Seed Saving Guidelines Complete

7/31/2019 Seed Saving Guidelines Complete

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HERITAGE SEEDLIBRARY

Seed Saving Guidelines


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Seed Saving Guideline Number

Introduction

1 . . . . . . . . . . . . Why Save Seed?

2 . . . . . . . . . . . . Basic Botany for Seed Savers

3 . . . . . . . . . . . . Preserving Varietal Purity

4 . . . . . . . . . . . . Seed Storage for Longer Life

5 . . . . . . . . . . . . Lettuce

6 . . . . . . . . . . . . Peas

7 . . . . . . . . . . . . Runner Beans

8 . . . . . . . . . . . . French Beans

9 . . . . . . . . . . . . Broad Beans

10 . . . . . . . . . . . . Onions & Leeks

11 . . . . . . . . . . . . Radishes

12 . . . . . . . . . . . . Tomatoes

13 . . . . . . . . . . . . Squashes, Melons & Cucumbers

14 . . . . . . . . . . . . Carrot

15 . . . . . . . . . . . . Multiplier Onions & Shallots

16 . . . . . . . . . . . . Beetroot & Chard

17 . . . . . . . . . . . . Spinach

18 . . . . . . . . . . . . Brassicas

INDEX


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Garden Organics Heritage Seed Library (HSL) aims to conserve

and make available vegetable varieties that are not widelyaccessible. HSL maintains a collection of vegetables pertinentto the UK and Northern Europe that are not readily availablein seed catalogues. Some of the varieties were commerciallyavailable once but have now disappeared from catalogues and

seed lists. Others have never been offered in catalogues buthave been developed by gardeners and passed on through thegenerations until they were donated to us. There are also somevarieties that have a special local significance. Many have a storyto tell. We collect not only the seed, but also information on

their characteristics, methods of use, origins, and what this cantell us about our gardening and culinary heritage.

We are not a gene bank. We do not simply preserve the seeds in cold storage. Instead we grow them andmake them available to other gardeners so that they remain alive and able to adapt to new conditions. Any new

characteristics then have a good chance of being spotted and made use of.

We are not legally allowed to sell our seed. Under European law only seed that is listed on a National List (andultimately the EU Common Catalogue) can be marketed. To be on the list a variety must go through a series oftests, termed DUS tests. The D stands for distinctiveness, as in different from another variety, the U for uniformity,

or all plants are the same, and the S for stability, which means the same over generations. Many of the varietieswe look after would not pass these tests as they are inherently highly variable. The tests cost money. There isalso a cost for maintaining a variety on the list.

With the costs incurred in breeding and maintenance of a variety, a large, profitable market is sought. This

means that seed companies often decide against maintaining varieties suitable for niche markets, e.g. gardeners,in favour of those more acceptable to large scale growers. The varieties available are therefore more likely toripen at the same time to make harvesting with machinery easier, tough enough to withstand travel and handlingin supermarkets, and familiar in visual characteristics so that they are acceptable to the average shopper. Flavouroften takes a back seat.

To overcome the restrictions of regulations and facilitate distribution we currently run a membership scheme.Those who wish to support our work pay an annual fee which goes towards the costs of collecting, growing,storing and distributing the seed. We produce articles on seed saving, research and the latest on the international

seed scene in the Garden Organic members magazine, The Organic Way. Every winter we send out a Cataloguedetailing a portion of the collection, containing information about the varieties from which members may choosea packet of each of up to six varieties.

Currently we look after over 800 accessions of open-pollinated varieties (not F1 hybrids), of which around 200are detailed in our HSL Seed Catalogue each year. As well as research on the varieties and testing of previouslyuntried varieties that come in from time to time, we grow some of the seed required at Garden Organic Ryton.

Whilst more is grown by Seed Guardians special members who volunteer their resources to look after andbulk up selected varieties. These are then available for distribution to our members.

Introduction to TheHeritage Seed Library


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The collection is still expanding. Every year we receive samples of vegetable seedthat gardeners have been looking after and keeping alive. We ask a lot of questionsabout each one to determine its place in our culture. We then conduct our own trialson it, taking notes and making assessments throughout its growing life to find out asmuch as possible about it. This gives us the opportunity to ensure that it is differentto anything else we are looking after, not obviously diseased, has not crossed (and isnot a hybrid) and is something gardeners would be interested in growing. If we decide

it is something we should be keeping we add it to the collection, so theres always

something new coming in.

If it wasnt for the work of HSL many of these varieties would vanish and beunavailable for future use. Since the introduction of the seed legislation in themid-1970s untold hundreds, or even thousands, have been lost. Open pollinatedvarieties hold a lot of genetic material within them, having great capacity to adapt toconditions, such as soil and local weather conditions. They may be very important forour food supplies in a changing climate, where its not just the weather that will change there is also diseaseand pest pressure to adapt to. Current breeding relies on an increasingly narrow genetic base that can result

in crops becoming susceptible to a build up of pests and diseases. Although this has been mitigated in the past

by increasing pesticide usage, and currently with the introduction of genetic modification of crops, this may notalways be adequate and is not what everyone wants. There may well be varieties in the collection that have agreater ability to adapt to low input and low pesticide growing methods.

As well as having varied views on how to garden not all people want the same things to eat. Tough-skinnedtomatoes may be able to survive intact to the point of sale but may not have the best flavour. Beans come inmany colours there is no need to be confined to just green. Seeds available commercially do not offer the fullrange of colours, markings, shapes and flavours, but why shouldnt consumers have access to them? We believe

they should.

Our methods of growing, harvesting, cleaning and packeting are similar to those you could use at home. The vastmajority is done by hand using familiar household tools. We have four members of staff, we take one student whospends a year with us learning about what we do and helping out, and a small band of volunteers on-site to assistus in various aspects of the work. We have a membership of more than 12,000 and distribute between 45,000 and50,000 packets of seed each year. All of this goes to conserving our UK biodiversity and gardening heritage.

Biodiversity is now high on the international agenda. There is a possibility that the stringent laws relating toseed listing will change. HSL is involved with various groups, both in the UK and abroad, and is contributing to

discussions and consultations with government departments and other parties interested in biodiversity. Hopefully,older and rarer varieties will be seen to be worth conserving and any changes that come in will allow people toobtain them. In the meantime HSL is here, with the support of our members, to keep our vegetables alive and

growing.

Seed packets awaiting

dispatch

Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales, KG., KT., GCB.President: Professor Tim Lang

Vice Presidents: Dr Bill Blyth, Raymond Blanc, Thelma Barlow, Susan HampshireChairman: Dr Sally A Bucknall, Vice Chairs: Ms Kate Pinder & Mr John Milligan, Hon Treasurer: John PetrieRegistered office as above. Registered Charity No. 298104. VAT No. 102 6640 11. Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in Cardiff No. 2188402.

Garden Organic is the new working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association.

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Different people save seed for different reasons. Some do it to preserve a link with the past, growing a variety

their parents grew or one peculiar to the place they live. Some do it to assure themselves of a supply of seedvariety no longer available, whereas others are making a deliberate stand against current trends in the seedindustry. Some, like the Heritage Seed Librarys Seed Guardians, do it in order to create surplus seed that can begiven to others. Many people save seed because they have always done so.

Genetic Erosion

Perhaps the most pressing reason to save seeds of a wide range of vegetable varieties is to keep it alive and readyfor use. Seed banks and plant breeders collections preserve diversity, but they are not currently open to thegeneral public who may want to grow those varieties. Whilst seed catalogues offer new, improved varieties every

year, the reality is that the choice continues to narrow, as does the genetic pool from which they are bred.

The main reasons for this loss of diversity are a mixture of legal and commercial pressures. However, the result ofgenetic erosion is a loss of choice for the grower and an increase in genetic uniformity in the fields.

