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silkcom

What plants usually aren't "Seeded"?

silkcom
11 years ago

I'm interested in saving seeds, specifically for things that usually aren't seeded. I've learned about Potato Onions going to true seed, getting seed from garlic plants (not bulbils, true seeds), and just today learned about people saving potato seeds.

I'm wondering :) what else have I not yet learned about that people are interested in?

Comments (8)

  • flora_uk
    11 years ago

    Strawberries, asparagus, sweet potatoes, all fruit bushes and fruit trees, Jerusalem artichokes, rhubarb .....

    I'm interested in why you want to seed unusual things. Is it just curiosity? Do you want to get into hybridisation?

  • silkcom
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I'm just starting with saving seed. It's interesting to me to find strains that do well in my area because they've been bred to work here. I really like the idea with potatoes because they have such a hard time with disease that hopefully breeding that help, and with garlic because I love finding new strains of garlic :).

    But each time i've heard of someone saving seeds from plants that usually either can't give seed, or aren't done, it's been a cool learning experience.

  • flora_uk
    11 years ago

    I'm still a bit confused as to your goals. Do you expect to be able to grow usable potatoes from seeds? Breeders raise thousands before they find one worth propagating. Same with garlic. The fact something has been grown from seed doesn't mean it will necessarily be robust, tasty or suited to your area. There are good reasons why these vegetables are not normally grown from seed.

    If you want to find vegetables which suit your area just research local heirloom varieties.

  • silkcom
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    honestly my goals are mainly in the learning of it. I'm looking for the stuff that doesn't have heirloom seed varieties. But mostly just to see how they do in my garden.

  • Edymnion
    11 years ago

    Okay, just be aware going in that odds are what you get out in the end likely will not be as good as what you got the seeds from.

    They will likely be close, and there is a chance you'll get a new plant that is better than the old. But like Flora said, these things are usually reproduced through vegetative cloning (aka regrowing an entire plant from a part of the existing plant, like using small potatoes as seed potatoes as opposed to using actual seeds) for a reason. They just are not "stable" enough to consistently produce quality offspring.

  • albert_135   39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
    11 years ago

    A lot of the desert cacti and succulents produce viable seed but the plant takes years, sometimes decades, to even start to look like the parent. When propagate for landscape they often use offshoots or rooted cuttings. The seed are fun to play with. I've seen cactus seed germinate within the fruit while still on the plant.

  • silkcom
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Edymnion - Definitely. That's the thing I like about potatoes and garlic. As these can be propigated with cloning really easily, being able to find "better" varieties increases a lot because once i find a good one I can just clone it like normal.

  • Edymnion
    11 years ago

    Yup, thats definitely the upside to these sorts of things too.

    In fruits and veggies that normally reproduce through seed, you have to grow out 8-12 generations of the plant to make sure it has stabilized enough to call it a new strain.

    If you start intentionally crossbreeding garlic or potatoes, you can claim success the instant you get something cool and start selling them as a new line.

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