Seed Swapping

[MaryG]

This year I noticed that 2 of my seed-swaps were mislabeled. In other words, I didn't get the seeds I swapped for last year, instead something entirely different grew. The first ones were supposed to be something called Butterfly Flower but instead they look like miniature sunflowers. They're OK but I already have plenty of sunflowers. The 2nd turned out like little Calendula plants, yellow flowers with brown centres. Again, they're OK but I wouldn't have swapped for them.

They're pretty and are growing but I'm wondering if any of you have ever received different seeds than the ones you were swapping for.

Just curious.

[boo]

Yeah, I have. Its amazing how people call different plants by different common names. Yours sounds like a total misup though.

Wait a minute :unsure: Are you making a compliant against the site? :P -_- trying to make trouble :lol: :lol:

There was the daylily seed that I grew that turned out to be an siberian iris :unsure: That was even worse though because I paid for the seeds on ebay. I guess nothing that strange has happened to me on here....yet.

[DandyLioness]

Hey, speaking of seed swapping... What's the rule of thumb, as far as how many seeds you send to each person? I know that some are seen only thru a microscope and some are huge... but what do you think?

I'm thinking enough to be sure that at least SOME germinate. True? <_<

[terese]

right dandy. :D usually at least 20 seeds per trade.

[DandyLioness]

Okee Dokee... I have that straightened out then. Thanks, Terese! :P

[MrSeedy]

I think the number of seeds should depend on both the size and the number of seeds any particular plant produces. Some of those larger seed varieties don't produce the thousands of seeds that those with very small seeds produce, so it's possible the person sending that particular swap just doesn't have oodles of them to trade in the first place. On the other hand for very small seeds like oriental poppies , you can get possibly hundreds of seeds from just a few flowers, so there's no need to skimp on the numbers unless you want to make many trades with limited numbers????? Anyway , just a suggestion , but I hate to scrimp with the numbers. Also for some of the large seed varieties you can almost count on 100 % germination under the right conditions, so it's not necessary to send large amounts to get results. I must admit however , it can be difficult to dertermine just by looking at some varieties of seeds, to determine how many of the seeds are "viable" or able to germinate, once they're planted. One example is some Mimosa or Silk Tree seeds a friend gave me. All those seeds were very thin and shriveled looking and I know from experience that most seeds of the "legume" group are quite firm and plump if they're viable seeds and not dried up skinny looking things, that are little wider than a piece of heavy paper???? Anyone else know about the "proper" look for healthy Mimosa seeds. I don't think those were fertile seeds , he gave me, and it's not unusual for some plants to produce perfectly normal looking seed pods that have next to no vialble seeds in them, though those pods will usually be very thin, and not their normal "plump" state.

[donybee]

Even worse is getting the right labels and then having the label disappear after you planted them. I still have plants I have no name for and have to wait to see what flower they have on. Some may not even flower until next year. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Ginny42]

Luckily I've never had that happen to me yet. There were a couple of times when saving my own seed that I put them in a baggie and didn't label them right away, then couldn't tell what seed they were later. ^_^ I never sent them to anyone though. The columbine and balloon flower seeds look almost identical. :lol: As far as the amount I put in each packet, depends on how much seed I have to share. Usually small seeds (foxglove, poppies) I put in about a teaspoon full, as far as large seeds, (sweet peas, baptisia, morning glory) I usually put in about 10 to 12 seeds, but then again that depends on how many I have too.

MrSeedy, the mimosa seeds are not very large believe it or not, but they shouldn't be flat either. :unsure: I don't have any to show you right now, but if you want some in the fall, I'll send you some fresh seed from the tree. ;)

[Ichigo]

I've had seed sent to me (just recently) and they weren't labeled at all! I know what was traded....but I can't tell them apart, you know, what's what and what not. Very frustrating,I think! :blink: