[tode]

Was wandering through the GYO archives, and came across a discussion of growing peas for the Heritage Seed Library.
How does this work ? Surely if you grow peas (for example) for them, then what you send back is no longer the variety you received, but could be a cross with that and any other peas growing in the neighbourhood ?
Perplexed.

[gillie]

There are two ways of using the Heritage Seed Library:

You can pay a small extra subscription if you are a member of Garden Organic and then receive your choice of seeds to grow.  The packets are small and a particular variety is not available every year, so if you like something you would be well advised to start saving your own and multiplying it up. That is what we have done with their 'Yugoslavian' tomatoes and have tried (and failed!) to multiply up the pea Magnum Bonum.

There are also volunteers called Seed Guardians.  Seed Guardians are allocated certain varieties and undertake to multiply up the seed under controlled conditions so that there is no cross pollination and send at least part of their seed crop back to the Heritage Seed Library.

The HSL also facilitates seed swopping between its members.

Cheers,

Gillie


       

[zazen999]

Was wandering through the GYO archives, and came across a discussion of growing peas for the Heritage Seed Library.
How does this work ? Surely if you grow peas (for example) for them, then what you send back is no longer the variety you received, but could be a cross with that and any other peas growing in the neighbourhood ?
Perplexed.

You would have to take precautions to avoid cross pollination for any veg that you grow for HSL; they give you a set of instructions on which cross easily and which don't and how to isolate where necessary. Plus, if you are a seed guardian, then you can choose which varieties you want to guard, that match your ability to grow.

[DD.]

Done it.

Being a seed guardian that is. That's how I'm hoping to grow only heritage seed next year.

You can get cross pollination in peas, but having grown literally thousands, I've not found one. It would be easy to spot a wayward on in a row & quickly whip it out.

I had around 101 seed across 3 different varieties. Germinated 100 of them & set them out.

Kept a few & sent most back & having repeated the procedure over a couple of years, I've got enough to purely grow them (and loadsa them) next year.

[tode]

Do you have to hand pollinate? or is it just a question of keeping them a certain distance from other varieties ?
Intrigued.

[DD.]

Hand pollinate peas! 

They are self fertile and need no help. By the time the flower opens it's too late to do two things.

1 - pollinate

2 - Protect against pea moth.

[tode]

That's something I didn't know about peas !

What about corn ?  beans ?  etc  ? ?

[DD.]

Both self fertile, beans similar to peas, (both being legumes, it's not a suprise), they will pollinate within the flower.

With sweet corn the pollen from the tassels will fall/drift/blow onto the tassles of the cobs. Hence why you plant in blocks to get a haze of pollen.

[zazen999]

That's something I didn't know about peas !

What about corn ?  beans ?  etc  ? ?

If you want to get the ins and outs of which veg need isolating; then have a look at Real Seeds website, they have loads of info on saving seed.

I have literally thousands of Sangina Beetroot seeds, as I left 3 plants to go to seed earlier this year. Just pulled them up last week as it happens. They were left in the ground all last winter for this reason.

Yes, they would usually cross-pollinate with other beet/chard plants, but lets face it the chances of anyone round my way except me growing chard or anything other than beetroot, let along letting it go to seed, is pretty minimal. So, I left them to their own devices. First batch of dried seeds, I sowed straight away and am currently watching what happens with the seedlings [and what they grow into] before I let any loose on any friends/seed swaps etc. I have orders as long as your arm for them!!! If they don't produce what they should, we'll use it for cut and come again salads.

[tode]

Thanks: will have a look.

[Salmo]

DD - not so sure about beans, I think the bees do cross pollinate a few.

[DD.]

I was talking more in terms of the peas, as per the originsl question. Beans certainly can cross pollinate more easily, I posted a photo very recenlty of one of mine that had.

Same with sweetcorn with wind-assisted pollination. That stuff can drift a long way!

[gillie]

It is a pity, but the Heritage Seed Library tends to reflect which vegetables are easy and fun to save seed, rather than those that need saving the most.  So there are loads of tomato varieties and very few carrots, which will cross with hedgerow weeds.

Gillie

[tode]

Why so, Gillie ?   You mean reflects in the sense that ther are more volunteers to grow toms and peas (for ex.) than "uninteresting" carrots ?

[zazen999]

It is a pity, but the Heritage Seed Library tends to reflect which vegetables are easy and fun to save seed, rather than those that need saving the most.  So there are loads of tomato varieties and very few carrots, which will cross with hedgerow weeds.

Gillie

They save carrot seeds themselves, but carrots are an absolute nightmare to save; there is the cross pollination issue and the fiddliness with separating the little blighters out ones they are matured and dried; I had to leave the room last time I did some. Made my eyes water and was sneezing like an eejit - which isn't good when you have a tray full of carrot seed heads in front of you.