Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
flower. Rocket always bolts too soon, and the more you can encourage a 'non-
bolting' characteristic in your own seed, the better.
So long as there aren't any other brassicas flowering at the time, rocket will breed
true and is very easy to collect seed from. Let the pods dry out on the plants, then
cut the flower stems and hang them upside down to dry completely. The pods
can then be broken apart by hand (but wear gloves, they're sharp) and the seed
collected and stored.
Tomato
As tomatoes are self-pollinating they're one of the easiest plants from which to
save seed. Collect fully ripe, healthy fruit that has not split. Do not collect from
plants suffering from tomato blight as this may have already infected the seed.
Scoop out the seeds and put them in a jar of water. Give the jar a shake and leave
on a windowsill for three days, during which a fungus will form on the surface.
This digests the gel coating on each seed, which if left in place would inhibit
germination. After three days, remove any floating seeds (which will not germi-
nate) and pour off as much water as possible. Refill the jar and pour the water off
again, and repeat until the water remains clear. Strain out the seeds and lay them
on newspaper or paper towel to dry. If you pat them dry and then transfer them
to a harder surface they will be easier to collect, but make sure they don't stick
together.
II: Easy to moderate
With the exception of dill, the plants in this group are biennials (i.e. they live for
two years) and care should be taken not to collect seed from plants that have
flowered in their first year. All of them produce an 'umbel', a flower that looks
something like an upside-down umbrella minus its cover. Collectively, they are
known as 'umbellifers'.
Many of them will cross with each other or with Queen Anne's Lace, a wild carrot
of no culinary value whatsoever. As this is a prolific and common roadside weed,
it is important to isolate seed plants as much as possible.
Cut the umbels as seeds ripen, and hang them upside down in a paper bag until
all the seeds are dry. Rub them off by hand, but wear gloves, as some have tiny
spines that can cause skin irritation.
Carrot
While carrots can overwinter in the ground, it's better to dig them up and store
in the same way as beetroot (see page 76), then you can choose the best to
replant for seed. Plant the roots in a block in late February the following year,
leaving the crown slightly above ground level, and allow them to flower. They
are insect-pollinated, so make sure there are no other flowering umbellifers in
the area.
