, 2018, 13:19:27
Just to say that I did get the PM and I have good intentions  :glasses9:  that's not translated into any action yet though.

I'm quite busy this week, hopefully next.

Not a problem. My thinking at the moment is to get parcels back out Jan. to avoid getting stuck/ delayed in christmas stuff and to give Robert and Silverleaf a chance to appear. (Fingers crossed they appear sooner) So no need to panic that is my job  :tongue3:.

Quote from: ruud on November 23, 2018, 16:57:58
THE pigeon is on his way with a lot of goodies:Urfa peper is a turkish peper famous for his dried form but also very nice fresh,looks like a sweet peper,tastes like a sweet peper with a little heat.
Than i have a black broad bean called black russian,looks nice and tastes nice.
Two tomatoes: Bison who is a determinate(dwarf) red tomato and purple smaragd a plum shaped brown with green flames coloured tomato.Tastes sweet for a tomato.
Two beans: Garden of eden is a pole bean who can used as a young green or as a dry bean.
                  Cyrus green who is a dwarf bean used as a green beab,snap bean.I hope that my contribution will encourage diversity.Have a nice weekend.

Ruud, that was one super speedy pigeon. They are here safe and sound and looking fab. Thank you.  :sunny:

I will send at short notice when I know that shareout day is not long coming, to keep the live plant material wrapped up for the shortest time possible.  I have just dug out my yacon and hope that I can divide the tops with enough eyes to give everybody a start. 

We now have lettuce Relic, bean George's, a couple of tomatoes, Babington leek, potatoes and (division skills permitting) red yacon. 

:wave: 

I see i got urfa peper already donated last year :BangHead: :BangHead:.I am getting old forgetting things i have done in the past :tongue3: :tongue3:.Galina red yacon will be a nice challange for next year.By the way that pigeon must be having four wings. :toothy10: :toothy10:

Tidied up my beans today that were still drying on the windowsill.  Well they should be well dry by now.  :sunny:

It was still not a good bean year, but I have two extra varieties where I have packed up a half portion for the circle.  A yellow "shrimp" type bean Climbing French Bean called Crochu de Savoie from France (my donor Jannes Aalders from the Netherlands) which is good to eat as "green bean".  And the other is "Lazy Housewife".  We had the white seeded one in the circle before and this is the brown seeded one from Heritage Seed Library with the same name, also CFB.  Dual use for eating fresh and for dried beans.  Both are coming into their own as second earlies, to borrow a potato descriptor.  Very useful for harvesting from late August onwards. 
:wave:

I remember Lazy Housewife being a lovely bean

Jan your seeds have landed safe and sound.

Three types aren't labelled can I just check which are which please  :happy7:

Trout bean - the round lilac with the black stripes?
Hidatsa Shield Figure - white with the brown capping?
Idelight - the small thin black bean?

Hi, Just to let you know I am setting a deadline of 20th Jan 2019. If there is any genuine reason you can't make this then please let me know.

1. Penedesenca - Received
2. Earlypea
3. Galina
4. Martinburo
5. Robert
6. Ruud - Received
7. Silverleaf
8.JanG - Received

Has everybody checked in with you, Penedesenca that they are still interested? 

My seeds are all packed into individual envelopes and the plant material will be packed right before I need to send off.  If your posting back to us deadline is the 20th of Jan, then I could send around the 10th?  If that works for you, or else please advise.  :wave:

At the moment this is how it stands. I am still hoping but obviously that hope needs to have a deadline.

1. Penedesenca - Received
2. Earlypea - last posted in response to the circle 25th November
3. Galina - hanging on due to live plant material
4. Martinburo - heard from on the 7th Nov but not since.  (so am a little worried)
5. Robert - MIA
6. Ruud - Received
7. Silverleaf - MIA
8.JanG - Received

This is not a pop at anyone just saying it as it is (with a smile on my face  :happy7:)

Thanks for the update Penedesenca!  :wave:

All packed and ready to go, but slight CONUNDRUM  :tongue3:

Have re-issued dwarf/semi-climbing French Bean, Ice Crystal Wax (I last distributed in 2010), on account of being so impressed with it the last three years, especially this year in the heat.  Plus, it's such an unusual one in a number of ways, which I will explain later...

However, in 2016/17 I was plagued by the bean weevils.  It was grown on a distant/different part of the plot and I have seen no evidence of infestation anywhere.  Have also left some somewhere warm to see if anything emerged - no signs.

But, I am worried, just in case.  Perhaps people could isolate them from their other beans just in case or chuck them in the bin if they're really worried.  I'll put a warning on the packets.  If they do emerge they nibble through the plastic packets - yuk!

Should I include them or not?

