Remember when we showed the pictures of the zinnia and marigold seed heads we had picked one afternoon? After they had dried somewhat, we separated them to make sure they dry completely before we store them for next year. There are millions, well maybe not millions, but thousands of seeds. Most of these came from
volunteer plants that came up this year from the seeds we planted last year. Many of those seeds came from an end-of-the-year sale at a hardware store for 10 cents a package. 10 cents! So for 10 cents, we now have thousands of seeds that we can use for 10 years even if we never save another seed.
So, that got me to thinking. We saved three big cucumbers and kept the seeds from them. Since we don't really like cucumbers (believe it or not, I just like dill pickles) these seeds will last us forever - not counting the ones still in the original package I bought that I have been planting for three years now.
In the past few years we have saved okra, corn, zinnia, marigold and black-eyed pea seeds. If we continue to expand this process with seeds from plants we like to eat that are non-hybrid, pretty soon we will not need to buy any. Wouldn't that be great? One more small step toward independence and self-reliance.
It is always good to have a stock of seeds on hand though. What if the weather doesn't cooperate and you need to replant? What if the bugs kill everything and you need to
replant? What if you can never buy another seed and what you have is all you have? You've heard the old saying 'Never put all of your eggs in one basket'? Well, never plant all of your seeds. Never. Always have some in reserve for the unexpected. Your life may depend on it one day.
I know that sounds odd in our day of plenty, but I truly believe this will not always be the case. I am very grateful for the comfort and luxury of living in a time when failure is an option - that I can go to the store and replenish all I need and want that is within our means. We are truly blessed.
Now, at the end of the season, wisely stock up on extra seeds - more than you think you will ever need in your lifetime. They will be worth more than silver or gold. They may feed your family, your neighbors or your community. They will be tremendous bartering commodities. Providing others with the means to provide for themselves may be one of the most
priceless gifts you will ever be able to give someone.
Until next time - Fern
We have saved a variety of seeds over the past few years, but we haven't been very diligent about it. So this year we are trying to save several different kinds that we haven't tried before. We only save seeds that are from non-hybrid or heirloom plants. This insures an accurate reproduction of the original plant.
These are the cucumbers we let go to seed. This is also a great book - The Seed-Starter's Handbook by Nancy Bubel. It is another of my old books with a copyright of 1978.
There are two options for drying cucumber seeds. One is to take out the pulp and wash off the seeds as best you can.
Frank is being the funny photographer while I am trying to figure out what to do. He has always been able to make me laugh. That is a wonderful attribute after 30+ years.
The other option is to scoop out the pulp and let it ferment for a few days.
So we did.
We left the jar sitting on the shelf for a few days and
watched the pulp liquify like described in the book. But then it got to
smelling so bad it had to migrate to the porch.
I used a colander and the garden hose to rinse out the pulp and fragrant liquid.
The lighter or less viable seeds floated to the top (just like the book described) and I was able to pour them off.
I poured the seeds onto a few layers of paper
towels to absorb most of the moisture before spreading them out on a
cookie sheet to dry.
We have also saved some purple hull pea seeds along the way. We let them mature, shell them and put them in this bowl to dry. I shake them around a few times each day as I walk by.
We didn't save any corn seed this year because we planted two varieties together which would cross pollinate, making the seed not reliable for replanting. We wanted to use up the last of our oldest seed, but it wasn't enough, so we added another kind to the patch.
We went flower seed picking a few days ago. We had many, many zinnia volunteers come up this year in the garden which was wonderful. The hummingbirds love them and they help deter destructive insect pests. We have also planted more zinnias and marigolds this year throughout the garden. I hope we have many more volunteers next year. But to supplement them we are harvesting some seeds along the way.
Another first this year is sunflowers. You know those beautiful pictures you see of sunflowers lining someone's garden fence? I have always wanted to try growing them, but have never taken the time. Well, this year I poked a few seeds in the ground here and there in the garden, and you know what? They grew! And they are beautiful! Then one day I walked by and looked at some of them and they were dead. I wondered what was wrong until I tilted
the flower head up and saw sunflower seeds. Well, that is what they are supposed to do, right? That was a very fun discovery. So now I have 3 seed heads drying. Life is so great and rewarding!
We plan to save more seeds this summer, so we will keep you posted. We do this because there might come a day when we can't get any more seeds. What are you saving this year?
Until next time - Fern
We are gradually increasing our success at gardening. It has been a real challenge over the past two years with the drought and extreme heat conditions we have had here. Our water bills were just too high for several months and we wondered if the food we were harvesting was really worth the money we were putting into water alone. This year we have been blessed with a lot more rain which has made a difference.
We also had a rare cool spring in which we had 3 or 4 late frosts that really set back the plants. Many people lost tomatoes, corn, okra and other hot weather plants to the frost.
We bought some frost cloth a couple of years ago to use in our greenhouse (whenever we get it built). So we pulled it out and covered the tender plants we had already planted - tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, peppers and pole beans. We didn't lose one plant! It is great to learn something new that works.
Now if someone would just invent a BUG cloth! We don't use any chemicals in our garden.
We plant a lot of zinnias and marigolds, hand pick some bugs, and encourage predatory insects, birds, frogs, lizards and spiders. Otherwise, we share the bounty with whatever comes along. Learning to garden is a never ending process. Each year is a little different and there is always something new to learn.
Please share your ideas. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Until next time - Fern
replant? What if you can never buy another seed and what you have is all you have? You've heard the old saying 'Never put all of your eggs in one basket'? Well, never plant all of your seeds. Never. Always have some in reserve for the unexpected. Your life may depend on it one day.
