2021 - Seeds I've saved.

Telephone peas and nasturtiums.

Seeds being saved: Onions, parsnips, 2 types of dwarf french beans ( one for green beans and one haricot), broad beans, garlic, shallots and hopefully carrots. I think something ate the first carrot seeds to develop (blue tits?) so I've covered them but they are not looking too promising at the moment.

From last year, I've several tomato seeds and also peas.

I've a bit of a problem with the peas though. They were from some a hurst greenshaft variety but which grows to about 4'6" and give a good yield. I've been growing them for probably about 20 years and this year they had quite a bit of damage on the pods, the first time I have noticed this. Looking it up it is leaf and pod spot.  I'd like to continue growing them and wondered if anyone has any ideas?  Otherwise, I'll try what the university of Minnesota suggest: "If you suspect seed may be contaminated, soak in 1:4 bleach solution for 1 minute and rinse in running water for 5 minutes just before planting."

   

I've also saved some potatoes: rocket, kestrel, swift, vitabella, carolus and harmony. Not sure if I'll use all of them or buy some fresh but got a good crop from saved seeds this year. Most of the vitabella (for seed production only - the crop grown to eat was fine), which are supposed to be blight resistant were affected by blight and had to be binned. I have had bits of blight on my greenhouse tomatoes, including 1 tomato, I think due to the very wet spell a few weeks ago. The dry weather since has helped stop it spreading too much.

Saved some delphinium seeds today.

Well, I've tried to save some Rosy Finch tomato seeds as they were definitely the tastiest variety out of the four that TMTT sent me to grow on my windowsill. I followed the tomato seed saving instructions from Real Seeds and soaked a couple of squished-up tomatoes in water for three days exactly. However, when I drained them, it looked like most of them may have germinated! I am hoping that it's just that they were swollen from the water as I'll clearly not have any luck with them if they have mostly germinated. I have put them on a plate to finish drying, but I'll probably not know until next year if they are any good. If they aren't, I think I'll just soak them for two days next time!

If you're only saving a small number of tomato seeds you can rub them on kitchen roll to get the gel coating off instead of fermenting. I'm not sure fermenting does anything special, it's just an easier way of getting the gel off a large quantity of seed.

Fermenting never seems "right" when I do it. Now, I swill the seeds around in water, then strain them through a tea strainer - rubbing them around on the strainer mesh. Do that a couple times, let them drain as much as possible, then spread them on kitchen roll to dry.

Saved some Fragrant giant hyssop And wild bergamot yesterday.

Some more wild bergamot, nasturtium, french marigolds and bright pink holly hock.

Saved some tromboncino seeds.

Saved some tromboncino seeds.

That'll be an interesting experiment. My bought seeds were variable, two varieties out of the same pkt . I've got one tromba left, may try the same.  I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that trombas are my favourite, so versatile and they keep so well. They will definitely be given more room this coming season. I have to work on stealing P's climbing frame to use as a support for them.