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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] The Importance of Seed Saving

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  • From: Harvey Ussery <boxwood@nelsoncable.com>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] The Importance of Seed Saving
  • Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2008 07:25:29 -0400


My green leaf lettuce has gone to seed. Can I just take those seeds now and
plant them? Forgive me if I sound stupid, I'm new at gardening! ~su do

There is disagreement about the amount of crossing, both between varieties of cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and between L. sativa and its closest wild relative, L. serriola. Based on Suzanne Ashworth's take on the subject [her SEED TO SEED is the bible on the subject of seed saving], I'd guess that--if your green leaf lettuce is the only variety you were growing, and you've kept your garden pretty free of "weeds" such as wild lettuce--you'll probably get good seed purity. If you grow multiple var's, or have plenty of wild lettuce around making rogue pollen, your results are hard to predict, but certainly worth experimenting with.

Good luck.

~Harvey

--
Harvey in northern Va
www.themodernhomestead.us

I truly believe that as long as we have not found peace with the soil, we
won't find peace above the ground. That as long as we justify the
exploitation of any organism, other exploitations will follow and we will
remain parasites, consuming more than participating, and spiralling into
entropy until we commit mass suicide. ~Emilia Hazelip





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