Dangers

There are several problems caused by genetic erosion:

Food security

With uniformity, both genetically and in the form of mono-cropping, comes the increased risk of a pest or diseasewiping out a whole planting. (Uniformity can result in limitation in buffering an attack.) Many of the varietiescurrently relied on for our food supply lack the range of genetic information to allow them to adapt to new or

changing conditions.

The Environment

Modern varieties have been bred to largedoses of chemical pesticides and fertilisers.These can persist in the environment andmany have the capability to cause harm to

humans and other organisms.

Choice

For many producers the main reasonsfor growing particular varieties is ease ofharvest and ability to travel rather thanflavour. Flavour of the month is dictatedby what is on offer and what is availableand this is constantly changing. What if

your choice isnt on producers or the

seed companies top ten?

Global Changes

Why Save Seed?

Seed Saving Guideline No. 1


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Uniformity in varieties doesnt take into effect climatic variations. Local varieties were more common becausethey grew well in the areas where they were bred.

With changes in climate, pests and diseases and agricultural practices (the needs for organic farming are verydifferent), choice in varieties will be necessary. When a variety disappears so do those characteristics which wemay not even know about, and once they are gone there is little chance they will ever be recovered.

Solutions

Currently seeds are stored long-term in gene banks. This effectively freezes the genetic information held withinthem, providing a reference for the future.However, they are only grown from time to time, often many yearsapart, in order to refresh stocks, so important characteristics may not be noticed. They are not generally availableto the public.

Amateurs can save their own seed as has been done for thousands of years, well before the advent of large seedcompanies and modern agriculture. By doing this gardeners have control over their own food and can maketheir own choice about what to eat.Saving your ownseed year on year means your varieties will be ableto adapt to your specific conditions.You will also beable to note any interesting characteristics, such as an

apparent resistance to a particular pest or disease.

There are many ways home-saved seed can bedistributed, either through seed conservationschemes, like the Heritage Seed Library, or seed swapforums, many of which can now be found listed onthe internet. Saving seed and growing your own food

makes sense for a sustainable and secure future.

Preserve seeds by growing them, saving them and

passing them on.

Taste testing tomatoes




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Classification

All living things are classified in a hierarchical system, the development of which was started

in 1727 by Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus. Linnaeus used two names for every kind ofliving thing. Human beings are Homo sapiens, whilst runner beans are Phaseolus coccineus.The first name is the genus; plants that are very like one another, for example runnerbeans and French beans share the same genus, Phaseolus. The second name is the species runner beans are Phaseolus coccineus, while French beans are Phaseolus vulgaris. Becauseeverything has two names, the Linnean naming method is known as the Binomial system.

There are other systems of classification, above and below genus and species. Genera that share similarcharacteristics can be grouped into families, that in turn can be grouped into orders, and then classes. Classesmay be grouped into divisions (or phyla). The whole realm of classification is very like the outline of a great tree

with a few great limbs (orders), more branches, and hundreds of thousands of twigs (species).

Below the level of species may be yet another grouping. Beetroot andchard are both Beta vulgaris, but beetroot is Beta vulgaris var. conditiva, whilechard is Beta vulgaris var. vulgaris. Lower still are cultivated varieties orcultivars, so the full name of the beetroot cultivar Green Top Bunchingis Beta vulgaris var. conditiva Green Top Bunching, and the full name ofDetroit is Betavulgaris var. conditiva Detroit.

The level at which seed savers are concerned is the preservation of theessential qualities that distinguish one variety from another.

Flowers

In order to create seeds, a plant must mate. This process involves flowers which carry the male and femalereproductive organs. Often the male and female parts are contained within a single flower, the perfect flower.Sometimes male and female parts are in separate or imperfect flowers and may be formed on a single plant, calledmonoecious plants (Greek: mono one, oikos household), or they may be carried on separate male andfemale plants. These are called dioecious (two households).

Squashes are monoecious, with male and female blossoms on a single plant.

Spinach is dioecious, with separate male and female plants.

Peas are perfect, with male and female parts in a single flower.

The male part of the flower is called the stamen, and the number of stamens is a characteristic of a plant species.Each stamen consists of a filament, at the tip of which is the anther. It is the anther that produces the pollen

grains.

The female part of the flower is called the pistil, which is divided into the stigma, the style, and the ovary. The

ovary contains one or more ovules, or egg cells. The stigma is the part of the pistil that is receptive to pollengrains. It may be a sticky, knob-like structure at the end of the style, or it may be a long portion of the style, as inthe silken tassels of corn.

Basic Botany ForSeed Savers


Perfect self-pollinatingpea flower

Onion Flowers


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When a fertile pollen grain lands on a receptive stigma, the pollen grain forms a tube that grows through the style

until it reaches the ovary, where it fertilises one of the ovules. Eventually, the ovary forms the fruit or seed pod,while the fertilised ovules develop into seeds.

Pollination

For seed to develop, pollen must be transferred from the anthers to the stigma. There are exceptions, known asparthenocarpic plants (Greek: parthenos virgin, karpos fruit) but they do not concern us here.

Pollen and ovules carry the genetic messages fromthe male and female plants respectively. Sexualreproduction shuffles those messages, producing

offspring that contain a mixture of traits from motherand father. If pollen and ovules are from differentvarieties, the resultant seed will be a mixture of thosetwo varieties rather than a characteristic member of aparticular variety (i.e. not true to type).

Seed savers must ensure that a variety remains pure byrestricting the source of the pollen to the same variety

as the ovule.

Some perfect flowers fertilise themselves. The anther

may sweep past the stigma, as they do in the nasturtium,or the stigma may grow past the anthers, as in the tomato. Sometimes fertilisation takes place before the floweropens, as in the pea; this is called cleistogamy (literally, closed marriage). For seed savers, self-fertilisation maymake life easy, as in peas, but these can also be cross-pollinated in certain circumstances.

Finally a flower may be self-incompatible it is not capable of pollinating itself and must be cross-pollinated.Cross-pollination generally requires something to transfer pollen from one flowers anthers to another flowers

stigma. This could be wind, water, insect or animal.

Wind is the most difficult agent to control. Pollen is very fine and can be carried long distances.

Water as a vector is not important for pollinating domestic crops.

Pollinating insects such as bees are easier to manage. Often they can be kept away from flowers with a simplecage or bag. In other cases the seed saver may have to introduce substitutes for the natural pollinators, suchas blowflies that can be bought as maggots from fishing tackle shops.

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Hand pollination of squash





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Over the years plant breeders, farmers and amateur gardeners have produced a vast range of different vegetable

varieties. These varieties have been bred for differing reasons. Anyone can preserve these and carry on growingthem in the future. Preservation requires following two simple rules: remove undesirable individuals and preventcross-pollination.

Roguing

You will need to save seed from open-pollinated varieties (not F1 hybrids). If you remember the two rules thesewill come true to type. Open-pollinated varieties are inherently variable, each plant being slightly different fromevery other plant. It may be useful to think of them as a group rather than clones. The amount of variation maybe slight, as is the case of tomatoes, or quite noticeable, as with some brassicas. This variability is one advantage of

an open-pollinated variety because it allows variable resistance to diseases, pests and stress. It also allows futurebreeders to choose various characteristics from which to develop other varieties. However, if the variability istoo wide the variety loses its distinctive character.

To prevent widening this variation when saving seed you will need to rogue out those plants that are too far

removed from the original average for the variety. This involves some careful observation. Those plants that aremarkedly different need to be rogued out (removed) as soon as they are spotted so that they do not contributeto the next generation. When sowing seeds always assume that you will lose some to pests, disease and otherfactors, and consider sowing excess to allow for roguing out. In some of the guidelines we give a recommendedminimum of plants to save from for seed, so bear this in mind and sow a few extras.

Pollination

Inbreeding varieties, for example peas and French beans, will not cross with each other or cross rarely, so most of

the information referred to below will not be relevant. Bear in mind, though, that if saving seed precautions needto be taken even for those that cross only rarely.

