Wow - that's a much wider spacing than I guessed. I may need to replant some tomorrow. For some reason, I thought they could be placed close together. Maybe that was onions. Well, this year is an experiment. Next year, I want to save good quality seed to share. mauirose - unfortunately, they are only purple on the outside. The inside is more yellow orange. bsntech - I had carrots over winter under shredded leaves, but I didn't try it with this variety this year. Glad to see more people seed-saving! Just FYI - carrots cross easily with Queen Ann's Lace and broccoli can be tricky. Do you have "Seed to Seed" by Suzanne Ashworth? Great book on seed saving! Bellatrix

Blaferby, I have seen improvement in yield, etc. when saving and using seed from my own garden. But I don't know how much of that is because of selection and how much is because I learn how to better grow the given variety. I've been seriously saving seeds since 1984. Here's what I would suggest. You can go ahead and use your extra seeds, for as long as you desire. But make a practice of producing some new seed every year that you can. Save each batch separately, and label it accurately. Eventually your original seed will give out. It's always possible that you might get an unintentional cross in a batch of seed. By saving several batches, you better ensure the survival of the original variety. If you really want to go the extra mile, save some of your seed in a sealed jar, in the freezer. This essentially halts the aging process of the seed. I once grew out a squash from seen which had been 25 years in a freezer. It germinated as if it were only a year old, and... I was amazed how my more recent seed stock had morphed over the years. I had essentially narrowed the gene pool, changing the mix of characteristics in the variety. George Tahlequah, OK

it might be a little early for plantaginea... give it another two weeks.. or peek down in there and see if the flowers are just forming ... pick a plant... since you don't have streakers... in a size and shape that pleases you ... if you can get a plant in the size and shape you like.. you can always take its pollen.. in future years.. and put it onto one of the reliable streakers ... too many people do it backwards .... genetics are sooo variable... get size.. get shape... ruffles... crinkles.. etc ... and when you have perfected it.. the easiest part.. is to put its pollen onto the streaker to get an edge on it ... all you need is 20 years.. lol ken

So, is a good rule of them that self-pollinating species are generally safe, whereas insect/wind-pollinated species require extra attention? Generally, that's true. But growing only self-pollinating vegetables really limits you in what vegetables you can grow. It limits you to only using heirloom (open-pollinated), self-pollinating vegetables and well-stabilized older hybrids. It won't keep some newer hybrid things from reverting even if they are self-pollinating. In other words, if you grow a newer hybrid variety of tomato or squash that hasn't been around for years and is well-stabilized the seeds from that tomato or squash may revert the following year regardless of any cross-pollination that may or may not have taken place. Follow me? From Mother Earth News "The easiest way for the beginning seed grower to avoid [cross pollination problems] is to concentrate on self-pollinating vegetables - such as lettuce, okra, beans, peas, and tomatoes - which have flowers designed in ways that discourage or prohibit fertilization by other plants. (Peas and tomatoes, for example, have already pollinated themselves by the time the flowers open!) Still, to restrict your efforts to these plants is to miss out on much of the fun, challenge and satisfaction of growing your own seeds." And bagging a couple of blooms and hand pollinating them is really quite simple to do and takes only a few minutes. There is a FAQ on how to do here at GW. Had your Dad done that you wouldn't be scarred for life. ;) Help or make it more confusing? Dave