Seed Saving in WA 1 1.1 Why Save Seeds Seeds grw plants, veggies seeds grw fd, fd security cmes frm having access t the capability t grw fd as required. We might nt be dependent n ur hme saved seeds nw but in hard times the fd in the shp may disappear r becme unaffrdable. Bidiversity f cmmercial fd plants is declining rapidly. Gardening is ne f the main hbbies, a simple mney saving, cmmunity building, and rewarding hbby is saving the seeds f the plants yu grw. Seeds are living, hibernating embrys, tuching the very heart f mther nature has never been easier, embrace this gift, grw and save seeds. Lcal seeds are better. Surce sme already lcalised seeds r start t lcalise yur wn by saving seeds each year frm the best plants that suit yur needs. This is hw we create ur wn Heirlms. 1.2 Hw t Save Seeds I think the practice f saving seeds is due fr a revival. Seed saving is rewarding in s many ways. It s very easy. Even a little seed saving is an empwering and pwerful thing t d. Instead f pulling ut yur plants as they flwer, let thse flwers feed yur insect friends and as the flwers fall the seed pds will start t frm. Generally these pds will dry ut and the seed will fall nt the grund. Befre these seeds fall yu need t harvest them. Place n a rack/pen cntainer t ensure they are thrughly dry (a few weeks t be safe) and then yu stre them. It s as simple t get started, but as yu learn these skills there is mre t learn. Getting gd seeds at the right time invlves knwing the usual life cycle f a plant and whether a seed will stay true. The fllwing terms prvide a basic understanding f seeds and seed prductin. Yu dn't need t knw all these by heart but they d make understanding seed saving easier. I recmmend yu get the great Aussie seed saving bk, Seed Savers, by Jude and Michel Fantn, many f the tables and infrmatin in this wrkshp cmes frm that bk. 1.3 Plants Grwth Characteristics Annual plants (such as lettuce and tmates) flwer and mature seed in the same year. Biennial plants (such as carrts and beets) are nrmally harvested as fd in their first summer r winter but d nt flwer r prduce seed until the next year. Mst biennials becme tall and bushy when ging t seed, taking up mre space than they did the previus year. They can be thinned r transplanted t twice the usual spacing. Yu might try tricking yur carrts, harvest them, refrigerate them a week and then replant, they will ften g t seed in the same year thinking they just endured winter in that week f chill. Perennials live fr mre than 2 years and bear seed year after year. Often these plants are grwn frm cuttings instead f seed as it is mre reliable prpagatin methd. Yu als get a bigger plant faster. Mnecius plants prduce single plants with separate male flwers and female flwers n the same plant. Diecius plants prduce separate male flwers and female flwers n different plants.
1.4 What t Save and Grw I always advise peple t buy pen pllinating seeds and grw their wn seedlings. This is a little harder than buying seedlings but the results are ften better. A cheap plastic greenhuse prpagatr can be bught at any garden stre t make this easy. While it seems like the easy ptin seed packets in Bunnings all cme frm UK, these are nt lcal r even Australian suited plants as they have adapted t nrthern hemisphere Temperate climates and are increasingly hybrid types. Dn t buy them. Open Pllinated Seeds Thse that yu can save the seed f and if nt crss pllinated will prduce the same plant that the seeds where saved frm. Open-pllinated varieties are stable varieties resulting frm the pllinatin between the same r genetically similar parents. Nt hybrid. Heritage/Heirlm These are pen pllinated seeds, saved fr generatins by smene t prduce a specific taste/lk/grwth, specifically fr hme gardens, nt factry farms. Lcally Saved and Grwn(generatinal) adapted Seeds are King - Better than purchased nn lcal heirlms, lcally saved seeds have been genetically selected and evlved by nature t grw better in ur gardens in WA. A Heritage/Heirlm plant frm Tasmania has adapted t Tasmania's cler climate, fertile sils and pests, there is n guarantee it will d well in Perth. Hybrids are varieties resulting frm pllinatin between genetically distinct parents. The "F" in F1 hybrid stands fr filial, anther name fr ffspring. F1 means the first generatin ffspring after pllinatin. Depending n their genetic cmplexity, F1 Hybrids can be sterile r prduce a majrity f ffspring unlike themselves. 2 1.5 Purity and Prductin In rder t learn the pllinatin and breeding characteristics yu will need t becme familiar with a few f the fllwing terms. While there are simple tables that tell yu what t d it is nice t knw why. Flwers are the prtins f plants where reprductin takes place and seeds are prduced. Peduncle: The stalk f a flwer. Receptacle: The part f a flwer stalk where the parts f the flwer are attached. Sepal: The uter parts f the flwer (ften green and leaf-like) that enclse a develping bud. Petal: The parts f a flwer that are ften cnspicuusly clred. Stamen: The pllen prducing part f a flwer, usually with a slender filament supprting the anther. Anther: The part f the stamen where pllen is prduced. Pistil: The vule prducing part f a flwer. The vary ften supprts a lng style, tpped by a stigma. The mature vary is a fruit, and the mature vule is a seed. Stigma: The part f the pistil where pllen germinates. Ovary: The enlarged basal prtin f the pistil where vules are prduced
3 Pistils are the female reprductive rgans in flwers made up f the stigma, style and vary. The stigma is the pening in the pistil thrugh which the pllen passes n its way t the vary. The style cntains the pllen tube between the stigma and the vary thrugh which the pllen is carried. The vary cntains vules. When fertilized, vules develp int mature seeds. Stamens are the male reprductive rgans in flwers. They cnsist f the filament, anther and pllen. A filament is the tube that supprts the anther where pllen is prduced. Pllen is the equivalent f sperm in plants. Pllen grains fertilize plant vules. Pllinatin is the prcess f sexual fertilizatin in plants. The different methds a flwer uses fr pllinatin will dictate the spacing r islatin necessary fr plants t prduce dependable seeds. Self-pllinatin ccurs withut need fr ther flwers r plants because it takes place within the flwer befre it pens. Islatin distance t prevent crss -pllinatin is nt necessary unless insects invade the flwers. Perfect flwers cntain the stamens which prduce pllen and the pistil which receives the pllen. Sme selfpllinate. Others are self-incmpatible, meaning they will nt receive their wn pllen. Crss-pllinatin takes place when pllen is exchanged between different flwers n the same r different plants. If nt prevented, unwanted characteristics and traits may result in the ffspring. Fr example, if yur cabbage and yur brccli flwer at the same time, the seed will prduce few plants that lk like either f them. Allwing nly ne variety f each ptentially crss-pllinating vegetable t flwer ut eliminates the need t separate plants frm each ther. As well, barriers can be erected r planted, plantings can be staggered r crps can be cvered with garden fabric. Inbreeding Depressin: With many seeds/plants a lss f vigr because f inbreeding. Vigr is a desirable characteristic that describes strng, vibrant germinatin and plant grwth. Inbreeding can result frm selfpllinatin r pllinatin between a small number f clse relatives. Sme vegetables shw n signs f inbreeding depressin even when self-pllinated fr many generatins and thers shw signs f inbreeding depressin in first generatin ffspring. 1.6 Tricky Plant Breeding Yu might nt be here yet but t grw and save the trickier plants that readily crss pllinate (brassica's etc) yu will need t cnsider hw t keep 'heritage/heirlm' varieties pure if that is imprtant t yu. Islatin distance t prevent unwanted crss-pllinatin is the distance between tw different flwers necessary t prevent pllen frm being exchanged. Wind pllinatin is pllen exchange caused by wind and insect pllinatin is pllen exchange caused by insects, primarily bees. Caging is a separatin technique where insects that might cause crss-pllinatin are prevented frm reaching flwers by a fine net supprted by wire r wd. If flwers in the cage are nt self-pllinating, several plants must be included in the cage and pllinating insects intrduced.