For outbreeders, e.g. brassicas, runner beans, alliums and beetroots, keeping pollen from different varieties awayfrom each other is more important than roguing as it will widen the genetic variability of the stock in the nextgeneration. You may be able to rectify this by roguing out in the future, but it would take patience and severalseasons to accomplish.

The easiest way to prevent cross-pollination in outbreeders is to grow just one variety as pollen of many varietiescan be transported between plants by wind and insects. If a neighbour is growing a vegetable that could cross-

pollinate with something you are growing, you will need to bear this in mind. One way of reducing the chance ofcross-pollination occurring is by growing them far enough apart that the pollinating vector, be it wind or insect,cannot carry pollen to your seed saving plants each species requires a different distance (referred to as theisolation distance).

This isolation distance need not just be in terms of physical distance but also in time. Growing in different years

will work, but you can isolate by ensuring flowering of more than one variety does not take place at the same time,

e.g. by sowing one variety early and the other later. In Britain with our shorter season this is not always possible.

Another way to isolate is by using barriers that prevent insects reaching the flowers. You can buy barriers such asisolation cages to prevent insects reaching your crop. Barriers need not cover the whole plant, just the flowers

Preserving VarietalPurity



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that you wish to save seed from. For instance, runner beans can have their flower trusses covered. Isolation cagesrestrict insects from transferring pollen between plants but they also restrict insects from pollinating the flowersof your precious seed saving plants. There are a few ways around this:

Alternate Day Caging If you were growing two varieties of broad beans, for example, you could cageone the first day and then cage the other the next and repeat, alternating covers. This would allow available

pollinators to access both varieties but on different days.

Hand Pollination This is very time consuming but effective. Be prepared for some flowers to abort if not

done correctly. Use a fine brush. More details are given in crop-specific guidelines. Introduce pollinators This can be done using captured bees, bee hives, mason bees or flies. Flies are the

easiest and cheapest to buy and are easier to obtain and manage. Buy maggots from an angling shop (buywhites), put them somewhere warm to turn into castors; then add them to your cage before they turninto flies. They will need to be protected from the rain but free to fly out when they hatch. An old liddedmargarine tub with a hole cut in the side works well. The whole process can take between two and threeweeks and needs to be done several times. Think ahead and get the maggots before the flowers open so theyare ready to work when the flowers are out and need pollinating.

Isolation Barriers

Here are a few notes on barriers from the experiences we have had at Garden Organic Ryton:

Placing a barrier over a plant or its flowers can lead to problems. Physical barriers reduce light and increase heat so

be ready for a growth spurt, or flowers aborting because they get too hot. Another problem can be the development

of an environment that suits fungal growth (wet and warm), and the proliferation of pests with no predator able to

get inside (including you). The last problem is making sure the pollinators are ready to work at the time the flowers

are open (including hand-pollinators).

Do not expect every flower to be pollinated. That doesnt happen outside andis the reason plants produce lots of flowers. Flies will pollinate around 40% of

brassica flowers whereas bees will do more. Dont be daunted by this. Beingforewarned will leave you better prepared.

There are numerous materials and methods of construction you could employto make tents and bags. We have used various materials, from cheap (99p ametre) to expensive (7 a metre). For the home grower the most available andcheap material would be close-weave net curtains used as bags or cages andsupported with wire, reinforcing rods for concrete, willow, bamboo or anythingelse you can think of. Contact the Heritage Seed Library if you would like a copy

of an article illustrating a possible technique for constructing an isolation cage.

Another point to consider is rain cover. If, as in the case of leeks, the seedheads are ripening later in the year, rain can inhibit ripening and promote fungalinfection. Many people who grow flowers for shows use plastic, conical covers toprotect the blooms, a method that could be adapted for vegetables.

Remember, your first priority is to keep a variety pure if you want to save it.

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Isolation Tent made from oldnet-curtains and willow





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Within the seed are all the genetic instructions for a particular plant and the reserves to get the seedling off to a

good start. As they are natures way of preserving plants, they can last a long time. However, they do deteriorateand by storing them the best way possible you can be rewarded with greater longevity.

The two factors that reduce the life of the seed are moisture and warmth. Moisture is probably the mostimportant factor that needs to be controlled. A dry seed will last much longer at room temperature than a moist

seed in the fridge. Cool and dry are the two ideals for most of the seed we are concerned with. As a rule ofthumb, the storage life of a seed is doubled for every 5C drop in temperature and 1% drop in moisture content.

There is a limit though, and freezing and ultra-drying can be harmful. The best storage conditions for homegrowers are 5% moisture content and the temperature of a domestic freezer or fridge.

Extraction

This will depend on the crop. Details aregiven in the guidelines for the relevantvegetable. Some are easier than others, and

everyone has their favourite way to extractseed.

Drying

Water can make up between 10 and 15% of

the weight of fresh seed. Drying the seedto reduce some of this moisture content(down to around 5%) prolongs the life

of the seed. Heat, however, will destroyseeds and they should never be exposed totemperatures greater than 35C (95F).

In the past silica gel has been recommendedas a form of desiccant to dry seeds. The

blue-indicating silica gel has now been highlighted as a carcinogen due to the addition of cobalt to show levels ofmoisture, and needs special conditions in handling. This does not apply to the little packets you find in variousproducts you may buy, as that is a non-indicating silica gel and therefore contains no cobalt. There have beenother indicating silica gels produced, but some concerns have also been shown on their use so we would not

recommend using indicating silica gels unless new research comes to light.Dry your seeds naturally, preferably not in full sunlight and not somewheretoo hot. Unless you are planning to freeze your seeds and save for many,many years then this should be sufficient for short to medium term storage.

Storage

To save seeds until the following year it is sufficient after having dried them to

keep them in a cool, dry place. If you want to store them for longer periods afridge or freezer will be fine. Use an airtight container a kilner jar is ideal.

Seed Storage ForLonger Life


Extracting Seeds

Seeds stored in jars


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Recovery

When you do remove your seeds from storage we recommend you do two things:

Allow the jar and its contents to come to room temperature before opening.

Allow the seeds to rest for a few days at room temperature and ambient humidity before sowing.

Both these factors will allow the seeds to reabsorb moisture without shocking them, thus giving a better chanceof germination.

Longevity

It is impossible to determine how long a seed will last in storage. Different authorities give different lengths oftime. Once the optimum storing time has elapsed germination rates reduce. However, this does not necessarilymean none will germinate. If you have old seed that you would like to grow it is still worth trying before youdiscard it.

The guidelines for specific vegetables give approximate timings, providing the seed has been dried downsufficiently and stored correctly. Refer to these for guidance.

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Lactuca sativa

Family: Compositae

Six different groups of lettuce are generally recognised: crisphead, butterhead, cos,leaf, stem and Latin. All can interbreed if visited by insects.

The flowers are perfect and self-compatible. Each flower head is a head thatcontains 10-25 florets, all of which open on the same day, usually in the morning.

The anthers form a tube, through which the style grows, picking up pollen grains tofertilise the single seed. The florets then quickly close, never to open again.

Growing and Roguing

Most lettuce varieties are annual, growing and flowering the same year. However, the main problem whenproducing seed is the length of time taken for seed heads to form. Some will not produce their flower stalks earlyenough, not giving enough time for the seeds to ripen properly.

Sow lettuce varieties that will overwinter in late summer (usually the last week in August or the first week in

September) and under the protection of cloches. Bronze Arrow and Stoke are hardy enough to overwinterwith minimum protection from the elements.

Alternatively sow early in the season, allowing maximum time for seed to ripen.

Allow 45cm between plants. Lettuce can be prone to Botrytis (a fungal disease); plenty of air circulation willreduce this risk.

Start with at least ten plants, allowing for rotting, roguing and other mishaps. A variety can be maintained withonly one or two plants.

Lettuce plants in flower can grow to a height of 1.5m and will need adequate support.

In some head lettuces the flower stalk has difficulty in pushing through the leaves; help it by slicing throughthe top of the head or peeling back the leaves, taking care not to damage the developing stalk.

