Seeds for next year

Do GC members collect seeds from their beans, peas, flowers etc to use for next
year and are they successful?

In view of the fact that the price of packets of seeds have risen so sharply of late
we decided to try and save for next year. Some runner beans were nearly £2 for
about 20.

 

Always used to keep my own runner seed for years.
Never bothered with peas.
A packet of tom seed will keep for at least 10yrs.
Pepper seed grows well from supermarket fruit.
Just a few thoughts

 

Right, we will have a try then Pete.

Do you have to keep beans dry and in a jar or a tin
and perhaps smaller seeds in an envelope?

 

Always keep my own French Marigold seeds! I pick from the best growers and flowering ones.

They germinate like mad,and flower a treat, unlike some I have bought in the past.

Never have tried veggies though, I grow F1 varieties of tomatoes, which would not come true.

Tried a melon once, though never again, it was a very sweet one, kept some seed and planted the plant in the greenhouse soil. The plant took over the end off the greenhouse, but not a single melon did I get, but that's what is called experience.

Cherrio

 

I don't grow veg, but I always keep some flower seed. Why not collect more seed than you need so you can pass it on to others. Points to watch are

1) You must remember to do it. I am sometimes too late and the flower head has gone mouldy, or the seeds have dropped.
2) After picking the flower heads store in a paper bag rather than plastic, which can make them sweat and go mouldy.
3) When dry I store them in a sealed container, which I keep in the fridge. Seeds are organic and like any other orgnanic material (such as meat) they keep better in the fridge and even better in the deep freeze.

 

Peter thanks for the fridge/freezer tips never knew that something for me to try this year I think.Hel.xxx.

 

I have collected seeds for many years and have saved them in brown paper envelope. large seeds are O.K. when you want to save small seed they are a bit harder to collect as antirrhinum. collect on a dry day and store in a dry place. But when i see a seed display in a shop i still look and buy.

 

If you to to www.realseeds.co.uk they have lots of information on collecting seed from different vegetables. The whole site is aimed at encouraging home seed collecting in an effort to keep old and different varieties alive instead of everyone growing F1s and the genetic diversity being lost. Apparently the older varieties all mature at different times which makes them more suited to garden growers who want a spread of produce. There is also a really informative Word document you can download for free and details the best way to collect seeds for each of the different types of veg. It also covers which ones cross pollonate (sp?) easily so need to be isolated.

hope that helps
craig

 

Craig.

That's a fantastic site. Thanks for posting the link.

Ant.

 

Thanks all for the information - we shall certainly be trying to save
some seed this year.

Hadn't thought about using seeds from supermarket fruit Pete but I
think I can remember a friend having some really good tomato plants
from doing just that.

That's a useful tip about fridge/freezer Peter as Hel said something
to try this year.

A very interesting site that Craig - in fact I couldn't resist ordering
4 packets of unusual veggies so am hoping for great results and some
seed to save.

If anybody has more useful ideas please share them with GC.

:thumb:

 

Same here Potash although I don't have a problem with tiny seeds I just put the flower head into paper bags and give it a good old shake the seeds fall to the bottom and the seeds are removed and placed into the envelopes.Hel.xxx.

 

Just one thing about saving your own seed, if the flower seed saved does not come true,little is lost, but if you save veggie seeds and they do not perform you have lost that season sowings.

Better to be sure than sorry my motto, buy you veggie seeds.

Why I say this is, a few years ago "an ORGANIC nutter" moved into the plot beside mine, got it in order,sowed his seeds etc,then was overcome with weeds. He then up and went, never to be seen again.

Everything went to seed, brassicas carrots and parsnips especially. The next year I had lots of carrots and parsnips coming up all over my plot, I pulled most of them out as they germinated, but left a few just to see.
They grew to about 4 foot tall but no root crop at all, total waste.
The following year there was a few parsnips that came up in odd places again, but were soon disposed off!

The odd thing is that Parsnips seeds from a packet are difficult to germinate, and to keep seed from an opened packet to the next season, well they never would germinate for me !!

Cherrio !!

 

I'm hoping to get loads of hollyhock, lupin and other perennial seeds to share with fellow forumites this year

 

My seeds have arrived from www.realseeds.co.uk and I have planted just 6 tomato plant
seeds and a small tray autumn/winter cabbages.

Am I too late to hope they will germinate?

We don't really need any more tomato plants for this year but couldn't wait to try them.

 

in 2006 we saved , stored, labelled and dried perenennial flower seeds for planting spring 07.

After a lot of debate in summer 2007 we cast the seeds immediately, waited for seedlings and moved them into my raised bed in Autumn 07 for planting out in early spring 2008. We are now over run with flowering plants and much earlier seedlings.

Good luck