Topic: Seed sharing circle 2011

[Jayb]

Sounding good Twoflower
Not quite sure if I’ve understood your question correctly. If you mean what you do with your seeds for the circle once they are dry. Hang on to them until the autumn; we should have a better idea of how many in the circle by then. But as a rough guide you will need to divide your seeds  between everyone taking part and label each packet separately. I’ll put more details on a bit closer the time. A description of what you have grown and any other info you think is useful will be fantastic. Also really useful if you have any photos of them growing or at harvest which we can include, makes a great reference for those growing them next year.

Hi Dandytown, of course you can change, nothing is set. No worries and no need to finalise it now, see how everything fares and let us know later on. Galina is so right and I also think not knowing quite what we will all be sharing is exciting.

Jayb,
p.s.  Should I leave them on the plant to dry up and turn brown?

If you mean the peas, yes let the pods ripen, they get a bit wrinkly and leathery and should change colour.  I then usually harvest the whole plant and hang it somewhere dry to finish drying. Nowhere that gets too hot as that could affect germination and storage viability. Once podded I leave mine either in a little box or paper bag to continue drying.

1066,  it will be interesting to hear what Thomas Etty have to say about Ice Plant.

Sounds like it is all coming together Galina for you. Hope your moles are being a little less of a nuisance. Sorry, I’ve not found anything much help to deter them.

[Jayb]

Love the photos 1066, your kale looks a top job. Good on you
I sowed some of mine after I harvested last year(to check for purity) and it is still growing a treat now. Trouble is with so much else on offer they are a bit wasted now.

[Jeannine]

OOOhh Galina, you are making my toes curl with excitement. I am soo looking foirward to Babbington leeks, all my fingers and toes are crossed in the hope there will be a few for me.Now if someone could find me some Daubenton Kale I should be a very contented lady.

Sometimes it is frustrating to not be part of the EEC. I saw Etty had Babbungtons on offer and a couple of other perennial veggies too..Ramson,Seakale and something calles Couve Tronchuda. Of course they won't send to me though.

My perennial high raised bed is sitting there all ready for it's stuff!!
 When last years planted garlic comes out I will have a bigger area still.


XX Jeannine

[Jayb]

Jeannine check through your seeds again I’m fairly sure I sent you Tronchuda, Asturian Tree Cabbage and Cut and Come Again earlier in the year. Remy has Couve Tronchuda if you can't find them. http://sampleseeds.com/?page_id=75 She also has this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt8KMWiq48M to U tube which is really worth a look.

Cut and Come Again is from ISSA “Brassica Oleracea var. capitata.  This never forms a head, but gives tender shoots of leaves that can be harvested again and again throughout autumn and winter.  sow April to June either in modules or direct in drills.  Plant out or thin to 50 cm apart”. http://store.irishseedsavers.ie/Cabbage_p/1253.htm

Real Seeds, http://www.realseeds.co.uk/cabbage.html
"Paul & Becky's Asturian Tree Cabbage RARE
This fantastic Spanish heirloom has absolutely enormous leaves - and it grows very much like a kale: a 2 foot stalk with  a loose head on top. You simply take the huge leaves a few at a time to eat all year round.
You can even keep it going for two years or more! Just cut it back when it tries to flower - it makes new growth, ideal for fresh cabbage in spring during the ‘hungry gap’.
Cooks like a cabbage, rather than a kale. Tree cabbage like this is also a key ingredient in the classic Spanish dish 'Caldo Gallego'.
Grows like cabbage, harvested like a kale . Very, very rare."

I checked out Rampion and it looks really interesting, flowers are gorgeous. I think it is one I'd like to try. Original Touch have some seeds I think I will get, I'd be happy to share some or if you prefer it looks like they will post internationally.
http://www.originaltouch.co.uk/acatalog/Raperonzolo.html
Rampion seed is difficult to know into which category to add this culinary delight and so we have given the Rampion its own pride of place! Formerly regularly cultivated in kitchen gardens, its leaves are used as spinach, its roots like asparagus or raw in salads and sauces and it has the most beautiful purple flower to decorate the patch! The Grimm’s tales heroine Rapunzel is named after it!

Broadcast in rows during the Autumn months for harvest the following Spring, plant in full sun or partial shade but the rampion does like as much of the winter warmth as it can get. Rampion will grow to approximately 20cm in height.

SOW: March - May direct into plot

QUANTITY: Approximately 100 seeds per pack
TRANSPLANT: n/a
DISTANCE: about 0.35-meters between rows and 0.2-meters between plants.
HARVEST: February onwards

Ian is hoping to have enough Seakale seeds for the circle, so you best keep your fingers crossed  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Keep your fingers crossed, I should start getting seed off the couves tronchuda next year. Or you could try Grunt at http://alanbishop.proboards.com/index.cgi? . There's a long thread on Daubenton Kale on the site as well; I bet someone over there has it. My own plants are still too small to take cuttings, unfortunately. I'm still looking for two of the three known varieties.

[1066]

Hi
I've had some feedback from thomas Etty re the Ice Plant, they sent me this link

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Mesembryanthemum+crystallinum

does this make it any clearer for folks?

1066  :)

[goodlife]

Robert and Jeannine...I've got now all 3 different sorts of Daubenton in my 'collection' and I'll be taking some cuttings as/when they get little bit bigger..so some will be available from me later on.. ;)
And once the weather is bit cooler..back end of the year..I'm sure little plantas will travel better..so Jeannine..try to wait few more months and I'll find way to get some Daubenton to you.. ;) ;D
As for anybody else that is interested..I'll try to supply..I'm pulling my plants apart as much as they put growth on..poor things..I haven't even had a taster yet..

