Comments on SRGC Seed Exchange No. 66, 2012-13

[Susan Owl]

Finally I succeeded! 
Thank you Maggi so much.

[Maggi Young]

Excellent! Happy to help.

[Lesley Cox]

I am a total stranger to this year's seed lists, just too much else going on here and my mind on a dozen other things. To my shame I forgot to contribute until too late and I am not applying for seed either as I've still a lot to sow as well as all the other plant stuff going on.

So much seed, especially of small bulbs, is ripening or ready NOW, too late for the seed lists but such a long time until the next one. I'm always in a quandary what to do about it. Store it in the fridge for 8 or 9 months? or send it to the seed receivers and ask them to store it? or offer it fresh on the Forum? or what? Any suggestions would be welcome. It's all good seed and some of very desirable species, such as Epigaea asiatica which will be ready very soon. I also think I have several full pods on Hylomecon japonicum! When (if) they ripen I'll photograph the seed and post along with pics of the plant and the flowers.

In the meantime, it's weeding, weeding, weeding, oh, and potting.

[Maggi Young]

At the risk of being shot by the Seed Team    - I must say that I think the capacity of the Forum to give folk a chance to share fresh seed at any time of year is a real boon. And the generosity of forumists to packet and share seed is wonderful.

[Diane Whitehead]

As long as you let the seed organizers know that you have late-ripening
seed, it can be put in the lists, and then sent as soon as it is ready. 

[Maggi Young]

As long as you let the seed organizers know that you have late-ripening
seed, it can be put in the lists, and then sent as soon as it is ready. 

That is true to a certain extent, Diane, but Stuart Pawley requests that such "late " seed must itself reach him by the end of October. 

[ChrisB]

Timing is governed by the printing and mailing I think...

[Darren]

At the risk of being shot by the Seed Team    - I must say that I think the capacity of the Forum to give folk a chance to share fresh seed at any time of year is a real boon. And the generosity of forumists to packet and share seed is wonderful.

Absolutely agree with you Maggi. And especially where ephemeral seed is concerned. Much of Lesley's bulbs seed would store OK until next year but I'd rather see things like Pulsatilla or Hepatica offered via the forum when newly harvested. Though, that said, I've had remarkable success with Pulsatilla seed from the exchanges after reading on here that some others have as well. I'd previously not even bothered ordering any, assuming it would be dead. Clearly the seed team do a good job of storing them well.

[ChrisB]

I've had good germination from pulsatilla too Darren, but also with some hepatica seed I picked up as late as the Edinburgh Show one year.  Just shows....

[Diane Whitehead]

It depends upon what is done with the exchange seeds afterwards.

The Alpine Garden Club of British Columbia sells leftover seeds at shows and
study weekends.  Often newly-arrived seeds from the Southern Hemisphere
are available at these events, so this gives us a chance for fresh seeds that
were too late for the actual exchange.

[Maggi Young]

It depends upon what is done with the exchange seeds afterwards.

The Alpine Garden Club of British Columbia sells leftover seeds at shows and
study weekends.  Often newly-arrived seeds from the Southern Hemisphere
are available at these events, so this gives us a chance for fresh seeds that
were too late for the actual exchange.

That's a good way of working it, Diane.

 The leftover  SRGC seed does get sent round the groups and shows after the seed ex. closes, but we have no mechanism in place to allow  newly  donated seed to be distributed in that way.

[Lesley Cox]

That is true to a certain extent, Diane, but Stuart Pawley requests that such "late " seed must itself reach him by the end of October.

Yes, and it wasn't until into November I realized there were seed pods at all. The seed should be ready by distribution date in Jan so maybe next year I'll take the chance and notify it will be coming, but not until December I should think. I have heaps of small daff seed too, on some which never have before and I think it could be because with everything being lifted and potted, so many are growing in close proximity so there will likely be many obscure hybrids.

[Lesley Cox]

The best germination I ever get from Hepatica is the fallen seed around the plants or in nursery pots, very little from seedlist seed but Pulsatilla seems to come no matter what. I pick the seeds off into margarine pots and they sit sometimes for months before I get them sown and they still germinate well. That's mostly P. vulgaris forms of course.

[Susan Owl]

I have heaps of small daff seed too, on some which never have before and I think it could be because with everything being lifted and potted, so many are growing in close proximity so there will likely be many obscure hybrids.

Even this maybe very interesting. 

[Lesley Cox]

It could be Susan. I'm thinking that I'll sow all the doubtful pods in large pots and when they're big enough to pot singly, offer the majority as un-named seedlings at local salestables or stalls. Maybe there will be the occasional bulb that is worth going on with as well.