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Veg seeds come from shops right?

sueporter312002sueporter312002 Posts: 61
in Fruit & veg
As I'm a total novice to growing veg, it's started to dawn on me that having bought seeds, I've not considered how the vegatable produces it in the first place. ( a bit like when you ask a child where does eggs come from & they say the shops) like carrots, how do you get a seed from a carrot? Its baffling me & apologises for not being veg educated 🙈
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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They flower which becomes seed. Standard for any flowering plant  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    edited July 2020
    if you leave a carrot, for example, long enough all the fluffy green foliage will throw up a big stalk with lots of tiny white flowers on top, then seed will follow.
    Devon.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    https://www.google.com/search?q=seed+head+on+carrot&rlz=1C1CHFX_en-gbGB480GB480&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiky7Ho7cnqAhXnRhUIHf1ECakQ_AUoAXoECA4QAw&biw=1366&bih=657
    Devon.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Seeds come from pollinated flowers which is why it's important not to spray all insects out of existence in your veg plot and garden and, if you can, provide shelter and food for bees and other pollinators.

    Some plants, such as the grass family are wind pollinated which is why sweetcorn needs to be grown in blocks rather than rows.

    Seed companies grow the plants, collect the seeds and packet them for sale.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Loads of information here including a handy free guide to saving your own seed that you can download.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • NewBoy2NewBoy2 Posts: 1,813
    https://www.gardenhealth.com/advice/grow-your-own/how-to-grow-veg-from-seed

    https://www.realseeds.co.uk/books.html

    Sue you will need 4 things if you are Growing Your Own

    1.Patience
    2.A pencil
    3.A notebook
    4 Enthusiasm

    This site is very supportive and over the last 8 years has taught and guided me from one disaster to the next !!

    The pencil and note book are to write down what you will do and then what happened.

    Enthusiasm to look at the seedlings as soon as you are awake.!!

    Patience as WE ALL have to go at natures much slower pace.

    Once you experience that then you are hooked.

    Good Luck
    Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    edited July 2020
    You could for sure generate your own seeds.

    Generally though they come from the 'shops' for most growers each year because the producers guarantee that the seed is 'true' to the variety.

    That is an amazingly involved process that would be very hard to replicate at home.

    Many of us keep some things from seed each year for the next, but the vast majority of homegrown veg comes from fresh packets of seeds from the major seed producers each year.


  • BigladBiglad Posts: 3,265
    I'm very new to this but next year I'm planning to grow from seeds that I've saved from peppers, tomatoes, oranges, lemons and carrots. There will be a lot of trial and error involved!
    East Lancs
  • PlashingPlashing Posts: 328
    I have saved Tomato/Pepper seed and have had fairly good results,the tomato can be a bit of a problem when you have use your own compost which you have put your scraps of tomatoes seeds in,you will find that you have a sudden crop of tomatoes all over,when you have used your compost for improving the soil and mulching your plants
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    Judging by the amount of tomato seedlings that come up in my compost it seems they are easy. I once, years ago as a busy mum didn't get around to spreading my home made compost and left it in the wheelbarrow. I had a fine crop from the wheel barrow acting as a large hanging basket for cherry Toms  :)

    This is the joy of gardening, learning new things.  :) 


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