1.7 Selecting and Cllecting Selecting and breeding fr yur needs and wants. 4 Select the fruits and thus the seeds f the best crp. Its tempting t eat the best crp but t ensure yu are always saving the plants prducing yur favurite and best prducing prduce yu mush frg ruining that seed (best fd harvest value is nrmally befre the seeds are prperly mature). If we nly save seed frm the plants and fruits that are malfrmed and nt attractive we will end up breeding plants with pr characteristics. While yur selectin criteria can be defined persnally and might seem very lgical it is wrth lking at seed saving bks t get sme advice n each plant species desirable characteristics. In the interest f clarity we make a distinctin between selectin characteristics and selectin traits. Characteristics are general features attributed t unidentified cmplexes f genes. Cmplex and hard t define, characteristics are ften ignred by cmmercial breeders and ffer the mst rewards fr hme gardeners. Characteristics n the pririty list at include but are nt limited t heat tlerance, shrt r lng seasn, cld tlerance, reginal adaptability, early maturatin, vigr and flavr. Each hme gardener can create his r her wn list f selectin characteristics. Traits are specific features traceable t identifiable genes. Fr example, pea traits traceable t single genes include vine grwth (bush r tall), seed texture (smth r wrinkled) and disease resistance (fusarium, enatin msaic and pwdery mildew resistance). Viable seeds are seeds that germinate and prduce vigrus plants. Seeds shuld nt be harvested befre they have matured enugh t be viable. Dehiscent seed capsules are pen and discharging seeds. Seeds must be harvested befre this stage takes place and seeds are lst. Seed capsules in sme varieties literally explde at the pint f maturity. It is nt uncmmn t have nly a few capsules ut f hundreds, mature at any ne time. 1.8 Seed Harvesting Seeds f mst plants dry right dwn in field r garden. If maturity is lking dubius because f the weather r if birds are significantly munching n the seeds, yu can dig up entire plants and bring them indrs t cmplete their drying. As lng as the crp is clse t maturity, the seeds will cntinue t ripen. It is a gd rule f thumb t let harvested seed dry fr at least a few mre days after being remved frm the plant. The larger the seed, the lnger the drying perid required. Mst seeds will dry adequately fr hme strage if spread n wax paper, newspapers, trays, plates r screens in an airy place fr a few days t a week. They shuld be turned and spread several times during that perid. An equally gd drying methd is t let the seed heads r stalks dry in pen paper bags fr ne r tw weeks. The drying prcess can be hastened by spreading the seed in a sun-expsed rm, in a nn-humid greenhuse r in the sun utside if they are cvered r brught in at night. Lacking sun and/r greenhuse, yu can speed up drying with gentle heat s lng as the temperature never rises abve 38 C.
Hw Much Seed t Save - Enugh t share and allw genetic diversity t exist. 5 Yu want t save enugh seeds t grw fr a few years withut needing t save seeds again, and t have enugh t share yu seeds with thers. A rule f thumb wuld be save ten times mre than yu think yu need, the extra effrt gne t save that 'just in case' seed is nt much. It is nt s much the amunt f seed yu save but the diversity f the seeds yu save, we want t be harvesting sme seed frm multiple plants rather than lts f seed frm ne plant. Preservatin, All Plants are Equal. In practical terms, this means that fr cnservatin purpses yu want t: nurture every plant int maturity (except fr diseased r clearly ff-type plants); and save equal amunts f seed frm each plant. These tw practices tgether help t minimize genetic lss due t plants that perfrm prly in yur garden they might be anther gardener's best perfrmers! Als be aware f Genetic Lss caused by grwing practices. Yu can accidentally change a variety as a result f the way it is grwn, mst have been cvered but t recap: Plants intlerant f yur particular grwing cnditins might die r prduce few r n seeds lwering their genes' representatin in the variety's gene pl. Plants can be crss-pllinated by ther varieties, resulting in permanent mixing f their genes. Even simply grwing t few plants can make a seed batch's gene pl t small, weakening that ppulatin f seeds permanently 1.9 Cleaning Seeds Each type, size and species f plant has different seeds requiring different methds r cmbinatins f multiple techniques t harvest and clean the seeds. There are als wet and dry techniques. Seed harvesting and cleaning techniques fall int tw main categries accrding t whether the fruits and seeds are dry r wet when mature. Dry Seeds 'Dry' seeds include beans, peas, kra, peppers, basil and members f the Onin and Carrt Families. Cleaning dry seeds usually invlves simply drying and crumbling the pds r husks, then screening r 'winnwing' the seeds t separate them frm the chaff. Wet Seeds 'Wet' seeds are fund in such plants as tmates, eggplants and many squashes. Cleaning wet seeds requires washing t clean the seeds and t separate them frm the surrunding pulp. In additin, in sme cases wet seeds (such as tmates) are best fermented fr several days t remve germinatin-inhibiting substances frm the seed cats. Fermenting can als help such seeds as members f the Squash family by killing mlds, mildews and ther disease rganisms that may be present n the seeds after grwing.
