Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: totalnovice on July 23, 2011, 18:26

Title: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: totalnovice on July 23, 2011, 18:26
Hiya, Does anyone know if i can keep seed over from my kelvdon wonder plants for next year. i have a fair few pods that have dried out nicely and look like they want to be stored over winter to be popped in the ground next spring. Will this be ok/will they come tru or will i get some horrible hybrid pea no one can eat?

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: sunshineband on July 23, 2011, 18:27
Peas are self fertile and so the seeds will come true next year  :)

Just store them dry and cool  ;)
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: DD. on July 23, 2011, 18:28
You'll be quite OK.

I save a lot of my heritage pea seed. They are self-fertile and the risk of cross pollination is very, very low.
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: DD. on July 23, 2011, 18:28
Good job Sunny agrees with me!
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: totalnovice on July 23, 2011, 18:29
YAY! a freebie! got to love that one, had no idea peas were self fertile either.

Oooh goody, free pea seeds, free runner bean seeds, free borlotti bean seeds, green bean seeds, (anyone notice a pattern?!) I do love something for nothing.

Thank you sunshine, and DD!
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: sunshineband on July 23, 2011, 18:31
Quote from: DD. on July 23, 2011, 18:28
Good job Sunny agrees with me!

I learned it all from you to start with  :lol: :lol:
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: DD. on July 23, 2011, 18:33
Hope you've not picked up the bad habits as well!  :tongue2:
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: sunshineband on July 23, 2011, 18:35
I'll have you know I am very selective  --  a bit like pea breeders  :lol: :lol:
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: chillinut on July 24, 2011, 13:26
sorry to hijack but do you dry the whole pod with the peas inside or just the peas ?

Then do you just plant them up as normal seeds next year ?

i'm probably being really daft sorry

Caroline
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: Salmo on July 24, 2011, 15:12
Dry the whole pods and plant them as normal.

Sorry to spoil the fun Total but most beans are part self fertile and part insect pollinated so you will not neccessarily breed true. However as they are in a mass of the same variety the likelyhood of a bee carrying pollen from another bean variety is mininal.
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: DD. on July 24, 2011, 15:35
I've successfully crossed runner beans with purple climbing French ones and got purple runners.

Without trying!
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: chillinut on July 24, 2011, 15:49
Quote from: Salmo on July 24, 2011, 15:12
Dry the whole pods and plant them as normal.

Thanks :)
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: sunshineband on July 24, 2011, 17:49
Quote from: DD. on July 24, 2011, 15:35
I've successfully crossed runner beans with purple climbing French ones and got purple runners.

Without trying!

There's clever  ;) 
 Are you going to create a bank of these seeds?
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: totalnovice on July 24, 2011, 17:59
Quote from: DD. on July 24, 2011, 15:35
I've successfully crossed runner beans with purple climbing French ones and got purple runners.

Without trying!

How exciting! you'll have to let us know how thay taste, do we call you gregor M now instead of DD?  :tongue2:
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: Gandan57 on July 24, 2011, 18:02
Quote from: DD. on July 24, 2011, 15:35
I've successfully crossed runner beans with purple climbing French ones and got purple runners.

Without trying!
                                                   

Very interesting, DD. I have purple climbing french beans in the middle of my row of runners. I shall make sure to save runner seed from either side of the french ones, and if purple runners result, it should be a good talking point on the lottie next year.
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: JayG on July 24, 2011, 18:09
I have a red-flowered "White Lady" plant in the middle of the white-flowered ones, although all the seeds looked the same to me (i.e. white!)  :ohmy:

These were once-saved seeds from a couple of years ago, and to the best of my knowledge the nearest other runner beans being grown round here are about 150 yards away!

I think runners must cross quite easily with other varieties, especially other runners (as DD says; no effort required!)
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: Gandan57 on July 24, 2011, 18:19
Snap JayG, I save my runner seed year on year and have never grown white flowered ones, but this year I have a couple of plants with red and white flowers.
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: DD. on July 24, 2011, 18:41
Here's what should have bean (deliberate) a green "Enorma"

(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/DSCF1882.jpg)

I also had red flowers on my purple beans and some produced green pods.

I bought new seed next year and the cross breeds were rubbish.
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: totalnovice on July 24, 2011, 19:39
It will certainly make seeing them to pick them much easier! I alsways miss a few no matter how thoroughly i look.  ::)
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: sunshineband on July 25, 2011, 08:52
Quote from: DD. on July 24, 2011, 18:41
Here's what should have bean (deliberate) a green "Enorma"

(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/DSCF1882.jpg)

I also had red flowers on my purple beans and some produced green pods.

I bought new seed next year and the cross breeds were rubbish.

Just to double check before I go and start to save anything a different colour  :lol:

The ones you had grown that were a new cross didn't give a good crop? Is that right?

I know, a bit of a dense question but there we are --- someone has to ask one from time to time  :ohmy:
Title: Re: Quick and no doubt stupid question about pea seeds
Post by: DD. on July 25, 2011, 09:06
RIGHT!

Pathetically short, tough, purple runner beans.