Duronal's Potatoes from Seed Experiment '08 and into '09

[Flummery]

I usually dry my seed that come from something squishy (tomatoes, true spud seed) in small china bowls (the sort made for dipping suaces if you eat Chinese much). They dry very well and don't stick so there's no problem picking them off the paper towel. I'm looking forward to this PROJECT. Nice one Maureen!

[BrideXIII]

So thats a PROJECTS section , and maybe a CONTAINER section we are lobbying for??

[Duronal]

I guess the thing with the projects section is should it include easy to do projects e.g

build a cloche
build a pallette/tumbling compost bin
maintain a lawn
prune roses
take cuttings
and growing from saved seed.

Or merely be a section for experimental growing? like this potato experiment.

It would certainly be easier to orchestrate a trial experiment in a section but i'm guessing that there would have to be a clear defined benefit over what we have already for it to be put into reality by the powers that be.

Just a thought

D

[Duronal]

I usually dry my seed that come from something squishy (tomatoes, true spud seed) in small china bowls (the sort made for dipping suaces if you eat Chinese much). They dry very well and don't stick so there's no problem picking them off the paper towel. I'm looking forward to this PROJECT. Nice one Maureen!

That's a great excuse for buying more 'GU' chocolate puddings. (a tasty choc souflée with a free dish!')

[quark1]

Ladies and Gents - I have asked PW, one of the mods, twice if this could be done....I think he must be rather busy!

I suggested that a new or sub-category be placed under Growing Techniques with the 'best of the best' comments perhaps edited to become the 'bible' entry after the project is complete.

Please PW, or any other mod, can we have Special Projects as a defined section?

[Flummery]

Unhybridising F1 tomatoes and crossing peas have been my personal projects this year.

[Snadger]

Unhybridising F1 tomatoes and crossing peas have been my personal projects this year.

Any interesting results from the unhybridised F1 hybrid toms Flum?

A project I have in mind involves broad beans! I grow scarlet seeded and white flowered beans plus scarlet flowered and green seeded beans.
I would like to be able to cross pollinate these so that I have scarlet flowered and and scarlet seeded..........what do you think?

[Flummery]

I've discovered that it's not worth buying Sungold. I have a couple of the offspring that seem to me to be as good. One other has the usual Sungold trick of splitting - it's doing it on the vine before it's fully ripe! I'm going to grow on seeds from the 2 best and I might sow a few more F1s next year to get another spread of genes. I've still got the ones that are not Sungold shaped to taste too. They are ripening a little later. The whole lot are later than my other toms as I didn't get the PROJECT going as early as my other toms.

Have a go with the beans Snadger. Broad beans cross readily anyway. They say to keep a strain pure you need to grow them at least 10 metres from another type - that's why I grow the red seeded in the back garden and the red flowered in the front. I don't know how you can guarantee the particular cross you are after but you can always eat your mistakes!

[Demeter]

I think my PROJECT for next year is experimental cucurbit crosses - see if I can get a cucumpkin, a melgette, or perhaps a butternut gherkin...

Joking aside, I would love to have a section on special projects and experimental growing. Maybe it could be a sub-forum on here. We have had threads about things like hydroponics, upside-down tomatoes and tomato / potato grafts too, as well as the TPS experiment, unhybridising and other seed saving experiments. Not to mention the Chileman challenge!

[MaureenHall]

Just thought I'd resurrect this thread cuz I don't know when we're supposed to be planting the seeds we've saved from the fruits of last years plants.

[BrideXIII]

ohh good idea, i have the salad blue seeds to plant and no idea when they have to go in.

[Skotch]

Likewise, I saved a Picasso fruit from last year and wonder when would be the right time to start planting

[Snadger]

I've got Desiree seeds and was fancying trying a sowing this weekend. As with tomatoes, I imagine the trick is keeping the young plants well away from freezing conditions?
Only feasible I suppose if you can give them a little heat after the initial windowsill propagator.
I have no idea how quick they grow, but if you've got the wherewithall to sow Tomatoes and keep them frost free, potatoes will probably have a similar growth rate?

Nothing ventured nothing gained........... spose!

[BrideXIII]

I've got Desiree seeds and was fancying trying a sowing this weekend. As with tomatoes, I imagine the trick is keeping the young plants well away from freezing conditions?
Only feasible I suppose if you can give them a little heat after the initial windowsill propagator.
I have no idea how quick they grow, but if you've got the wherewithall to sow Tomatoes and keep them frost free, potatoes will probably have a similar growth rate?

Nothing ventured nothing gained........... spose!

well i only have a few seeds and i don't want to risk them more than necessary, unlike the toms which i have loads of seeds for.

[sallym]

This is the first time I have seen this thread. Its really interesting, wolud love to try it. If anyone has a few seeds to spare I will willingly buy them and pay for the postage.