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”
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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.
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Don Tipping • 541-846-9233
Editor’s note: An excellent book on seed saving is Seed to
Seed by Suzanne Ashworth.
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