Seed sharing circle 2011

[Jayb]

A valid point Jeannine and interestingly a similar topic was acknowledged last year. In that growing conditions vary quite a bit even in the UK. I know I'm in a milder area and last summer was wet wet wet here, which was quite different to some other areas. Even in extremes personal experiences of growing etc can still be very useful, more so if rough climate, seasonal weather or area is noted.

[Jayb]

[markfield rover]

Early days but I have some Bath cos lettuce on the go so fingers crossed! Beans and peas doing well .

[galina]

Ian, I like the idea to make Googledoc, or Blog or whatever other format, as complete as possible.  Photos are so useful to know what a veg should look like.  Just in case.  Growing instructions too.

I have just rogued a 'wrong one' from the Grandpa Admires patch.  This is exciting, because lettuces just about 'never'  cross in nature.  And I have never seen a lettuce cross and never expected to see one.  But here it was.  The colouring of Grandpa Admires with some characteristics of the 'Austrian Greenleaf' leaf structure.  Both were grown in the same part of the garden last year, with just a path between them.  The F1 is very pretty and will be followed up.  I have transplanted it well away from the Circle patch.  They are not flowering yet, so the Circle seed should be pure and not inadvertently mixed.

I have enough Catawissa Walking Onion top bulbils for the circle (at least 3 each so far) and more are being produced as the season continues.  I do however know that  several  members have these already.  Is there any interest for Catawissa? 

[goodlife]

Code Select Expand

Is there any interest for Catawissa?
YEEES! ;D

[Jeannine]

Galina, I am being a real good girl here and being honest.. I have Red Catawissa on order from Herotage Harvest but they don't ship till the Fall. Si really I don't need them, BUT..if for some reason they have a crop failure may I have an option please XX Jeannine

[earlybirds]

hi mal in billingshurst would like to join .

[Dandytown]

I recently recieved some Golden Sweet seeds from goodlife (thanks for them  :)) and was wondering... what if the seeds that I am offerring to the swap are things that others already have, should I try and add something different for them?

I am probably just complicating it and should offer something else privately if I know that to be the case shouldnt I!?

[Robert_Brenchley]

Do something different if you can. I'm trying Goldensweet this year as well, but there's plenty of other stuff. This is why I haven't committed myself to specific varieties yet!

[Dandytown]

I would love to Robert but things are not going to plan so far.  My edamame plants have been infested with green fly and the pods are curling. 

The seeds from goodlife are for a second batch for eating and sharing with other plot holders. 

The golden sweet I have already grown  (including stephens pea)  have hundreds of pods which are drying this very moment.  Please don't be angry  :-[  

I Want to add some squash as well so must see if I can bag some females when the time comes, choosing between Spaghetti Squash, Tuffy Sweet, Thelma Sanders and Bon Bon.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Nobody's going to be angry; whatever pea you grow, I can find another. I haven't even got my squash planted out yet so that could be a disaster.

[galina]

I Want to add some squash as well so must see if I can bag some females when the time comes, choosing between Spaghetti Squash, Tuffy Sweet, Thelma Sanders and Bon Bon.

This post describes the technique of squash (courgette, cucumber, melon etc) seed saving nicely with photos:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/gourds/msg0611545713356.html

I don't use tape because tape ruins the flower petals.  I use gardentwine, others use rubber bands.  There are also good instructions on the Real Seeds website.  Unfortunately there is more to it than just bagging the female flowers.  You need to bag the males as well, because otherwise a bee could have taken away pollen and left some from another squash variety of the same species.  And by the time you take pollen from this unbagged male flower, in order to do the pollinating, you have an unintentional mixture of pollen and the resulting variety will not be pure.  Hope this makes sense.  I don't scribe on the skin of squashes either and mark them instead with a bit of brightly coloured wool or garden twine around the 'handle' of the squash.  Loosely tied to allow of expansion of the stem.  This stays with the handpollinated fruit after harvesting and during the storage time before the seeds are harvested.

Bon Bon is a hybrid variety.  Please don't save seeds from hybrids, they will not breed true.  You can dehybridise a hybrid, but that takes at least 6 years.  

Both Tuffy and Thelma Sanders are outstanding varieties.  It does happen that someone in the circle already has seeds of a variety you offer.  Can't be helped.  In some cases a new 'injection' of seeds from another source can be very beneficial to help broaden the genetic base of seed stocks we hold.  This is a good thing, and allows comparing the two batches, before mixing the old and new seeds, or keeping them separate if appropriate.  

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've got ridiculous quantities of seed of three kales; Hungry Gap, Siberian and Red Russian. The last is very similar to Ragged Jack, if not identical; there are a lot of different strains about. I haven't grown any of these out, but I might as well share the seeds around.

[aj]

I'm still in but like Robert am saving from a fair few so will look at what other people have added and try not to duplicate things...

[brown thumb]

i am very envious of you seed sharers would love to join in but have nothing interesting to share but live in hope    in future years

[aj]

Brown Thumb - you have to start somewhere. I was saving on my own for a couple of years before joining any circles.

Why not try leaving some peas and/or French beans on the plant at the end of the season; and putting some tomato seeds in a jar of water for 3 days, and then straining out and drying them - and then growing from your own seeds next year?

[brown thumb]

i do grow my peas beans  flowers etc from own kept seeds some is 3 to 4 year generations hence but its the receiving of unusual  variety's Ive never grown before that catches my interest

[Robert_Brenchley]

Save some extra from your own plants, and that'll give you something to start with. As long as people see that you're joining in, they're pretty generous.

[brown thumb]

surly no one   wants bog standard stuff :(cause thats all ive got at the mo  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Someone will; there are always beginners in need. There are plenty of unusual varieties on eBay, or you could try Realseeds, Brown Envelope Seeds or Thomas Etty.

[ginger7]

this sounds really intresting and worthwhile l will be into this,great idea ;)