Quote from: earlypea on December 16, 2018, 13:55:32
All packed and ready to go, but slight CONUNDRUM  :tongue3:

Have re-issued dwarf/semi-climbing French Bean, Ice Crystal Wax (I last distributed in 2010), on account of being so impressed with it the last three years, especially this year in the heat.  Plus, it's such an unusual one in a number of ways, which I will explain later...

However, in 2016/17 I was plagued by the bean weevils.  It was grown on a distant/different part of the plot and I have seen no evidence of infestation anywhere.  Have also left some somewhere warm to see if anything emerged - no signs.

But, I am worried, just in case.  Perhaps people could isolate them from their other beans just in case or chuck them in the bin if they're really worried.  I'll put a warning on the packets.  If they do emerge they nibble through the plastic packets - yuk!

Oo-er. I am happy to give them a bash and keep an extra special eye on them whilst in my care.

Should I include them or not?

Earlypea, if nothing has emerged then chances are that we should see nothing in the short space of time until we get them. 

In the meantime you can put all the packets into a tighly closed kilner jar or clip top jar, if possible with a bit of rice or a few of the drying gel sachets that come in shoe boxes and handbags.  Then into the freezer for a week and any weavils are no more.  When you take the jar out of the freezer, let it come up to room temperature before you open the jar.  Yes this is a nice bean and a repeat is very welcome. 

If not we can freeze them ourselves or check regularly.  :wave:

Can't edit my post. In amongst the quote I said I was happy to give them a bash and will keep an extra eye on them when in my care.  :happy7:

freeze those suckers.I had to do my compleet collection of beans,put them for more than a week in the fridge.

I can see this unnerves some of us.

I just wanted to get the package off actually, but then I can't get in the post office it's so busy so I will freeze prior to sending.

Will let you know when despatched.

(BTW, I do know about freezing, but since some last year turned to mush I am reticent.  I am not in charge of the freezer!)

If there is a problem with the freezing process Earlypea, then plan B could be to check them last thing before sending.  Penedesenca has already said that she will check them on arrival and before returning to participants.  We are grateful that you have offered to keep an eye.  :angel11:

Please don't worry yourself Earlypea.  All will be well.  Chances of there being any are very small in any case.  :wave:

No, it's fine - I'll give it a go.  I've got lots saved so it won't matter if it goes wrong again with just small quantities..

Just a reminder the deadline is the 20th Jan

Unfortunately it is looking like 5 of us this year as I haven't heard from anyone else since I last posted  :sad3:

Have posted mine first class earlier today, should be with you tomorrow with any luck, Penedesenca. 

I had said initially that I would wait until the weekend in a PM, but all looked fine this morning, so I went ahead.  I packed 5 portions of everything, so one spare, should anybody else still participate last minute. 

Looking forward to seed shareout day!  Thank you so much.

:icon_cheers: 

Woo hoo. Your lovely fat parcel has arrived safe and sound and I have got your e-mail  :toothy10: Thank you Galina  :toothy10:

My beans were defrosted a couple of days ago.  Will post on Monday or Tuesday absolute latest so please hang on.

Sorry Earlypea, I should have said sooner. Yours are here safe and sound.

All the parcels are now sorted ready to post tomorrow provided nothing drastic happens.  :toothy10:

Well folks, they are in the hands of the posties. If you could post on here please when you get them that would be great  :icon_cheers: Thank you all for joining, especially in what was quite a pants growing year. Hope you enjoy your goodies I know I certainly will.

For those that want to know about their goodies then check out https://seedsaverscircle.home.blog/a4a-seed-saver-group-2018/ .

Also don't forget to sign up for this years seed circle here https://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,82221.0.html

Thank you again and happy growing  :sunny:

Oh wow! - I have just read the list of goodies.  Will be stalking postie and hope that the packet makes it super fast.

Interesting and important comment about Goldene Königin aka Golden Queen vs Gelbe Königin aka Yellow Queen, Penedesenca.  This actually happens quite a bit.  Bonner Beste and Bonnie Best is another example of two different tomatoes that often get confused. 

And Jan's bean Forellenbohne-Cranberry Lilac etc is a bean where an attempt at anglicising an original name has not helped either.  The Austrian seed seller Reinsaat, which is similar in concept to our Realseeds, call them Forellenbohne.   If you translate that it becomes Trout Bean, but this name is already taken by an entirely different bean.   So it also got anglicised to "Cranberry Lilac".  And then translated back to German as "Cranberry Flieder" (Flieder is lilac in German).  I am glad you listed all the names and permutations, Jan, to help us out with this naming mess.   :wave: 
https://shop.beetfreunde.de/forellenbohne.html         

And everything is looking perfect too as you can see.  What lovely new seeds, tubers, bulbs and cuttings!  Thank you everybody for your generosity.  :icon_cheers:   Thank you Penedesenca for organising this happy seed share day.   :icon_cheers:

Off to put the cuttings into pots. 

