seed exchange, seed saving, and plant breeding

[Big_White]

I havent posted in a while but, have been readin and lookin the past couple days on the garden section. And one thing i didn see ( might have missed some tho ) was seed exchanges. So i was wondering are any of you seed savers? and do any of ya'll participate in seed exchanges? If so i would like to know of good exchanges to become a part of or participate in. And was wondering if it would be possible to exchange seeds with anyone on here as well. i will be back on here later today , just got off a 12 hour night, so if some of this does not make sense just ask what i meanin. Hope to hear somethin. thanks


Thanks
Big White


ETA: do any of you breed your own plants? If so what have you bred and what are the methods? thanks again to anyone who replies

 

[Wannabefree]

We sometimes start threads to exchange seeds with others on here. I will be saving seed this year for the first time. I don't know of any local seed exchanges. I just exchange amongst family a lot usually and I buy a lot of my seeds. I am trying to put an end to the practice of buying every year though, so I got interested in saving seed and exchanges myself.

I've never bred my own plants, but find it interesting as well. I have been researching the "how to" aspect of it, but am still dumb enough about it to not try to explain it to anyone else yet. There are several websites that give basic instruction though.

Where ya been?! You should come in and sit around with all of us old folks more often

 

[~gd]

I havent posted in a while but, have been readin and lookin the past couple days on the garden section. And one thing i didn see ( might have missed some tho ) was seed exchanges. So i was wondering are any of you seed savers? and do any of ya'll participate in seed exchanges? If so i would like to know of good exchanges to become a part of or participate in. And was wondering if it would be possible to exchange seeds with anyone on here as well. i will be back on here later today , just got off a 12 hour night, so if some of this does not make sense just ask what i meanin. Hope to hear somethin. thanks


Thanks
Big White


ETA: do any of you breed your own plants? If so what have you bred and what are the methods? thanks again to anyone who replies

Over the years I have bred tons of mineture Roses, Canna, Hibiscus [hardy garden Mallow], and Sarracenia [Pitcher Plant] These preannual plants are usually not reproduced by seeds. You do your cross by taking pollen from the male plant and introduce into the female bloom which is sealed off so a bee does not introduce other pollen the seeds are saved from that one bloom and planted. The second year the plants are evaluated. the ones that don't produce desired plants are destroyed [about 99% of the roses ] If you find something you like you take cuttings to reproduce the plant. Often you find that the cross has already been made. That is why I quit on the roses and moved to the rarer and more exotic stuff. Most of the crosses can be sold as is as just a pretty plant. This is strictly a hobby now but it started as a way to make money.

 

[SSDreamin]

Last year was my first real attempt at saving seeds. My next door neighbor (who, in my option, is a gardening genius), helped me out and I had a pretty good success rate. This year, everything I am planting is heirloom, some with my saved seeds and some purchased. I would like to save a lot more seeds this year. Like WBF, I'd like to get away from having to buy them. I am also interested in seed exchanges, but I'm pretty sure that what I grow is too common place for that. About as unusual or exotic as I get are my peppers (I grow green, Thai, jalapeno, cayenne and habanero.), and most people are looking for hard to find seeds, right?

 

[Dawn419]

Been saving basic flower seeds for several years and just now getting more into heirloom seed saving. I'm also working towards no longer having to buy seeds and will get there, eventually.

I've done a couple of seed swaps over at BYC this year and they were fun but now I'm eaten up with squash and pumpkin seeds and don't think I've got the room to plant half of them.

