IRISH SEED SAVERS

1 IRISH SEED SAVERSA ssociationSeed CatalogueAmerican Flag LeekAmish Pie PumpkinBeta3 CarrotCaro RichTomatoCamomileCosmosCylindraBeetroot Galina CherryTomatoGelb RadishGene Bank MarrowGoldenAmaranthGrandpa Admires LettuceHonestyLeprechaun CourgetteLily WhiteSea KaleLinseedFrise Vert Fonce ParsleyLucullus ChardMr. Jones Broad BeanOld Ambaster Broad BeanSeed Catalogue 2018 The IRISH Seed SAVERS Association was set up in 1991 to save Ireland s heritage and heirloom vegetable seeds, potatoes, grains and fruit trees from have over 600 varieties of organic, open pollinated heritage seeds in our pur-pose built Seed Bank and our extensive heritage gardens house the native apple tree collection together with the country s only self-rooting orchard. We share our skills and knowledge with thousands of children and adults through courses, camps and outreach programmes. The IRISH Seed SAVERS Association is one of very few organisations in Ireland engaged in this urgent work.

2 Please join us by be-coming a supporter. Your contribution will ensure that this living legacy can be held in trust for future generations. Please find supporter forms and information at the back of this catalogue. All our seed are open pollinated and grown in Ireland. Beside each variety a symbol tells you where it s been grown:ISSA - IRISH Seed SAVERS - Seed Guardian Additional - Certified Organic*B - Available on Bulk CatalogueWe welcome any gardening news, tips and feedback from your own experiences growing our seeds so that we can share it with others in the seed saving Seed SAVERS Association are very grateful to Pobal, Clare LEADER, the Department of Agriculture, The Jackson Foundation, DCCAE and the IRISH Environmental Network, Clare County Council, Patago-nia, SEAI, The Heritage Council and Cro publishing for their very valued support of our organisation. Inside Illustrations from Thomas EttyBee s & Workshop Drawings by Judith EvansContentsAlliaceae Family - Onions & Family - Cabbage, Kale, Brussel Sprouts, Sea Kale, Cauliflower, Foder Rape, Swede, Turnip, Family - Beetroot, Chard, Spinach, Family - Family - Cucumber, Courgette, Melon, Squash, Family - Family - Broad Beans, French bean, Runner Bean, Peas.

3 Liliaceae Family - Family - Linseed / FlaxSolanaceae Family - Pepper, Chilli Pepper, Tomato, Cape Family - Carrot, Parsnip, Celeriac, Celery, Root Parsley, Salsify. Salad Leaves & GreensHerbsFlowers 1-33-77-1111-1213-151516-21222223-2727-2 930-3131-3332-331 Alliaceae FamilyOnion (Allium cepa)Note: Growing onions from seed successfullySow in trays/modules under cover in February. Plant out seedlings approx 15cm apart in April into really moist soil (water well if dry). Onions need to have plenty of green leaf growth by solstice, June 21 when the change in daylight starts the process of swell-ing the bulb. Harvest when tops have started to die back in (CO - ISSA) *BThis is a true native IRISH onion bred by Barnie Crombie who was still doing onion trials in the 1980 s. However he had sent seed to the Russian and English gene banks from which IRISH Seed SAVERS Association received seed and we have been growing and saving this unique variety since.

4 It has performed extremely well in the most adverse conditions for good quality onions , ie an average IRISH summer. The name comes from old IRISH , Long life , and it is indeed a really good storage bulb, with fla-voursome white flesh and has won prizes in several long keeping (CO - ISSA)This is one of the most asked about crop varieties that we have. The RHS of 1819 states Well known sort raised by market gardener of the name James several years ago . Dropped from the national list in 1993 in Britain, this wonderful onion has good flavour medium size red/brown bulbs and as the name suggests, is an excellent keeper. Amazing to see it s still popular after 200 Des Vertus (CO - ISSA) *BThis variety is a French heirloom also known as Brown Spanish , a standard variety in Europe for over 200 years. It was said by Vilmorin in 1855 in his famous book Les Plantes Potageres that the winter supply of onions for Paris and Europe consists chiefly of this variety.

5 Now it is rare and very hard to find. The onion is flavour-ful, flat bulbs up to 10cm across, productive, early cropper with brown/copper skin. Keeps to date (CO - SG)This onion goes back 80 years. It was taken off the national variety register as it was incorrectly thought to be one and the same as Bedford Champion. The Up to date onion has good resistance to the disease white rot. A yellow skinned variety good all round and excellent for storage. Overwintering VarietiesNote: These are best sown in late July/August in trays and planted out as seedlings September/October. These onions produce really well in a cool tunnel, start harvesting as fresh scallions in April, leaving remainder to mature into big bulbs by late June. They can be grown outdoors but the crop will tend to be on the small side. It is easy to be self sufficient in onions by growing both summer and overwintering varieties.

6 Sendai Ki Tamanegi (CO - ISSA) *BTamanegi is in fact the Japanese word for onion. This great variety came from an open pollinated small seed company in Japan. Grows lovely large bulbs from a late summer sowing and also stores (Allium ampeloprasum)Note: Leeks need a long growing season, we usually sow them in boxes under cover in February, ready for planting outdoors in their final bed by the end of April or early May by which time the seedlings are quite sturdy. If you have a polytunnel, a side bed can be used as a direct sown seedling bed. When transplanting use a dibber to create a good long planting hole 15cm apart and make sure the soil is very moist, soak be-fore planting if Flag/Giant Musselburgh (CO - ISSA) This variety is also known as Scotch flag , noth-ing to do with patriotic sentiment the term flag is an old reference to plants with sword-like foliage as have leeks.

7 This variety remains popular, going back as far as 1870. Broad, green leaves and good thick stalks with mild and tender flavour. 3 Bleu de Solaize (CO - ISSA) A very old French heirloom variety going back to the 19th Century. Very hardy, holding well over the winter, medium long shafts, sweet flavour, the blue/green leaves turn a beautiful violet colour in very cold Giant (CO - ISSA) A popular European heirloom that came to us from the big international seed swap in Brussels. Renowned for having an extra long stem, and being exceptionally tall, nevertheless, a quick growing, early maturing variety. Light green leaves and good flavour. Harvested in Autumn, it lasted through the Winter here. King Richard (CO - ISSA) An early maturing leek which we found also overwinters here exceptionally well even in extremly wet winters! Noteworthy long shanks, white/pale green with excel-lent D Elbeuf (CO-ISSA)A traditional French cultivar grown in the alluvial plains of the Seine in Normandy.

8 It has short, chunky stems and lovely bright green foliage, it is good for autumn (CO-ISSA)An old landrace variety improved and selected by a farmer. Originally from Switzer-land, with good large stalks, dark green leaves and hardy through FamilyCabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)Note: Sow spring cabbage end of July/ begining August for the following Spring in mod-ules and plant out transplants 4-6 weeks later 30-40cm apart. Spring Cabbages were traditionally grown where early potatoes had been Dutch (common) (CO - ISSA) *BA selection from the native IRISH on farm collection of seed; often called common cabbage. Good big, white/green heads, that stand well through the (CO - SG) Large drumhead cabbage hailing from Co. Donegal. Some heads are the size of a football, both tasty and tender. Very hardy, it stands well through the Drumhead (CO - ISSA) *BBeautiful dark green savoy heads of medium size cabbage that are winter hardy, grown out from the native IRISH s cabbage (CO - SG) An heirloom developed by an IRISH allotment holder who then shared seed with his allotment neighbours.

9 The variety is spring sown for use late summer onwards, a vigorous grower producing large heads, good and crunchy, standing well into win-ter. Mona, a local market gardener who grew this one for seed was very impressed with it and is going to continue growing the cabbage for Cabbage (CO ISSA)From our native IRISH collection, these particular spring cabbages were grown and collected in and around Cork city. Lush tender greens and small pointed heads all through spring. Will produce even in hard winters. Cut-n-Come Cabbage (B. Oleracea var. acephala)Crops that are primarily for winter use, we sow in early summer. This spreads both the work and propagating space. Hardy crops like kale/swede can be sown outdoors. We use module trays and transplant; but you can also direct sow, though crops are then more vulnerable to Cabbage (CO - ISSA) *BA popular native IRISH cut n come cabbage that performs well even in difficult growing conditions like waterlogged soil or exposed places.

10 No pests or diseases to report, it provides delicious purple/green tender crinkled wavy leaves that can be picked for several months and go on producing more. Lovely addition to the winter Greens Mix (ISSA - SG)A mix of different varieties of kale, leaf rape and mustard leaves that can be sown often and used when small for baby leaf tangy salad leaves or thinned out and left to mature for delicious, nutritious winter when kales start producing flowering shoots in spring these can be pinched off and eaten like sprouting Russian (SG) *BVery tender and mild, a pre 1885 heirloom variety. Oak type leaves can have a red tinge and stems are a purplish red, with great John s (SG) *BThis variety was grown and saved by John Burke in Co. Cork for 50 years. It has proved to be ex-tremeley popular being a most delicious, tender and sweet kale, with lovely bright green leaves that thrive all through the winter well into spring, showing good resistance to black spot.