Harvesting And Saving Seeds ~ Making Your Garden Stay FREE!

in #homesteading7 years ago

If there's one thing I've learned since we began growing our own food...

It's that Life Wants To Grow. Food wants to be in abundance. Abundance is food's natural state. The amount of seeds that only one fruit or vegetable gives, never mind a whole plant, bush or tree, is testimony to that. I've only been saving seeds for two years now, and I've already got almost too much again. Last year I mailed out 30 envelopes stuffed with all different kinds of seed and I still have a tonne left over.

Needless to say I'll be sending out seeds again this spring, to ensure my friends and family in Canada can grow food for less money. I'll be sure to let everyone in Canada on Steemit know and I'll send you some seeds too! Another reason I have such a surplus of seed is because I have some great friends who mail me their own seeds. It's a beautiful way to stay in touch and enrich each other's gardens.

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Kale seeds. All from flowers (which turned into seed pods) off of just 8 plants. Wait until you see this...can you even imagine how many kale plants can be grown now? Life Wants To Grow.

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Time for Beans.

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I made ratatouille and harvested squash seeds at the same time ;) Hey I always said I'm a damn fine multitasker.

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And Now For Every Gardener's Porn...My Seed Stash!

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Sunflowers seeds from my monsters this year.

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Very special tobacco and Hemp Seed sent to me in the summer by White Walking Feather @wwf, I cannot wait to plant them this spring!

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A tonne of different tomato and medicinal flower seeds sent to me in the spring by @karenfoster. I still have some left and our greenhouse has a lot of tomato in it that we will be harvesting the seeds from soon.

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These beauties were mailed to me all the way from the UK by the amazing Salli @ontheinside in the Spring as well. I'm looking forward to planting them this season!

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Dill.

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Spinach.

Well that's it folks, thanks for stopping by and witnessing my seedy porn hahaha! Remember to save your seeds <3 <3 <3 To ensure that @foodisfree!!

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I'm currently trying to get the broccoli seeds harvested. I tried enlisting my daughter's help, but it didn't get far! Lol! Usually I leave them too long and lots of seeds drop giving me new plants voluntarily and I end up not needing the ones I collected! Glad to be able to pass them on though.

Your collection's looking fantastic!

Thank you very much for liking my collection @minismallholding! Sounds like your daughter will be growing up with many skills to help her become a great gardener like you :) :)

Not sure I'd call myself a great gardener! 🤣 More like bumbling!!

I hear ya, I can relate haha :) It sure is fun though with unexpected delights!

Impressive collection of seeds there!

After having success with a few seeds I collected last year, I've started really getting into seed collecting this year. I like trying new varieties (including from Chase Organics) but I hope by next year I'll be able to use at least 50% of home produced seed.

The other area of propagation I've got into this year is cuttings. It is amazing what will grow. We were drying a whole bunch of sage a couple of weeks back, and after stripping off the leaves I chopped up the stalks into 1 inch lengths. I popped them in damp compost and amazingly about 80% of them have taken. Isn't nature wonderful!

Wow, I really need to get into cutting! Thanks for the inspiration to take it to the next level @pennsif!!

I went on a one day plant propagation workshop last month that got me going on this. Once I realised how easy it is I've been taken cuttings all over the place. I've got dozens and dozens and dozens of little pots on the go now - plenty to share around in the spring.

Love your seedy porn Lyndsay! Reminds me of growing up and working with my mom in the garden... and learning that we didn't get to harvest everything to eat; we had to save some for next year. Reminds me of sitting at the kitchen table and folding little paper envelopes from big sheets of paper so we could save seeds. And then there were the occasional experience that NONE of a certain seed did anything the next year.

Good for you for being self-sufficient and growing your own food!

That is great that you have such fond memories of growing and saving seeds! I hope my boys look back as happily as you do @denmarkguy. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I hope they do, too! In our complex technological world, there was just something about that being a "simpler" time that appeals to me. Different things-- of more "substance"-- mattered.

I showed your article about the seeds to my 6-yr-old daughter, Olive, who is sitting on my lap. She wanted to decide for herself how much of a vote to give you. She says that she likes every plant and seed that you have.

Tell Olive that I would be honoured to send her some seeds this spring! Woohoo!! Thanks for your support Olive!! :) :) :)

Olive is very excited about that and says that we will definitely plant them,
because she loves seeds.
She wants to know which type of seeds you are going to send us.

Green/Yellow/Purple beans
Sunflowers
Cosmos
Hollyhock
Spinach
Dill
Zucchini
Corn
Tomato (if you are going to start some seeds indoors)

Comment stalking again, lol ;)

Yes, we have to save seed.

That is really awesome!! I will be starting out in the spring. I have in my plan for the spring planting to have some of my fruits and veggies to go to seed to lighten my wallet for future planting.

Good for you for taking these important steps to self sufficiency.

Seedy porn, hahaha, I love it!

Glad I could make you laugh :) :) :)

Omg that is some serious seed porn...want to trade stuff this year again? I can send you sweet potato slips 🙄

Oooh yes my friend, nothing would make me happier!!

Can't wait. My seed game this year was kinda weak lol. Got some cool stuff to share tho!

you are amazing, my parents are also farmers. now I also plant some vegetables in the garden yard of the house. and what you do is very useful @lyndsaybowes

Blessings to you and your parents, I hope your planting goes very well!

I have never seen such a hobby!
you're a very special person and you have much connection with nature

I'd like to be closer to plants as well, gardening is like miracle for me)

Thank you very much for taking such an interest @taliakerch!