Mumsy's Romantic Garden Advice

[BlueMouse]

So if any of the seeds I bought in the spring say heritage on them I can keep the seeds? Darn I guess I should of let a couple beet greens & kale go to seed

And the seeds from my random tomatoes I can keep to? I never thought you could keep seeds from tomatoes.........
I really need to visit the library more.......

absolutely. some species need you to hand polinate. Squashes are particularly bad that way, they will cross polinate with anything that is a squash within 50 feet! and then the seeds will grow into who knows what (zuchinni x pumpkin? zuchinni x yellow squash? zuchinni x bush acorn squash?) "Saving Seeds: The Gardener's Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds (A Down-to-Earth Gardening Book)" by marc rogers is a good very basic beginning text. Our tomato plants have really visibly improved in the four years mom and I have been doing this. Not to mention the savings. Seeds are getting expensive.

 

[BlueMouse]

sorry, not trying to hijack your thread Mumsy!

 

[MumsyII]

Some heritage seed is easy to save and will come true if it is the only variety in the garden. If you grow cucumbers, squash, or melons, they will cross pollinate. You'll get hybrids that won't look, grow, or taste like the original. Monsanto corn has contaminated even the heritage corn varieties. To keep corn seed pure it can't have corn growing any where near it. So if your neighbor plants a Monsanto GMO corn variety, it won't matter if your corn is heritage. Your seed will be contaminated from pollen blown on the wind.

Saving tomato seed is an interesting process. Messy and interesting.

If you want seed to be kept pure after pollination, wrap the stigma of the flower after its pollinated with pollen from the stamen. Wrap the stigma tin foil after hand pollinating. That's how I created my own lily and hosta varieties. The seed that develops will be a cross with whatever pollen you used from the corresponding stamen to stigma. Birds and the bees 101.

There are many ways to propagate plants. Seeds, cuttings, layering, and root division are the ones we've discussed. It's a fascinating subject. But it's even more fun when you're able to fill your garden on the cheap.

 

[BlueMouse]

we've in past years in the evening gently tied the female squash shut, then in the morninging, opened, polintated, and then either re-tied or covered with a paper bag and mark that stem with a string so we know which is which. I have to try wrapping the stigma this year now.... always love to try something new!! I've never tried any of this with flowers at all.

 

[Jessica Lynn]

I need to keep a notebook next to the computer now for all the advice and new things I am learning!
Maybe my brown thumb will turn green!

 

[MumsyII]

I need to keep a notebook next to the computer now for all the advice and new things I am learning!
Maybe my brown thumb will turn green!

You could also open a notebook window and cut and paste into it. That's what I do when I'm in a hurry.

 

[armorfirelady]

Some heritage seed is easy to save and will come true if it is the only variety in the garden. If you grow cucumbers, squash, or melons, they will cross pollinate. You'll get hybrids that won't look, grow, or taste like the original. Monsanto corn has contaminated even the heritage corn varieties. To keep corn seed pure it can't have corn growing any where near it. So if your neighbor plants a Monsanto GMO corn variety, it won't matter if your corn is heritage. Your seed will be contaminated from pollen blown on the wind.

Saving tomato seed is an interesting process. Messy and interesting.

If you want seed to be kept pure after pollination, wrap the stigma of the flower after its pollinated with pollen from the stamen. Wrap the stigma tin foil after hand pollinating. That's how I created my own lily and hosta varieties. The seed that develops will be a cross with whatever pollen you used from the corresponding stamen to stigma. Birds and the bees 101.

There are many ways to propagate plants. Seeds, cuttings, layering, and root division are the ones we've discussed. It's a fascinating subject. But it's even more fun when you're able to fill your garden on the cheap.

So I am guessing that the cukes, zucchinis, & watermelons are all cross pollinating?

I have grown cukes & zucchinnis before and got fruit that tasted like it should. DO you recommend planting them in separate areas of the yard?

And how do you know a flower is pollinated?

