Current Vegetable Seed Stock

 

This is condensed, just a list of vegetables / herbs and which varieties I currently have for sowing at TUE - I'll produce a detailed spreadsheet itemised by packet with source, quantity and date info, soon, and say when I have so anyone interested can have it. A very few have 'use by' dates of 2006 but since I store my seeds dry and cool those should still have a decent germination rate, the vast majority should be viable in 2007 and many in 2008.

 

I've been saving seed for the last 3 years and wish to very actively encourage the TUE project to do this for 3 main reasons:

- it's essential to being sustainable

- it can save a lot of money

- I think I may have some 'sports' which could be worth progressing

Hybrid seed (especially F1 which are crosses between two different parents) needs to be avoided because it doesn't breed true, I think I only have 1 or 2 hybrid seed types. For most vegetables this is no real problem but for a few it means using less optimal varieties. I've indicated own saved seed with a ! after the variety name, where I have both bought and saved seed I mention twice, once with and once without the !

 

Dylan has some of the seeds (because I'm hoping he will be sowing them before I arrive in mid March) so I'm awaiting his email with info on those since I didn't note them down.

 

There are over 150 different vegetable seeds here but we will be needing to get a few more (about 20 or so). I mention this after any particular vegetable where I think there is a lack and (soon) I will summarise the shopping list here:

http://utopiaexperiment.pbwiki.com/Seeds%20etc%20to%20get

 

I would most welcome comments and suggestions, I'd really like a small team of us to get together and plan:

- what we grow,

- timetables for sowing, planting, cropping,

- use of protected growing and 'season extension',

- what methods and techniques we should use.

So if you'd like to be involved please drop me an email. We'll need someones at TUE most of the year who can take responsibility for managing things agricultural. I think it is very important, possibly the most important step that TUE can make to being sustainable, that we make a decent fist of feeding ourselves. It would be great if you already know a bit about growing crops but a keen interest and willingness to learn and contribute is more important.

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Beans, Borlotti / for dried use: Lingua di Fuoco (climbing); Lingua di Fuoco! (climbing) x5 variants!

Get: might look for an additional variety or two, perhaps try chick peas too.

 

Beans, Broad: Aquadulce!, Aquadulce (all sown already at TUE); Optima!; The Sutton! (few); Crimson Flowered

Get: need enough for at least additional 1 x 5m double row, prob 2 diff vars.

 

Beans, French Climbing: Cobra!; Blue Lake!; sports x2!

Get: at least 1 other variety, maybe a yellow podded?

 

Beans, French Dwarf: Annabelle; Kinghorn Wax (yellow); Ferrari; mixed!

 

Beans, Runner: (Red, White, Pink = flower) Mergoles! (W); Celebration (P); Celebration! (P); Red Knight (R); Red Knight! (R); Polestar! (R); Scarlet Emperor! (R); Val's! (R, don't know original variety); mixed! (parentage less certain, lol)

 

Beans, Soy: Envy; Envy!

 

Beetroot: Choggia; Egyptian; Golden

Get: more yellow variety (have only 40 seeds); Bolthardy; main season detroit type or similar.

 

Broccoli, Purple Sprouting: Red Arrow (mid); Rudolph (early); Late

 

Broccoli, Rapa (turnip greens, a slightly bitter, tasty, broccoli): Quarantino (40 day)

 

Brussels Sprout: Evesham Special (Oct-Jan); Seven Hills (Jan-Mar)

Get: alternatives, neither of above are wonderful, non-F1 choices are limited

 

Cabbage, Headed: none

Get: some

 

Cabbage, Red: Red Drumhead; Schwarzkopf 2

 

Cabbage, Spring: Offenham 2; Wintergreen

 

Cabbage, Winter Headed: January King

 

Calabrese (green, summer / autumn broccoli): Autumn Spear (Sept-Nov)

Get: AS is the best non-F1 I've tried, try to find another good one

 

Carrot, early: Early Scarlet Horn

Get: an Amsterdam Forcing variety or similar

 

Carrot, maincrop: Red Elephant; St James Intermediate; Norfolk Giant 2

Get: Yellowstone, possibly another 'safe' variety

 

Cauliflower: Snowball X (July-Sept); Alverda (green, Nov-Dec); Evita (may be F1, May-June)

Get: a certain non-F1 or two for April-July overwintered use

 

Celeriac: Monarch

Get: another to compare

 

Chard (aka swiss Chard, Seakale Beet, closely related to beetroot but spinach like in usage): White Silver 2; Lucullus

Get: a coloured variety to please the children, lol

 

Chicoria (bitter-ish italian salad / stir fry that survives winter): red; white

 

Chicory: Wallonne

Get: a forcing variety for reliable winter use

 

Chilli: DTB's mixed Hot

 

Chinese Cabbage: none

Get: one

 

Courgette: Romanesco; Nero di Milano (5 seeds only); Ronde de Nice; Striato di Napoli; Bianco di Sicilia

Get: only have 8 seeds left of Ronde, prob get another round variety for stuffing.

 

Cucumber: Marketmore (outdoor, ridge)

Get: I don't know of any other outdoor non-F1 variety that comes close, would like a 2nd variety, any ideas?

 

Endive: Pancalieri

 

Kale: Tuscan Black; Tuscan Black!; Russian Red!

Get: Pentland Brig; a dwarf curled variety

 

Leek: Musselburg (late season); Carentan 2 (mid season)

Get: 1 mid-late (Natan?), 1 early-mid

 

Lettuce: Lobjoits cos!; Lobjoits cos; Bionda degli Ortelani (pale cos); Winter Density; Rougette de Midi; Rougette de Midi!; italian red frilled (need to find name)

Get: not thought yet, a round crisphead would be good

 

Marrow: none

Get: 1 or 2

 

Mustard: Giant Red (good for salads and stir fries)

 

Mizuna: have own and bought seed, this is a very excellent salad and stir fry veg, survives well in winter.

 

Onions, bulb: Ailsa Craig Prizewinner, Bianca di Maggio, Rossa di Toscana, Red Baron, Bedfordshire Champion

Get: think at least 1 other 'safe' maincrop needed (RB and BC seed may be getting a bit old)

 

Onions, Salad: White Lisbon Winter Hardy; Shimonita; North Holland Blood Red Redmate

Get: 'normal' spring sown variety

 

Pak Choi: Canton White

 

Parsnip: Lancer! (smaller, early, roots)

Get: at least 2 maincrop varieties

 

Pea, mangetout / sugar snap: Sugar Snap; Sugar Lord!; mixed! (Carouby de Maussanne / Sugar Lord / Sugar Bon / Sugar Snap)

Get: more Carouby de M. and Sugar Lord if can find.

 

Pea, shelling: Spring (early), Feltham First (early)

Get: a couple of maincrop varieties (Hursts Green Shaft, Prince Albert?)

 

Pepper: Mini Sweet

 

Pumpkin / Squash: Marina di Choggia; Mixed from seeds of Italy; ?saved!

Get: 1 storable pumpkin and 1 butternut squash

 

Raddichio: Rossa di Treviso (tardivo); Rossa di Treviso!

Get: possibly another if one appeals

 

Radish, summer: French Breakfast; Saxa 2

Get: several more until we save our own seed

 

Radish, autumn / winter: Ostergruss Rosa 2; White Icicle

Get: maybe another 1 or 2

 

Scorzonera / Salsify: Duplex

Get: possibly another if it really appeals.

 

Shallot: Poitou; Pearl!

 

Spinach: Monarch

Get: a perpetual variety, possibly a different annual variety

 

Sugar Beet: none

Get: must find a source of non-hybrid

 

Swede: Ruby

Get: second variety

 

Tomato, outdoor: Red Alert! (the earliest IMO); Roma VF (plum); Pink Cherry; Tamina (potato leaved); Gardener's Delight; Harbinger

Get: another plum variety

 

Tomato, greenhouse: none

 

Turnip: Aramis; Snowball

Get: short on Aramis, more of that and / or another variety