In his weekly Jamie’s Little Allotment column, Jamie Marsh discusses saving seeds…
What a week we’ve had over here on the west side of our gorgeous county, sunshine and temperatures getting up to nearly 20 degrees – not quite an Indian summer, but way above average for nearly the middle of October.
I’ve kind of neglected the allotment a bit in recent weeks. Sometimes life just gets in the way, and with the evenings pulling in so quickly now there’s not as much time to be out there after work. So I decided to dedicate my Saturday morning to the plot. First job: mow those grassy paths between the beds – they were getting a bit wild. Then it was down to bed level, weeding and pulling out things that had gone over.
Strawberry plants
By that I mean plants that are past their best, or ones that have bolted or gone to seed. Most plants have one aim in life, and that’s to reproduce. When you’re down there on your hands and knees, it’s so easy to spot them. Lettuces have shot up and thrown out long flower spikes, as have a few radishes I’d left behind. I also purposely left a few corn cobs on the plants to dry out so I could harvest the seed from those. Another thing I’ve left on the plant are several different types of beans. I grew a few varieties this year as dried beans for cooking, and they’re now all hanging there in their brown, crispy pods just waiting to be picked.
It’s not just the veg either – many flowers are full of seed right now. Marigolds, calendula, cosmos, sweet peas. All of them are easy to save. Just let the heads dry fully, then crumble them into a paper envelope and label them. And don’t forget to write on them what they are – you’ll thank yourself for it next spring when you’ve got a drawer full of mystery seeds.
Saving seeds must be done from the most mature and healthiest plants. I always wait until the seed heads are properly dry and almost ready to drop. Pick them on a dry day and pop them into a paper bag or envelope — never plastic, as that can trap moisture and cause mould.
Seeds can be saved for next year
There’s something really special about saving your own seed. It’s not just about saving money, although that’s a nice bonus. For me, it’s about the sense of connection – knowing that some of the seeds I’ll be sowing next year are the direct descendants of the plants I’ve grown this season. They’ve adapted to my soil, my watering habits, and even our local weather. Each generation seems a little stronger, a little more at home on my plot.
It’s worth mentioning though, not all seeds will come true to the parent plant you grew. If the packet of seeds you started with earlier this year said F1 hybrid, those seeds have come from plants that have been specially bred by crossing two different parent varieties. They’re often grown in controlled, almost laboratory-type conditions where pollinators can’t do their job naturally. The idea is to create plants with the best qualities of both parents – maybe better flavour, disease resistance or heavier crops. But the seed they produce doesn’t always grow back the same the following year, so if you save it, you might end up with something quite different.
Another way I like to make more plants for free is by taking strawberry runners. Strawberries are clever things – once they’ve finished fruiting they send out long stems that creep across the soil, each with a tiny new plant forming on the end. If they touch the ground, they’ll often root all by themselves, but I like to give them a helping hand by pegging them down with a twig or a U-shaped piece of wire, either into the soil or into a small pot of compost.
Within a couple of weeks the new little plant will have grown its own roots. Once it’s properly established, simply snip the runner between the two plants and you’ve got yourself a new strawberry plant ready for next year. Strawberry plants only last around three to five years before their productivity starts to decline, so taking runners each season is a great way to keep your patch young and healthy.
I usually keep my strongest new plants for the main bed and pot up a few extras for spares or to share with friends. It’s such a simple job but really satisfying – and just like saving seed, it’s another way of keeping your favourite varieties going year after year.
As the evenings draw in and the growing year slows, I always think jobs like saving seed and taking runners remind us how the garden never really stops. Even when the beds start to empty, there’s still life quietly carrying on – seeds drying, roots forming, and next year’s plants already in the making. It’s one of the best feelings, knowing that a bit of care now means a head start when spring rolls around again.
Comments are closed.