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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2010)
Applegater Spring 2010 21 SEEDS spread of transgenic (GMO) seeds and pollen. Seed growing never ceases to pose unusual challenges to the grower with many new factors that one doesn’t encounter with market gardening. Seed growing will enlighten you to new disease issues, biennial peculiarities, an increased reliance on pollinators, migratory birds feasting on your crop, seed harvesting and processing wisdom, encouraging your crop to ferment in order to release its seed and many other wild and wooly tales from the brink of domestication. Don Tipping lives at Seven Seeds Farm in Williams, which is also the home of Siskiyou Seeds (www. siskiyouseeds.com). Don will be teaching a class in seed saving on Saturday, April 17, 1-4 pm at their farm in Williams. Soulfood72@gmail.com, 541-846-923 SEEDS - BASIC CONCEPTS Basic Botany Nomenclature (Family->Genus->Species->Variety) Example: Carrots: Apiacea ->Daucus ->carrota ->“Scarlet Nantes” • • • • • Plants cross within a species (i.e. Zucchini (Cucurita pepo) will cross with pumpkins (C.pepo), but not with buttercup squash (C.maxima) however rarely across species barriers (think mules) Flower parts (Pistil/ Stamen/ Anther/ Style/ petals /sepals / ovary) Annual vs. biennial seed producers Biennials include carrots, beets, parsley, cabbage family, kale, onions, leeks, Swiss chard Monecious vs. Dioecious (i.e. spinach) Pollination • Insect Pollinated – cucurbits, Brassicas, onions, leeks, carrots, parsley • Wind Pollinated – grasses (corn), beets, chard, spinach, oaks • Self-Pollinated – Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, FROM PAGE 20 lettuce, beans, peas Extra-floral nectarines – plants entice pollinators with the sweet stuff! Cross Pollinated Crops – need isolation from one another (usually a minimum of ½ mile). Self Pollinated Crops – less or no isolation requirements. Timed Isolation – planting times are staggered to avoid overlapping flowering (work well with corn). Inbreeding Depression – minimum population sizes are needed with the cross-pollinated crops to avoid “bottlenecking” the genetic diversity of the population. Generally 120 plants are required; an exception is the cucurbits, where you need only ten plants. Inbreeding depression is the result of too small of a population means reduced vigor, smaller yields, more susceptible to pests and disease. Hybrid –a crossing of two separate varieties. An F1 hybrid is generally when two uniform inbred lines are crossed. The resulting generation is the F1 (for first filial), and then next season would be the F2 and so forth. Heterosis – is the term to describe hybrid vigor which results from broadening the genetic base (the opposite of inbreeding depression). Grex- a hybrid with many parents. Strain cross – crossing two strains of the same variety. Advantages to saving your own seed – save money, seed security, possible to select for adaptation to disease, pests, climate and soils; provide nectar source for pollinators and beneficial insects. Fun, learning and seed to share! Wet-Processed vs Dry-Processed seeds – Wet- processed include tomatoes, melons, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, peppers. Most all others are harvested when seedpods are dry. • Don Tipping • 541-846-9233 Editor’s note: An excellent book on seed saving is Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth. C ALL N OW ! F OR Y OUR M ISTLETOE R EMOVAL & P RUNING A348532 7/5 Southern Oregon Tree Care L.L.C. 772-0404 Fully insured and bonded Insurance Work Welcome Licensed CCB#168007 • • • • • Free Estimates Tree Evaluation Stump Grinding Cabling & Bracing Expert Pruning & Removal
