Saving Seeds: A simple art with great value

.  I love this article from www.littlehouseliving.com.

How to Save Seeds

by Merissa on September 17, 2013

How to Save Seeds

If you planted heirloom seeds this year in your garden and think you are done harvesting now, you are wrong! today we are going to learn all about how to save seeds.
To start, we have to know the difference between the types of plants and seeds you planted in the first place in your garden.

Hybrid Seeds -
Hybrid Seeds are bred to be different than their original plant. Maybe they grow bigger or produce more or are more disease resistant. Whatever the case, hybrid seeds are not able to be saved since they are different from the original plant.
Organic Seeds -
Organic Seeds are produced without the use of chemicals and toxic fertilizers. They can be hybrid or heirloom but they cannot be genetically modified. If you have heirloom organic seeds you can save them.
Heirloom Seeds -
Heirloom Seeds are seeds that come from plants that have been around for a long time. They are not modified in any way from the original plant. This means you are able to save these seeds because they will grow into the parent plants.
So if you planted any variety of Heirloom Seeds, you are in luck! You can harvest your plant seeds and save them until next years planting so you won't have to buy new seeds. Below you will find the most commonly planted veggies and learn how to save their seeds.
Beans -
Allow several bean pods to ripen and dry on the plant. Do not let them get wet after they have started to dry (don't water and make sure it doesn't rain on them!). Once they are dry the pods will start to crack open. Try and harvest before the seeds fall to the ground. If you pick the pods before the beans are dry, just lay them out in a dry, warm area of your home and let them finish drying before you store them for next year's use.


Dill -
Harvest Dill heads at anytime after they are ready to be picked. Store in a dry, warm area or hang upside down by the stem until the top part is dry. Harvest the seeds and store for next year. Dill will also re-plant its-self if the dried seeds fall to the grow from the plants before they are harvested.
Cucumbers -
Cucumbers that are wanted for seeds should be left on the plants for long after they are ripe. Remove the cucumber and cut open to remove the seeds. Dry the seeds on a dry cloth or a paper towel in a place they will not be disturbed for 3 weeks before you put them away for next year. Before putting them away, make sure to clean the seeds.
Corn -
Make sure any corn saved is non-GMO. Leave corn to dry out on the stalk. Just like with the beans, do not allow the corn to get wet and do not water the plants while they are drying. Once the cobs appear dry, remove them from the plants and place in a warm dry area where they will not be disturbed for a few more weeks until they are fully dried. Pull the seeds off the cob before storing.
Peas -
Peas can be saved the same as beans. Let them dry on the plants and do not let them get wet. Once dried, pull them from the plants and harvest the seeds from inside the pods. Make sure they are fully dried before you store.
Peppers -
Again, let your peppers dried on the plants before harvesting. Pick the peppers off the plants and harvest the seeds inside (Always wear gloves when working with peppers and do not touch your eyes, I'm speaking from bad experience with this one!). Make sure the seeds are fully dried before you put away, you may need to let them dry for a bit longer on a plate where they will not be disturbed.
Squash and Pumpkin -
Similar to cucumbers, let the squash or pumpkins ripen for a long time on the stems (leave them for at least another 3 weeks past the regular "ripe" stage). Pick the veggies and then leave them for yet another 3 weeks before even opening the plants to remove the seeds. You want squash and pumpkin seeds to ferment before they are harvested and they will do this best still inside the vegetable. After this time has passed, remove the seeds and wash them thoroughly (you want the oily feel to be gone). Dry the seeds from the water and then let them sit to finish drying in a warm, dry area before putting away.


Gourds -
Gourds are one of the easiest seeds to harvest! Simply let the gourds dry out (either on the plant or picked). Once you hear them rolling around inside like a baby rattle you can break open the gourd and pull the seeds out to save.
Tomatoes -
Tomato Seeds need to be fermented before storing just like squash seeds. To accomplish this with tomato seeds, simply pull the "guts" of the tomato out and place in a bowl or mason jar for 3 days with a little water. Once you see bubbling or mold start to form, empty out the jar. Rinse the seeds well and place on a paper towel or rag to dry.
Need more gardening tips? Check out all our Gardening 101 articles!
Have you ever tried saving seeds? Which ones have you saved and did they work for you?