Remove any lower leaves which are damaged as the inflorescence develops. This will help to avoid fungal

diseases such as Botrytis.

Take care not to save seeds from plants that bolt (go to seed) too early.

Rogue out plants that are atypical for any reason.

Remember, always save seeds from the best specimens.

Pollination and Isolation

As the flowers are perfect and self-compatible a good seed set is always assured. However, insects do visit theflowers and may cause some crossing between varieties. An isolation distance of 8m is considered adequate. Ifyou must grow two varieties side by side you can wrap spun fleece around one variety just before its flowers start

to open.

Cultivated lettuce will occasionally cross with wild lettuce (lactuca serriola).

Lettuce


Lettuce bolting


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Harvesting

Like dandelions, lettuce seeds have parachute plumes when the seed is ready. Seed will ripen irregularly,becoming ready 12-24 days after flowering. Harvesting should take place on a dry afternoon. For maximum yieldharvest every day during this period by gently bending the flower stalks over and shaking them into a large paperbag (a potato storage sack is ideal), or pick off the individual seed heads as they are ready and place in a paperbag. Alternatively, you can get a reasonable harvest by cutting the whole stalk about three weeks after the peakof flowering and placing it in a large paper or cloth bag to dry. Leave theseed heads to dry in the bags for at least a couple of weeks. The seeds

will then be fairly easy to clean.

Cleaning

Cleaning refers to the removal of chaff and debris leaving only seed.Cleaned seed keeps better.

When completely dry, shake the flower stems in the bag. Rub the seedheads between your hands to release more seeds. Put the seed througha fine mesh sieve that allows the seeds through but retains the chaff andplumes; this will give relatively clean seed. Winnowing is difficult because

seeds and chaff are about the same size and weight. For extra cleaning use reverse screening, with a smaller meshthat retains the seed but lets small pieces of chaff and plume through.

The dust produced during cleaning causes irritation to the lungs and eyes. If cleaning large amounts use a maskand goggles or clean outdoors.

Storage

Seeds can be kept stored in a cool, dry place for up to seven years, after which germination will drop off very

rapidly.

Lettuce seeds heads

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Pisum sativum

Family: Leguminosae

There are three groups of peas. Smooth-seeded peas are starchierand hardier than wrinkled-seeded peas; edible-podded peas aremore commonly known as sugar peas or mangetouts. Most peastoday are eaten fresh, but some are grown for drying.

Pea flowers are perfect and self-pollinating. The flowers open early

in the morning and do not shut. The anthers shed pollen the nightbefore the flower opens, but this does not reach the stigma until the

flower is tripped, usually by the wind.

Growing and Roguing

Peas being grown for seed should be grown as you would for an

edible crop. However, you should make sure the growing seasonis as long as possible to allow the pods to mature and dry.

As peas are inbreeders (that is, they self-pollinate), you can saveseed from just a few plants it is better, though, if you grow asmany plants as possible (preferably around ten).

Some plants may produce noticeably different foliage or pods from the majority of the plants; you should notsave seed from these atypical ones, and the plants should be removed.

Like French and runner beans, the characteristics of the pea seed its size, shape, colour and markings should be more or less uniform and the same from generation to generation. There will be no visible signsof crossing until the second generation, so go back to the seeds saved from two harvests previously for seedthat should be pure if you notice changes in characteristics.


Peas are generally self-pollinating and the likelihood of cross pollination is low. However, insects do visit peaflowers and can cause crossing.

Commercial seed growers recommend a minimum separation of 20m, which is not always practical for the homeseed saver but try to leave as great a distance as possible. Crossing can be very difficult to detect as peas look sosimilar, so it is best to grow one variety at a time.

Harvesting

Peas mature very quickly and can be left on the vine to dry. If there is a risk of frost to a crop that is almostmature, lift the entire plants and hang them inside somewhere warm and dry until the pods are completely driedout.

Cleaning

Cleaning refers to the removal of chaff and debris, leaving only seed. Cleaned seed keeps better.

Peas


Pea pods drying


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It is best (if not dealing with large quantities) to pod peas by hand. However, larger quantities can be threshed orwinnowed. Threshing can be done by putting the pods into a pillowcase or sack or inside a plastic dustbin and

shaking vigorously. Seeds threshed this way will need additional cleaning by winnowing.

Winnowing is best done outside in a stiff breeze. Pour the peas steadily from one container to another, allowingthe wind to blow the chaff away. Repeat until the chaff is gone and you are left with only seed. Do this over atarpaulin, in case a sudden gust upsets the container and spills the seed.

StorageStore in a cool, dry place. Pea seeds should last in storage for at least three years.

If necessary, set the pea seeds out to dry further and remove any that aredamaged or discoloured.

You may notice small holes in some of the seed with a powdery deposit roundthem. This is a sign of pea moth, which lay their eggs on pea flowers. Thecaterpillars then eat their way out of the pods, often eating a few of the peaseeds in the process. If you notice signs of pea moth in harvested peas, you

should pod them immediately or they will continue being eaten. To avoid thispest plant avoid having peas in flower in June/July as this is when pea moths are

at their most active.

Returning Seed to HSL

It is important that seed returned to HSL is not cross-pollinated. Do not sendus seed that you suspect might have crossed.

Seed must be completely dry and fully cleaned. Seed that retains moisture can go mouldy in transit and will have

to be discarded. It can take a few days for seed to get to us in the post. Pack seed in breathable material (e.g. apaper envelope or cotton bag) and place it in a padded envelope or stout box to protect the delicate seed fromimpact damage, before sending it in the post.

2008 Garden Organic

Pea moth larvae





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Phaseolus coccineus

Family: Leguminosae

Most runner beans are tall, climbing plants, but there are dwarf varieties and some, called half runners, that are bushy with

one or two long shoots. They need a long growing season.

Black runners have intense red flowers and black seeds.

Scarlet runners have red flowers and purple or mauve seeds with black blotches.

White runners have white flowers and white seed.

The flowers are perfect and self-pollinating, but have to be tripped (e.g. by bees) to set seed.

Growing and Roguing

Runner beans, unlike French beans, are hypogeal: the cotyledons stay underground as the stem and true leaves emerge.

They also twist the other way from most other beans, climbing clockwise when viewed from above. Take this into

account if you have to help young plants on to their supports.

As runner beans are outbreeders it is important to grow as many plants as possible to maintain the health and diversity

of the variety; a minimum of 20 to 30 if possible. Runner beans also need constant selection to keep them true to type.

Grow runner beans for seed saving up strings or canes as for a normal crop, but before flowering starts, remove any that

look unhealthy or that have leaves very different to the rest. As soon as the flowers open remove any plants where the

flower colour is not true to type.

Practical tip: cut off any growth above the top of the canes and those pods that form too late for seed saving.

This should help the plant put its energy into seed saving.


Runner beans are pollinated by bees. They will cross with

other runner beans quite readily though they cannot cross

with other types of beans. We recommend a minimum

isolation distance of 800m between runner bean varieties tobe certain of maintaining varietal purity. If other runner beans

are being grown within 800m of your plot, or if you wish to

save seed from two or more types of runner bean on your

own plot, isolate varieties either with a fleece bag around

each truss or with a large insect proof cage around several

plants. It may be easier to cage a tepee rather than a row.

Alternate day caging is another useful method.

If insects are completely excluded from the flowers you

must hand pollinate each newly opened flower with a thinpaintbrush. Do this each day, simply pressing down on the

lower keel of each newly opened blossom to mimic a bee landing. Then use the paintbrush to transfer the pollen from

Runner Beans


Runner bean truss in an isolation bag


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anther to stigma. You should use pollen from another plant of the same variety rather than from the same flower or plant. If

you are growing more than one variety, remember to wash and dry the paintbrush between varieties or use a different brush

for each variety.

