With my "Blogging Seed Swap" still in my mind I want to make sure I'm saving plenty of seeds this year. I've never been great at it, either leaving it too late or not storing them correctly, so this year I'm making a real effort.
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| Pepper seeds |
On my window sill I currently have lots of pepper seeds drying. Some from my chilli pepper "Cherry Bomb" and the others from either yellow or red "Mini Bell Peppers". These are then being labled up and stored in old cod liver oil tablets containers to keep them dry.
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| My tiny sweet peppers - perfect for UK growing! |
I've also got lots of fennel seeds to collect to use as a spice in the kitchen and some salad seeds to use as micro greens through the winter.
How does everyone else go about saving seeds and how good are you at it?
Does anyone save seeds from biannual plants and how do you go about keeping plants separate to prevent cross pollination?
Don't forget if you want to be part of the seed swap then start saving your seeds now and in a couple of months we can start to share them out!
I'm rubbish at saving seed. When I remember to save them I forget where to put them!
ReplyDeleteI'm the same. Or I just leave them on the side all winter! I must get better at it!
DeleteI've got some Tree spinach seeds you can have if you like.
ReplyDeleteI save my fennel seed for cooking, for fennel tea for if I've got indigestion or sometime just for a change from black tea. Also good for sprinkling into the hen house and in their feed , to freshen up the coop (along with sage,mint and lemon balm,lavender etc.)
I save Calendula seeds and scatter some around the garden for the next year.
I've not grown tree spinach before. I've just picked loads of fennel seeds after reading your comment as I get terrible indigestion a lot! Calendula normal seeds itself everywhere so I'm never short of them!
DeleteI used to buy seeds at the farmers depot, but I never tried to harvest any of my own. I have a huge box of seeds in packets but I guess by now they would not grow, they are probably ten years old.
ReplyDeleteSome would still be okay - I've used squash seeds that were over 10 years old and they grew fine - depends what type and how they were stored. Carrot and parsnip seeds need to be brought fresh every year for good crops (carrot will keep but I always find it never does as well - parsnip is just rubbish if it's over a year old.)
DeleteKen - i hate to brag...but we have been saving seeds for about 10yrs now. we love it! for things that don't dry on the vine, like tomatoes, peppers, pumpkin, squash, zucchini, etc. - we do the usual rinse the seeds in a bowl of water, swish them around until they separate from the pulp and then dry them using a very elaborate method. make sure you are taking notes here.
ReplyDeletethen - we put them on paper towels and lay them all over the house to completely dry - bahahahahah!
other things like beans, peas, fennel, herbs, catnip, chives, etc. - we let dry on the plant and then collect them up in paper bags and then sort the seeds all winter. it's great fun.
your friend,
kymber
Yeah - I need to start saving some tomato seeds now, although maybe I should save the first one thats ripe so it gets earlier each year. As for zucchini I think we grow too many squash so they'd be cross polinated so I have to buy them. Our window sills are covered in seeds at the moment.
DeleteNot got any to save this year but next year will be different.
ReplyDeleteYou ask what variety my almond tree was its a Robijn its a slighly later flowering variety so less chance of being hit by the frost.
I might have to buy some scion would of that variety of tree and graft a few this next spring. I quite fancy having a few fresh almonds. Cheers Dawn
DeleteI save our seeds for my own use in the veggie garden. Its a great idea to have a seed swap though, a good way to get different varieties growing...
ReplyDeleteIt all helps keep costs low! And the more types of veg I grow the less it matters if one fails.
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