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WELCOME BACK, EMILY

Hi There, I have been gone since June of 2013,so sorry.But I have been busy advancing the cause, or perhaps I should say, advancing the interest. The interest in growing your own food, and saving seeds, and preserving food. I have actually been advancing in those skills, but I have failed to post some articles. So I am back with plenty of info...Stay tuned because more than ever before, I am sure it is time to start to grow your own...Organic Food because...

 FREE FOOD IS GREAT!

DIY: Quick and Easy Pickles in 3 Days

I love this article on a quick and easy way to make your own pickles in three days: Check out this article from the not so super mama.com.

Yes, you read right. 3 days! I LOVE pickles. My last pregnancy I ate an entire jar of pickles and a pint of ice cream for dinner on more than one occasion. When they are small and crisp and a bit of spice to them- WOW! But, I never thought of making them myself. It seemed too fussy, and I wasn’t experienced in canning. Then I saw this recipe on www.frugallysustainable.com and thought I would give it a try. I am so glad I did. What a hit!
I don’t have much of a garden, we’ve had such a mild summer here. So I bought some pickling cucumbers at the farmers market last weekend. The smallest ones I could find, and just enough for one quart size jar. It was hard to wait three days to try them, but it was worth it, and now that I’ve almost finished this jar, I’m heading to the market this weekend for some more cucumbers!  


                                                        Homemade Refrigerator Dill Pickles (Makes 4 Quarts)

• About 20 pickling cucumbers (enough to fill 4 quart jars)
• 1 head garlic
• 2 T pickling spice mix
• small bunch of fresh dill

The Brine

• 2 quarts water
• 1/2 cup raw organic apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup sea or kosher salt

Mix brine together until salt is dissolved. Set aside. Wash cucumbers and slice larger ones in half or quarters (I kept the small ones whole). In each quart sized glass canning jar place 2 fresh dill heads, 4 cloves garlic, and 1/2 T pickling spices. Place cucumbers on top. Pour brine over, being sure cucumbers are covered with liquid. Cover lightly with cheesecloth, or lid.
Let them sit in a dark pantry for 2-3 days. Try them out, and when they taste fabulous, transfer to fridge and enjoy for up to 6-12 months. Mine took 3 days, but a week later, they are gone.
I’m off to the farmer’s market to make more. Hope you enjoy them!

The Best Way To Can Peaches

I love this article on the best way to can peaches. Can't wait for those summer peaches. Read More... 

The best way to can peaches is with a friend.

Every year my dear friend Kate and I get together to can peaches and then wonderful applesauce later in the Fall. And in the case of canning, two is definitely better than one. We have so much fun together that it hardly even seems like work.

Kate is a riot to be around. She is smart, lively and very funny. One of the things I love most about Kate is, in the almost 7 years since I’ve known her, I have never heard her say a bad word about anyone. Isn’t that amazing. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I love hanging out with her so much.

We love to can this variety because of their rosy glow. They are also a free stone peach which is a must for canning. And they have great flavor and hold up beautifully in a can.

1. We start by putting our jars and rings into a dishwasher on the sterilize setting. If you don’t have a dishwasher, you can easily place your jars in your boiling water canner and bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes. We leave them in the dishwasher until we’re ready to use them… because you want them to be hot.

2. Place the lids in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer, but don’t boil.

3. Wash your peaches by rinsing in a colander.

4. Place them into a pot of boiling water and blanch for 30 to 60 seconds

5. After blanching, place them into a ice water bath to keep them from cooking.

6. Then the skins just slip right off. No need to even use a knife. If they don’t slip off, you may need to put them back in the boiling water for 30 more seconds. If they still don’t slip, your peaches might not be ripe. Put a ripe banana in the box and check them the next day. The banana usually does the trick and the peaches ripen right up.

5. Kate and I both like to quarter our peaches. It makes it easier to serve to the kids, and you can fill more peaches in the bottles than when you half them. Kate is pitting and quartering the peaches here and… ikes my photo is blurry. At this point you can use Fruit Fresh or lemon juice to keep your peaches from browning, but we never do. We just work fast.

Here’s where I slacked off on taking pictures…. I was too engrossed with a story Kate was telling… or maybe I was telling… or my hands were too sticky to pick up the camera. I will make sure I get the photos next time!

6. Make a syrup. Kate and I like a light syrup… because we’re pretty sure our kids get enough sugar from other places. We use 9 cups water to 2 1/2 cups sugar. Bring it to a boil in a medium saucepan.

