Collect Smart Seeds!

[benshelpmeet]

Smart seeds are seeds that remember how to reproduce year after year , (Heirloom seeds) ...Hybrid seeds do not make plants that produce seeds that will bring you more plants that produce next year. If you save the seeds they might make a plant, but have no fruit.

I had a hunch to look at Lowe's, we went Tuesday night and found Heirloom seeds their. We stocked up, they have Vegetables and Flowers. We bought Perennials seeds too because they produce year after year also.

We plan on having a large garden this year, 48 wide x 64 or 80 long, We haven't decided yet. We'll have to pace it out and see. We are going to put cattle panel fence around it and wrap the bottom in chicken wire, and make a dog run around the outside to keep the deer away. We are going to have an organic garden.

The Lord has provided a neighbor man who wants to till for us. He's a nice man. I am thankful for his help.

~ sister Darlene ~

[dianatyree]

I saved seeds from some of my plants and then I read, at least for the tomato seeds that I was supposed to soak them before I stored then so they would germinate. Does anyone know if I can still use them? Diana

[Donna]

In the past I saved some seeds from tomatoes that were very tasty. They were a hybrid and did produce fruit, but by the 3rd year tasted nothing like the original. The problem with hybrid seeds is that they do not reproduce the same kind. They revert back to one of the originals.
Heirloom seeds will reproduce the same year after year.

I saw some heirloom seeds at stores here as well. I am hoping to have at least a small plot this year for fresh salad ingredients as well as pole beans.

Donna

[benshelpmeet]

I saved seeds from some of my plants and then I read, at least for the tomato seeds that I was supposed to soak them before I stored then so they would germinate. Does anyone know if I can still use them? Diana

I would like to know the answer to this question as well. I really do not know how to go about saving seeds.

~ sister Darlene ~

Welcome back sister Donna!

[lisa]

I had an Amish lady give me some heirloom lettuce seeds one year. I dried them stuck them in an envelope then the next year I planted them. They did really well. I would at least try the tomato seeds. One thing I have heard is you are supposed to keep left over seeds in the freezer so they will still be good to plant the next year. Hope this helps. Lisa

[benshelpmeet]

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Saturday we were getting ready to leave for town and the dogs started barking we looked out and saw our neighbor sitting on his tractor at our gate patiently waiting to till our garden. He tilled us a 48x97 foot garden behind our barn in the back field. Also a 12x20 plot in our main yard, the small one will be for flowers and herbs.

We are going to plant a 6x24 raised bed of strawberries''Sequoia''.

He said it was going to rain for the next 4 days and he wanted to get it turned over for us. I thought the ground was too wet still, but it looks good. We have alot of rock to pull out but the soil is great! Very rich. Our neighbor is a good smart organic gardener, he's going to help us.

We only met him once, another neighbor was going to till our garden bet when Be called him , e was in Kentucky helping residents cut fallen trees after a bad snow and ice storm, he suggested we call Kerry. He told us to call when we have had three dry days in a row. We have had bad weather ever since with only two days at th most that were dry. We were over joyed and surprised to see his smiling face.

He is one of the men in our community that donated wood from his saw mill to build our chicken coop.

We feel very blessed to live in this community. These are not plain brethren, these are Southern Baptist (little country church), Methodist ( little country church), Presbyterian (little country church), Nazarene (little country church). All these churches work together in our little community to be a blessing to one another. These churches are all friends and relatives, though they go to different churches with different persuasion, they all work together as brethren. It is refreshing. They sure have been a blessing to our family. They built out 8 x 14 chicken a deluxe one! , they brought us 2 1/2 ricks of good oak wood (when they cleared a big oak tree at the community center, they thought about us, they knew we burn wood for heat, alot of folks around here burn wood for heat!), once they brought us all the left overs from the fish fry, we had 7 boxes of fresh fried catfish, 2 gallon zip locks of hush puppy's, and 3 boxes packed full of fries. What a blessing those brothers from those little country churches in our community have been to us and a great encouragement during our 6 months of grieving hardships.

Ben bought me 5 rose bushes! 1 red double knock out, 1 yellow rose, 1 pink, 2 climbing ''Pinata'', which is a peach and hot pink rose...beautiful! Saturday, weather permitting he is going to build me an arbor out of 4x4s and 2x4s and white plastic lattice with a bench on both sides, so we can sit and talk, maybe have a cup of tea among the beautiful roses.


We have 8 blueberry bushes.

5 grape vines 4 concord, 1 Niagara

Raspberries

Horseradish

Asparagus

Onions

Potatoes

2 Forsythia bushes

1 Elephant ear bulb

Tons of different flowers and herbs


~ sister Darlene ~

I've heard it's best to freeze your seeds, but I just wonder what they used to do before refrigeration, maybe a root cellar or basement would be good.

If anyone knows the answer please share.

[nightingale]

My mother collected seeds from her own plants year after year...she would just wait until the plant/seeds dried up themselves and then collect them and store them in a envelope until next year.
The next year she would just throw them into their respected little holes add water and the process started all over again.

Love ya Sis Debbie

[benshelpmeet]

Debbie,

Did your mama freeze them until next year or just keep them in a cool dry place?