How did you start your Japanese Wineberries, Earlypea?  Any tips?

Have just looked at Chiltern Seed's website and they appear to need cold stratification. 

"Germination Instructions.  Sow in a cold frame from late summer to late winter. Surface sow onto moist, well-drained seed compost. Just cover seed with a sprinkling of soil or vermiculite. Germination requires at least one month at 3°C. Sowing in autumn allows natural winter cold to offer ideal conditions for germination to occur in spring as the weather warms. Transplant seedlings when large enough to handle to 8cm pots and grow on in the cold frame for their 1st winter. Acclimatise and plant out the following spring."
https://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item_1128D_rubus_phoenicolasius

My wonderful seeds and started have just arrived. Over the moon! Fantastic timing as I was the other side of the world till midnight yesterday. Amazing variety and quality from quite a small group of us. Thank you very much to all. Looking forward to finding out more and first taking care of the contributions which will benefit from immediate attention. Very exciting!

I'm very excited to receive the Taunton Deane kale cuttings as I've been on a waiting-list to buy these for some time. Special thanks, Penedesenca, for those.
Fascinated too by the Caffrey's Oats. How do you use them, Penedesenca?

Quote from: JanG on January 23, 2019, 14:42:06
I'm very excited to receive the Taunton Deane kale cuttings as I've been on a waiting-list to buy these for some time. Special thanks, Penedesenca, for those.
Fascinated too by the Caffrey's Oats. How do you use them, Penedesenca?

Just out of curiosity who's waiting list were you on? and you are more than welcome. In regards to the oats last year was the first year I grew them and they only made it as far as flower arrangements. I read somewhere they can be used as companion plants for peas and beans which meant for me that they took up no additional space. One day they might make it to the kitchen along with the wheat but they are fuss free and very tactile.

I applied to Incredible Vegetables who were offering the kale many months ago. The combination of bad weather conditions and more requests than they expected meant they didn't have any available for the time being. Where did you originally get your cuttings from?

Thanks for the explanation about the oats. I'd like to think I might use the grain; presumably it needs to be extracted then crushed. But failing that, of course flower arrangements! Great idea.

My cuttings came from Knightshayes https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/knightshayes/features/the-walled-garden-at-knightshayes The lovely lovely head gardener at the time sent them to me for the cost of p+p + a little as donation.

Quote from: galina on January 23, 2019, 13:01:40
How did you start your Japanese Wineberries, Earlypea?  Any tips?

To be honest Galina it never occurred to me that they needed any treatment.  I just notice that they do come up from seed around the original so thought I'd stock up before I move.  OK, so they must be getting stratification naturally.

Just to say 'got mine' really.  Thanking you Penedesenca  :sunny: and thank you all seed sharers  :wave:

I will also post info and photos shortly.......

Thank you Earlypea.  Sow now outside rather than in spring and winter does the necessary.  Good advice.   :wave:

I had a surprise package today with a lot of goodies.Thanks to everbody who put in there goodies.I am especially glad of the seakale seeds i found in the package.I had them a long time on my wishlist.Also thanks for the tubers and cuttings,oh so illeagal but i love it.Have a nice weekend everybody.

Quote from: ruud on January 25, 2019, 16:13:43
I had a surprise package today with a lot of goodies.Thanks to everbody who put in there goodies.I am especially glad of the seakale seeds i found in the package.I had them a long time on my wishlist.Also thanks for the tubers and cuttings,oh so illeagal but i love it.Have a nice weekend everybody.

Oops, I could have sworn last year I read it wasn't an issue. Nevermind it is done now and there safely. Glad you love it.

A quick peak inside the plastic bag shroud at my fig cuttings and this is the fig today.  Oh I do hope this means that there are roots developing too.   :icon_cheers:

Quote from: galina on January 28, 2019, 14:52:18
A quick peak inside the plastic bag shroud at my fig cuttings and this is the fig today.  Oh I do hope this means that there are roots developing too.   :icon_cheers:

So do I. Mine have never taken that quickly but you have been kinder to yours. So fingers crossed for you.

Sowed the sea kale seeds yesterday.  After consulting Mrs Youtube I found a video that said to gently crush the outer hull and sow only the black seeds on the inside.  We will see how that works out.  Have only sown half my seeds with this method just in case.

I "crushed" the outer shell on a hard surface,  But by placing the seeds between a piece of cardboard (a beer mat) and a tray.  I was hoping with the beer mat there would be sufficient "give" not to crush the actual seeds, just the corky outer shell.  Seems to have worked.  Now hoping for germination.   :wave:

Quote from: earlypea on December 18, 2018, 12:50:38


(BTW, I do know about freezing, but since some last year turned to mush I am reticent.  I am not in charge of the freezer!)

