Frankencumber

 

This is the cucumber that I picked from the garden last August.  It's an open pollinated, heirloom type, but I don't remember the name.  I grabbed it and brought it into the house because is was such a fine specimen that I was going to save it for seed and didn't want the frost to get it.   Now it's January and I'm thinking it's time to harvest those seeds.  It's been sitting on my counter the whole time and I'm just amazed that it didn't start turning yellow until a week ago.  Hasn't rotted yet, either.  

On a totally different subject-I was walking back from the sheep pen yesterday when I took a good look at the wheelbarrow in my way.  Last summer I threw empty paint cans in it and then some baler twine.  Well,  then it rained and froze and voila!! a work of art.  :)

Maybe my eye for beauty is a little off.  I guess you just have to be there.

Have a blessed weekend.
From Glory Farm

Saving Seeds

Want to save money on your garden next year?  Saving your own seeds can make a big dent in your seed order.  I've been growing only open-pollinated varieties of produce for about five years now and each year I learn a bit more about saving seeds from these plants.

First are the annuals-seeds from tomatoes, cukes, peppers, lettuce, radishes, corn, squash, pumpkins, melons, broccoli, peas, beans are pretty easy to save.  You do have to watch for cross pollinating with squash and pumpkins.  I've had some pretty crazy creations in the squash bed.  Broccoli is a problem for me as far as saving seeds from it.  It never seems to develop seed heads after it has gone to flower.  There are some good books out there that tell you how to process the seeds before you package them up.  If you have a copy of Carla Emery's "Country Living", she has instructions on how to save most seeds.

Then there are the biennials-cabbage, beets, carrots,parsnips, parsley, rutabagas, kale.  I think that's all of them that I grow. These vegetables make seeds the second year of their growth.  I live in a zone 4 climate and most vegetables won't overwinter here.  I have mulched beets and carrots in an attempt to grow them the second year. The carrots came back up and I was able to get some seeds this year, but the beets never showed up.  Parsnips, parsley, rutabagas and kale will all come back for the second year as long as I mulch them in the fall.

This is radish seed and a seed pod.

Tomato seeds-red tomatoes on the top and yellow on the bottom.  Tomato seeds need to be fermented in water for a few days, poured into a strainer, rinsed thoroughly with water and then spread out to dry on a plate.

When saving bean seeds, I try to let the pods stay out on the plants until they are completely dried out. 

Here I'm attempting to harvest the carrot seeds

Remember to save seeds from mature, unblemished, and good looking vegetables.  These are the products you want your seeds to produce.

I'm definitely not an expert on saving seeds, but I am able to save not only seeds, but a chunk of money each year when I order my seeds.  And...because I can save all of this money, I can now buy more fruit trees and experimental plants!!

Happy fall gardening!!

Gardening Experiments

Don't you love trying new things?  This year I tried growing Quinoa.  That experiment didn't work.
I recently read "The Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency used by the Mormon Pioneers".  It's a good read and he has some ideas and information in there that I didn't have before.

The author has some good ideas for extending the harvest for us short season gardeners.

Today I set  up a "rustic" cold frame with a hot water jug to help keep it heated at night.

I need to fasten this to the house with a hinge, yet.  I planted various kinds of lettuce and spinach in here and I'm hopeful that we will be growing lettuce into December.  This is on the south side of my house right next to my other experiment-trying to save seed from biennials.  I have carrots and beets planted and I just mulched them.  I'm hoping they'll come up for the second year and provide me with seed. 

I guess the picture of this experiment isn't too exciting.  I'll report back on these experiments as they progress.  Or not.