Seed Saving Circle?

[DrakeMaiden]

Tomatoes you can generally grow very close together and not get a lot of cross-pollination, because they mostly self-pollinate, although if you are getting bee pollination you will probably get some crossing. I am not very particular and so I will just save seed from the fruits that grew true to type and not worry too much. But then, I am not really interested in preserving heirloom strains as much as growing tomatoes that perform well for me and yield tasty fruit. I guess I am not a purist in that regard.

There are some vegetables that are more likely to cross, unless you isolate the different types to varying distances. If you need to know this for a particular vegetable, you can look this information up on-line, but in general you don't want to grow two different types of squash in the same garden. Corn is especially easily cross-pollinated, because it is wind pollinated. Generally with corn you need to keep them a mile or so apart, but you can get around this by growing two types on opposite sides of a large building, etc.

Peas and beans generally do not cross pollinate and can be grown very close together.

I think lettuce is probably highly likely to cross pollinate.

So if you want to save seeds of a particular variety, you are best off if you isolate it to whatever distance it requires or to only grow one type per season.

Organic seeds are seeds from plants that have been grown organically. I think hybrid seeds can qualify as organic if they are grown organically.

 

[big brown horse]

Thanks! Great information Drake!

 

[old fashioned]

Count me in too, I have tons of seeds. Most are open pollinated &/or heirloom, some hybrids that I'm trying to get rid of-working toward OP & Heirloom only.

My understanding of those home-grown hybrids (from TEG forum) is that you have to plant different varieties apart from each other. The space required is alot (50-500 feet) but I'm thinking that's only if you plant one type of crop. I'm guessing (and trying this year) that in a mixed garden (corn, beans, cukes, toms, squash, etc, etc, etc) you could get away with planting them much closer if you have other stuff in between. The problem here is with bees (or other insects) going from plant to plant that is doing the pollinating (or crossing) so if you plant one row of one kind of tomatoe, plant a few rows of other veggies before planting another row of tomatoes in order to distract the insects before finding different tomatoes.
Also one veggie type doesn't pollinate or cross with another (tomatoes vs beans or peppers vs squash etc) but only with it's own species.
Does this all make any sense??? Just don't quote me on any of this since I'm not an expert at it and any info given isn't tried & true, just what I've been able to come up with and my understanding of it so it's highly possible I'm wrong on this.

Anyway, seed saving is pretty easy for most varieties with the exceptions of course of biennials like carrots, beets, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, etc. These take 2 years to get seed and I'm still in the process of figuring this one out.

Hopefully more knowledgeable folks will come along to either validate my comments or provide more accurate info.

(going off to check for the 1,000th time supply of seeds )


ETA-just for the record, seed packets must say Hybrid, if it is a hybrid

 

[FarmerDenise]

FarmerDenise, you should be a teacher! You explain things so well!

Haha, Thanks

I actually went to college to become a teacher, I dropped out after 2 years. But now I am thinking of going back and getting my teaching degree. I love to teach.

Drakemaiden wrote

Tomatoes you can generally grow very close together and not get a lot of cross-pollination, because they mostly self-pollinate, although if you are getting bee pollination you will probably get some crossing. I am not very particular and so I will just save seed from the fruits that grew true to type and not worry too much. But then, I am not really interested in preserving heirloom strains as much as growing tomatoes that perform well for me and yield tasty fruit. I guess I am not a purist in that regard.

I am like that too. I don't particularly care as long as I end up with good tomatoes. I save the seeds from those tomatoes that I use and like and label them carefully. I figure if I keep doing that we will have our own successfull open pollinated strain eventually

 

[DrakeMaiden]

You should teach, FarmerDenise!

 

[Bettacreek]

I definately plan to keep my seeds pure. I'm bagging up several flower buds so that I am the one who decides where the pollen comes/goes. I plan to do this with California Wonder bell peppers, my ornamental peppers of course, roma tomatoes and who knows what else.

 

[Lady Henevere]

Count me in....

 

[chickenchalupa]

I would love to be a part of something like this!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

This is a wonderful idea. I won't have any seeds to share until fall, even then, not sure how many I'll have. It is a great idea and I was thinking about it just the other day, except more about a seed exchange instead of "seed savers".

 

[hwillm1977]

I'd love to do this too...

I'd need a tutorial on how to save my own seeds, but I'm perfectly willing to learn, do, and share

I'll have tomatoes, cukes, squash, peas, corn and possibly soy beans (I know not many people like them, but I do) that are heirloom... I have tons of rhubarb too, but I rarely let that go to seed... although I can if someone wants some.

I also have a lilac tree that I can take cuttings from, it was planted here in 1883 Although I don't know if you can ship rooted cuttings across the border.