Seed Circle Swap 1 2010-2011

[zazen999]

Just try 2 actual fruits; if they don't work [and you don't catch them in time] do the next 2.

Once you have done 2 - then you can tie a ribbon around those ones to identify them, and let nature do the rest. I tie the flowers up and put a ribbon round them at the same time; it is easier to remove a ribbon on one that fails than to try and remember which ones were hand pollinated.

[jackyspratty]

Thanks zaz! Was assuming that I would have to do loads! The ribbon idea is really good, didny even think how I would identify them!

[Incy]

Woohoo. I have tomatoes on my bloody butcher plants. Looking good so far

[poly]

Sounding good Incy, I've not grown Bloody Butcher before so looking forward to trying them next year. I love seeing the first tomatoes set, gets me all excited about tasting the first fruits

Update so far the Mange tout-Winterkefe are looking fab lovely tall healthy plants with beautiful two-tone purple flowers and the pods are tasty. The saving pods are fattening up nicely.

Root Parsley-Halflange Fakir, just starting to flower now.

Beetroot-Chioggia, oh what a gorgeous smell from those tiny flowers, fingers crossed seeds soon.

Raddish-Hilds blauer Herbst und enormous sprays of purple flowers with lots of pods forming.

Lettuce-Black Seeded Simpson, I'm afraid they were not very strong growing for some reason, so I’ve eaten some and shared the rest with the chooks! Will hopefully try again.

[jackyspratty]

Sounds like its all going to plan, lovely!
Im having a few difficulties which I hopw you can help me resolve?

Concentrating on the potimarron squash in the front garden. Its looking well and healthy and has started to fruit and flower.

I didnt expect the flowers to be so small! I have researched that you can tell when the flowers are ready to open as they change colour slightly from a pale green to a yellow. However they are very small!

I have attemped to keep the male and female flowers closed with elastic bands but this is really difficult due to the size of the flower, and Im afraid has resulted in me snapping a couple of female flowers off

I have now resorted to using a bit of masking tape! I will try and pollinate tomorrow hopefully, I just hope I dont snap them again when I reopen them and reseal the female flower!

Do I have to keep the female flower sealed once its pollinated?

Wish me luck!!a

Hopefully going to lotty2 tomorrow, as been unable to get up there this week as my sons been ill, so Ill see how the other plants are doing. They were smaller than the pot one last time?

The beans at my friends lotty1 were destroyed by slugs Im afraid, is it too to start some more off in root trainers do you think?

Dx

[zazen999]

If you are having problems, then wait a bit and do a later one, they usually get a bit bigger later in the season. I've not even have any squash flowers yet. OR you could get a small sandwich bag and tape that over it to stop any insects going in. Once the flower has fallen off, remove the bag and tie a tag round it so that you know.

Loads of my seed saving is going swimmingly; I really need to write them all down!

[jackyspratty]

Thanks zaz, the sandwich bag is a good idea. My hands at the moment are very stiff so nimbleness is out of the question.
Hoping to attempt to do some more varieties if I get the hang of it, both to share here and add to the squash seed parcel hopefully? Dont want to run before I can walk though!

So far finding it really interesting too. Didnt realise that different squash types didnt cross pollinate. For example if you take one from each group - maxima, pepo, moschata and mixta they wont cross, sucha as butternut (moschata) and a buttercup (maxima).But if I have a trombocino and a butternut both from the moschata group they will, or a potimarron and a hubbard both from maxima family they will.

Thanks for the tips. Appreciated.x

[jackyspratty]

Have managed to pollinate 3 females. Best technique for me was having a ribbon of a sandwhich bag, and tying the flowers shut at the tip with them, they dont damage the flowers.

One glich is that there are very few male flowers? I have had to pollinate a couple of females with the same male (which was isolated too). Will this matter. Im finding the males are not ready at the same time as the females!

Also is it best to stop the plant at a certain point? The one in my large pot seems to be galloping away (much bigger than the lotty ones which has surprised me) and is developing a few offshoots, and loads of fruit.

Boy at the end of this i will be a pottimarron expert!

[planetologist]

I have had to pollinate a couple of females with the same male (which was isolated too). Will this matter.

No, the whole point of using male and female flowers from the same plant is to keep the seeds homozygous, i.e. true to type, so all male flowers are the same (barring mutation).

Also is it best to stop the plant at a certain point?

Sorry, I don't know.

[Incy]

I can report that the bloody butcher tomatoes are coming along nicely and having just eaten my first ripe one which left my taste buds tingling they are definitely worth growing

[Flummery]

Oh good - I'm looking forward to a few seeds of those. I've heard good reports of them before.

My Magnum Bonum peas are looking good. I've grown two lots, one for eating and one for seed saving. They are lovely peas, sweet and whoppingly large!

The Bird's Egg borlotti type beans are still working their way up the canes. All things in their due season eh?

[zazen999]

I've just taken the first parsnip seeds off the first drying flowerhead.

I'm going to pop some in kitchen roll just to check germination first! They just need a couple more days to dry off properly.

[Jillyreeves]

Magnum Bonum peas sound exciting, growing up to 7 feet tall if what I have read is right?

My tomatoes for seed saving are coming along nicely and my various beans are starting to form flowers. Not sure how hopeful I am with the white beetroot, but finger crossed they do OK this year to make it over the winter to seed save next year.

[Flummery]

Magnum Bonum peas sound exciting, growing up to 7 feet tall if what I have read is right?

Quite right Jilly. The pods aren't particularly long but the peas are very big and unlike many heritage peas, they are sweet to eat too.

[jackyspratty]

Potimarron in pot seems to be doing well, but the ones at the lotty seem to stop developing. Have given them a good feed and am hoping with all this rain they will shoot off.

Apologies but not been able to do any beans/peas as hoped. A mixture of slug damage/wind, plus my lotty buddy has walked away from all the growing stuff so have found it difficult to manage lotty1 on my own (too far away), am just trying to keep it ticking over, and hopefully will turn the plot over to fruit bushes next season.

Everything you are all growing sounds lovely, very inspiring, thanks for letting a novice on board!