[Jeannine]

JayB, I have been through all me seeds which aare pretty well organised by type etc and I have the following..
Paul and Becky's Tree Cabbage
Cut and  Come Again Cabbage

but not the Tronchuda, however Rmy has it so I will oredr it from her.

I slao still have my Delaway cabbage,my Good King Henry,and Walking Stick.

I have February Orchid and a couple of new to me broccolli raabs.

None of the above got started due to the awful rain which was endless for months so apart from my high raised disabled bedsa nd the greenhoyuse we had np plot to use. The rain has stopped now so John is able to get back to doing the beds there.. I doubt we will get much in now though but it will be ready for the spring.
My perennial bed has lots of room in but am reluctant to use it for anything that might prevent me having it available.

Robert, I have spent ages searching forums over here for Daubenton Klae with no luck at all.

Goodlife I will happilly wait for cuttings or plants from you. I have had cuttings of other things sent over which did just fine as the post from the UK is very fast, it is the other way round which is slow LOL, so either would be just fine, thank you very much.
I did wonder about buying the plants from France, I believe I read somewhere they will ship to the UK, then having them sent from there after a wee bit of a rest , but I don't know the company in France..maybe I can google. My son in Holland may be a better choice to send to but he is not a gardener and I am not sure how that would go. If anyone has had them mnailed from France, maybe you can tell me in what form and I can decide easier. If he just has to put a new address on a packet he can do that, but if he had to re pack it we would have a problem.

I have sent an e mail to Original Touch to see if they will ship to Canada, they don;t say so exactlt but give shipping charges for the UK, EEC and other so I may be lucky there.

1066, thank you for that link, very interestin, I just might give it a go, thank you.

Robert I tried Alan Bishop again but their search system is very strange and I spent ages on there trying tio get it ti work..it didn't and it wanted me to play videos before a search!! I gave up.

The circle is gettinh exciting.

XX Jeannine

[brown thumb]

the ice plant i was referring to sedum spectabile just googled it

[1066]

Thanks Brown Thumb and Jeannine. I'll give it a go, and see how it turns out  :-\

[goodlife]

Jeannine..one of my Daubenton came from France..but they were quite large plants and in pots...I don't really know how sneaking one of those through post would work... :-\

[Robert_Brenchley]

Here's the thread: http://alanbishop.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=brassica&action=display&thread=4341 . If you can't find Daubenton's over there, I'm sure one or other of us will get plants to you.

[Jeannine]

Thanks Robert, I have just re registered..I tried for ages to get on and couldn't but it took me as jeannineanne. XX Jeannine

[lottiedolly]

Hi guys not posted in ages, had stuff going on but am still here

anyway update

I have my crystal radishes flowering - hopefully will be able to save seeds

The indoor toms are romping away, but it is the outdoor toms i really wanted to use for swaps as it is good to try an outdoor that is not gardeners delight. They are currently flowering and it is still early in the season so fingers crossed.

long sweet peppers are doing well.

my albino beetroot has bolted so might try saving some seeds and trying again next year and hopefully have some to share.

Kxx

[Robert_Brenchley]

My spinach bolted too, but like you I'm saving seed. I hope you pulled the first plants to run to seed; it's the last that you want the seed off!

[lottiedolly]

Yes i have pulled the first batch, it is the latest that i am trying to save the seed from. oh good for once i am doing the right thing, i am still learning which is why i love growing so much, there is always something more to know.

 ;D

[Ian Pearson]

I've just added some more information and photos to the circle's Googledoc if anyone wants a look.

Also I'd like to raise something that I mentioned by pm to Jayb, who agreed that it would be worth taking further. Basically, this group is doing very important work by maintaining varieties, but published cultural and growing information for a lot of these heritage/rare varieties is sometimes non-existant or inaccurate, and I think it would be very useful if we could record some basic information for the varieties that we are saving, and stick it on a website. If each member only did two varieties, (not that much work) that would mean a record of 40 heritage varieties just in the first year alone. With a few photos, it could be a great resource.

I'd envisage keeping the site private ( for contributers only) until all the season's information is added (just like the Googledoc), then after it has been proof-read and tidied up it could be made public.

This would be fairly simple to set up. Obviously it would not be a compulsory element of circle membership. What does everyone think?

Ian

[goodlife]

Very good idea Ian..
And if we all agree for going on with it..I'll better head off to lottie to take few photos before the some of the crops go too far...
I've many times felt like pulling my hear out..trying to find some info is task on its own..never mind getting hold of seeds and growing them.. ::)

[Jayb]

Thanks for those super pictures Ian.

I think as this is only the second year it is still very much evolving. A lot of valuable information and input was put forward last year both on the a4a thread and in google docs. Galina in particular has been most helpful with her support of the document. I had originally thought google docs was fine for the purpose. But if enough members of the group are interested in supporting with sufficient information  a web site or blog to further continue what is started here I think that would be good.
 
My idea of google docs was for circle members to be able to dip in and out, take some ownership of what the group was doing and producing, but perhaps it is not an interest for everyone or something they are able to access.
I’ll be interested to hear what others think. Ian perhaps you can give me an idea of how much work it will be for me to set up and what is the best way of going about it?

I'd also like it if we can transfer some of last season information so it is all in the one place.

[Jeannine]

Not for me I think as my growing conditions are different and it would muddy the waters but a great idea for the rest of you. XX Jeannine