It's started...................

[ninnyscrops]

...........the seed collecting and drying time ::)

Peas, poppies, foxgloves, cosmos, tagetes and french marigolds all drying in the porch!

Shallots that were too small for the cooking pot drying in nets.

Waiting for the penstemons, leeks, sunflowers and beetroot seeds to harden off a little.

Strawberry runners nearly ready for pegging down.

Next season is already starting  ;D

Ninnyscrops

[ninnyscrops]

[saddad]

yep.. been bulking up my new heritage varieties of pea... "Hugh's Huge" looks good...  ;D

[Eristic]

So that's where I've been going wrong! No one told me there was a proper seed collecting time, I thought you were supposed to do it all year long.

Never a month passes without a few bags, buckets or trays of seeds being dried and tested. Recent arrivals are:

Zimbabwe cabbage greens
Parsnip (The Student)
Beetroot (Detroit) & (Sanguina) with probable cross pollination due to storm.
Land cress

[Deb P]

I spent part of yesterday stripping back my HSL 'Parsley' peas, and also am going to try and save a few 'Show Perfection'...it's an F1 but worth a try!

I would only grow Parsley again in rows though (as opposed to my 8' high wigwam....), they only reached about 3' high! ;D

[grawrc]

Aha! Didn't think the tiny shallots would be good enough for planting next season. I'll get them netted! Do you give them drying out time first/ remove the stalks/leaves? or not.

[Georgie]

I love gathering my own seeds, it's one of the most satisfying parts of gardening I think.  But I tend to leave them on the plant and gather them when the seed cases are crisp and dry.

G x

[ninnyscrops]

Grawc - they won't be show winners but I got enough for the pot this year from last year's tiddlies. I let mine dry out the same as onions and then give the necks a twist and cut off about an inch up the leaves.

Georgie - I just pick a warm day and take those that are nearly ready, with the hit and miss weather at the mo' can't seem to get them crispy  ;D

[Georgie]

Georgie - I just pick a warm day and take those that are nearly ready, with the hit and miss weather at the mo' can't seem to get them crispy  ;D

Get Grawc to blow on 'em!   ;D

G x