Samphire - anyone grown any?

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by JWK, Jan 30, 2012.

  1. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    What I'd love to grow is the delicious stuff that you get on the coast and has a lovely salty taste. I've never picked any wild just bought it at seaside fishmongers.

    I bought some Samphire seed today from DT Brown

    Samphire Seeds

    I've only just realised there are two sorts of Samphire. I hope it's the right one I've bought.

    Anyone grown any? Is it possible to create the right growing conditions on a dry, chalky hill-side? Am I expecting miracles?
     
  2. Phil A

    Phil A Guest

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    You got the right one John, salicornia, trouble is, it just withers and dies away from the intertidal zone:(

    Probably something to do with osmosis.

    You could try flooding it twice a day with a brackish solution.
     
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    • Boghopper

      Boghopper Gardener

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      The EA ha have just bulldozed the samphire at Rye Harbour to make way for coastal defence improvements! Grr!
       
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      • Phil A

        Phil A Guest

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        That must be why they are called the "Environment Agency"

        Or was that Agent Orange:mad:

        I couldn't pick Samphire down here for a few years due to oil from the wreck of the Napoli. Its come back ok now though.
         
      • JWK

        JWK Gardener Staff Member

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        It comes with growing instructions, I won't be able to do anything like that though :DOH:

        I was thinking of creating a small sunken bed with pond liner and filling with peat to create a bog.
         
      • Phil A

        Phil A Guest

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        Its not acidic conditions it needs though John, think estuary.

        I've tried and failed, using estuarine mud as a growing medium. It just doesn't like being watered with rain water.
         
      • JWK

        JWK Gardener Staff Member

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        Ah not peat, mud then, hmmm, will have to think where I can find some of that round here. Might have to 'borrow' a bagful next time I go down to Portsea.

        So you've tried growing established plants Ziggy? And failed. Well I might be onto a loser then. If it doesn't like rain water all I can think of is distilled water and thats going to be too expensive.
         
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        • Phil A

          Phil A Guest

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          Doh, sorry for being negative my friend, I hate being negative and I hope you prove me wrong.

          But it is such a specialised plant, it doesn't colonise the land and it doesn't live below the low water mark.

          I'm sure a chap of your Heath Robinson capabilities could work out a way of farming it though:thumbsup:
           
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          • Phil A

            Phil A Guest

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            No, sea or brackish water is what you need, if you can manage to keep salt water fish in a tank then it won't be a problem, just a challenge:thumbsup:
             
          • JWK

            JWK Gardener Staff Member

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            I've ordered the seed already so they will have two chances :)
             
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            • shiney

              shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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              As you know, I'm useless at DIY so this may be a rubbish suggestion. :heehee:

              How about getting an old, largish, fish tank (won't matter if it's damaged), put the required mixture of mud/sand in it. Form the mixture in a slope, plant at the upper end, sea/brackish water at the lower end. It would need some rain to replace evaporation but keep a sheet of glass to put over the top of the tank to keep heavy rain off.

              If people can create artificial conditions for tropical and salt water fish and the plants that go with them then I'm sure you can do it for just some plants. :thumbsup:
               
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              • JWK

                JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                Good idea shiney. I'll wait to see what the growing instructions say first. My daughter has an old unused fish tank I was thinking of using as a seed propagator this spring.
                 
              • Phil A

                Phil A Guest

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                We know about the Rock & Marsh Samphire (not related) but I found there is another one today, Golden Samphire, Inula Crithmoides (no, not chris moyles)

                Grows on clifs, shingle & saltmarshes, has fleshy leaves.
                 
              • JWK

                JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                Ziggy, according to Mr Google, Marsh Samphire will happily grow in a pot of sandy compost, provided it is only watered with rain water with sea salt added at a teaspoon per litre. It must be pure sea salt and not contain anti-caking agent. Maybe I have no need for a fancy flooding mechanism which I've spent half the day designing in my head.
                 
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                • Phil A

                  Phil A Guest

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                  Good find John, might give it another go then.

                  While we're on anti caking agents, think they do orrible things to your blood, worse than what the salt does.

                  How do they collect seed from Marsh Samphire? I find it hard enough to see the flowers let alone the seed:what:
                   
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