Allotments 4 All

John_H  made interesting reference to saving seed for the following year.  I know that you can't when the crop is a first filial but am interested to learn form everyones experience.  i.e. what worked well, what didn't, is germination rate better, worse or same as bought seed etc as I am interested to give it a go this year.

Thanks,  Iain

Saving seed is going to be a new experience for me, but I am taking on so many new techniques and approaches, I see it as just another challenge. I will be watching this thread closely to see if I can pick up any tips.

Quote from: Derekthefox on December 27, 2005, 11:00:42
Saving seed is going to be a new experience for me, but I am taking on so many new techniques and approaches, I see it as just another challenge. I will be watching this thread closely to see if I can pick up any tips.

Saving one's seed used to be practically the only way years ago and if someone had a good variety, the seed was carefully guarded to avoid less honest neighbours helping themselves.  Of course good neighbours shared good seed and by growing different varieties in close proximity to one another, cross-pollination happily happened and new, local strains developed.  Sometimes these would only work well in the locality where they were raised.  On the downside, all too often the results went downhill and the original good qualities were lost. 

This is why it is so important a bank of original plant seeds is maintained to enable lost attributes to be reintroduced, often as a new variety costing appropriately outrageous prices plus carriage........ >:(

I find bean seed saves true, also asparagus appears to (but that may be because there isn't much on our site)
I've also saved and sown leek seed and cape gooseberry.
And also potato tubers.

I like to keep stout brown paper bags and brown envelopes for storing them in.

I will be hoping to 'recycle' pink fir apple potatoes, as a 3kg bag is just far to many for me, and there is no one on my allotments to share with. 15 tubers is all I need for one row.

Is there a reason why you specify brown bags Jen?

The best success that I have had with saving seed has been with herbs!  Dill, coriander, parsley etc!

Was given some rat tail raddish seed from a neighbour plot this year so will enjoy trying to get them to grow!   ;D

Not bought runner beans for at least 10 years - always using my own seeds - they are still outside hanging in the frost but it is time to bring a few handfuls in the house for 2006 sowings.

I keep the green potatoes for planting and Broccolli seeds. Already sown some of the broccoli seeds a month ago in the unheated greenhouse which have germinated.

Also spinach seeds.

Quote from: Derekthefox on December 27, 2005, 14:47:15
...Is there a reason why you specify brown bags Jen?

Only that I find that the stout ones you can pick up at the Homebase checkout last for ages... and are free!

Sorry I have to laugh, I assumed there was a technical reason  ;D

Saving your own seed can range from very simple with plants like tomatoes, peas and French beans where the plants will breed true even when they are  to  grown close to other varieties  to very complicated, with plants such as carrots and brassicas, which will cross breed with other varieties that are a long distance away.

There are excellent books on the subject by people such as Sue Stickland which contain the techniques to be used for each species.

Members of the HDRA (now Garden Organic) can download instrauctions from the web

Phil

Hi All,    The reason that paper bags are used, is that the seeds can continue to breath, they can't in plastic bags and rot. I use large envelopes. I now save outdoor ridge cucumbers, marrows, broad beans, runner beans and climbing french beans. I've been saving seed for over ten years. It helps keep the cost down.  During the second WW my grandfather saved radish seed and showed me how to do it. Now I'm showing my grandchildren how to save seed.
    the germination rate on my beans is about 98% using peat, but using soil the germination is down to about 60%.

I've taken to saving pumpkin and squash seeds from the ones I buy at the shop, and the ones that come in my veg. box, and I've found that mostly they at least grow, but I'm not very good at getting squashes and that to fruit. But I reckon that's me, not the seed. I also collected rocket seeds when it ran away last year, and I have lspeckly of speckly (pinto?) bean seeds from one of the blokes down the allotment that I'm looking forward to trying.

I save everything in envelopes too, although sometimes the seed has been shoved in those spice jars and kinda forgotten about (slaps self on hand ;))

BananaGirl,

You've picked one of the most difficult plants to save true seed from. Pumpkins and squashes are very promiscuous and will cross with other pumpkins and squashes for miles around

So even if you get plants they may well not be the same as the fruits you have eaten.

If you are saving seed from shop bought fruit they may well have been grown in a much warmer climate than in the UK and, if so, will not do as well

Phil

Thanks for the advice. I am curious to see what happens with my seeds now. Some of them are from punkins grown here, so they, at least should do something. I am not the best gardener in the world, for years was cursed with a black thumb, and I'm still figuring out what I can grow and how. But I do love seeing those vines crawling along the ground, full to bursting with lovely squashes, and if I do get my allotment, look out world, here I come :D

Real Seeds give information on how to save squash seeds http://www.realseeds.co.uk/wintersquash.html scroll down to bottom of page) also in the paper version of their catalogue. Also tips on saving other seeds - brilliant when they are in the business of selling them! They have some wonderful varieties - highly recommended.

Remember that squash and pumpkin seeds are excellent roasted ...

Quote from: periwinkle on January 12, 2006, 14:40:16
Real Seeds give information on how to save squash seeds

They don't point out that you also need to keep the flower closed or better still in a bag closed with an elastic band round the bag and stem, before it opens until it does open and you pollinate it or the insects will get in first!!!!

Lots of supermarkets now have paper bags next to the mushrooms.
;)

Now I feel marginally less sad about saving the paper bags I buy veg in

Phil raises a good point about controlling the pollination - I often grow ornamental gourds, so feel I could never be sure to save seed from edible cucurbits on the same site.