Harvesting

Runner beans are very tender and may be killed by early frosts before seeds are mature. Fortunately they are also perennial,

forming a (poisonous) underground tuber. These tubers flower sooner than plants grown from seed, so if your growing

season is short dig up the tubers and store them over winter, planting them out once the danger of frost has passed.

Overwintering roots can also be a useful tool for maintaining varieties. The roots will give plants that are true to type even

if there have been off-types, or plants of different varieties flowering nearby the preceding year. You can therefore select the

typical best plants one year, and save the roots to grow on for seed in isolated conditions the following year.

Leave the pods to mature and dry on the plant for as long as possible into the autumn, ideally until the pods become so dry they are

crispy. If this is not possible, uproot the plants and hang them upside down somewhere warm until the pods are completely dry.

The characteristics of the seed size, shape, colour and markings should be more or less uniform and the

same generation to generation. A change indicates that crossing has taken place, but the lack of any visible

sign of variation is no proof of purity because the seed colour and markings are inherited from the mother.Crossed seed will usually reveal itself in the next generation as a visible increase in the variability of the plants.Always keep the seed from different years separate. If you discover evidence of crossing discard the harvestfrom that year and the year before. Seed from two generations ago should be pure.

Cleaning


It is best (if not dealing with large quantities) to pod beans by hand; reject any with atypical markings. Larger quantities can

be threshed by putting the pods into a pillowcase or sack or inside a plastic dustbin and shaking vigorously. Seeds threshed

this way will need additional cleaning by winnowing.

Winnowing is best done outside in a stiff breeze. Pour the beans steadily from one container to another, allowing the wind

to blow the chaff away. Repeat until the chaff is gone and you are left with only seed. Do this over a tarpaulin, in case a

sudden gust upsets the container and spills the seed.

Storage

Runner bean seeds should last in storage for at least three years.


It is important that seed returned to HSL is not cross-pollinated. Do not send us seed that you suspect might have crossed.

Seed must be completely dry and fully cleaned. Seed that retains moisture can go mouldy in transit and will haveto be discarded. It can take a few days for seed to get to us in the post. Pack seed in breathable material (e.g. apaper envelope or cotton bag) and place it in a padded envelope or stout box to protect the delicate seed from

impact damage, before sending it in the post.

2008 Garden Organic





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Phaseolus vulgaris

Family: Leguminosae

French beans are either dwarf or climbing (bush or pole in the U.S.),but many dwarf varieties put out a few long, climbing shoots. Differentvarieties have been selected to be eaten at different stages; immaturepods of snap or green beans, fresh swollen seeds (often called haricots)

removed from their pods, and dried mature beans. Some are stringy,others stringless. The colour of the pods varies from yellow throughto green and purple, and some are beautifully marked. The bean seedsthemselves come in a bewildering array of shapes, sizes, colours and

patterns.

The flowers are perfect, self-compatible and predominantly self-pollinating.

Growing and Roguing

French beans being grown for seed should be grown as you wouldfor an edible crop. However, you should give them as long a growingseason as possible to allow the pods to mature and dry.

As French beans are inbreeders (that is, they self-pollinate), you cansave seed from just a few plants. It is better, though, if you grow asmany plants as possible as you may need to rogue and select. We recommend around 20 plants.

Some plants may produce noticeably different foliage or pods from the majority of the plants; seed should notbe saved from these.

Like peas and runner beans, the characteristics of the seed its size, shape, colour and markings shouldbe more or less uniform and the same from generation to generation. There will be no visible signs ofcrossing until the second generation, so go back to the seeds saved from two harvests previously for seed thatshould be pure.

Pollination and IsolationInsects rarely visit French beans and crossing between different varieties is not usually a problem. However, somecross-pollination can occur. It is good practice to isolate by several meters to be on the safe side, if possible.

Harvesting

French beans are easily harvested when dry. The pods should be dried on the vines but if bad weather threatens,uproot the plants and hang them upside down somewhere warm until the pods are completely dry.

Cleaning


It is best (if not dealing with large quantities) to pod French beans by hand. However, larger quantities can be

French Beans


Dwarf French beans drying


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threshed or winnowed. Threshing can be done by putting the pods into apillowcase or sack or inside a plastic dustbin and shaking vigorously. Seeds

threshed this way will need additional cleaning by winnowing.

Winnowing is best done outside in a stiff breeze. Pour the beans steadilyfrom one container to another, allowing the wind to blow the chaff away.Repeat until the chaff is gone and you are left with only seed. Do this overa tarpaulin, in case a sudden gust upsets the container and spills the seed.

If necessary, set the beans out to dry further somewhere warm and dry,but dont allow them to get too hot.

You may notice small holes in the beans. These are causedby bean weevil, or bean seed beetle, larvae. These candevastate your crop of beans as they eat the endospermaway when they hatch. The beetles can eat through paperenvelopes. If they start feeding on the seed embryo thebean will not germinate. Adults often emerge in storage

and can complete several generations before planting time.

Be sure to remove all trace of any beetles you may find. Alllife stages can be destroyed by a 7-day minimum stay in afridge. Freezing a batch of dried, infested seed for 5 days inthe freezer should kill the beetles but not the seeds. Ensure

beans dry out fully afterwards before storing. Hand-podding allows any bad seeds, or seeds infested with beanseed beetle, to be identified and discarded. Shaking packets and covering seeds in a light oil can help guardagainst future damage. The beetle damage does not affect germination, so long as the embryo is not attacked,so you can keep the seed for home use (as long as they dont still have the beetles in them) but they do

look unsightly.

Bean seed beetle damage

StorageFrench bean seed should last in cool, dry storage for at least three years.


It is important that seed returned to HSL is not cross-pollinated. Do not send us seed that you suspect mighthave crossed.Remove any beans with obvious bean weevil damage. Do not return them to HSL. Retain any that have notsustained damage to the embryo for your own use. If you have frozen the seed please note this on the packet.Seed must be completely dry and fully cleaned. Seed that retains moisture can go mouldy in transit and will haveto be discarded. It can take a few days to get seed to us in the post. Pack seed in breathable material (e.g. a paper

envelope or cotton bag) and place it in a padded envelope or stout box to protect the delicate seed from impactdamage, before sending it in the post.

2008 Garden Organic





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Vicia faba

Family: Leguminosae

Broad beans range in height from 60cm to 2m. There areno clear botanical distinctions between field beans andones grown in gardens.

The flowers are perfect and self-pollinating but cross-

pollination will readily occur due to insect activity. Theflowers open early in the morning and do not shut. Theanthers shed pollen the night before the flower opens, but

this does not reach the stigma until the flower is tripped,usually by insects.

Growing and Roguing

Broad beans being grown for seed should be grown as you would for an edible crop. However, you shouldstart sowing early so that the growing season is as long as possible to allow the pods to mature and dry.

As broad beans are outbreeders (that is, they cross-pollinate), you need to grow as many plants as possible, 24as a minimum. This allows for roguing and selecting, and helps maintain the health and diversity of the variety.

Some plants may produce noticeably different foliage or pods from the majority of the plants; these should be

removed. Any plants that produce flowers of a different colour should be immediately removed. However, ifthe flowers have opened, it is possible that they could already have cross-pollinated.

Seed that is the result of crossing will usually reveal itself in the next generation as a visible increase in thevariability of the plants. There will be no visible signs of crossing until the second generation, so go back tothe seeds saved from two harvests previously for seed that should be pure.


Broad bean flowers are attractive to bees and a good deal of cross-pollination can occur between broad beanvarieties and any field beans growing nearby. We recommend that you grow only one variety each year.

Commercial seed producers grow broad beans a minimum of 1,000m apart. If this is not practical and you aresaving only for your own use there are things you can do to reduce crossing. Living barriers in gardens helpreduce the risk of cross-pollination, e.g. tall crops of a different species. It also helps if you grow large numbers ofplants in blocks rather than rows the plants in the centre of the block would produce the purest seed.