7. We use a cold pack method… Put your quartered peaches face down in your hot and sterilized bottles. By face down, I mean the pit side down. We pack our bottles with peaches just to the line of the lip of the bottle (the end of the curve at the top.) It’s good to pack them fairly tight… without squishing them, so they aren’t as likely to float.

8. Now carefully pour your hot syrup into the bottles until your peaches are covered. Leave a 1/2 inch of space at the top of the bottle… no more, no less. You sometimes have to adjust here by adding or taking out a peach to reach the 1/2 inch mark.

9. Using a butter knife, slide it down each side of the bottle to remove any air bubbles.

10. Now use a clean damp cloth and wipe around the rim of your bottle.

11. Place your lid centered on the bottle and screw on the ring. I screw it finger tight. You don’t want to over tighten the lid. (I don’t know why, but I’m sure there is a good reason.)

12. Now place your bottles into the rack of the canner. Place every other bottle across from each other so you don’t tip the rack over. The water in your canner can be pretty warm, but not at a boil when you put your cans in, or you’ll break a can. I fill my canner about half full of water. Then I keep a another pan of hot water on hand to pour in if needed. You want your jars covered with about an inch of water. Now turn your burner up to the highest heat.

13. You don’t start timing them until the water reaches a vigorous boil. That’s the other nice thing about canning with a friend: There are two people to watch when the pot starts boiling instead of one. In my case that is a serious advantage, as I would forget my head if it weren’t attached. Because we are at high altitude and because we can our peaches the raw pack method… we process quarts for 40 minutes. Once you have started timing you can turn the heat down a bit to maintain a gentle boil during processing.

14. The other wonderful thing about canning with a friend… the cleanup goes twice as fast.

15. Once your jars have processed, carefully remove them from your canner and place them on a dishtowel to cool. You should have about an inch in-between jars, but it doesn’t look like we followed that rule! Oh well, nothing is better than seeing all those jars in a row. We leave them on the counter until the next day. After 24 hours, make sure to unscrew the rims and check the seals… the lids should be concave and should not flex up and down if the center is pressed. If you have a jar that didn’t seal, put it in the refrigerator and eat them. Because we have very hard water, we have to clean the jars off before putting them in your pantry.

So even though this was a crazy busy week for me, canning with Kate was so fun… I can’t wait for our Jonathan apples to come on and then it’s time to make the most delicious applesauce around.

We canned two bushel boxes of peaches and ended up with 24 quarts. That’s twelve quarts each… and we saved a few peaches out of the box to make peach pie.

I love this article from .naturalnews.com.  After all, what is the reason to grow so many fresh veges and fruit.

Yes, for all the health benefits the provide. So Detoxify Quickly with: (NaturalNews) Spring cleaning is not just for your home or yard or car. It's time to clean out the body as well. And there are several foods that are seasonally appropriate for the task.

For maximum results, invest in a juicer. Juicing gives you maximum nutrition and enzyme potential with minimal digestive effort. The better juicers are masticating single or double auger types. They extract the juice without injury or excess enzyme-destroying heat and discard the pulp.

One doesn't need to go on a strictly juice fast to gain benefits. Studies have shown juicing three times a week while maintaining a mostly organic solid food diet augments those dietary benefits significantly.

Shop around for masticating auger juicers. They range from $250 and up and usually have long-term warranties.

A few worthy items for spring detox

Dandelion leaves can be used in salads or added to a mixture of other veggies and an apple to offset its bitterness. Organic dandelion leaves can be purchased by the bunch at most decent markets that offer organic foods. Very few have the access to wild harvesting the weeds safely.

Dandelion has been used for ages to detox and fortify the liver. In addition to its proven empirical or anecdotal track record, modern Western studies have confirmed dandelion's efficacy. Its extracts are used in many liver supplements.

Kale is an alkaline-producing leafy green. Some find it rather bitter for using in salads or steaming. Ayurvedic medicine preaches the virtues of adding bitter-tasting foods to our normally sweet and salty conditioned taste buds as a healthy contrast.

But kale can be juiced easily, and adding carrots and an apple with any normally bitter-tasting veggies does soften it up sufficiently. Just make sure the kale is organic or local without agricultural chemical applications.

