Southland Seed Savers Network

Comment

Comment by Tamsin Scott on August 12, 2012 at 5:26pm

Just thought I'd say hello since I'm a newly joined Oooby member.  I am working one day a week at the Riverton Environment Store and am also helping to coordinate the Southland Seed Savers network - a valuable network that I hope to see grow over the following years. 

The 2012 catalogue has almost been finalized and will be sent out over the following week!  I will also post a link to it here once it's final.

Comment by Robyn Guyton on May 6, 2012 at 4:40am

We have two seed saving workshops this week:

Wednesday 9th May 7-9pm or  Saturday 12th May 3-4pm

You will learn ho to save and store all the different vegetable families in a practical lesson and get to take a good selection home to start you off.  Cost $15  Riverton Environment Centre  Southland

Comment by Denise on March 3, 2012 at 4:52pm

Awesome thanks!

Comment by Benjamin Fahrer on February 29, 2012 at 11:11pm

http://www.permies.com/t/12068/permaculture/Will-pit-fruits-grown-seed

here is a similar forum

Comment by Denise on February 29, 2012 at 10:16pm

Thanks for that. The tree is in an old orchard where there used to be a house many years ago so I would assume its not a modern grafted one. I will try both ways and see what happens, nothing to loose...

Comment by Robyn Guyton on February 27, 2012 at 7:43am

Yes to both.   If stone fruit is an original old variety it should grow true to type. However it takes much longer to fruit and it will be the size of its original ancestor so could be anywhere from 2 metres to 10 metres high.

Suckers from plum trees grow if the shallow roots are damaged and they can be true to the tree only if it hasn't been grafted.  The root stock is usually an inferior fruit and is grown for size and health.

I am not an expert as there could be exceptions if cross pollination with other species effects this or whether only self fertile ones are true.

Will do a bit of research on this.  I know there are thousands of different apples around the world 14,000+ named and only hundreds of  different plums or cherries and less again of apricots and peaches.  If they didn't mainly grow true I would have expected thousands of varieties of stone fruit as well.

Comment by Denise on February 26, 2012 at 10:41pm

Do greengages grow true from stones? Just found some today and have been bottling them. Also can I graft them onto a plum tree?

Comment by Robyn Guyton on February 12, 2012 at 7:43pm

Stone fruit grow true so you need stones not root stock (re cherries, peach,plum and apricot.

Pears are hard to graft we send our cuttings to a nursery to do for us costs $13 each.

Apples are easier to graft and the rootstock you want is semi-dwarf mm106  The other numbers are too small for Southland unless you have no room for larger and they need permanent staking.  MM793 is if you have heavy damp soils also semi dwarf.  'Standard' size apples are very tall and you need a ladder to pick all but the bottom branches.

People do also graft vigorous plums onto less vigorous root stock for easy picking.

We get bulk root stock  and sell them $2.50 each you usually need 50 or more to get a good rate.   Waimea Nurseries in nelson  sell them. You will need to contact them now to guarantee some stock as they usually run out later in the year.

Comment by Benjamin Fahrer on February 12, 2012 at 5:03pm

Looking for root stock for Apples, cherries, pear, apricot, peach, plum, Not sure what is best for this area and what you all have had success with but would say MM106,M26,M9,M7 and not sure what most people use here on cherries....M793 or M116, Gisela 5 or 6.... Barlett pear.... LOve to hear what others are having success with... WOuld love to visit some working orchards you know of... Thank you

Comment by Robyn Guyton on February 5, 2012 at 2:52am

What numbers of root stock are you after? 

We have scion wood available for about 60 varieties of apples also pears and plums through our Open Orchard project

http://www.sces.org.nz/pmwiki.php/Content/OpenOrchardProject

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next ›
• Page