weird seeds!

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weird seeds!

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wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 05 6:09 pm Post subject: weird seeds!

My mother (in addition to bamboozling me with mushroom spawn and a worm bin) has given me a selection of very perculiar seeds for christmas. Does anyone have any advice on what to do with them? I have venus fly trap (which I think I can manage) but also two kinds of soyabean (I didn't know you grow them in this country) Rice (ditto) capers (ditto!) and Husk Cherry Goldie (I've never even heard of those!)

Does anyone have any ideas on how to grow them, and what to do with them to make them edible once I have and (except in the case of the rice and the capers) how to cook or serve them!

Does anyone know what a husk cherry goldie is? Perhaps I should send some to cab!

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 05 6:12 pm Post subject:
Soy bean is marginal in this country, boil in the pods and squeeze them straight into your gob, I don't think it's worth trying to ripen them for drying.

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 05 6:23 pm Post subject:

A husk cherry is the same as a Cape Gooseberry, I think; easy to grow, really a perennial, treat just like a tomato. Does better under glass, wonderful jam, lasts for a while after harvesting. One of my favourite fruits.
Lucky you with the capers - I'm going to try them this year, but need to find the seed first. I know that some seed companies are selling soya that is suitable for growing and harvesting in this country, so if it's one of these you should be OK; I intend to try this as well this year.
Never tried rice, but would if I could, probably!!

Looking forward to hearing of your progress.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 05 6:23 pm Post subject:
Yup it'll definitely be interesting

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 05 6:35 pm Post subject:
I have just read the label ( ) and the seeds came from www.futurefoods.com You go there at your own risk - I will not be responsible for encouraging mad seed buying! I might have a look myself (there are more growing instructions there it says!) I wonder what else they sell? Here we go.... Perhaps I should wait until Sarah grows them, and then she can tell me how to do it!

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 05 6:44 pm Post subject:
Future Foods are wonderful; I should think if the soya came from there, then you will be able to grow it here. I've had stuff from them in the past

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 05 7:32 pm Post subject:

Simon from Future Foods used to post a bit on the Kitchen Garden magazine forum, wonder if we could tempt him in here?

His book Growing Unusual Vegetables looks good.

We managed to germinate some rice last summer but planted it a bit late - it's dying in the f-f-f-freezing greenhouse now. However, ours was only from the Camargue red rice from Merchant Gourmet...I read somewhere on the internet that it would grow and it did, because of course everything on the Internet is true

The same article also said it makes a nice pond marginal while it lives.

I've got a nice book of veg, fruit and herbs, which I'll have a look in, it has instructions for some unusual plants so you never know.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 05 7:37 pm Post subject:
Not far from you either (I might have known - you seem to have the lot down there - I am particularly jealous of your tip!) the gold cherry thing is listed as seperate from cape gooseberyy but same family, so I should imgaine it would be very similar. I shall plant it and see. Watch this space!

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 05 10:13 pm Post subject:
Come on over for a visit, and I'll show you the sights.................the pub, the tip, the farmshop....................

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 05 10:23 pm Post subject:

Bugs wrote:

Simon from Future Foods used to post a bit on the Kitchen Garden magazine forum, wonder if we could tempt him in here?

Get onto him Bugs

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 05 12:49 pm Post subject:

Sarah D wrote:

Come on over for a visit, and I'll show you the sights.................the pub, the tip, the farmshop....................

My OH would think I'd totally flipped 'I'm just popping down to dorset, darling, to visit someone elses tip. We might pop into the farm too, back in a couple of days!' He'd approve of the pub though.

We do pass your way occassionally, so I might take you up on it one of these days!

Guest

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 12:46 pm Post subject:
The seeds mentioned are all available from Chiltern Seeds but be warned, their catalogue is addictive, great website, dead easy to use: https://www.edirectory.co.uk/chilternseeds/pages/banner.asp?companyid=211 HTH Tristan

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 12:58 pm Post subject:
Love chiltern seeds - I buy some of their Lottery and mystery type mixes every year, listed at the back of the catalogue. Good fun, that, as you're never quite sure what you're going to get! I love the eloquent descriptions too, and spend hours poring over it. I then add up my order, and it comes to something around 600.58 or something ridiculous like that, so I have to trim it a little.......

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 2:37 pm Post subject:

That's perfectly natural with seed catologues, and happens all the time. It's even worse with amazon.

The buety of internet shopping, is you can fill up your basket and trim it later on, without actually having to carry everything. Pity they don't have a save for later option. All shops should have one of those, to remind me what I meant to buy next time. Amazon must make a fortune out of it - surprised no-one esle has cottoned on yet.

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