Upper Valley Seed Savers

Seed Saving Project *

Date/Season:   2016 – 2017 seasons

Crop / Species:  Swiss Chard/ Beta vulgaris

Variety:  Schnittmangold Gelb

Project Type:    Restoration of variety purity and consistency of phenotype.    

Project Goals:    To re-invigorate this rare variety—which has, in the last few years, begun to vary

considerably from the original characteristics—and to increase the amount of seed on hand.

Project coordinator:  Sylvia Davatz

Email:      sdav@valley.net                                                                       Phone:  436-3262 

Other people working on the project and their contact information:

Sylvia Smith             sylvias@speakeasy.net                 802-765-4714

Project site(s) description (soil, aspect, amendments…):   We will use both our gardens to grow a large number of plants from the oldest possible seed, hoping to choose seed that was grown before the characteristics of the variety began to shift. From both gardens we will select for the desired traits, then transplant the best candidates into Sylvia D's greenhouse for overwintering. Sylvia S. will experiment with wintering over in the garden, mulching heavily with hay. In spring 2017 we will both grow out surviving plants in sufficient population number for seed, being careful to prevent cross-pollination from any plants in the same species.

Volunteer / resource needs:

Additional Comments:

Project Report (cont'd on second page):   We will attempt to file a first report after the 2016 growing season, then follow up at the end of the 2017 growing season.

*Format Adapted from Hilltown Seed Saving Network website