Seed Circle Swap 1 2010-2011

[Jillyreeves]

Both the Leeks and Beetroot sound great :-) Can you keep hold of mine for a little while and I will be in touch later with a PM to get your address to send you my SAE please :-)

[poly]

Wow Zazen, on the ball, I'm well impressed.

Later will be just fine.

[jackyspratty]

NOw I'm panicking! Later is fine by me too! Currently wondering if my plot will be ready to plant into! Inspiring tho andrea!

[SarzWix]

Both the Leeks and Beetroot sound great Can you keep hold of mine for a little while and I will be in touch later with a PM to get your address to send you my SAE please

What she said


And I STILL have enough Bridgewater Climbing Beans for anyone who wants some for this year.

Ooh, and my 'Auntie Madge's' tomatoes have all germinated! YAYY!

[zazen999]

Wow Zazen, on the ball, I'm well impressed.

Later will be just fine.

Not really; these were last year's saves and Mr Z keeps a tidy house! So if they are indoors they have to be hidden or bagged up - or else they disappear.

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Bridgewater beans sound good but I have to say no Next year I am aim to double the space for beans, then I'll be the (wo)man from Del Monte and say yes. I'll PM Zazen for your address cause I've got room for more leeks (only growing Zermatt) and I'm almost out of Sanguina Beetroot seeds myself.

[jackyspratty]

Just to update you, potimarron squash have all germinated. Only had 4 seeds tho! And at least th squash bed has been made at the new lotty (sort of!! Plenty of manure tho at least!

Am not sure how successful I will be on the bean front, need to try and find space at lotty 1. Seems pretty jam packed already!

[jackyspratty]

On the bean front tho have just realised that we are attempting popcorn for the first time, so we could try the 3 sisters approach at lotty 1 as doing lots of different squashes there, and the beans could dry on the drying popcorn?

Has anyone done this? It seems like the best use of space when drying corn and beans> Just need to decide on which variety of bean is best.
Will add in a minute, I have no preference, so whatever you all want is fine by me. Choice for climbing french beans is
climbing french bean hunter
Climbing french bean HSL Blauhilde

Any preference?

[poly]

so we could try the 3 sisters approach at lotty 1 as doing lots of different squashes there, and the beans could dry on the drying popcorn?

Has anyone done this? It seems like the best use of space when drying corn and beans> Just need to decide on which variety of bean is best.
Will add in a minute, I have no preference, so whatever you all want is fine by me. Choice for climbing french beans is
climbing french bean hunter
Climbing french bean HSL Blauhilde

Any preference?

I've not found 3 sisters method that great, but I've been growing sweet corn for eating fresh. I'm going to try some maize this year and will either grow both bed fellows or just one. Last year I did a 'two sisters', squash and sweet corn in a raised bed. I could reach the cobs from all sides and the squash loved to spill on to the paths, worked well.

I'd choose which bean you fancy most, if you haven't already.


The mange tout I'm growing, Winterkefe, have just started flowering yayyyy, so not long until I find out how they taste.
I've chosen and set out good examples of Root Parsley-Halflange Fakir, Beetroot-Chioggia and Raddish-Hilds blauer Herbst und Winter. Both the radish and beetroot are starting on their seed mission and have flower spikes showing.

[jackyspratty]

I've not found 3 sisters method that great, but I've been growing sweet corn for eating fresh. I'm going to try some maize this year and will either grow both bed fellows or just one. Last year I did a 'two sisters', squash and sweet corn in a raised bed. I could reach the cobs from all sides and the squash loved to spill on to the paths, worked well.

Thanks for feedback poly. Maybe the 2 sisters will be better as Im very much a novice and perhaps putting all my eggs in one basket is tempting fate a bit! Especially sice we didnt have much luck with sweetcorn last year. Thanks

[Jillyreeves]

Sorry everyone but it was a total no show on the germination of my Snow Berry tomatoes so will need to change the variety that I save for the circle. I have quite a few varieties of heritage tomatoes so this wont be a problem :-)

[zazen999]

No worries - half the fun is in the surprise!!!

[jackyspratty]

Al the potimarrons went in the plot yesterday, looking good! Can you advise me the best way to isolate the seed from cross pollination, I know I have to hand pollinate?

Have done 5 plants at the lotty and 1 in a large pot at home, to keep a closer eye! Im growing other squash on the plot too.
The plot is now full tho, and we havent space for the beans unless I can squeeze them in on lotty 1? Will check that out next weekend!

Getting a bit nervous now, in case you end up with strage shaped gourds next year!

[zazen999]

Al the potimarrons went in the plot yesterday, looking good! Can you advise me the best way to isolate the seed from cross pollination, I know I have to hand pollinate?

If you look at the how to save seed link in the first post; and scroll down to pumpkins squash etc - they have a great way of isolating and hand pollinating.

[jackyspratty]

Thanks zaz, jsut hope i can pull it off! (no pun intended!)

I have 1 in a pot in the garden so I can keep an eye on budding.Can probably pop up every other day in the meantime. How many squashes do you think I should attempt to hand pollinate, never grown pottimarron before so dont know how seedy they are? How many seeds per person will we need squash wise do you think?

Sorry for all the questions