![]() ![]() When the leaves of second-year beet plants turn brown, remove the seed stalk from the top of the plant and place it in a paper bag. Replant them outdoors the following spring. In warm climates, you’ll have to create “winter” indoors: At the end of the first season, cut the foliage down to 2 inches, carefully dig up roots, and store them in a refrigerator or cool cellar over winter. In areas with cold winters, simply leave plants in the ground over winter. These biennial plants produce seeds only in their second year, after a period of vernalization, or cold storage. Clip them off and place them in a mesh sieve or colander, then use your fingers to rub them against the bottom of the sieve. When plants bolt at the end of the season, allow flowers to remain until they fade completely. When you remove them from the bag, rub the flowers between your fingers to separate the seeds, then blow away the lightweight dry plant matter and discard.īasil seeds are tiny, so separating them from the small flower petals and chaff can be tedious. Cut them off the plant and store them in a paper bag to dry completely for a couple of weeks. Allow those flowers to remain on second-year plants until they become brown and brittle. Parsley is a biennial plant with a two-year life cycle that produces only edible foliage in its first year and leaves and flowers in its second. The seeds will disengage from the flower and fall to the bottom of the bag. When the puffs are dry, remove the entire stem, place it into a paper bag, fold over the top and shake. ![]() Here’s how to collect and save seeds from the most common homegrown crops.Īt the end of the growing season, lettuce will bolt, or send up a flower stalk that will develop seed heads reminiscent of dandelion puffs. The temporary addition of a silica gel packet to the jar will remove any remaining moisture, but take it out after a couple of days to avoid over-drying. Store all seeds in a cool, dry place in a covered glass jar or paper envelope away from ripening fruit, which would affect seed germination. They’ll probably be fine even if they’re not what you expect. If that feels too limiting, go ahead and experiment, knowing that even if cross-pollinated, both parents are heirloom varieties you selected and planted. If you want to save tomato seeds, for example, grow only one type of tomato in your garden. To avoid cross-pollination surprises, plant only one variety of the category of plants from which you plan to harvest seeds. This is often impractical, if not impossible, in the home garden. To ensure the seeds you collect will grow into plants that match their parent, different varieties of the same crop should be kept anywhere from 100 feet to a mile apart, depending on climate, weather and other variables. This file is free for your personal use and enjoyment.Many plants become cross-pollinated in the garden when pollinators, other insects, animals and wind transfer pollen from one plant to another. How about enclosing some freshly pressed flowers of your own with this letter? Ah, it makes my dreams flutter to summery Red Clovers or Sweet Pea flowers… □ Print on plain 80g paper, and write your letter on the back, before you fold and mail it □ I can’t determine what flowers they are, please help if you think you know?Īnd it had just enough room for writing an address, I simply had to use it for another Fold & Mail Stationery: I found such a gorgeous 1885 French Book Cover on Vintage Ephemera! Look at the wonderful typography, the soft colors, those little butterflies and pretty pink flowers.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |