seeding/flowering bok choy

[djs-sa]

is it worth growing it any further to get seeds or what do people advise

thanks dale

[Hamish]

Im keen to know how people save their seeds. Have herd of people tying paper bags over the seed heads to collect them. I have some corrianda that has gone to seed and I am trying to work out what to do to collect the seed.

By the way I had a very small bok choy flower (it was left in a seed starting pot way to long) and it had a yellow flower like the photo - so im certain it is bok choy.

[djs-sa]

i have flowers at this stage so i'm waiting for seeds, i hope?

[bushboy]

Hi Hamish - I tie paper bags onto the flower heads - currently have some on lemon grass and cos lettuce.
I use fruit fly bags as they are suitable for outside (if it rains they don't disintegrate).
I have wondered about thin plastic bags being ok as well but feel paper is probably better as it "breathes".
Whether this is rational or not I am not sure.

Tom

[Hamish]

Thanks - I will have a look for some of those bags.

[bushboy]

I got mine from Green Harvest - great mail order service for seeds and garden bits and pieces

http://www.greenharvest.com.au/pestcontrol/exclusion_prod.html#Fruit%20Fly%20Exclusion%20Bags

Tom

[Hamish]

Yes greenharvest are awesome - I get all my seeds there! I will add some bags to my next order of seeds. I really want to be able to be as self sufficient as possible so saving my own seeds will be a good step in that direction.

[echidna]

Bok Choy produces seeds like many other Brassica - the seed pod forms from the flower as a tubular shape 30-60mm long. Let a few flower and one plant seed and harvest the seed pods when they take on a parchment-like look. Bees love Brassica flowers. Since many are different cultivars of the same species, be aware that cross pollination easily occurs and hybridisation is common. Be very wary if near GM Canola (aka Rapeseed) as it is closely related to many of the vegetable Brassicas. I've got a lot of Gai Choy (Mustard Greens) seed and have Mizuma and Bok Choy almost ready. Once I've got enough seed harvested I'll be happy to post to any member in States where that is legal. (That would be QLD, NSW, ACT and VIC, check with local quarantine in other states.)

[Outbackozzie]

I let my vegies go to seed when I have finished with them to promote the bees :)

[hellbent]

these kind of look like my grain mesh bag for my homebrew....
i bet can use one of my old grain bags to collect seeds.

[Tsaphah]

If you don't let some go to seed, how would you ever get your next crop!
I was just talking to someone on the weekend about this very same topic, and its amazing that some people have no idea that plants grow from seeds:eek: Just like some kids think milk comes from the shop!!!

Green Harvest is a great place to get seeds, and good on them for the work they are doing in preserving as many different strains as they do.
The strains of plants being grown in aquaponic systems are generaly hardy, and if you like, get a hive of native bees to help polinate. They are safe, dont travel so far, dont sting, and although slow at producing honey, you can still get some. That way you are also doing another bit in helping the eco system. Like Murray says, its all about ballance!

OK, I'll get off my soapbox now!

[jpcw]

So where can you get a hive of native bees? Specificaly in WA

[Tsaphah]

Hi John,

Sorry for the late reply, PC got a virus, death in the family and away for long weekend! Have a look here, http://www.aussiebee.com.au/beesinyourarea.html. Give them a call and they should be able to hook you up with someone in your area.

We had a nest of stingless bees in the foundations of our last rental, but when I went back to see if I could get some out to start a new colony, they had been 'murdered'!

[jpcw]

Thanks for that. Looks like a no go for the Perth area.

[arthoz]

Instead of keeping a beehive, why not breed solitary bees. I got tired of being stung by bees in my orchard. They are good pollinator and generally harmless. They make egg sections in holes (around 2-6 mm diameter). There are a lot of websites that instruct on how to build their egg nest. You don't get honey out of them but they pollinate as good as any bees and they are safe for children, pets and neighbours (if you want them in the urban area).