The All In Seed Circle 2018

[Guest]

Just a bump for anyone else that wants to join and a nudge to those who already have

[bario1]

I've got some perennial kale and chard seeds I could offer?

[Guest]

I've got some perennial kale and chard seeds I could offer?

Your on the list

[self-contained]

Hmm, my seed saving is not going well so far. It's not so easy with container growing, I've found. I've been actively working on a few possibilities, so hoping I'll have something to share by the deadline (just not any of the things I originally hoped to have!)

[self-contained]

Okay, updating my likely offerings:

It's almost certainly going to be rocket. Not exciting, I'm sorry, but I have a really good quantity of seed pods on the plants I chose for saving, they were beautifully resistant to bolting (to the point I started to worry I wasn't going to get any seed at all!) and I'm pretty confident that nothing else was flowering in my garden that they might have crossed with (and my next-door neighbours who also grow some veg are tidy types who probably look down on all my gone-to-seed and un-deadheaded plants with horror).

Then there will be crystal lemon cucumbers (my two biggest and best of the whole season are currently ripening and both are on plants that have consistently produced fruit, despite the less than perfect growing conditions I have made them endure) and Prizewinner Stringless runner beans which have produced really well for me are also nearing the point of starting to dry out. I didn't have the space to save anything until the end of the season beans, but they have all been grown on plants that have cropped well throughout the season.

(I've also already saved some strawberry seeds from the tiny but delicious plants that appeared near my fence. I've only got a small amount and I'm going to try growing them myself next year in the hope that they are a little bigger/more prolific when not grown in heavy shade and swamped by grass. However, if they do well, I can share them in future. Goodness knows how long they have been quietly reproducing themselves as there's no indication that a keen gardener has ever lived here - just some shrubs/conifers dotted about - so I'm quite excited to see what I've got. To say they only managed to achieve a tiny size in their growing conditions, they had a fantastic flavour. No obvious runners, though I may have accidentally mown them!)

Not having done this before, I'm not sure quite how many seeds I'll get so if there are lots of participants then some of the seed packets may be a little on the smaller size or else an either/or with the cucumbers and beans. I'm also aware that my varieties aren't particularly unusual or difficult to get hold of, but I'm hoping that can be excused for a newbie. Besides, I have been sniffing around less common seeds for next year, so hoping to have some quirkier seeds for 2019!

[Guest]

Okay, updating my likely offerings:

It's almost certainly going to be rocket. Not exciting, I'm sorry, but I have a really good quantity of seed pods on the plants I chose for saving, they were beautifully resistant to bolting (to the point I started to worry I wasn't going to get any seed at all!) and I'm pretty confident that nothing else was flowering in my garden that they might have crossed with (and my next-door neighbours who also grow some veg are tidy types who probably look down on all my gone-to-seed and un-deadheaded plants with horror).

Then there will be crystal lemon cucumbers (my two biggest and best of the whole season are currently ripening and both are on plants that have consistently produced fruit, despite the less than perfect growing conditions I have made them endure) and Prizewinner Stringless runner beans which have produced really well for me are also nearing the point of starting to dry out. I didn't have the space to save anything until the end of the season beans, but they have all been grown on plants that have cropped well throughout the season.

(I've also already saved some strawberry seeds from the tiny but delicious plants that appeared near my fence. I've only got a small amount and I'm going to try growing them myself next year in the hope that they are a little bigger/more prolific when not grown in heavy shade and swamped by grass. However, if they do well, I can share them in future. Goodness knows how long they have been quietly reproducing themselves as there's no indication that a keen gardener has ever lived here - just some shrubs/conifers dotted about - so I'm quite excited to see what I've got. To say they only managed to achieve a tiny size in their growing conditions, they had a fantastic flavour. No obvious runners, though I may have accidentally mown them!)

Not having done this before, I'm not sure quite how many seeds I'll get so if there are lots of participants then some of the seed packets may be a little on the smaller size or else an either/or with the cucumbers and beans. I'm also aware that my varieties aren't particularly unusual or difficult to get hold of, but I'm hoping that can be excused for a newbie. Besides, I have been sniffing around less common seeds for next year, so hoping to have some quirkier seeds for 2019!

All sounds good. Don't worry about whether they are interesting or not. It is about sharing fresh seed as well as being able to try something new. I think they are interesting. I have never actually managed decent rocket when I have tried to grow it so I can have another stab at it

[self-contained]

Okay, here's a sneak preview!

The rocket, starting to yellow:



The cucumber of destiny:



(There's another slightly smaller one that's also going to be for seed on the plant next door. )

And the seed bearing runner beans:



(Don't worry, the dead leaves in the beans and cucumber pictures are the remnants of the cut down sweet peas and not evidence of diseased plants!)

[seasprout]

Sorry everyone, I’ve had a carp growing year & as a result I’m going to have to roll out of the group. Sorry, I’ll try harder next year.

[veggiechicken]

Hoping to send some 5 Star Perennial Cauliflower seeds and maybe Armenian cucumber (HSL) https://hsl.gardenorganic.org.uk/see...umber/armenian

[self-contained]

I cut my rocket at the weekend and have it tied up to my top bannister over a lined cardboard box. It did drop a bit of seed as I was moving it around, but hopefully still plenty left

Expecting to be able to separate out all the seed next weekend once it's fully dried.

Meanwhile, the foliage on my runner beans is dying back so should be able to pick those soon too, and my crystal lemon cucumbers are starting to look very ripe indeed. Seed saving is fun!

[Guest]

Sorry everyone, I’ve had a carp growing year & as a result I’m going to have to roll out of the group. Sorry, I’ll try harder next year.

Would doing one variety help or has it been that bad?

[Squingy]

Hello everybody,
Anyone wants pennyroyal, Jamaican callalloo (red amaranth), chard and/or tomato black cherry?
I have the lemon balm and oakleaf rocket drying, but they don't seem to have lots of seeds.

[Mistlepie]

Erm, I think I have to confess that I bit off more than I could chew with joining this circle in my first year of growing. I didn't save much seed at all... But I do have seed from everything I grew left over, so if there's anything that was on my list that anyone's particularly disappointed about missing, I would be very happy to send some seed in. I'm also not up to the regulation 50 posts, I don't think.

Sorry about that, it's a learning curve.

[Scarlet]

Don’t worry Mistlepie, it happens to us all! I’m running the bean circle and I’ve got nowt to offer

That said, don’t give up, it gets easier.

[self-contained]

Hello everybody,
Anyone wants pennyroyal, Jamaican callalloo (red amaranth), chard and/or tomato black cherry?
I have the lemon balm and oakleaf rocket drying, but they don't seem to have lots of seeds.

Pennyroyal and tomato black cherry sound interesting. I did think I might have a couple of tomato plants again next year after not growing any this year...

My rocket seeds have been pretty successful. Should have lots of those. My first crystal lemon cucumber didn't have as may well-developed seeds as I had hoped, but I am currently cleaning them with the fermentation method so will see how many viable (non-floating) seeds I have once the jelly coats are gone. And my second crystal lemon cucumber for seed is still on the plant and I will leave it there as long as possible. Anyone know any ways to promote cucumber ripening? I waited to pick the first one until it was fully yellow with brown streaks and there was some give when I squeezed it. It was also past the point of being pleasant to eat (I ate the flesh after removing the seeds). And yet, it didn't have many fully formed seeds. My runner beans are mostly still on the plant. I'm picking them as the pods go brown, but a lot of them are still green (but with good bean swellings).

I'm guessing the circle is going to be fairly small from the number of recent posts, so I think I should end up with enough seed for two offerings per person, even if my second cucumber is no better than the first.