Seed sharing

[GreyCat]

Been thinking. I get seeds from the Heritage Seed Library each year, and they encourage community seed sharing to help spread and maintain old varieties which are not on seed lists and so are not sold commercially.

I wondered if there would be any interest in having a "seed circle" on the forum? We'd need an agreed approach (e.g. max age of seed, how many, what info provided etc) but is there any interest?

Perhaps useful for swapping less common things which people might grow in small amounts to try such as Asian greens or unusual tomato types.

Are there rules we'd need to follow e.g. only heirloom types with no licensing issues? (No shipping outside GB is an obvious restriction).

Thoughts?

GC

 

[Glow_worm]

Interesting idea!

I can't be much use, although I grow a lot it's a few restricted types due to a currently restricted diet. I mostly save my own and top up/occasionally try something new from the Real Seed Catalogue.

I'd suggest the biggest issue would be postage costs, given that the value of seed in many cases would be less than the cost to share it by post?

 

[HillBill]

Interesting idea!

I can't be much use, although I grow a lot it's a few restricted types due to a currently restricted diet. I mostly save my own and top up/occasionally try something new from the Real Seed Catalogue.

I'd suggest the biggest issue would be postage costs, given that the value of seed in many cases would be less than the cost to share it by post?

But the seeds would be for life if you saved the seed from the crop. Not just one years grow. and it wouldn't cost more than a 2nd class stamp, which i think is like 85p.

 

[HillBill]

I'd be interested for sure, but don't know how much use i'd be as i have to grow in containers, and only grow basic stuff, mainly herbs and fruit.

 

[Glow_worm]

Jumps to £1.55 for a few peas or beans! It's not exactly for life in all cases, for some veg you need a lot of space and a lot of plants to get enough genetic diversity to get viable seed. Other stuff is simple and it's no effort to save seed.

Peas for example mostly self-pollinate and it's easy to keep a few from every plant to build good diversity.

Carrots on the other hand would need to be left until their second year when they flower and seed, and you'll need 30-50 plants left to flower to get a good cross section. A flowering carrot plant is huge! And that's in addition to any you actually grow to eat each year. Oh, and they can sneakily cross with wild carrot then produce useless seed.

I only let one member of the brassica tribe go to seed each year to avoid crossing, so save brassica seed on rotation but sometimes need to buy in new.

 

[slowworm]

I think seed swapping works best done locally where you can get hold of seeds and advice on what does best locally. You can also add in small plants, tubers and cuttings etc.

We've taken part in a forum based seed swap, where a parcel of seeds is sent to one person who takes out what they want and adds what they have spare. The parcel often wasn't sent on for one reason or another and postage would be expensive these days.

Perhaps an offer of a variety or two and posted direct might work. I've posted loads of yacon growing tips over the years to people who express an interest in them.