New seeds this year

[jayb]

I've just had my seeds from Irish Seed Savers http://www.irishseedsavers.ie/. They have changed their packaging to previous years, they look more flashy, rather liked the plain brown envelopes the seeds used to come in.

Here's the list, I'll post a picture later as the packets have the descriptions on.
Uncle John's Kale
Syrian White
Brecon Runner Bean
John's Purple carrot
Slovenian CFBean

[jayb]

New style Irish Seed Savers seed packets

[Galina]

Nice to get a Syrian variety! Slovenian from ISSA isn't the Jaap Vlaming 'Slovense Gele Stockslaboon' - aka Slovenian Yellow CFB? The one with the green seeds? A lot like SIVA but smaller seeds?

[Galina]

Nice choices, Jayb!

[jayb]

These Slovenian beans are yellow, well just over half are, the remainder are brown!
I chose them because I like Siva so much, I'm definitely going to aim at growing them both this year to compare. From memory the seeds are bigger than Siva. Do please save me a few of your green seeded ones next time you grow them out.

[Silverleaf]

Purple carrots! Lovely!

[jayb]

I grew a few purple carrots last year, they do look amazing. I grew some of John's Purple last year, but didn't have very good germination, I got a new pack to try. I kept a few for seed this year but some haven't stored too well.

[Silverleaf]

I never get good germination with carrots, and then the slugs decimate any that actually grow!

[jayb]

Don't start me on slugs.....I put out the spare chillies I don't have room for indoors (house) into the polytunnel. I thought to grow them on to give away later on - blooming slugs have already managed to get inside a seed tray with a cover on!!!! A couple of the pots just have rocoto stalks growing now

Love, love, love new fresh carrots just so good. Wishing you better germination, fresh seeds are a big help too, I'm never sure how old the shop bought ones are, despite the grow by dates they put on.

[Galina]

Sorry about your rocotos. I am convinced that commercial compost comes ready with slug eggs! Otherwise where would they come from? Number of times this has happened here too - Grrr and double grrrrr! I am convinced half the problem with carrot 'germination issues' is the slugs having them before we even realise that they have germinated.

Turning over seed trays during the day, especially the compartment trays, you can often catch them lurking on the underside during the day. Grrrrrr again horrible things.

[Silverleaf]

Slugs, grr!

I love fresh carrots too, so delicious, but I never get many. Certainly never enough to try saving seed... I literally harvested 5 carrots last year. Pathetic.

You never know how seed packets are stored, either.

[Hector1]

The only year I got any form of carrot crop was when I planted in a polystyrene insulation box I recycled from a fishmongers. I don't know if slugs don't like polystyrene but I got great carrots.

[jayb]

I tried growing them in polystyrene boxes once, I think my watering was lacking and they didn't do very well. I usually grow carrots in one of the slightly raised beds, otherwise the ground generally is a bit wet for them to do well. Carrot root fly are troublesome here, I cover the bed with debris netting.

[jayb]

Another new to me variety this year are courgette Goldmine F1, a parthenocarpic variety. Not easy to find and the seeds were out of date! But both seeds sown germinated. I'm growing 3 parthenocarpic varieties this year, hoping for early production in the poly-tunnel.

[Galina]

I'll race you with my Mandans and White Volunteers. Because I used up ancient seeds and didn't know how long they would take to germinate, or whether they would at all, turns out I 'sowed' them really too early. Now I have to pot up and protect because they have actually sprouted. I hope I can somehow get them past frost and then they should in principle be earlier than our usual July first harvest.

[jayb]

You're on
My plants have been out in the greenhouse this last week, I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to plant them out though. I did notice the first flowers forming but sadly all look male!!!! Plants aren't daft!

[jayb]

Slovenian cfb seeds from ISS, some appear quite yellow and some brown, picture colour doesn't show them very well.

[Galina]

Have just been looking at the Vreeken seed catalogue to research broad beans, I found this gem.

https://www.vreeken.nl/113500-peulen...ea-turkish-red

[triffid]

I saw this too! It's the first time I've seen it in stock. I wonder what actually comes of these seeds. I believe Rebsie is aware of their shenanigans.

[Galina]

Shenanigans or a genuine bred red podded pea. I know there is the question over whether they took her photo or not.

[triffid]

They're definitely using her photos.

[jayb]

I noticed a post from rebsie (I think Homegrown) regarding the photos Vreeken are displaying on their site and I think they have lifted her pictures without asking, as she would definitely recognize her own work.

As to it being a Red podded pea, I think you would perhaps take your own photos if that is what you had. But they may have been supplied with the photos if they are not the actual breeder/grower?

I was also taken with the hope someone had perfected this pea, so I bought a packet!!!!!

The seeds are dark and dented, very uniform in type. I'll take a picture when I locate them!

Pictured here are three seedlings growing (100% germination)

[triffid]

Yeah if you look on the blog at her older red-podded project posts the photographs are identical to what is being used by Vreeken.
So you took the plunge and bought them for the good of science! So far the foliage is not looking much like the plants as advertised.

[Galina]

Not a hint of yellow (yet?). Watching progress with interest too. Looking again, you would also expect axil colouration. None there!

[jayb]

Indeed, I did! Though I am not very hopeful and it was before I realized about the pictures.
I agree with you both as yet no signs to indicate this is a red podded pea.
Hmmm, in their defence they are young yet, near the grow lights and somewhat stretched. I'll move them soon near a window as I finish painting.