I have bonny little seedlings from your frozen seed.  Whatever happened when they turned to mush, it has not happened this year.  All is well. 

Looking forward to planting these out soon.  Thank you Earlypea for these early beans!  :wave:

Quote from: earlypea on December 19, 2018, 14:06:33
No, it's fine - I'll give it a go.  I've got lots saved so it won't matter if it goes wrong again with just small quantities..

Earlypea, there was no need to worry.  Today I discovered the first white pod.  It is not easy for these plants here because they are all growing out of cut off bottles due to our voles and they have to stretch a bit to get there, but they seem to cope just fine.  All is well with your seeds.  And all went well with the freezing process too.

Yes these beans are the first to pod in the garden and the waxy white colour is very unusual.  I am happy you included them.  :wave:

As a first time participant, I've thoroughly enjoyed being nudged into growing things I've not ventured into before. So it's a wet day - a good opportunity to jot down some thoughts. I'd be interested in how members have got on with particular seeds if anyone else has a few minutes.

Varieties which have excited most and exceeded all expectations

* Polish Amaranth. Wonderful colour. Lit up the vegetable garden. We didn't get round to eating it (next year!) but it was a visual delight. Seed saved
* Tomato Black Plum. Loved its burnt red colouring and it just kept going in the most good tempered way
* Potato Rafli. From one tiny tuber a huge crop of good salad type potatoes.
* Crochu de Savoie CFB. Very productive, attractive red speckled bean.

Also very much enjoyed
* Gelbe Königen tomato. Lovely medium large golden tomato. Less prolific for me than Black Plum but still a delight
* Black Russian broad bean
* Purple Smaragd tomato. Love the icicle shape
* Cyrus Grays DFB
* Garden of Eden CFB. Later than the other two I've mentioned but producing lots of seed now
* Lettuce Relic. Enjoyed the dark red colour very much. It went to seed rather quickly. Will aim to try it at the ends of the summer next year

Yet to be harvested
* Red yacon. I've just reread your notes for this. You say 5'. Mine have only grown to about 18" but look very healthy. They were planted in virgin soil so perhaps lacked nutrients. I'll aim to pamper it more next year
* the artichokes

Varieties I'm less sure about
* Ice Crystal Wax DFB. It was very early which was great and unusual in colour but seems to go tough very quickly. I wonder whether that was the experience of anyone else. It produced masses of seed/dried beans though. Just read your comment that it freezes well, Earlypea. Must try it again for that purpose
* Kumato, Harbinger and Bison tomatoes didn't produce very well for me
* Japanese wineberry germinated beautifully but I'm a little wary of planting it out. I think it needs an out-of-the-way corner somewhere
* Lazy Housewife CFB has been rather reluctant

I haven't quite weighed up the peppers (Ohnivec and Urfa) yet but they prospered and produced well. I look forward to more tasting.

Regrets and losses
* Taunton Deane kale. In spite of my best efforts and defences, my chickens got through netting and stripped the plant to the point of no recovery
* Babington leek. Somehow it got overplanted. I find perennial vegetables a bit challenging as they somehow always get in the way of something or get swamped. I'll persist though.

Quote from: JanG on October 13, 2019, 12:55:28Varieties I'm less sure about
* Ice Crystal Wax DFB. It was very early which was great and unusual in colour but seems to go tough very quickly. I wonder whether that was the experience of anyone else. It produced masses of seed/dried beans though. Just read your comment that it freezes well, Earlypea. Must try it again for that purpose

I wouldn't say 'tough', but it does develop a string.  If you strip it off they're still good.

Like a lot of unusual varieties, a positive (really early) tends to mean there is also a negative so use it for the positive aspect.

I also find, if I keep picking all summer (not necessarily eating because they then coincide with all the others) it also tends to be my latest bean too.  I'm still reduced to growing a few in pots now, so it's a very useful dwarf for me.

Anyway, I pick them when they're still small and stringless.

Actually, I only froze the seeds because I'd had problems with bean weevils in the year before and the process kills them.

I have no idea whether they freeze well for eating purposes.

Not to worry - always interested to see anyone's growing any of it, whatever the feedback.

Japanese wineberry germinated beautifully but I'm a little wary of planting it out. I think it needs an out-of-the-way corner somewhere

Also, curious to know whether this needed any special (cold) treatment, or did you just sow it in the spring/summer?

Thank you very much for your comments on Ice Crystal Wax. I feel rather churlish for my negative comments! I will definitely go for it again and appreciate its earliness and lateness. I grew a lot of beans and perhaps ones with qualities which shouted at me more took my attention. It's certainly a little sweetie!

As far as I remember I started the Japanese wine berry seeds in gentle warmth, ie. in the house. Have you tried them?

Penedesenca, thank you for the fig cuttings.  One grew and now has small figs on it.   :icon_cheers: