Welcome back to Good Gardening! In our Week 8 discussion, we wanted to know how many readers and gardeners saved their own seed for the following season. As always we took the conversation to social media to see what the response was like…
Tima Priess wrote in, literally on the way to a seed-savers exchange in Ester, Alaska outside of Fairbanks. Growing Ester’s Biodiversity has a Facebook page for anyone in the area who wants to get involved.
I personally wrote in to say how I was saving the seeds of my acorn squashes (seen growing behind my right shoulder) to distribute among my Italian family members who have never even heard of acorn squash. Per l’Italiani, pocchi semi sono ancora disponibile se volete. Mandatemi un email a [email protected] sono a Lombardia.
The Sharing Gardens wrote in, as unsurprisingly, they too save and share seeds. Furthermore, topically speaking, they always do so at the onset of autumn, as ripe fruits will have grown their largest seeds. They have a post on their blog here about how to save tomato seed.
Permaculturalist Monica Richards saves seeds and shares them with her friends too; even as far as Germany, where she got seeds of a tomatillo—a Mexican fruit, that she grew in her home in California! Talk about a one-world-garden She continued…
Many native seeds where I live need to be cold-stratified, soaked or burned in order to germinate. When I know a native I love is dispersing its seeds, I try to help the pods along areas I can use them at the same time, rather than collect and keep. That way, they are moving around the property in the season they are used to, and will germinate naturally. Lo – and behold, I have a number of natives right where I want them germinating!
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower,” — Albert Camus
Topic Week 9: Fall Jubilee
Question 1: September is the first month of autumn, what do you have left to harvest?
Question 2: Do you like to plant late year crops? If so, which ones?
Question 3: Will anyone see you at your local harvest fair as a vendor?
Tell Us Here in The Comments… or, send your questions, tips, and photos to [email protected]. Join our Facebook Good Gardens thread every Friday on the GNN Facebook Page…
Good gardening rules
- Green thumbs can help novice greenhorns.
- Share your gardening photos and resources.
- Garden jargon encouraged!
INVITE Friends to our Gardening Discussion on Social Media–And Share Your Photos and Tips!