Sme families (such as the Cucumber family) include sme plants that prduce wet seeds (e.g., squashes and melns) and thers that prduce dry seeds (e.g., luffa and hard gurds). 6 Cleaning Dry Seeds Harvest dry seeds frm their plants when their pds r husks have dried. Sme seeds can be picked befre they are fully dried n the plants if rains threaten. Other plants, hwever, (i.e., Mustard family), will nt finish ripening nce they have been remved frm the plant. Leaving seeds n the parent plant t full maturity and dryness is always preferable. Once pds r husks have been harvested, stre them in a dry place and wait until they are thrughly dry. When the pds r husks are dry enugh they will easily crumble between yur hands. Crumble the pds r husks until all the seeds are released. Then place seeds and chaff in a bwl r bx and swirl r shake gently. Mst f the larger chaff pieces will rise t the tp and can simply be remved by hand. Seeds and finer chaff are easy t separate by a variety f methds. One way is t use tw screens f varying mesh, ne a little smaller than the seeds and the ther a little larger. The first screen lets anything smaller than the seeds fall thrugh, and the secnd lets the seeds thrugh and stps anything larger. Anther methd f separating seeds and chaff is t rll seeds dwn a gently slping bard, leaving chaff stranded near the tp f the bard. This simple methd wrks well with rund seeds, but is basically useless fr flat seeds such as squashes. A very ancient methd f cleaning seeds is called 'winnwing.' In a gentle wind, drp the seed/chaff mixture frm a height f several feet int a bucket r nt a sheet r tarp. With a little skill and sme cperatin frm the wind (a fan in an enclsed space can be used fr better cntrl), seeds will fall int the bucket r nt the tarp while chaff blws away t ne side. Anther, very simple way t winnw small quantities f seeds is t swirl r gently bunce the seeds and their chaff in a shallw bwl while carefully blwing chaff away with yur breath. It's a gd idea t d this ver a clth r newspaper t catch seeds blwn ut f the bwl with the chaff. These can then be hand-cleaned r planted. Cleaning Wet Seeds Wet seeds are easy t clean, thugh sme need the additinal step f fermentatin. Seeds which require fermentatin shuld be cleaned after nt befre fermenting. Allw the fruits t fully mature n their plants befre harvesting. T clean wet seeds, scp the seeds frm the fruit, pulp and all. Pur the seeds and pulp int a large, slping bwl and add water. Healthy seeds will sink t the bttm f the bwl, while dead seeds and mst f the pulp will flat. Use yur fingers t gently separate all the seeds frm the pulp. Then, t remve the pulp and dead seeds, carefully pur the extra water with the flating pulp and dead seeds frm the bwl. Pur quickly enugh fr dead seeds and pulp t pur ff the tp, and slwly enugh s that the heavier, gd seeds remain safely n the bttm. By repeating this rinsing and puring prcess several times, the seeds can be gtten very clean (getting seeds as clean as pssible helps t keep them frm sticking t whatever surface yu dry them n).