Isolation cages can be used, but bagging is practically impossible. Broad beans can self-pollinate if no insects areintroduced, but with less successful results.

Harvesting

Allow the pods to dry on the plants if possible, but be aware that they may rot. As they ripen pods blacken andlose their sponginess. The pods are ready to clean when they have turned black and crispy. Whole plants can bebrought in to dry in a warm, airy place if necessary.

Broad Beans


Dry broad bean pods


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Cleaning


Broad beans can be difficult to thresh so hand shelling is best, especially if you only have small quantities to dealwith. If the seeds are not quite dry when podded, spread them out to dry further.

Winnowing is best done outside in a stiff breeze. Pour the beans steadily from one container to another, allowingthe wind to blow the chaff away. Repeat until the chaff is gone and you are left with only seed. Do this over a

tarpaulin, in case a sudden gust upsets the container and spills the seed.

You may notice small holes in the beans. These are causedby bean weevil, or bean seed beetle, larvae. These candevastate your crop of beans as they eat the endospermaway when they hatch. The beetles can eat through paperenvelopes. If they start feeding on the seed embryo the

bean will not germinate. Adults often emerge in storageand can complete several generations before planting time.Be sure to remove all trace of any beetles you may find. Alllife stages can be destroyed by a 7-day minimum stay in afridge. Freezing a batch of dried, infested seed for 5 days inthe freezer should kill the beetles but not the seeds. Ensure

beans dry out fully afterwards before storing. Hand-podding allows any bad seeds, or seeds infested with beanseed beetle, to be identified and discarded. Shaking packets and covering seeds in a light oil can help guardagainst future damage. The beetle damage does not affect germination, so long as the embryo is not attacked,

so you can keep the seed for home use (as long as they dont still have the beetles in them) but they dolook unsightly.

Bean seed beetle damage

Storage

Broad bean seeds should last in storage for at least three years.


It is important that seed returned to HSL is not cross-pollinated. Do not send us seed that you suspect mighthave crossed.

Remove any beans with obvious bean weevil damage. Do not return them to HSL. Retain any that have notsustained damage to the embryo for your own use. If you have frozen the seed please note this on the packet.

Seed must be completely dry and fully cleaned. Seed that retains moisture can go mouldy in transit and will haveto be discarded. It can take a few days for seed to get to us in the post. Pack seed in breathable material (e.g. apaper envelope or cotton bag) and place it in a padded envelope or stout box to protect the delicate seed fromimpact damage, before sending it in the post.

2008 Garden Organic





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Leek Allium ampeloprasum

Onion Allium cepa

Family:Alliaceae

Onions and leeks share many characteristics. The maindifference is that onion leaves are hollow tubes, while leekleaves are flat straps with a keel up the middle. Both are

biennial, but the onion leaves die back to leave the dormant bulbwhile leeks are evergreen and winter hardy.

This section deals only with those onions and leeks thatreproduce mainly by flowering and setting seeds. Other sorts(garlic, elephant garlic, shallots, potato onions, rocambole etc) may flower occasionally but are usually propagatedvegetatively. These are dealt with in a later section, under Multiplier Onions and Shallots (Seed Saving GuidelineNo 15).

Allium flowers are perfect but cannot usually fertilise themselves. The male anthers open first and shed their

pollen before the female stigma of that flower is receptive (protandrous). Individual flowers in ball-like heads openover a period of about four weeks, peaking in the second week.

Growing and Roguing Leeks and onions are biennials, so in the first year all you have to do is follow your normal practice for

growing a fine crop.

Onion flower stalks can reach around 150cm in height, leeks up to 180cm in height. So remember to havesufficient space and position stakes to tie them in later.

Plant the best of your onions in the spring and they will soon put out fresh leaves and a flower stalk.

Leeks are best left in their planting position to overwinter.

Be ruthless about roguing any plants whose foliage is not up to scratch, or which flower in the first year.

Susceptibility to disease, e.g. leek rust, can vary within a variety, so select the most resistant plants to save seed

from. Only choose those onion bulbs which are characteristic of the variety.

Avoid saving seed from bull-necked (wide and non-rounded) or bottlenecked (tapering up the stem)

onions.

You can slice across an onion, about a third of the way down, to check the evenness of the rings and thecolouration, without any harm to the shoot inside. This allows you to check if it is true to type.


Bees and flies are the main pollinators, althoughAlliums attract many other insects. Onions and leeks will not

cross with one another, though varieties within species cross readily. The easiest way to maintain variety purityis to grow just one variety of each species for seed each year, allowing insects to do the work. They should beisolated from other varieties by at least 1,500 metres. You can grow others to eat, but be vigilant about removing

Onions & Leeks


Bees are important pollinators


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flowers, especially from potato onions and shallots (for onions) and elephant garlic (for leeks).

If you do want to grow two or more varieties for seed you must either isolate by 1,500 metres or use one ofthe caging techniques. Unless you use alternate caging you will have to hand pollinate daily. Between 9.00amand noon remove the cage from each variety in turn and use a soft brush to transfer pollen between the flowers.Go round the flowers two or three times to ensure a good mix, and either clean the brush in alcohol betweenvarieties or use a different brush for each variety. You may need an assistant to keep insects away while you arebusy pollinating.

Harvesting

Allium flowers need to be watched carefully as the seeds mature because the ripe seed pods shatter easily (that is,they split and release the seeds). As soon as you can see the black seeds within the drying flowers you should cutthe whole head and place it in a paper bag to finish drying.

Please note: Leek seed tends to take a lot longer to ripen than onion seed.

Cleaning


Most of the ripe seeds will fall from the dry flower head quite easily, encouraged by gently shaking. The rest canbe removed by rubbing the flowers between your palms or across a sieve that allows the seed to pass through.

The best way to clean the seed is by sieving and winnowing in a light breeze.

Storage

Handle onion bulbs carefully, to avoid bruising.Cure them in the sun for a couple of weeks beforestoring. Onions store best at low temperatures andlow humidity (0-7C/32-45F,


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Raphanus sativus

Family: Brassicaceae

There are three types of radish. The small annual varieties, oftenred and white, are in the Radiculata group. The long white types,sometimes called mooli or daikon, are in the Longipinnatusgroup. Radishes grown specifically for their fleshy, edible seed pods

are in the Caudatum group.

Radishes are easy to save seed from in small quantities, butcross-pollination can be a problem. Flowers are perfect but self-

incompatible.

Growing and Roguing

Start off the plants as you would for an edible crop, making sure you are growing them in the correct season

for that variety.

As the plants grow, discard any that look unhealthy or that have foliage very different to the rest. Removewild radish types.

Spring and summer radishes are annuals and will produce seed the same year as you sow them. You can leavespring and summer radishes to go straight to seed or you can lift the roots once they have reached the edible

stage to select the healthiest and most typical of the variety in size, shape and colour for seed saving. Replantthem immediately, 45cm apart, firming in and watering well.

Autumn and winter radishes should be treated as biennials to give seed in the summer after sowing. Theymust be lifted in winter and stored like other root vegetables, then replanted in spring spaced 45cm apart.

There is no need to lift and replant varieties that are grown for their edible pods; sow them as early aspossible in spring and space the plants 45cm apart.

As radishes are strong outbreeders the more plants you grow for seed saving the better, preferably 16 ormore, in order to preserve the health and diversity of the variety.

Radish seed stalks can grow surprisingly large and bushy (over a metre tall), so allow at least 45cm betweenplants be prepared to stake the flower stalks.


Radish flowers are pollinated by insects including bees and flies. Pollen must be moved from plant to plant as wellas from flower to flower or pods will not form. All radish varieties can cross with one another and with wildradish R. raphanistrum, but they will not cross with other brassicas. Because of this, and the need to have insectpollination of several plants, it is best to grow just one variety for seed each year. An isolation distance of 1000mis recommended to maintain varietal purity.

