Seeds have been the star of the show lately in my garden. As certain veggies wind down for the season, I find myself attempting to save their seed, from both a monetary and a self-sufficiency stand point. Did you know that the more years you save and re-plant your own seed from your strongest vegetables, the more accustomed to your particular environment they will become and the healthier your vegetables will be? By doing this, you are essentially cultivating your own “strain” of particular seed to be the most successful in your unique backyard. To attain this, you must collect and re-sow seed from the same vegetable for a few years. Only collect seed from the strongest, most bountiful plants within each vegetable grouping.
Pole bean pod that I've allowed to fully mature and then dry out on the plant.
Yesterday I removed my large grouping of pole beans, as they were finally finished producing and although they had some new growth, the 30’s evening temps had other plans. A few other pods weren’t finished drying out for future seeds. So I’ve set the pods out in the sun and I’m hoping they will still dry out. I was just chomping at the bit for this space to plant some new seeds. I strive for my plot to be as productive as possible.
That's one big bean!
Being a southern Californian, I had the privilege of planting many types of seeds today, including golden beets (my first time with these), lettuce, purple carrots and Di Cicco broccoli. Generally in the winter if the forecast calls for lower temps, I’ll wait until daytime temps warm up a bit and then plant. The next ten days vary from the high sixties to low seventies. Great for those little specs of life in the ground!
Bountiful Backyard 