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DIY design for Low-cost isolation cages
for saving seed of peppers & aubergines
Estimated cost: less than £10 = €15 = $18,
or as little as £1 if old net curtains are used.
Time: approx 1 hour total.
Peppers and aubergines can self-pollinate, but are also crossed
by insects.
So if you want to save seed from these vegetables, you have to exclude the insects
somehow.
Otherwise you will end up with seed that is not the same as
the parent plant
- 'sweet' peppers that are hot, 'white' aubergines that are purple etc.
This is a simple design we have come up with, that can be made with minimum tools and expense.
(stated dimensions make cage 0.9m x 0.9m x 0.8m, suitable to hold 4 plants)

Detail of corner, showing wire wrapped round string so it can't slip down the stake.
That's it. Now plant your four plants inside the square, drop the flyscreen cage over the top, and weigh the edges down with rocks, making sure there are no gaps:

Insects can't get in but light, air and water can. (If the very occasional insect does get in, it can't get out again to cross you plants with the others. ) So seed saved from these plants will be pure, and true-to-type.
Note that peppers will self-pollinate easily inside a cage, but you may need to shake the aubergines occasionally if it isn't very windy.
The cage should last several years, and can be rolled up and stored over-winter,
although you will probably need to get new stakes each year. Of course, if any
of your plants show signs of disease, you should wash the cage before re-using
it.
We hope you find this useful, and that it encourages you to try saving your
own seed of these plants. Remember, if you do not pass on good seed, protected
and true to type, then the unique qualities of that variety will be lost for
ever.
Volunteer helper Julian sewing cages for the Collection,
using our hand-cranked sewing machine,
made in 1908 & still running beautifully.
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Seeds are only supplied to members of our Seed Club. Membership costs 1p per annum. When we process your order, you will be charged for |