If you are growing more than one variety for seed, or if there are other radishes or wild radish flowering nearby,

plants can be isolated in a mesh cage and blowflies introduced for pollination. Buy maggots from an angling shop(buy whites), put them somewhere warm to turn into castors; then add them to your cage before they turn intoflies. They will need to be protected from the rain but free to fly out when they hatch. An old lidded margarine

Radishes


Radishes in flower


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tub with a hole cut in the side works well. Make sure the shop knows how you intend to use them as they aresometimes treated so that they do not hatch. They will hatch into flies in a few days. When introducing them intothe cage do not let in other insects from outside.

Harvesting

The seed pods dry to a pale brown. The stalks should be cut whenthe pods and stems are dry and crispy or hard.

CleaningCleaning refers to the removal of chaff and debris, leaving onlyseed. Cleaned seed keeps better.

For small quantities of seed

Pods can be picked off the stems individually when dry and crispy, cracked open by hand or crushed individually,

and the seeds picked out.

For larger quantities of seed

Cut down the dry stalks and store in a dry place. When you are ready to clean the seed, pick off the pods andgrate them through a strong wide-mesh sieve or thrash them by putting them into a pillowslip and beating them,then winnow away the chaff.

Winnowing is best done outside in a stiff breeze. Pour the thrashed pods steadily from one container to another,allowing the wind to blow the chaff away. Repeat until the chaff is gone and you are left with only seed. Do this

over a tarpaulin, in case a sudden gust upsets the container and spills the seed.

Another technique is to place the dry crushed pods on a flat board and slowly tilt the board, perhaps vibratingslightly. The seeds should roll to the bottom of the board, leaving the debris behind.

Storage

Ripe radish seeds will store in a cool, dry place for at least five years.



Seed must be completely dry and fully cleaned. Seed that retains moisture can go mouldy in transit and will have

to be discarded. It can take a few days for seed to get to us in the post. Pack seed in breathable material (e.g. apaper envelope or cotton bag) and place it in a padded envelope or stout box to protect the delicate seed fromimpact damage, before sending it in the post.

Pods of Rats Tail radish

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Lycopersicon esculentum

Family: Solanaceae

Tomatoes are generally divided into bush or cordon types. Bush tomatoes have several branches, each of whichterminates with a flower truss, so the plant forms a bush. Cordons generally have a single major shoot, withtrusses (and side shoots) from the axil between leaf and stalk, so the main shoot may form a very long vine. Boththese classifications (like the distinction between greenhouse and outdoor) are somewhat arbitrary. Tomatoes are

easy to save seed from and, with a few exceptions, easy to keep true to type as they self-pollinate.

Growing and Roguing

Grow as you would for eating. In Britain tomatoes are treated as annuals, producing seed the same year thatthey are planted.

Tomatoes can usually produce seed outside, though varieties that are slow to grow and ripen do best in agreenhouse or polytunnel.

Tomatoes are inbreeders and many seedsavers successfully maintain varieties by saving from just two or threeplants, though it would be better to save from at least six plants.

Remove any plants which look sickly or have different foliage to the rest, or any which produce tomatoesdifferent to the rest.


Most tomatoes are not capable of cross-pollination because in modern varieties the flowers are perfect and self-

pollinating (the female stigma is inside a cone of male anthers). This means thatdifferent varieties can be grown close together.

However, there are three exceptions: currant tomatoes(Lycopersiconpimpinellifolium), potato leaved varieties, and double blossoms on beefsteakvarieties. These often have a protruding stigma and are able to cross-pollinate,especially if there are other protruding-stigma varieties in the vicinity. To beabsolutely certain, check flowers using a hand lens. The green stigmas will

protrude from the anther tube. For safety, you could grow just one protruding

stigma variety a year. If you are growing more than one you need to bag theindividual trusses or isolate these plants in a mesh cage. The flowers will self-pollinate within the cage or bag.

Harvesting

The seeds are fully mature once the tomatoes are ripe. Allow the fruits to ripen on the plants, if possible, or bringthe fruits indoors and ripen them as you would for eating, e.g. in a box or drawer with ripe apples or bananas.

Cleaning Seed

Cleaning refers to the removal of debris, leaving only seed. Cleaned seed keeps better.Some varieties contain more seed than others. Large beefsteak or plum tomatoes may yield less than ten seeds,

while small or cherry tomatoes can produce scores of seed.

Tomatoes


Tomato flower with protruding stigma


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To save a small quantity of seeds for your own use next year

Remove seeds from the fruit and rinse in a sieve under cold running water, rubbing them against the sieve toremove the gel. Spread on paper towel or kitchen paper, label, and leave to dry. In spring you can plant the papertowel with the seeds attached into moist compost in a seed tray to start the plants.

To save a larger quantity of seed soda crystals method

Dissolve 1 teaspoon of soda crystals in a little hot water in a jam jar with a little hot water and fill two-thirds with

cold water. Remove seeds from the fruit and rinse in a sieve under cold running water, rubbing them against thesieve to remove the gel. Add the seeds to the jam jar and label. Leave for one or two days. Once the gel coat hasbroken down rinse the seeds in a sieve, again rubbing them against the sieve to remove the last of the gel. Spread

them thinly, so none are overlapping, onto a clean, dry surface (e.g. a lunchbox lid or plate). Label and leave to dry.Collect the dry seeds and store in a labelled envelope.

NB The soda crystal method of tomato seed cleaning has not as yet received official approval under organicstandards, though soda crystals have been approved for other uses in organic food production. Plain water can beused but leave seeds in the water for one day longer.

Fermentation method

Place seeds from ripe tomatoes into a suitable container (e.g. large yoghurt pot). You can process ripe fruits in afood processor with an equal quantity of water until you have a pulpy mass (we recommend that you remove theskins before doing this). The seeds are hard and will not be damaged.

Put the container into a warm place to ferment. It may smell bad but it is good for the seeds. Fermentation removescompounds that inhibit germination and destroys seed-borne diseases. It duplicates what happens in nature.

After three or four days, when it is covered by a mass of mould, add plenty of water and stir vigorously. Goodseeds will settle to the bottom so you can tip the rotting mass off. Rinse and repeat until only good, clean seedsremain. Strain the water off the seeds then place them on a clean plate or piece of glass (they will stick to paper).

Stir once or twice a day to promote even drying and prevent clumps of seeds forming. Dry quickly, but avoideither direct sunlight or an oven. A cool, gentle breeze is best.

Storage

Tomato seeds will store in a cool, dry place for about six years.


It is important that seed returned to HSL is not cross-pollinated. Do not send usseed that you suspect might have crossed.

Seed must be completely dry and fully cleaned. Seed that retains moisture can gomouldy in transit and will have to be discarded. It can take a few days for seeds toget to us in the post. Do not return tomato seed attached to paper towel as they aredifficult to remove or store. Pack it in breathable material (e.g. a paper envelope orcotton bag) and place it in a padded envelope or stout box to protect the delicateseed from impact damage, before sending it in the post.

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Squash Cucurbita maxima, mixta, moschata & pepo

Cucumber Cucumis sativus

Melon Cucumis melo

Watermelon Citrullus vulgaris

Family: Cucurbitaceae

The cucurbits all have fleshy fruits surrounding large seeds. Cucumbers and melons are easily recognisable, butthere can be some confusion over squashes. Pumpkins, marrows and squashes are all members of the same

genus Cucurbita; for convenience, we refer to them all here as squashes. Summer squashes (including courgettes)are often intended to be eaten immature and do not store well even when mature. Winter squashes (includingpumpkins) are eaten after they have formed a hard skin and can be stored for long periods.

Provided you have a long enough growing season squashes are easy to grow and harvest seed from. Pollination isgenerally by bees and some other insects. Great care is needed to keep varieties pure.

Growing and Roguing

The plants can be grown as you would for a crop grown to eat.

Allow as long a season as possible so the fruits can develop to maturity. Squashes grown for eating arenormally picked when still immature. Protection from spring and autumn frosts with fleece or cloches willhelp lengthen the growing season.