 

[MumsyII]

So I am guessing that the cukes, zucchinis, & watermelons are all cross pollinating?

Yes.

I have grown cukes & zucchinnis before and got fruit that tasted like it should. DO you recommend planting them in separate areas of the yard?

When you save the seed from them, do they grow true to variety the following year?

And how do you know a flower is pollinated?

It will produce seeds. Sterile flowers won't.

A good indicator if you have enough bees or pollinators in your garden or orchard is by observing the amount of seed or fruit your crops produce. Low yields indicate fewer pollinators are working your garden.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: I have never saved seeds from vegetable plants before. The pumpkins growing this year self seeded from the pumpkins I fed the girls over the winter. Every year I purchase plants from our local farmers auction/market. The only seeds I have ever saved were from flowers.

I have seen a bunch of bumble bees around in the veggie garden and in all the clover in my yard,

They especially like all the sunflowers I planted this year and the hosta flowers. I may be allergic to them but I do appreciate them and enjoy watching them.

Can I save the seeds from the different varieties of sunflowers I planted? What about gourds? I have some& they dried out. I was going to make something from them but haven't. I can hear the seeds rattling around inside them

Edited to add: My vegetables are doing poorly this year. I think its a combination of making the garden larger (tho I did add several yards of compost, horse manure, leaves & peat moss) I got the vegetables in earlier than usual but then we had a month of torrential rain non stop. It flooded some plants. I finally added shavings to try & help. Some tomato plants, peppers & squash never grew any larger than when I purchased them. Tiny fruit that rotted on the plant. Some have finally started to grow but they are like 6 weeks behind. All the rain also kept the bees away as well so i am sure that didn't help either

 

[MumsyII]

I have never saved seeds from vegetable plants before. The pumpkins growing this year self seeded from the pumpkins I fed the girls over the winter. Every year I purchase plants from our local farmers auction/market. The only seeds I have ever saved were from flowers.

I have seen a bunch of bumble bees around in the veggie garden and in all the clover in my yard,

They especially like all the sunflowers I planted this year and the hosta flowers. I may be allergic to them but I do appreciate them and enjoy watching them.

Can I save the seeds from the different varieties of sunflowers I planted? What about gourds? I have some& they dried out. I was going to make something from them but haven't. I can hear the seeds rattling around inside them

Edited to add: My vegetables are doing poorly this year. I think its a combination of making the garden larger (tho I did add several yards of compost, horse manure, leaves & peat moss) I got the vegetables in earlier than usual but then we had a month of torrential rain non stop. It flooded some plants. I finally added shavings to try & help. Some tomato plants, peppers & squash never grew any larger than when I purchased them. Tiny fruit that rotted on the plant. Some have finally started to grow but they are like 6 weeks behind. All the rain also kept the bees away as well so i am sure that didn't help either

The only tomatoes that self seeding in my garden and grow true to type are Sweet 100's. I never let the pumpkin vines that self seed grow because the only variety I want in the garden is the heritage Cinderella pumpkin.

Sunflowers will grow from saved seed if it is dried well and stored well too.

This will be the first year for me saving vegetable seeds on purpose. I'm letting peas and snap beans set seed. Also will save some pepper seeds.

Cold soil in Spring is one of the biggest reasons plants fail to grow and thrive. The only way I can grow long season crops is in raised beds with heat cover like plastic tents to retain warmth. Peppers and tomatoes won't grow if soil temp is below 55 degrees. Night time temp need to be above this for them to ripen fruit in a timely matter. Farming is not easy. Trial and error and then trial again is the way it seems to work. Good years and bad years. Is it any wonder small mom and pop farms are becoming a thing of the past? I read recently that only 10% of our fruit and vegetables in grocery stores is grown in the USA. I know a lot of fruit and grain is grown in Eastern Washington but is imported away from here. It gives me more and more incentive to grow and preserve what I can and try to only buy local. (within a hundred miles) It's hard to do.