Great stuff! I've been growing sea kale from seeds and roots for the last 6 years, and I've found several ways of removing the outer shell. The Jonathan Bates method is a great way of doing it, especially once you get a feel for the right amount of pressure. Another way is to carefully make 2 tiny snips with sharp scissors - one on each side of the seed. The shell usually drops off pretty easily once I've made these two snips. It's a little more surgical and takes a little longer, but I find that I end up with more undamaged seeds - so it's a toss-up, I guess, if you have more seeds than you need. One thing I have noticed, with this second method, is that there is often what looks like a small umbilical cord attaching the seed to the pericarp. I tried to run some germination tests of seeds from which this had detached during the shell removal and seeds where this had stayed intact. I didn't notice a huge difference in the germination rate, but I would be interested to see if anyone knows exactly what this little thread is. I have always cold stratified my seeds but, lately, I've been hearing that this is entirely unnecessary. In the comments, you have confirmed this for me again. That's cool, because my seed fridge is a little over-full by December. Still, I wonder about long-term viability of seeds kept for more than a season. Do you think that refrigeration might extend the life of the seed? Not that I need to worry, I always seem to have more, but I'm thinking of all those people who buy them and might want to save half for another season. Keep up the great work! I'd love to visit your site one of these days. My own sites are much more urban, but I get a lot into small spaces. Be well!
*shows the seed inside the cracked shell* -That's sea kale in a nutshell. Haha :) Don't know if that was intentional but I thought it was funny. Very helpful though, thank you!
Worked like a dream...15 planted, 11 germinated after 2.5 weeks, Outside in unprotected garden bed during cool rainy weather (with a few sunny days in there).
I wish I'd known this 2 years ago... I wasn't successful growing them from seed. But the roots I bought from you in the fall are starting to come up nicely. You are one of the only people in the US that sells them, which is how I found your shop and channel. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!
There is sea kale on the beach we occasionally go to. I decided to pick some seed pods one time we were there. I picked the top pods, my son who was four or five at the time was picking the bottom ones. All mine were empty! All his were nice and full. He was very proud. The seeds sat wrapped in a bit of paper in a drawer waiting to be sown. My Missus chucked them during a cleaning frenzy. We never went there again in the right season to find the seeds. Crap.
Which is the best time to sow this plant? I was just discovered this plant for my garden with a lot of perennial and other special plants, and I am very keen to get this for my garden. But it´s july now - do you think, that´s a good idea to sow the seeds now in summer? Thanks!
I don't have a temperature for you. Imagine making tea or coffee... How hot does that water get before you pour it over? Thats the temp. Sub-boil. Even just really warm tap water has positive effect.
Am wondering if, since it grows near the ocean, it is tolerant of salty soils. Will get some cuttings in the spring if available. My sorrel is starting to emerge already.
That sorrel is amazing, isn't it? You can start eating it NOW! In a warm winter you can be starting to graze at the end of Feb... I should have some root cuttings in the spring for you (hopefully!)
In fact I had it growing all summer in Albuquerque in 90 degree heat even though it is a cool-loving green. It just seemed to adapt as long as I provided water now and then, clipped off the seed stalks, and provided some afternoon shade. I think there are wild varieties which grow along streams in the Catskill Mountains.
Since you have been working with this plant for a while: do you have any knowledge of what causes sea kale to not ripen seed? Mine has put on a ton of flowers and the small seed pods are present, but then the stalks they were on dried out.
I'm not sure how to be helpful there. I'm guessing that is a pollination issue. May be worthwhile to get a few more plants from other sources so that there is some variation in flowers to get better pollination. In a good year a huge head of flowers may still only ripen 10-20 seeds!
I'm not sure the best time to buy seed, but worth asking when the seed was harvested from whatever vendor you get it from. I suspect there would be a decently long shelf life for them since they are a 'pod'... Hope you find a good source!
I have a question, Dr. Eric Berg DC has a youtube channel that promotes the keto diet. He said that plants that are grown more than 100 miles from the coast have little or no Iodine in them. Do you have any information of this?
I'm pretty sure iodine is in the soil every where and it should be there but it is being depleted by commercial agricultural practices outside the range of the ocean where you can find lots of iodine. Dr. Berg promotes his sales of iodine pills. A great source is pastured eggs and raw milk or dairy products. Are you having symptoms from what you think might be iodine deficiency?
James Lovelock's book The Gaia Hypothesis has a good bit on how nutrients get around the earth. He says that various elements wash into the sea but get to the land via turning into a gaseous/soluble form and move back onto the land with rain. I just flicked through that bit but it sounds like a lot of elements are methylated, so methyl iodide, methyl sulphate, etc and thus is how the minerals are cycled back onto the land.
It’s not just depleted soils that are iodine free. There are naturally areas of the world that are low or absent of soil iodine, it’s why goiter has been a common occurrence throughout human history.
I'm happily distracted by the hand pillow on the couch.
Great stuff!
I've been growing sea kale from seeds and roots for the last 6 years, and I've found several ways of removing the outer shell. The Jonathan Bates method is a great way of doing it, especially once you get a feel for the right amount of pressure. Another way is to carefully make 2 tiny snips with sharp scissors - one on each side of the seed. The shell usually drops off pretty easily once I've made these two snips. It's a little more surgical and takes a little longer, but I find that I end up with more undamaged seeds - so it's a toss-up, I guess, if you have more seeds than you need. One thing I have noticed, with this second method, is that there is often what looks like a small umbilical cord attaching the seed to the pericarp. I tried to run some germination tests of seeds from which this had detached during the shell removal and seeds where this had stayed intact. I didn't notice a huge difference in the germination rate, but I would be interested to see if anyone knows exactly what this little thread is.
I have always cold stratified my seeds but, lately, I've been hearing that this is entirely unnecessary. In the comments, you have confirmed this for me again. That's cool, because my seed fridge is a little over-full by December. Still, I wonder about long-term viability of seeds kept for more than a season. Do you think that refrigeration might extend the life of the seed? Not that I need to worry, I always seem to have more, but I'm thinking of all those people who buy them and might want to save half for another season.
Keep up the great work! I'd love to visit your site one of these days. My own sites are much more urban, but I get a lot into small spaces.
Be well!
*shows the seed inside the cracked shell* -That's sea kale in a nutshell. Haha :) Don't know if that was intentional but I thought it was funny. Very helpful though, thank you!
Worked like a dream...15 planted, 11 germinated after 2.5 weeks, Outside in unprotected garden bed during cool rainy weather (with a few sunny days in there).
Great to hear this worked well for you!
I wish I'd known this 2 years ago... I wasn't successful growing them from seed. But the roots I bought from you in the fall are starting to come up nicely. You are one of the only people in the US that sells them, which is how I found your shop and channel. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!
I'm really excited to hear they are coming up! Wonderful... Now you can get seed from them and get even more plants! :)
There is sea kale on the beach we occasionally go to. I decided to pick some seed pods one time we were there. I picked the top pods, my son who was four or five at the time was picking the bottom ones. All mine were empty! All his were nice and full. He was very proud. The seeds sat wrapped in a bit of paper in a drawer waiting to be sown. My Missus chucked them during a cleaning frenzy. We never went there again in the right season to find the seeds. Crap.
Good excuse to travel there again!
Which is the best time to sow this plant? I was just discovered this plant for my garden with a lot of perennial and other special plants, and I am very keen to get this for my garden. But it´s july now - do you think, that´s a good idea to sow the seeds now in summer? Thanks!
Do sea kale seeds require cold stratification? Or does it improve germination? Thanks
Wounder if Sea Kale would sprout in a clear pencil box?
4:10 That brew would keep you very regular.
So you let the hot water get to cold slowly or you keep it warm for the treatment of the senna seed?
Thanks for sharing, respect!
Thanks 😊
Thank you for sharing. Good video.
I have had success germinating sea kale seed but my plants die after a short growing period. Any tips? Is it the hot, humid weather here in east Tn?
Nice information! Do you have the temperature read of the warm water?
I don't have a temperature for you. Imagine making tea or coffee... How hot does that water get before you pour it over? Thats the temp. Sub-boil. Even just really warm tap water has positive effect.
Thanks!
Am wondering if, since it grows near the ocean, it is tolerant of salty soils. Will get some cuttings in the spring if available.
My sorrel is starting to emerge already.
That sorrel is amazing, isn't it? You can start eating it NOW! In a warm winter you can be starting to graze at the end of Feb...
I should have some root cuttings in the spring for you (hopefully!)
In fact I had it growing all summer in Albuquerque in 90 degree heat even though it is a cool-loving green. It just seemed to adapt as long as I provided water now and then, clipped off the seed stalks, and provided some afternoon shade.
I think there are wild varieties which grow along streams in the Catskill Mountains.
Since you have been working with this plant for a while: do you have any knowledge of what causes sea kale to not ripen seed? Mine has put on a ton of flowers and the small seed pods are present, but then the stalks they were on dried out.
I'm not sure how to be helpful there. I'm guessing that is a pollination issue. May be worthwhile to get a few more plants from other sources so that there is some variation in flowers to get better pollination. In a good year a huge head of flowers may still only ripen 10-20 seeds!
I think senna saved my life once. Or at least it certainly felt that way!
When is the best time to try and buy Sea Kale seed? There isn't much selection right now in early November.
I'm not sure the best time to buy seed, but worth asking when the seed was harvested from whatever vendor you get it from. I suspect there would be a decently long shelf life for them since they are a 'pod'... Hope you find a good source!
Great info, thank you! But, WHAT is going on with those hand-shaped pillows on the couch?! Those are very upsetting.🤣
Ha! We'll leave that as a mystery.
Can you share to me how to germinate olive seeds?? I seem to be having difficulties on them.
I have no experience there, sorry.
No cold stratification before planting? That’s recommended by J L Hudson Seedsman where I bought seeds.
Nope, the gentle cracking of the seed coat is 100% the trick as far as I can tell.
@@edibleacres Thanks! I'll start some now and keep the others in the fridge for a few weeks. A new experiment!
Sea kale in a nutshell, indeed.
I have a question, Dr. Eric Berg DC has a youtube channel that promotes the keto diet. He said that plants that are grown more than 100 miles from the coast have little or no Iodine in them. Do you have any information of this?
Nope! Sorry. I don't know anything about that...
Thank you for your reply I appreciate your videos.
I'm pretty sure iodine is in the soil every where and it should be there but it is being depleted by commercial agricultural practices outside the range of the ocean where you can find lots of iodine. Dr. Berg promotes his sales of iodine pills. A great source is pastured eggs and raw milk or dairy products. Are you having symptoms from what you think might be iodine deficiency?
James Lovelock's book The Gaia Hypothesis has a good bit on how nutrients get around the earth. He says that various elements wash into the sea but get to the land via turning into a gaseous/soluble form and move back onto the land with rain. I just flicked through that bit but it sounds like a lot of elements are methylated, so methyl iodide, methyl sulphate, etc and thus is how the minerals are cycled back onto the land.
It’s not just depleted soils that are iodine free. There are naturally areas of the world that are low or absent of soil iodine, it’s why goiter has been a common occurrence throughout human history.