Drying Wet Seeds After Cleaning 7 T initially dry yur seeds after cleaning, drain them f excess misture in a strainer. Pat the bttm f the strainer with a clth twel t pull extra water frm the seeds after they have drained. Then spread the seeds n a piece f glass r a shiny ceramic plate t dry (they will stick t paper, even waxed paper). Place the glass r ceramic plate in a cl, dry shady spt fr several days. After the seeds are dry, they can be carefully remved frm the glass r plate and final-dried befre being stred in jars Ht Water Treatment - Fermentatin has already been discussed as a way t kill bacteria and disease, but yu can als use ht water bath. Basically that is maintaining the seeds in a cntinuus ht water treatment f exactly 50C fr 20-30 minutes. This kills the prblems withut damaging the seeds viability, just make sure yu dry the seeds well again after this treatment befre strage. 1.10 General Harvest and Strage Ntes Seed shuld always be stred under cl, dry cnditins. The wrst strage cnditins are fluctuating nes, high t lw humidity, high t lw temperature changes. Seed left in a tin garden shed wn't even last a year in Perth, as in summer the shed might reach 60C. Put seeds in plastic bags fr separatin and labeling befre putting the plastic bags int air-tight, glass jars t be stred. Nte: plastic bags alne d nt prtect against misture, especially in ptentially mist lcatins like refrigeratrs r freezers. Allw jars that have been stred in refrigeratr r freezer t warm t rm temperature befre pening t prevent mist air frm cndensing n the inside walls f the jar. Temperatures well belw freezing will nt harm seeds if they have been adequately dried. Further this is a great way t kill pests like weevils and ther insects. Sealing mst seeds frm air, except in the case f beans and peas, which like sme air circulatin, prlngs viability. Mst sund vegetable seeds, if stred prperly, will remain viable fr many years, with the exceptin f shrtlived nin, leek, crn and parsnip seed. The previus tables give a guide n each type. Put each kind f seed int its wn envelpe with the cultivar name and the date f strage. Yu can als put envelpes r just the seeds in airtight tins, glass jars r plastic cntainers that can be clsed t make them misture prf. String seed cntainers in the freezer will increase lngevity. 1.11 Germinatin Tests Yu might like t run a germinatin test f the seed yu are abut t save, and test yur seeds frm year t year t see hw the viability (percentage f the seeds that will germinate) is travelling. Mst seeds can be tested by taking 10 r s seeds and pacing them in mist paper twel r ccpeat and seeing hw many germinate.
1.12 Beginner Seeds - Try these first. 8 Self-pllinating Annuals These include lettuces, beans, tmates and peppers. It is easy t save a diversity f them and they are very significant crps t save. Lettuce A single lettuce can prduce hundreds f small yellw flwers atp its stalk. The flwers becme bunches f feathery little seed sites, each flwer creating eight t fifteen seeds. The seeds are a miniature versin f dandelin seeds, having a tiny parachute perfect fr riding the breezes. They are little wedges abut an eighth f an inch lng and are either white r dark, depending n variety. Smene wanting t have enugh seed fr the cming year culd simply pluck tw r three fuzzy seedheads t easily get a cuple f dzen seeds. The seed can be rubbed between the fingers t release the fluff. Mst f the fluff can be easily blwn away if yu re careful nt t blw t hard. Sifting it thrugh an apprpriate screen can als clean the seed. Fr the amateur seed saver, it is nt crucial fr the seeds t be ttally clean, just ttally dry. Lettuce seeds keep a high viability fr at least fur years. Tmates Tmates are the best summer crp t grw and seed save frm. Tmat flwers are self fertile and will rarely be crssed by insects. Yu can grw multiple varieties and save the seeds frm each. Pulp frm a tmat can be squished nt paper twel fr easy quick tear ff seed sheet, but the better tmat seed saving methd invlves letting ripe tmates ferment fr a few days t prevent bacterial and viral diseases frm persisting thrugh the seed. Fermentatin als breaks dwn the gel that cvers tmat seed. Tw r three days later yu ll bserve a mldy, fermented brew, scp ff slimy tp and the clear water and the seeds will be belw, pur these nt a fine mesh screen that cllects the seeds. Allw them t dry. Seeds als remain viable fr 5 plus years making this an even better beginner prject. Beans/Peas These include fresh green and yellw snap beans, peas, chickpeas, sybeans and lentils. In the prcess f drying dwn, all these legumes lse their leaves until nly the pds are left. Mst get t the pint where the beans rattle in the pds if yu shake them. Sme beans pds twist pen and spurt their seeds n ht days, s it s imprtant t d daily checks when harvest is clse. If yur thumbnail can t make a dent in the seed, the beans are ready. Pick the pds by hand, gathering them in apprpriate cntainers and take them t yur drying space. Spread them nt screens r trays. Althugh they culd be threshed immediately, giving them anther drying day r tw is gd in case sme seeds are nt quite dne. They dry better in the pd. Opening the pds ne by ne can be a very exciting as well as mesmerizing activity and a great fun way t intrduce kids t seed saving and gardening. The abve self-pllinating annuals are an excellent place t start seed saving.
A mentined befre the best seed saving bk in Australia is, The Seed Savers Handbk, (buy it nline I highly recmmend it). The fllwing pages prvide a summary f infrmatin n the rest f the species, but the bk has a page f instructins n each plant. 9
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1.13 Where t get Open Pllinated Seeds r Heirlm Seeds There are lts f Australian cmpanies, mst are ver east thugh s it s a mail rder r nline buying prcess. Three lcal surces are Greenhuse Organic (Seedlings and Seeds), Daisy Chain Nursery and Yilgarn Drylands Permaculture Nursery s try them first and supprt lcal. Seeds can be rdered nline r lk at Abslute Organic, Green life Sil cmpany and ther rganic fd utlets. There are lts nline. Basically put this in yur search engine pen pllinated seeds.au. 13 Phenix seeds PO Bx 207 Snug Tasmania (Australia) 7054 Tel : 03 6267 9663 Fax : 03 6267 9592 Diggers : http://www.diggers.cm.au/, Green Harvest: http://www.greenharvest.cm.au/ Eden Seeds and Select Organic: http://www.edenseeds.cm.au/ http://www.selectrganic.cm.au/ The Italian Gardener: http://www.theitaliangardener.cm.au/ Crnacpia: http://www.crnucpiaseeds.cm.au/ The Lst Seed: http://www.thelstseed.cm.au/ 1.14 Prpagatin frm Seed This has been largely discussed already but a summary f the imprtant pints is belw. Seed Viability age, cnditin, strage Seed shuld be clean, free f pulp r fruit residue, r chemical inhibitrs Fresh seed where pssible, well stred, n muld Timing seasnal suitability Favurable weather appraching r greenhuse Rising sil temperature r use bttm heat Stratificatin pre-treating seeds befre swing Saking/abrading/clipping hard cated seed t imprve water absrptin Smke water treatment, simulatin f bushfire cnditins Heat treatment t release seed, nuts, banksia etc Seed raising mix 50/50 carse sand and peat r cmpst, shredded manure N added nutrient Trays r pts nt t shallw drying ut, defrmed rts Prpagatin Area mild shady humid cnditins Clse by, visited daily Nearby tap r water tank Structures shade-huses, greenhuses, cld frames
1.15 Grwing Seeds and Seedlings Make r purchase a seed raising sil mix. It shuld be reasnably light with drainage which is why vermiculite is ften used t enable tiny rts t penetrate but it als needs t hld water ( ccpeat, wrm castings and fine cmpst). The mixture desn t need t be rich in nutrients, as the seed raising mix is a shrt term grwth medium. 1/3 sharp sand, 1/3 Ccpeat r vermiculite, 1/3 cmpst r wrm castings shuld be fine. Generally yu can fllw seed packet instructins fr seed planting. Dn t plant them t deep, as a rule f thumb seeds shuld be planted 2-3 times as deep as the seed size. Thus many fine seeds are just scratched int the sil, and carefully kept mist. Fr carrts, rcket, lettuce and grain plants I cver the sil with shadeclth, if the sil surface dry's ut in the midday sun and the seeds have germinated they will die in 1 hur, this cver ver shallw seeds als spts dves frm cming and eating yur seed. Chse seasnal seeds fllwing the what t plant when guides, Greenlife Sil has a great lcal Perth list n their excellent infrmatin rich website. www.greelifesil.cm.au, ther ptins are Gardenate (nline) r lcal gardening magazines and enews letters. Perth has a tricky climate mst things grw mst f the time. I recmmend peple plant a few seeds/seedling f each type each mnth s that yearly/seasnal variatins can be allwed fr. Mst plants are killed by 40C summer peaks and if yu have frsts this will als kill many (nn winter) plants. Essentially the plant will grw well when the seasn is right. As I save my seed and have plenty fr trial and errr my preferred methd is sw a few f all yur seeds in yur pen bed any time it and yu are ready t water and care fr them. Nature will take ver and they will germinate when they are ready if nt eaten by birds etc. If yu have limited seeds r are struggling t get plants t cme up in yur garden beds (insitu) yu shuld set up a seed raising nursery. While nt all plants like transplanting (avid this with carrts and mst rt crps) many (as per the table belw) can be carefully grwn t a bigger strnger plant and then transplanted in a mnth r tw. This is als great if yu have slater, slugs and snails in yur garden that eat a new seedling in ne night. It can als speed up yur summer crps t raise them in a warm nursery in early spring (when yu get frsts and cld nights) and transplant them ut after the last frst. This gives yu a 1 mnth lnger grwing seasn befre it gets t ht t garden (r at least start yung plants) in mid summer (Jan/Feb/March). Seeds and seedling shuld be ut in yur garden 'sun hardening' by Nvember, the ht days 36G plus will kill mst yung seedlings ut in the pen. 14
1.16 Self seeding gardens and plants. The mre I read and experience the mre it is clear that the best seed bank is in the sil, this is the seed bank that mther nature uses. Successive years f gd seed saving (r just grwing if they self seed) will create strng lcalized plants they will geminate as the call f nature dictate rather than we guess. Yu will find that self seeded plants will generally d much better as lng as they are fed and watered. A self seeded plant nt nly cmes up when it needs t but ften where it needs t s the benefit is twfld. Grwing guides are just that guides, and even lcal nes made the year befre may nt suit the fllwing year due t large climate and yearly temp and rainfall variatins in WA. Use them as a guide, dcument yur wn results at yur lcatin. VEGETABLES Seed Grwing (Eden Seed s guide) Rw spacing (cm) Plant spacing (cm) Depth (cm) Mild Perth, Subtrpics Cstal Number f seeds per gram Best Sil Temp C 15 Average days t maturity Amaranth 50-75 50.5 Sep-Mar Aug-Apr 900 16-30 50 Artichke 200-240 160-180 1-2 Aug-Nv Aug-Nv 22 15-18 300-400 Asparagus 90-120 20-35 1-2 Aug-Nv Aug-Nv 23-28 16-30 2-3 years Bean, Brad 60-90 15-25 5 Mar-Jul Mar-Jun 5-1 6-24 90-120 Bean, Bush 50-60 8-15 2-3 Sep-Feb Aug-Apr 2-4 16-30 55-70 Bean, Climbing 100 10-20 2-3 Sep-Jan Aug-Apr 3-4 16-30 65-80 Beetrt 45-60 5-10 2 Jul-Apr Any 50-90 8-30 55-70 Brccli 50-60 35-50.5-1 Sep-Apr Feb-May 175-330 7-30 60-90 Brussels Spruts 100 45-60.5-1 Dec-Apr Feb-Jun 225-300 7-30 85-95 Buckwheat Bradcast Bradcast.5-1 Jan-Oct Feb-Oct 30 30-45 Burdck 60 50 1-2 Sep-Apr Aug-May 50 120 Cabbage 50-75 35-60.5-1 Any Any 20-380 10-35 60-110 Capsicum 100-150 50-60.6 Aug-Dec Aug-Mar 120-160 18-35 70-90 Carrt 25-30 2-5.5-1 Sep-May Feb-Nv 600-900 10-30 65-90 Cauliflwer 60-100 45-60.4-.6 Dec-Apr Jan-Apr 240-420 10-30 110-155 Celeriac 45-80 15-30.2-.5 Sep-Dec Mar-Oct 2100-3000 8-21 90-120 Celery 45-80 15-30.2-.5 Sep-Dec Mar-Oct 2100-3000 12-21 120 Chilli 90-120 40-50.6 Aug-Dec Aug-Mar 130-190 18-35 65-80 Cllards 50-100 40-50.5-1 Feb-Apr Mar-Sep 300 8-30 60-80 Crn, Maize 60-90 20-30 2-3 Sep-Feb Aug-Mar 2-4 16-35 100-150 Crn, Sweet 60-90 20-30 2-3 Sep-Feb Aug-Mar 4-7 16-35 80-100 Cucumber 120-150 40-60 1 Sep-Feb Aug-Mar 30-40 16-35 60-70 Eggplant 80-90 50-80.5-.8 Aug-Dec Aug-Mar 200-250 24-32 90-110 Endive 45-60cm 20-30cm.5-1cm Sep-Apr Mar-Jul 700-1000 15-25 70 Gurd 150 90-120 2 Sep-Dec Aug-Jan 10 20-30 95-120 Herbs, Parsley 50-60 20-30.5-1 Sep-May Feb-May 500-650 10-30 65-135 Kale 50-100 40-50 1 Mar-Apr Mar-Jun 250-370 8-30 50-65 Khl Rabi 35-40 10-20.5-1 Aug-May Mar-Aug 250-350 8-30 55-70
Leek 30-75 10-15.5-1 Aug-Apr Jan-Mar 350-450 8-30 105-130 Lettuce 35-50 20-30.6 Any Any 600-1200 8-27 60-85 Luffa 150 45-75 3 Sep-Dec Aug-Jan 6 20-30 80 Marrw 100-120 90-120 2 Sep-Jan Aug-Mar 6-8 20-35 90-120 Mustard Greens 50-75 35-60.5-1 Any Any 300 10-35 40-60 Okra 90-120cm 35-60cm 1cm Oct-Dec Aug-Feb 15-25 20-35 80-98 Onin 30-40 5-10.5-1 Feb-Aug Feb-Jul 240-400 8-30 180-240 Parsnip 35-50 8-10.5-1 Jul-Mar Feb-Sep 230-400 6-21 120-140 Pea 45-60 5-8 2-3 Feb-Sep Mar-Jul 3-5 8-24 65-80 Pumpkin 250-300 90-120 3 Sep-Dec Aug-Feb 5-12 20-32 105-140 Radish 25-35 3-5 1-2 Any Any 100-140 8-30 40-50 Rhubarb 60-70 40-50 1.2 Aug-Jan Aug-Feb 60 Rckmeln 120-150 40-60 1-2 Sep-Dec Aug-Feb 25-40 20-32 75-115 Rsella 90-120 45 1 Oct-Feb Sep-Mar 50-70 24-32 175 Salad Greens, 45-60cm Endive 20-30cm.5-1cm Sep-Apr Mar-Jul 700-1000 15-25 70 Salsify 20-40 5-10 Aug-Mar Mar-Oct 60-80 110-180 Shallts 20-30 2-3.5 Feb-Sep Feb-Sep 350-480 8-30 85-105 Silverbeet 50-60 15-30 1.5-2 Sep-May Any 50-60 10-30 50-85 Squash, Buttn 90-120 60-80 2-3 Sep-Jan Aug-Mar 7-12 21-35 50-60 Sunflwer 50-100 20-30 1-2 Aug-Jan Aug-Apr 7-15 15-30 70-80 Swede 45-70 10-20 1 Jan-Apr Jan-May 380-480 15-30 70-75 Tmat 60-150 40-60.5 Aug-Dec Aug-Apr 250-400 16-35 60-120 Turnip 30-50 12-20 1 Sep-Apr Aug-May 400-500 12-30 45-65 Watermeln 150-200 60-75 2-3 Aug-Dec Aug-Feb 10-20 21-35 68-100 Zucchini 90-110 50-90 2-3 Sep-Jan Any 6-12 21-35 44-63 Greenlife Sils what t Plant When Guide Check ut their great website Search Greenlife Sils 16