Grow Your Own Magazine

All of the people who requested seeds, they should be with you early next week as they were posted first class today.

The envelopes contain a good measure of seed and will have enough for you to either plant them all, save some for next year or give some away.

If you all save a few shallots (should the seed actually grow) and plant them in March or April 2008 you will hopefully have your own seed to harvest come that August ready for the following year.

The aim is to get our own UK strain of open pollinated banana shallots up and running and as seed has gone to all areas of the country we should have some success in this.

Please use this thread to post updates on how you are getting on.

If anybody else wants to join in please PM me with your address details, dont worry about postage or seed swaps, and I will send you some seed as there is still a bit left.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

Many thanks for that PW, we will keep you updated as to how they are getting on!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 26th November2008 - more new piccies!

Thanks Piglet. If these are successful it will be a first!!

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[

Looking forward to getting the seeds PW, any chance of a short growing guide?

Was gonna start 'em off in modules when they arrive, can they go in the unheated greenhouse or do they need to be frost-free?

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

I am sure that Piglet will oblige with a growing guide for us.

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[

Have you seen this site? This man is selling seeds for £5 per 20 seeds
http://www.bananashallot.com/

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Ilex

The sun, with all those plants revolving around it and dependent upon it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do. - Galileo

Thanks Ilex, yes we know they are very expensive.

Thanks Piglet. Will give them my best attention and best shot and keep you posted on progress.

Well you should all have over 100 seeds each arriving in the next day or so.

To grow them, treat them just like onions from seed. I personally sow 30-40 seeds into a 4" pot of compost. Firstly water the compost well and let it dain for a few minutes, sprinkle over the seeds and cover with a thin layer of vermiculite. Keep them on a windowsill or in a propogator until they are at the crook stage. Now either prick out into trays or individual modules in a sheltered place until ready to plant out. Some people may wish to sow seed individualy into modules to start with, either way should bring you success.

Please note that each seed will produce only one shallot and not a clump like traditional shallot sets. Please update the thread as things progress.

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

I PM you yesterday Piglet. Do you have anymore seeds?

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Ilex

The sun, with all those plants revolving around it and dependent upon it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do. - Galileo

Shallot seeds safetly arrived this morning, thanks very much PW!

We're going to plant half this year, save 6 of the resulting shallots to plant for seed next year and grow the rest of the seeds for crops next year too, that way we should have crops to last us until we've got our own seeds! Once we reach that point we'll start to pass seeds onto others too, as that willboth return PW's favour and ensure that they spread far and wide!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 26th November2008 - more new piccies!

Yes, thank you Piglet. My shallot seeds arrived safely. Now I just have to grow the damned things!!!

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[

Mine arrived this morning too pw, thank you so much, is it right to sow straight away or wait a little?

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SSx
not every situation requires a big onion

try both SS, you should have plenty of seed.

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

Thank you Piglet - have sack of seed compost in the kitchen, time to go and make one of the first messes of the season!

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SSx
not every situation requires a big onion

The seeds arrived this morning Piglet. Thank you ever so much. I'm going to go for a sowing now and a later sowing as there is plenty of seed. Will keep you posted. Thanks again.

24 packets of seed have gone out now with 6 more posted today.

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

thank you very much for the seeds arrived today

thank you

marion

Me too!

Also gave some to the old chap (late-80s) next door cos he grew some shallots from seed from supermarket shallots last year.

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

I can see these seeds all round the world ! wouldn't it be fascinating to have a map to see where they all got to.

Seeds have gone to the following areas Alice

Scotland (all over)
Cambridgeshire
Cheshire
Somerset
Dorset
Devon
Cambridgeshire
Sufflok
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Lancashire
Oxfordshire
Yorkshire
London
Kent
Sussex
Surrey
Wiltshire (wierd)
Wales
Tyneside
Gloucestershire (Royal Forest of Dean) 12 toe country
Hereford

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

Wiltshire too!

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

At the bottom SBP, did you miss it?

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs