A Seed Saver's Garden

[heirloomgal]

I have grown only a modest amount of tomatoes these last 4 years or so, but I've been poking around the 'tomato scene' lately out of curiosity, it being seed season and all. That world really is expanding and at a phenomenal rate. It has got to be where the most amount of breeding efforts are taking place because the amount of newly crafted tomatoes coming out each year is huge, not to mention the eccentric shapes and extreme colors. Things are really gettin' wild. I admit to a fondness for that marvelous creativity, but a simple, fantastic red tomato is just as wonderful to me really.

I thought these names really win the 'brainglue' award. Name probably has a lot to do with what sticks around and what doesn't ie The Mortgage Lifter

• Bananas Noire
• Betimes Macbeth
• Terra Cotta Cherries
• Marzipan Gold
• Great Scott
• Dwarf Gold Locket
• Shake the Disease
• Rusted Soul

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I have found watery fruits (except for tomatoes) harder species to save good seed from. Pumpkins, squash, cucumbers all have a tendency to have flat, not filled out seed if they aren't happy. And I don't find it that easy to keep them so happy that all the seeds get fat.

There's a more fundamental problem with cucurbits setting good seeds. It's the same one in common with all obligate outcrossing flowers; how much seed one gets is a function of how well pollinated they are, and how well pollinated they are is often a function of how many plants one has. I often am down to 5-6 vines by flowering time; none very large. Add on the fact a lot of them stop making male flowers once the first female shows up and pollen transfer is minimal. Little pollen being moved = few good seeds.

And the other issue. As you pointed out, once a fruit starts ripening, the vine starts to die. Since things are shaky at best, this tends to leave me with a dilemma; leave the first fruit to ripen for seed and risk getting no others, or pick for eating and risk having no seed at season's end because no fruit is mature enough to finish before the frost. And I can't always count on being able to re-order the seeds again.

 

[heirloomgal]

There's a more fundamental problem with cucurbits setting good seeds. It's the same one in common with all obligate outcrossing flowers; how much seed one gets is a function of how well pollinated they are, and how well pollinated they are is often a function of how many plants one has. I often am down to 5-6 vines by flowering time; none very large. Add on the fact a lot of them stop making male flowers once the first female shows up and pollen transfer is minimal. Little pollen being moved = few good seeds.

And the other issue. As you pointed out, once a fruit starts ripening, the vine starts to die. Since things are shaky at best, this tends to leave me with a dilemma; leave the first fruit to ripen for seed and risk getting no others, or pick for eating and risk having no seed at season's end because no fruit is mature enough to finish before the frost. And I can't always count on being able to re-order the seeds again.

Interesting, did not know this. Well, it would help explain why my last pumpkin crops did not have well formed seeds. I thought it was because I don't give them much water really, and I read that they LOVE water. But I never grow many plants, so this could certainly be a factor.

ETA: Question for you @Pulsegleaner. I think (?) you mentioned at some point you've grown kiwano/horned melon? If so, is the description 'tastes like a combination of 'banana, kiwi and cucumber' true? I dunno. Seems like a seed catalogue yarn to me; if they are that good probably they'd be way more commonly grown than they are?

 

[flowerbug]

my experiences with cucumbers has been from only growing the kinds meant for canning and making pickles. they were usually surrounded by some squash plants. with the many native bees visiting them i never noticed any lack in them forming fruits and even if i missed some the plants were productive often for the entire season up until we got sick of them and pulled the plants out.

we did keep them regularly watered and we do have a fairly heavy garden soil with plenty of clay.

i never fertilized them other than the once in a while application of wood ashes to the entire garden and the use of the worm buckets results which would have been leftover from previous years' plantings of tomatoes.

one common practice i did see in cucumber seed packets was to include a few off-type seeds intentionally so there would be some variety among the plants to encourage pollenation. i've not grown cucumbers from seeds here though.

 

[jbrobin09]

Do you connect with your local hort society @Branching Out? I wonder if they have an early summer seedling event in your area? Ours do a seedling day, combined with perennial donations (they have hundreds, or more, of plants at these things) and that has been one place that I gave seedlings to so I didn't have to dispatch them - before I started to put them at the end of my driveway. The money goes to support hort society projects and such usually.

How do you like the taste of Andrina? I'm sure there has to be some good mini's out there, I just haven't found them yet! I agree, they are such a practical little kind of tomato, so many benefits to that size and manageablity.

I like Andrina, and Orange Hat isn’t bad but Hahms Gelbe is a lovely yellow cherry Tom that only gets about a foot tall.

 

[jbrobin09]

I've been growing the Scarlet Nantes. They do well for me.

Our favourite here too!

 

[jbrobin09]

I like a little touch of heat too… Sriracha but a shortage in supply the last few years. So I hold on to my last container like it’s gold. Don’t tell anyone or I might have to share..

Sriracha hot sauce has a significant shortage of it due to a lack of red jalapeño peppers, the primary ingredient, caused by severe drought conditions in Mexico, where most of the peppers used for Sriracha are sourced. this has led to production halts by Huy Fong Foods, the main producer of Sriracha, as they wait for better pepper harvests.

It’s really easy to make your own hot sauce. I make a fermented hot sauce from whatever peppers I grow each year and it’s delish!

 

[hdan]

It’s really easy to make your own hot sauce. I make a fermented hot sauce from whatever peppers I grow each year and it’s delish!

I'm a big fan of Sriracha hot sauce.
I put it on alot of things.
Never made any though.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

It’s really easy to make your own hot sauce. I make a fermented hot sauce from whatever peppers I grow each year and it’s delish! I have a bunch of red dried dried hot peppers. I just need a tiny bit on each bite.

Alrighty then delish recipe handy? Willing to give it a try…
I haven’t had much luck finding recipe’s online . In some cases I have experimented in the past and find going thru several recipe’s before liking one.

 

[heirloomgal]

I like Andrina, and Orange Hat isn’t bad but Hahms Gelbe is a lovely yellow cherry Tom that only gets about a foot tall.

Good to know @jbrobin09. This year I'm on the hunt for some tasty ones, and I hope that I find some in the bunch I've bought. This is a type of tomato that seems to be blowing up right now, so I'm hopeful.