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Growing capers

• Message 1. 

  Posted by orto (U15100860) on Monday, 16th January 2012

  Has anyone any tips for growing capers from seed. I have read on a website its best to soak the seed in warm water for 12 hours, then place in the fridge for 60 days, then soak again for another 12 hours - seems a lot of fuss.
  
  I am hoping to plant the seed in my garden in the Piedmont region of Italy - about 90k south of Turin, so it gets quite warm in the summer.
  
  Any tips would be appreciated

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Tuesday, 17th January 2012

  Hi orto. Great name! We're south of you, in Tuscany, about 20k south of Arezzo.
  
  I've been down the caper seed track. The rigmarole you describe is necessary for dried seeds. Once dormant, they're famously difficult to germinate. I followed that basic procedure and got nothing.
  
  I had more success with cuttings. Our town's medieval fortress is over our back fence and its south-facing walls are loaded with caper plants. I took cuttings and they did the job. If you've got plants growing wild anywhere near you -
  
  Wait till spring, harvest sturdy basal shoots - about the thickness of a pencil, 3 or 4 inches long, with plenty of buds - and pot them into some good terriccio. I mixed in some grit for drainage. Keep them warm in the usual way and they should prosper.
  
  By all means try the seeds, but I'd also try cuttings just for insurance.

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by orto (U15100860) on Thursday, 19th January 2012

  Hi orto. Great name! We're south of you, in Tuscany, about 20k south of Arezzo.
  
  I've been down the caper seed track. The rigmarole you describe is necessary for dried seeds. Once dormant, they're famously difficult to germinate. I followed that basic procedure and got nothing.
  
  I had more success with cuttings. Our town's medieval fortress is over our back fence and its south-facing walls are loaded with caper plants. I took cuttings and they did the job. If you've got plants growing wild anywhere near you -
  
  Wait till spring, harvest sturdy basal shoots - about the thickness of a pencil, 3 or 4 inches long, with plenty of buds - and pot them into some good terriccio. I mixed in some grit for drainage. Keep them warm in the usual way and they should prosper.
  
  By all means try the seeds, but I'd also try cuttings just for insurance.  thanks for the tip - do you have any other suggestions for whats best to grow in an Italian allotment - have grown the usual - tomatoes, peppers and of course courgettes. Didn't have an allotment in Egland, so I am new to growing vweg. anywhere.
  
  Have you had snow in Tuscany - nothing here in Piedmont !!

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Friday, 20th January 2012

  No, no snow. It's the mildest winter anyone around here can remember. Cold overnight but we're getting up to 10C during the day, around 10 degrees higher than it should be. And dry. No decent rain for ages.
  
  I've got about 250sqm of terraced garden and cram in as much as I can. I specialise in heirloom toms, but also include the usual salad stuff, peas, onions, spring onions, French beans, carrots, beetroot, cukes, pumpkins, melons, zucchini, chillies, and, most important of all, parsnips.
  
  You might have noticed parsnips are hard to come by in Italy. You can't even buy seeds. Very strange, given that, in Roman times, they were enormously popular. These days they're virtually unknown, even though there's an Italian name for them - pastinaca - but my neighbours have never heard of them and don't recognise them from the photo on the seed packet. I gather they're still grown around the Parma area but for pig food. I have to get my seeds online from the UK. So, if you fancy a parsnip, you'll have to do the same!

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• Message 5

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  Posted by orto (U15100860) on Sunday, 22nd January 2012

  No, no snow. It's the mildest winter anyone around here can remember. Cold overnight but we're getting up to 10C during the day, around 10 degrees higher than it should be. And dry. No decent rain for ages.
  
  I've got about 250sqm of terraced garden and cram in as much as I can. I specialise in heirloom toms, but also include the usual salad stuff, peas, onions, spring onions, French beans, carrots, beetroot, cukes, pumpkins, melons, zucchini, chillies, and, most important of all, parsnips.
  
  You might have noticed parsnips are hard to come by in Italy. You can't even buy seeds. Very strange, given that, in Roman times, they were enormously popular. These days they're virtually unknown, even though there's an Italian name for them - pastinaca - but my neighbours have never heard of them and don't recognise them from the photo on the seed packet. I gather they're still grown around the Parma area but for pig food. I have to get my seeds online from the UK. So, if you fancy a parsnip, you'll have to do the same!  HI - weathers the same here - haven't had rain since October. Nov, Dec and Jan have been sunny every day - this makes it tempting to get out into the garden and plant and it seems so much like spring - but theres still Feb and March, so I suppose there is still a chance of snow.
  
  Wasn't sure if seeds could be posted from the UK to Italy, so will now have to investigate further. The seed name here don't match up with any seed names in my gardening book, so I am never really that sure what I am planting.
  
  So no potatoes, or Brussel sprouts !!
  
  Heres looking forward to spring, and hopeful some success with my capers.

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Monday, 23rd January 2012

  No problems with seeds coming from England. You don't pay IVA on them either. They're already VATd. Franchi Seeds (Seeds of Italy), based in the UK, are a very good online source for various Italian veg. I also use Thompson&Morgan in the UK for whatever I can't get from Franchi.
  
  You can't import seed spuds, sadly, and the only ones you'll find here are for the usual Red, White or Yellows. Italy doesn't do the more interesting varieties. Pity.

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by honeysuckle (U8412568) on Saturday, 28th January 2012

  Haven't tried real capers, but find that green nasturtiums seeds make a good easy substitute. Having once grown nasturtiums on m y allotment, they selfseed every year producing plenty of seeds for pickling. The variegated varieties are particularly pretty, plus the leaves and flowers are useful in salads. They are aexcellent no-work plants that give really good value for the space they take up.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by orto (U15100860) on Monday, 30th January 2012

  Hi, thanks for the tip. My garden is split into thirds - allotment, fruit patch and garden.
  
  I have over planted the garden part with Lavender so I am trying to introduce a bit of variety - liked the look of the caper flowers ! I'm originally a Yorkshire lass and prefer where I can to take and grow cuttings rather than buy plants - hence the over stock of Lavender - 1 plant becomes 100. Bit worried at the moment about my Rosemary, we had 2 foot of snow over night and the plants have been flattened - looks like I will be taking Rosemary cuttings in the spring !!

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• Message 9

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by orto (U15100860) on Monday, 30th January 2012

  Hi - well we've had the snow - 2 foot overnight. Not sure what the Tuscan weather is like, but Piedmont likes to give you it all in one go. I think occassionally Mother Nature just likes to remind you who is in charge. I do hope spring comes soon.
  
  I have bought some Franchi seeds here - the capers were from them.

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• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Tuesday, 31st January 2012

  Ironic, isn't it? Last week we were wondering where the snow had gone. We're forecast to get a couple of days of it starting this afternoon.

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