The tomatoes I have are hybrids, so no seed saving, but I am going to get cuttings before the end of the year and overwinter in the house to put back out next spring. I have a 20 gallon aquarium that isn't doing anything with a heater and lighting setup. It'll work well to hydroponic some plants over the winter.
Stuff like spinach and lettuces, you can store in a mason jar with water with the end you cut touching the water. It will keep them nice fresh and hydrated.
You can always vacuum seal them too. Stuff that isn't too soft. I know a lot of people do dehydrating too, but that would defeat you wanting raw.
Most all seeds will last longer than the package is dated for. Somewhere I have a chart (or you can google the chart) that lists typical seeds and how long you can expect them to last under ordinary storage conditions, like on a shelf in a temp controlled house. Of course germination rates do diminish over time, but other than a few veggie types, most seeds will keep between 2 to 5 years and still germinate reasonably well..... Either way, with a few exceptions, my seeds seem to germinate more than they don't so either they have a longer shelf life than what the stores claimed or the frig solution works!
I think this is awesome for only 6 months in!I have a spreadsheet of everything planted and all of the seeds collected. My favorites are the asparagus patch, ender berry, black raspberries, paw paw trees, and maybe the hops, although that has yet to do very much thanks to the chickens loving it too.
We have some empty pastures so I'm trying to plant with harvest times and animal rotation in mind to move them around as needed to avoid occupying the pasture during harvest time. Might not pan out, but that is the current plan.
I put in my first real in-ground garden this year that is no till. Have always had container gardens in the past. Have pumpkins, melons, some permaculture, and lots of tomatoes (some from grocery store heirloom tomatoes) and peppers, among other things. I like watching Jess on Roots and Refuge and James Prigioni's YouTube channel for food forest and gardening ideas for this part. It's a bit of a mess, but was an overgrown field 6 months ago and I try to remind myself of that. Here are the pumpkins I wish I'd put on a cattle panel.
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A neighbor offered to till an area for us to put corn in so we put in corn and beans also. My husband used a rolling seeder so the rows aren't entirety straight, but we hope it produces well in spite of our mistakes. The people who sold us our house left us seed corn and beans in the freezer so it cost us nothing to try. The taller variety is about 6 ft tall and has some nice ears developing.
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I'd love to do a seed exchange. I did one on BYC in exchange for eggs and was really glad I participated.
I too was not born with a green thumb nor did anyone/family teach me. I've killed plenty of plants in my determination to become a gardener, but a lot of good gardening books and understanding soil structure and how to nourish it properly....or damage it inadvertently, has gone a long way in my becoming modestly successful.
I don't have a good brand to recommend, but there is a technique called Hugelkultur that uses logs, branches and heavier materials to build gardening beds. Not the bed sides, but the bed part of the beds. It takes longer, but as the materials break down they really nourish the soil.