 

[Wannabefree]

I havent posted in a while but, have been readin and lookin the past couple days on the garden section. And one thing i didn see ( might have missed some tho ) was seed exchanges. So i was wondering are any of you seed savers? and do any of ya'll participate in seed exchanges? If so i would like to know of good exchanges to become a part of or participate in. And was wondering if it would be possible to exchange seeds with anyone on here as well. i will be back on here later today , just got off a 12 hour night, so if some of this does not make sense just ask what i meanin. Hope to hear somethin. thanks


Thanks
Big White


ETA: do any of you breed your own plants? If so what have you bred and what are the methods? thanks again to anyone who replies

Over the years I have bred tons of mineture Roses, Canna, Hibiscus [hardy garden Mallow], and Sarracenia [Pitcher Plant] These preannual plants are usually not reproduced by seeds. You do your cross by taking pollen from the male plant and introduce into the female bloom which is sealed off so a bee does not introduce other pollen the seeds are saved from that one bloom and planted. The second year the plants are evaluated. the ones that don't produce desired plants are destroyed [about 99% of the roses ] If you find something you like you take cuttings to reproduce the plant. Often you find that the cross has already been made. That is why I quit on the roses and moved to the rarer and more exotic stuff. Most of the crosses can be sold as is as just a pretty plant. This is strictly a hobby now but it started as a way to make money.

Can you cross a regular rose with a miniature? I am wondering because my friend has a really old HUGE yellow rose that smells UNBELIEVABLE, and I love it, but the darn thing gets 6 foot tall! I don't want something SO big, but i would absolutely love to harness that smell in a smaller rose, preferrably a tiny miniature. Since you have experience I thought maybe you could tell me if it'd work and how difficult it could be.

 

[moolie]

I've saved flower and veg seeds for years, and I'm still planting seeds saved from the gardens at my old place (we moved house 4 years ago) that are up to 10 and 11 years old. I save a bit of just about everything every year, but also buy some seeds every year just to try new things. Most things I've saved have good germination rates, so it's nice to know I'm doing something right

I've never taken part in a seed exchange, although I have traded things with neighbors--mostly perennials when they've needed dividing.

 

[Big_White]

WBF. I noticed a couple of people started threads askin for seed. But i was kinda lookin for more of a free for all i guess, where everyone posts what they have to trade and others can offer different seed or somethin else in return. And i just recently purchased a book by Carol Deppe " Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties", It is very descript and detailed, and written towards the amatuer/novice point of view. And i also have decided to do away with buying my seed, haha, in hopes of growing my own. And sorry its been awhile, workin 3rds is hard to get used to, but im happy to have a job right now.


And gd thanks for the advice on the rarer flowers, I have thought of selling some of my mothers flowers and trying to cross a few myself. But have not gotten to it yet, she has some beautiful calla lilies, they are the tallest i have ever seen, they grow to nearly 8 foot tall, around here most everyone elses is maybe 2 foot tall.


SSdreamin, as to the rarer seeds i thought the same thing, that all anyone would want is stuff that is really hard to find or harvest, so why bother. Then when i looked into it i found out that every person that saves seeds and picks what they themselves want then each set of seed is different. An example i can best think of is kentucky wonder pole beans, I have seen brown, white and even speckled beans of that name, and some pods grow very short others very long, all depending on the wants of the saver. So in reality anything you have to offer, could be of value to someone else even if its a common variety. At least from what i have read and heard, right now i am looking for a local exchange to take part in.


Haha, I wish i had your problem with all the squash and pumpkin seed Dawn 14, I have a lot of clemson okra and rattlsnake pole beans tho, they are my first succesful save from last year. More than i could tend to even if i wanted to.



Around here most people do the factory farm style planting, with huge acreage of corn or soybean, even wheat now and then. And none of it would be true to type if saved and would all be gmo. So i am hopin to get a few people around here interested in savin seed and see where it goes from there.

 

[Wannabefree]

I'd contact the local County Extension Agent, and see if they can tell you who is doing what and where, in your area. They may already have a list of folks who save seed in the area and know who you could buddy up with to get started and maybe have a mentor as well. It'd be worth asking. You might find out the local master gardeners as well. They'd be able to help you with crosses and would likely know who saves seed in the area as well. Just a thought, but most folks who would be interested in such things pretty well center around those groups.

 

[Big_White]

Thanks WBF, thats a good idea. Ive thought of joining the gardening society, here were i live. The county extension office would be the best place to try first tho. Thank you again.