How to chit seed potatoes

‘Potato Pete’ was a cartoon character from the WW2 era, whose job was to persuade people to fill up on homegrown potatoes rather than bread made from imported wheat. Potatoes made it into all kinds of recipes during the war, replacing some of the fat in pastry and even turning into dessert. The Ministry of Food published the Potato Pete Recipe Book, which you can read online.

Seed trays, modules and pots

I accidentally fell into a garden centre yesterday. I mean, it was 45 minutes away, and we went there deliberately, but it was an accident, all the same

It looks as though spring might be on its way in the northern hemisphere, and gardeners’ thoughts are turning towards tomatoes and potatoes. You may have already sown your first tomato seeds; your seed potatoes may be chitting on the windowsill. But what if you could get both potatoes and tomatoes from the same plant – a TomTato?

This is a repository for all the information on this site about seed saving. If you want to start saving your own seeds, or you’ve picked up one of my seed packets from a seed swap and need instructions on how to grow the plants, then this is the place to look.

An ideal seed compost is able to retain water, whilst at the same time letting excess water drain away to provide an environment that is damp but not waterlogged. It allows penetration of plant roots and is able to anchor plants, but has space for air. Its texture is consistent, and it is free from pests, diseases and weeds that would compete with the seedlings. As we have seen, it doesn’t need to contain many nutrients if seedlings are going to be pricked out; seedlings growing in modules will either need enough nutrients in the compost to support them through their first weeks of life, or suitable supplementary feeding.

I used to do a lot of seed swapping, attending (and holding) seed swaps, and doing ad hoc swaps with gardening contacts, many of whom I met online. I used to quite enjoy making homemade seed packets, and did some lovely ones from old botanical illustrations. Understandably this faded into the background over the years that I was without a garden and establishing a new one. I’m also trying to be a lot more restrained in my seed acquisitions, since seeds don’t last forever and I have neither unlimited time nor space in which to grow them. Last year I went to a local seed swap only long enough to give them my excess seeds!

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault (also called the Doomsday vault) in Norway was officially opened in February 2008. During the 3 months prior to the grand opening, engineers pumped refrigerated air into the vault to bring its temperature down from a chilly -5°C to an arctic -18°C.

A quick and easy potato salad that makes a lovely side dish for a BBQ.

Ericaceous compost

Seeds can be one of the biggest expenses in a garden, and if you spend time tracking down heirloom or unusual varieties then they may also be very precious. Many gardeners sow seeds indoors, or in pots and trays, to ensure a higher rate of germination than you would expect in the open soil, but even doing this does not always ensure successful germination.

It’s nearly two years since I started the Alternative Kitchen Garden Seed Appeal, with the aim of raising enough money to help the Millennium Seed Bank save a species. We still have a way to go to reach the target ;(