Grow as many plants as possible professional growers consider six plants as a minimum. However, if savingfor your own use you can grow just two or three plants.

Rogue out plants whose foliage is very different from the rest.

Remove plants that look unhealthy. Crumpled and/or yellow mottling on leaves may indicate cucumbermosaic virus, which can be seed borne.


Each plant produces separate male and female flowers. The femaleflowers can be distinguished by the ovary, a swelling behind the petalswhich will form the fruit. The male flower sits upon a simple stalk.Individual plants often produce a profusion of male flowers first, a devicethat helps cross-pollination. The flowers open early in the morning andinsects, mainly honeybees, move the pollen around.

All members of one species (eg. all cucumbers) will accept pollen from any other member of that species. Werecommend growing one variety from any species in a season so that hand-pollination is not necessary.

Each species of squash has specific stem, leaf, flower and seed characteristics. Knowing which species your chosenvariety belongs to will help you make an isolated planting that could include one variety from each species withouthaving to use hand pollination.

Cucurbits


Hand pollinating squash flowers


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The four main squash types are as follows:

Cucurbita maxima these have very long vines, huge, hairy leaves and soft, round, spongy, hairy stems. Seedsare thick, white, tan or brown with cream coloured margins and thin, cellophane-like coats.

Cucurbita mixta these have spreading vines and large, hairy leaves. The stem of the fruit is hard, hairy andslightly angular and flares out only slightly where it is attached to the fruit. The leaves (slightly lighter green than C.moschata) have a rounded tip and hardly any indentations along the sides. Seeds are white or tan and have a palemargin and cracks in the skin coat or the flat sides of the seeds. They are covered with thin cellophane-like coats.

Cucurbita moshcata these display spreading vines and large, hairy leaves. The stem flares out noticeablywhere it attaches to the fruit and is hard, hairy and slightly angular. The flower has large leafy green sepals at its

base. Leaves are slightly darker than C mixta and have a pointed tip and slight indentations along their sides. Thesmall beige seeds are oblong and have a dark beige margin.

Cucurbita pepo these have prickly leaves and stems, especially when mature. The fruit stem is hard and hasfive sharply angular sides. Seeds are cream coloured with a white margin. Included in this species are soft-shelledstriped and warty decorative gourds and nearly all of the commonly grown summer squashes.

SquashFor successful hand-pollination, select at dusk a female and male flower that are both about to open. It is bestif the flowers are from different plants but they must be of the same variety. Flowers that are about to open

may be very slightly split they are still quite green and show a lot of orange colouration around the tip of theunopened petals. If the flowers are completely orange and slightly curly, they are past the viable stage. With a

piece of masking tape, seal the flowers to prevent them opening and mark them with a cane so you can easily findthem again.

Next morning, remove the male flower with its stalk and carefully take off the petals to reveal the pollen-bearingstamen in the middle. Take this to the female flower and carefully remove the tape from the petals (but only whenyou have the male flower ready for immediate pollination). Bees and flies find squash flowers irresistible and caninvade a flower as soon as it is opened, sometimes right in front of your nose!

Brush the pollen onto the style of the female flower and reseal the petals immediately with tape to preventfurther entry by insects. Mark the pollinated flower with a piece of coloured tape or wool loosely around thestem so you know which ones should be saved. One male flower can be used to pollinate several females if thereis a shortage of male flowers. However, if you can, pollinate one female flower with several male flowers.

There are other ways to cover the pollinated female flower. An elastic band provides a substitute for tape. French bread

bags tied over the flowers to isolate them work very well. They will need to be removed as the fruit starts to swell.

Melon and CucumberThese have small flowers that are trickier to pollinate. Melons are likelyto reject about 70% of hand pollinations. You may have to be persistent.

If pollination has been successful, the fruit will start to swell within acouple of days and develop as normal, otherwise it will go yellow and dropoff. You can ensure as early a fruit set as possible by starting the plants offindoors and pollinating the first females to develop.

Harvesting

SquashHarvest the fruits once they are mature; the fruit stalk will begin to shrivel and the skin of the fruit will be hard.

Do not remove the seeds immediately. Leave the fruit in a warm dry place, e.g. a greenhouse or a cloche, forabout three weeks during that time the seeds continue to increase in size and vigour.

French bread bags to isolate flowers


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Melon

Seeds are mature when the fruit is ripe to eat. Over-ripe fruits have between 2-10% more ripe seeds, but are not

as good to eat, and after all the effort of growing a melon you might as well enjoy eating it.

Cucumber

Keep on the vine until over-ripe. The fruits will be large and starting to go soft. Like squashes, leaving them for acouple of weeks after cutting increases the number of fully mature seeds.

CleaningCleaning refers to the removal of pulp and debris, leaving only seed. Cleaned seed keeps better.

Squash

Seeds should be removed from the flesh and rinsed in a colander to remove any flesh or strings adhering to them.If they are still sticky or dirty, rub them gently in a sieve under a stream of water.

Squash seeds are often large and have a tendency to go mouldy before drying.Try laying out seed on a flat traywith a cool fan gently blowing over them, turning the seed twice a day for a couple of days.

Melon

These seeds may need a little more work to clean them. Rub them gently and put them in a large bowl withplenty of water. Hollow seeds and the pulp will float while fertile seeds sink to the bottom. Pour off the debris

and repeat a couple of times until you are left with only good seeds.

Cucumber

The seeds are encased in a gelatinous sac, most easily removed by fermentation. Place the seeds into a largebowl and add about as much water as you have seeds. Put the bowl somewhere warm, out of direct sunlight, toferment. This can be somewhat smelly! Stir the mixture occasionally. One or two days is usually sufficient, whenmost of the good seeds have sunk to the bottom. Add as much water as possible and stir the mouldy mass well.Good seeds will sink to the bottom so carefully pour off the debris. Repeat until you are left with clean seeds.

Storage

For all cucurbits, tip the seeds onto a plate or baking tray to dry, avoiding temperatures greater than 32C (90F),which will damage the seeds. Turning seeds regularly and providing a cool breeze will help seeds dry evenly. Seedsthat break in half rather than bending are dry enough to be stored, but flat, empty seeds will not be viable. Put

them in an airtight container in a cool dark place.

Cucurbit seeds should last in storage for between five to ten years.



Seed must be completely dry and fully cleaned. Seed that retains moisture can go mouldy in transit and will haveto be discarded. It can take a few days for seed to get to us in the post. Pack seed in breathable material (e.g. a

paper envelope or cotton bag) and place it in a padded envelope or stout box to protect the delicate seed fromimpact damage, before sending it in the post.

2008 Garden Organic





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Daucus carota

Family: Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)

Carrots are biennial, in the first year growing astorage root that must be kept over winter. Intheir second year they produce spectacular umbelsmade up of many tiny flowers. They will easilycross-pollinate with any other carrot in flower, and

also with the wild carrot Daucus carota.

Male anthers open first and shed their pollen

before the female stigma of that flower is receptive(protandrous). They are therefore predominantlycross-pollinating.

Growing and Roguing

Sow when you would for main crop carrots in your area May/June in central England.

For small quantities of seed sow into modules plant out before tap roots start to develop.

Grow the plants on as you would for a crop to eat.

Rogue out plants that bolt or have foliage that looks unhealthy or different from the rest.

Lift and store at the end of the first year and trim off foliage. Store in a box of moist leafmould, coir or sandand put in a cool, frost-free and rodent-free place.

Small, misshapen or sprouting roots should be removed and eaten; those roots that store best and have the

best or most typical shape, colour, taste and size are the ones to use for seed production. You can remove thebottom of a carrot for tasting and still have enough left to replant for seed production.

Carrots are outbreeders; use at least 16 to maintain the health and diversity of the variety.

Replant the selected roots in the early spring, making sure they are well firmed in, with the crown at, orjust below, the soil surface at a spacing of 45cm eac

Documents

Seed Saving Guidelines Complete