Seed Circle Number 11 - The Exotics! 2012

[veggiechicken]

Hi, Please could I join? I am not really growing exotics, but unusual or old varieties of herbs - woad, vietnamese coriander (fingers x) and sweet cecily or similar (unsure yet still deciding!! ).....not sure if this what you are looking for?? If not, no worries

Thea, Just butting in here to say that Vietnamese Coriander roots very easily from cuttings. I have some rooting here now, ready to pot up.
Toddling off again....

[vicky]

hello - love the idea of this but i have a question - does it have to be only self-saved or can it be interesting bought seed too? BR

The idea is you find/buy/swop/beg a few seeds from something interesting, grow it yourself this year, save the seeds then you have enough to pass it on to others next year. You get the fun of trying something new yourself and then letting others have some. In return you get interesting seeds back.

Have you anything in mind you'd like to grow?

If you want to do a straight swopsies Zaz has some unusual seeds in her Mega Seed List...

[Piggle]

I'm in - I love wackiness.

[vicky]

I'm a sucker for weird plants too! Number 9 for you Piggle, any ideas about what you're thinking of growing?

[Piggle]

well I'm thinking of some amaranth as a starter and then maybe some wonderberries, I do grow all kinds chinese veg as well but I don't know whether they count.

[veggiechicken]

May I join too please? I've no idea what I can contribute yet but I'm sure I'll find something unusual!

[vicky]

Number 10 for you VC, I'm sure you'll come up with something crazy...!

[veggiechicken]

Number 10 for you VC, I'm sure you'll come up with something crazy...!

I shall do my very best not to disappoint you

[BroadRipple]

yes i feared that was the idea...i can do beans,and toms if the blight doesn't get them, but don't have room to keep brassicas or squashes etc separate i fear...ok don't worry *shuffles off sheepishly*

[vicky]

Not everything 'exotic' is difficult! Be brave!
You could try a spangly lettuce (eg Freckles), chinese greens or that strawberry spinach or if you grow a (non f1) gherkin (It would only cross if you grew another gherkin close by) save the seeds from that.

[BroadRipple]

yeah but...are lettuce or chinese greens not at risk of cross-fertilisation? if not, then i'm in as am currently radicchio and tatasoi central (never thought i'd type that line)

[veggiechicken]

Give it a go BR! I haven't a clue yet what I'm going to grow that will produce seeds by December - and be different to everyone else's! I'll give it my best shot though.

[vicky]

Lettuce Seed

As far as I know (!) lettuces won't cross and will come true from seed as long as they aren't F1's.

Brassicas (eg pak choi etc) will cross with each other - so only let one type flower and beware if you have neighbours with flowering brassicas or oilseed rape nearby

Radicchio I think might be biennial - the plants would flower next year, what variety is it?

[Matt94]

can i join too - im growing okra - so that should class as exotic, problem is ive never grown it before, so i havent got a clue on how to save seeds from it? - i will have to go and research

[vicky]

Hi Matt94! I've put you as number 11. I had a quick look at saving okra seeds and it looks like you get a lot per pod. I suspect the challenge will be to get enough fruits to both eat and save seed from. Are you growing them in a greenhouse?
The Garden of Eaden: HOW TO COLLECT, PREPARE AND SAVE OKRA SEED FOR GERMINATION