'Emergency crops'?

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 02 Nov 2007, 19:50

This is gobsmacking, our little salad plants (planted in pot, too late or so I thought) are now perfectly large enough to eat! It's so mild out there it's just silly.

And now for something completely different: Caucasian Spinach (Hablitzia Tamnoides) as featured in Permaculture Mag. (No. 52 in the summer), popular in Scandanavia:

http://www.henriettesherbal.com/picture ... noides.htm

Looks so indestructible I might be able to grow it

. Anybody know where I can get hold of the seeds? I've even tried Russia...

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 02 Nov 2007, 19:55

I must admit, after clearing the dead butternut squash vine out of my glorified cold frame/mini greenhouse thing today, I sowed a few seeds just to see what happens to them - bunching onions, kale and turnip greens.

Might be a waste of seeds, but it was just so darn mild out there, and I have seedlings of unknown plants coming up in the garden proper, so I thought I may as well give it a go just to see.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 02 Nov 2007, 20:54

There are people strolling around in tee-shirts here...and they're not even on their way to night-clubs

. I have a load of pumpkin-seeds left over from Hallowe'en, I might just lob them inpots too. I have no idea how to grow them the pumpkin didn't come with instructions!

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 02 Nov 2007, 20:57

Pumpkin vines are massive, I grew one this year, not harvested the pumpkin yet.

I put a butternut squash plant in a pot which turned out to be far too small - it yielded a single fruit which I turned into butternut squash chips this very evening, and very nice it was too!

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 02 Nov 2007, 21:00

I think, perhaps, maybe, we'll finish the last ripend stawberries tomorrow. Mad.

Erik · Post by **Erik** » 02 Nov 2007, 21:24

RenewableCandy wrote:And now for something completely different: Caucasian Spinach (Hablitzia Tamnoides) as featured in Permaculture Mag. (No. 52 in the summer), popular in Scandanavia:

http://www.henriettesherbal.com/picture ... noides.htm

Looks so indestructible I might be able to grow it . Anybody know where I can get hold of the seeds? I've even tried Russia...

Serious "Jack and the Beanstalk" stuff! Did Henriette have to swap her cow for five magic beans to do this?! Is this monster actually edible?

Smithy · Post by **Smithy** » 02 Nov 2007, 21:53

RenewableCandy wrote:There are people strolling around in tee-shirts here...and they're not even on their way to night-clubs . I have a load of pumpkin-seeds left over from Hallowe'en, I might just lob them inpots too. I have no idea how to grow them the pumpkin didn't come with instructions!

Instructions for saving the seed would be with these: http://www.realseeds.co.uk/wintersquash.html
They sell real (non-hybrid) seeds, and instructions with each pack on how to save the resultant seeds, here's why: http://www.realseeds.co.uk/why.html

Hybrid ("F1") seed is the result of a cross between two different , but heavily inbred parents. Seed you save from these plants will either be sterile or a give a whole mix of shapes and types, usually producing a poor crop.

They even sell `Back Garden Seed Saving by Sue Stickland` at a discount: http://www.realseeds.co.uk/books.html#seedbook

We are offering this at a special subsidised price as part of our campaign to encourage everyone to save their own seed. (It should be ?13 )

You can start with their free guide: http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedsavinginfo.html

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 02 Nov 2007, 21:55

Hmm that might explain why RHS, Henry Doubleday and all the usual suspects haven't got them...but yeah the pic shows how well the b***er grows so it looks as if it might be a goer up our North-facing garden wall.

Keela · Post by **Keela** » 02 Nov 2007, 23:27

RenewableCandy wrote:And now for something completely different: Caucasian Spinach (Hablitzia Tamnoides) as featured in Permaculture Mag. (No. 52 in the summer), popular in Scandanavia:

http://www.henriettesherbal.com/picture ... noides.htm

Looks so indestructible I might be able to grow it . Anybody know where I can get hold of the seeds? I've even tried Russia...

I got a few of the seeds from the author of the article. You've just reminded me to plant them. (Only got a very few, if they all germinate I'll send you a plantlet!)

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 03 Nov 2007, 09:13

Sally wrote:I got a few of the seeds from the author of the article. You've just reminded me to plant them. (Only got a very few, if they all germinate I'll send you a plantlet!)

Erm . . .

Could I possibly request one too please, if there are any more available at the time. . . ?

Keela · Post by **Keela** » 03 Nov 2007, 09:48

I'll see what grows!

I've just counted; I got a grand total of 6 tiny seeds! So I don't have much room for error.

Perhaps next year a couple of them will be rampant and producing their own seeds....

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 03 Nov 2007, 10:07

Swap you for a grap vine cutting or something?

Keela · Post by **Keela** » 03 Nov 2007, 10:13

Just found this link:
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/blog/?p=429

Googling gives remarkably little infomation.

Must see if I can find the orginal article in Permaculture Magazine.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 03 Nov 2007, 18:17

Sally wrote:
I got a few of the seeds from the author of the article. You've just reminded me to plant them. (Only got a very few, if they all germinate I'll send you a plantlet!)

Oooh, thanks.

Thanks also Smithy for all the useful gen., no I've no idea whether the pumpkin was an F1 likely to produce an army of mutant killers in our garden, I'll just have to chance it...

creeping elm · Post by **creeping elm** » 05 Nov 2007, 00:24

If you keep some dried chickpeas, green lentils, mung beans these can be soaked and sprouted to give alkaline protein which will complement the protein found in grains. I reckon I could live off rice, tahini (sesame seeds) and sprouted pulses if I had to.