Artichokes appear on most nutritional spring detox lists. They help digest fats and excite the liver's bile production. They aren't raw food or juicing items, but the prepared and bottled artichokes can be a part of any salad mix you invent.

Raw organic sesame seeds can be sprinkled on salads or cottage cheese to help protect the liver, especially from the ravages of alcohol and acetaminophen OTC (over-the-counter) Tylenol and other generic pain relief versions.

Ayurveda recommends a tablespoon of sesame seeds with an equivalent amount of raisins as a daily treat that also enhances intestinal lining villi repair to improve digestive food absorption and reduce gastrointestinal inflammation of all sorts.

Broccoli sprouts greatly enhance broccoli's benefits. They are rarely sold sprouted, but you can purchase the seeds at some stores or online and sprout your own. Adding those sprouts to salads and sandwiches gives you even more protection against cancer then broccoli provides.

Greens in general should be increased also. Chard, leafy lettuces other than the iceberg variety, and broccoli should be increasingly consumed during springtime. They can all be used raw in a variety of salads to your liking.

Chlorophyl is a vital source of magnesium, the master mineral involved with over 300 cellular metabolic functions. Cellular mitochondria, where energy is produced, crave chlorophyl.

Speaking of chlorophyl, don't forget chlorella. It's not just a supplement. It's a single-celled food that helps detox while providing cellular nutrition.

Add cilantro to your daily three to five grams of chlorella for a great mercury detox combo. Cilantro can be juiced or added raw to prepared foods or salads.

Don't forget to drink more pure water. If it's purified by reverse osmosis, replace lost minerals with a liquid mineral supplement or a pinch of pure sea salt.

Sources for this article include:

http://fitbie.msn.com/slideshow/5-foods-your-spring-detox


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/040479_spring_detox_detoxifying_vegetables_healthy_diet.html#ixzz2UFK05WKv

Grow Lettuce in a Gutter

I love this article on how to grow lettuce in a gutter, really great for small gutters: Read More....   

Home vegetable gardening saves money versus purchasing produce from a grocery store or farmers market, but you can end up spending more money than you save if you purchase all-new gardening equipment. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), a cool-season crop hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9, is frequently grown in shallow containers. You can cut much of the start-up cost associated with lettuce production if you repurpose old rain gutters as planters for growing lettuce. This gardening practice also helps the environment and takes advantage of vertical garden space.

 

 

1

Cut a section of gutter 4 to 6- feet long, using tin snips for metal gutters and a PVC handsaw for plastic gutters. Cut the gutters into even shorter sections that can be moved easily around the landscape, if desired.

2

Measure and mark for plant spacing from either end of the gutter with a tape measure and pencil. Space leaf lettuce every 4 inches, loose-headed varieties every 8 inches and firm-headed varieties 16 inches apart.

3

Slide metal end caps onto the gutter and crimp the edges of the end cap to the gutter with pliers. Apply a 3/8-inch bead of silicone caulk to the inside end-cap seam. Attach PVC end caps to the PVC guttering. Apply PVC glue to the end cap and gutter and press the end cap firmly in place. Allow the silicone caulk or PVC glue to dry overnight before filling the gutter with potting medium.

4

Lay the gutter with the open end face down on a flat working surface. Measure and mark every 6 inches on the bottom of the gutter. Drill 3/8-inch drainage holes into the bottom of the gutter at each mark using a 3/8-inch drill bit and power drill.

5

Cut a piece of wire mesh screen to fit the bottom of rain gutter. Line the gutter with the screen to prevent soil from escaping through the drainage holes.

6

Place the gutter in an area that receives full sun to partial shade or at least six hours of direct or filtered sunlight daily. Place the gutter on landscape pavers or bricks to elevate the gutter, preventing the drainage holes from clogging. Mount the gutter on fences, walls and deck rails to take advantage of vertical gardening space, using L-brackets, long zip ties or chains. Vertical mounting makes planting, maintaining and harvesting lettuce less strenuous on your back and knees.

7

Fill the gutter with fertile, well-drained potting medium to within 1/2 inch of the top edge.

8

Scatter several lettuce seeds across the soil at a density of approximately one seed per inch of growing space. Press the seeds about 1/4 inch deep into the soil with your finger or the eraser end of a pencil. Cover the seeds with a light layer of soil -- lettuce seeds require sunlight to germinate. Thin out the plants as needed if they become crowded in the gutter after seeds germinate.

