THIS WEEK, WE’RE back among the seeds again. One of the more ancient operations that human beings carry out is collecting the seed from one year’s crop, carefully storing it, and sowing it again the following year. This gives us a primitive satisfaction in ensuring that there will be food for next year. It secures an important connection to the soil of this planet, and puts us at the heart of the seasonal cycle of death and rebirth. In its own way, saving seeds – those tiny little packets of genetic material – is momentous and meaningful, giving us a gratifying sense of worthiness and fulfilment.
Or that’s how I feel about it anyway. I get all warm and happy when I open the fridge and see the little containers of seed that I squirrelled away in previous seasons. And yes, I can quite understand if you think I’m getting a little overexcited about a few home-harvested seeds, but really, it’s the sort of thing that, when you do it yourself, you get this immense, “Ah ha! So that’s what it’s all about”.
Now, as I mentioned last week, not all plants produce seeds that are appropriate for saving. In the case of vegetables, much of the seed stock for sale nowadays is composed of F1 hybrids. These may grow into fine plants, with particular attributes such as a high yield, good vigour or superior disease resistance (which, equally, may be found in non-F1 varieties).
Plants grown from F1 seeds are more uniform: there is little variation among individuals. But they are all unsuitable for seed saving. F1 hybrids, which means “first filial cross”, are the product of two distinct parental lines – in the same way that a mule is the offspring of a horse and a donkey. If you save seed from F1 hybrids, the progeny may not resemble the parent. Or – as happens with most mules – the plants may be sterile.
So, if you are planning to save seed from a particular crop, the first thing is to go back to the original seed packet, or to look up the variety on the web, and to make sure that it does not carry the “F1” tag after the name. Varieties that are described as open pollinated, heirloom, traditional or landrace are particularly suitable for seed saving.
If you want to start off from scratch with organic seed of appropriate varieties, try Brown Envelope Seeds in west Cork (www.brownenvelopeseeds.com), the Irish Seed Saver Association in Clare (www.irishseed savers.ie) or the Organic Centre in Co Leitrim (www.theorganiccentre.ie).
Next, you must find out if the crop in question is an entirely self-pollinating variety – that is, whether it fertilises itself without the aid of an insect or the wind. These are the easiest crops from which to save seed, as there is little or no danger of them crossing with other related plants, and getting their genes all mixed up. Almost all tomatoes, for instance, are self-pollinating, and if you look closely at the flowers, you will see why. The male parts – the stamens and their pollen-bearing anthers – are gathered into a protective cone around the female stigma, thus preventing any interference from outside pollen. (Basic biology is as essential for gardeners as a good pair of secateurs.)
Occasional varieties of heirloom tomatoes, such as the beefsteak kinds, have a stigma that protrudes beyond the stamens. This means that it is able to accept pollen from every passing bee. If you are growing other tomato varieties, the resulting seed may not be pure. (The actual mechanics of saving tomato seed are fiddly and require a long-winded description, so we’ll leave that for a couple of weeks, when you will have a few more ripe ones on your plants.)
Peas and beans are also largely self-pollinating, as the pollen is usually transferred from anther to stigma before the flowers open. If you want to harvest seed, leave the pods on the plant until they are papery and brown. If the weather is damp, you can bring the whole plant into an airy place as soon as the pods begin to dry out.
Lettuce, likewise, is also unlikely to cross-pollinate, so it is safe to collect seed from more than one kind. Let the plants bolt and flower, and collect the seed from the plant as it ripens by carefully shaking the stem over a tray, or into a paper bag.
These guidelines, mind you, are just for home gardeners. If you are saving seed for a gardening organisation, for a seed bank or to supply to others, your standards need to be much stricter.
All vegetable crops other than those mentioned above are subject to varying degrees of cross-pollination. Some are unashamedly promiscuous and will breed, not just with their own kind, but with related vegetables. For example, marrows, courgettes, and some pumpkins and squashes are all various incarnations of Cucurbita pepo, and will mate merrily with each other, with the help of foraging bees. And, because insects travel great distances, your plants are capable of exchanging genes with those in your neighbours’ gardens, up to half a kilometre away. Saving seed from these crops requires great conscientiousness, and is probably best left to the experts and fanatics.
Other insect-pollinated crops that are liable to cross readily are carrots, parsnips, all brassicas and all members of the onion family. Spinach is wind pollinated, as are beets and chard (these latter two will cross with each other, by the way), and all need to be at least half a kilometre from likely mates. Again, this makes saving seed from them difficult for many gardeners, especially urban ones.
A final word on seed saving: choose only the best, most vigorous and disease-resistant plants from which to save. Look for characteristics that you would like to pass on to the next generation. Remember, it's all in the genes. jpowers@irishtimes.com
Diary dates
Next Saturday, August 22nd, 2.30-5pm: Bunclody Horticultural Society show and annual exhibition at Bunclody Vocational School, Irish Street, Bunclody, Co Wexford. Admission €2.
Next Sunday, August 23rd, 2-6pm: Mildred Stokess garden open at Killurney, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, in aid of South Tipperary Hospice. Admission €5, includes tea and scones.
GROWING YOUR OWN
The Grow it Yourself Ireland organisation aims to establish a countrywide network of home food-growers, with at least one local group in each county.
Groups meet regularly to share information, seeds and expertise, to attend workshops and to set up "meitheals" (days where members help out in each others' gardens). The first GIY group was set up in Waterford by Michael Kelly, who writes for this newspaper. The first GIY Ireland conference takes place on September 12th at WIT, Waterford.
Speakers include Trevor Sargent, Darina Allen, Joy Larkcom, Michael Kelly, Clodagh McKenna, Catherine Kenneally, Will Sutherland and Graham Strouts. Tickets cost €35 (including a seasonal lunch). www.GIYIreland.com