9

Water the soil and seeds with a gentle mist until evenly moist but not wet. High-pressure water washes the seeds away. Water lettuce plants deeply once or twice weekly, increasing watering during hot or dry periods to retain soil moisture. Do not allow the soil to dry out because lettuce plants require a moderate supply of water for proper growth.

10

Spread a layer of compost or clean straw around the lettuce plants over the soil to retain soil moisture and temperature. Wait until the plants are at least a couple inches tall so the materials don't block out sunlight to the seeds and the seeds don't have to push their way through the extra layer.

11

Fertilize the lettuce with a nitrogen-rich, water-soluble fertilizer, such as 10-5-5, added to the regular water supply three weeks after planting and repeat applications every two to four weeks. Lettuce requires a steady supply of nitrogen for best foliar growth. As a general rule, mix the fertilizer at a rate of 1 tablespoon of fertilizer to 1 gallon of water. Do not apply the entire gallon of fertilizer at once; apply only enough fertilizer to moisten the soil, just as you would when watering the lettuce.

12

Place a paper collar around young lettuce seedlings to prevent pests, such as caterpillars, from damaging the young plants. Spread a thin layer of wood ash over the soil around young seedlings to prevent slugs from damaging young plants.

13

Break off the plant leaves by hand or cut the leaves with scissors at the base of the plant about 1 to 2 inches above soil level to harvest the lettuce. Harvest the outer leaves of the lettuce plant as you need them. This method will keep the plants producing longer during the growing season. Cut through the stalk of head lettuce just beneath the head. Harvest lettuce in the early morning when the plants leaves are full of moisture. Lettuce is best harvested before the plant blooms and produces seed; lettuce that has matured produces a bitter taste. Pull mature plants from the soil and discard the plants onto a compost pile. Plant new lettuce seeds or transplants grown indoors for an abundant harvest throughout the growing season.

Growing Strawberries and other Plants in Gutters

I love this article from Life on the balcony.com.


Gutter gardens are a great way to use use free “air space” and an easily found, recycled material to grow fresh tasty food! They can be easily made in around half an hour and whats even better you don’t need any fancy tools or even fancier building skills! Within half an hour you can be sitting back watching your fresh salad greens growing. This type of container does limit the types of plants you can grow.

Plants I Have Grown in a Gutter:

• Mesclun mix salad
• Lettuce
• Wheat grass (for all those health freaks out there!)
• Strawberries ( about one plant every 30cm) – being elevated off the ground I have found that the birds can’t find them so easily and they are not contaminated with soil or bugs.
• Mustard
• Thyme (plant herbs at 20cm spacings)
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Claytonia (Miners Lettuce)

Instructions
STEP ONE: Locate some gutters. The deeper, wider types such as commercial building guttering is best. Avoid PVC gutters as they often have a lead additive in them that can leach into soil. Visit demolition yards or ask the neighbours or friendly plumbers for off-cuts. Buy two corresponding ends for the guttering. They come in a left and right shape. If you are not sure take the length of guttering to a home hardware store and ask for advice. If you can’t get matching ends you could fill two bags with sand or instant concrete to form stops at each end.

STEP TWO: Fit the ends with pvc glue. You can buy this at any hardware store in the plumbing department.
STEP THREE: Drill one small drainage hole at the bottom of gutter, every three feet. Use a small drill bit about the size of a straw.
STEP FOUR: Affix guttering to balcony railing with looped twine, light chain or rope. You can use matching type brackets to affix guttering to side of house. Screw brackets so that they are level, at around two feet spacings. Choose a place that gets at least 5 hours of sun each day.

STEP FIVE: Fill gutter with good quality potting mix. Choose one which contains water holding crystals and slow release fertiliser. It is worth paying the extra money for the premium brands.
STEP SIX: Plant or sow seeds of your choice. If sowing mesclun mix I will often only sow half the gutter and when it starts to germinate I sow the other half. This gives me a constant supply.
STEP SEVEN: Water regularly, daily in summer. Mulch the soil surface with compost.
Things to Remember

1. Use good quality potting mix
2. Water daily in summer
3. Only drill one drainage hole every three feet. You need drainage but you want to retain water in soil for as long as possible.
4. The gutter is heavy when filled with soil so make sure attachments are strong.
5. Take your gutter with you on holiday so you don’t miss out on those summer strawberries!