Seed Savor

For those of you who want to extend the delights of your summer for time to come, may I suggest seed saving.  I’m sure there are scientific procedures that will ensure optimal viability, but for now, I’m just writing about what I know.  I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities in my future to study this further, at which point, I’ll keep you informed.

But for now:  Seed Saving 101 with the Garden Miner

Arugula gone to seed.  Check out the pods on these long stalks that recently displayed  beautiful white flowers. (Strawberries nearby...if you've never tried it, a salad pairing arugula with strawberries is quite delicious.

Step 1:  Know what to look for.  When your leafy green plants, such as spinach, cilantro, arugula, lettuce, kale, etc., start to flower, enjoy their blooms and wait for the seeds to present themselves.  I usually wait until things look dry and ready to drop.  And, if you think about it, isn't that how the plant would naturally perpetuate itself?  Dried out and withered, all it would take would be a nice gust of wind to scatter the seed.  The protective pod (below) would assure shelter for the months to come, finally softening and swelling with rain and warmer soil, thus easing the protective layer open, allowing the seeds to emerge.

Which brings us here...I did natures work so that I can put the seed where I want.

 Step 2:  Collect.  In the above picture, I've gently cracked open the pod to find the arugula seeds. The two pieces of pod are separated by the finest film membrane. Nature is so well designed!

Or if you're dealing with seed inside the fruit....

 In the above picture, I am pulling seed from the fruit.  These little tomatoes are packed with seed, and selecting just a few really good fruits will assure me summers of plantings to come.  I was surprised the first time I saw this technique.  Out here in the country, we have what we call "old-timers."  They're people who grew up around here, and who know how to do things well without having to use every available gadget known to mankind.  The man who gave me some Ox Heart Tomato seed (what he called "Aunt Claire's" due to his aunt's amazing skill at growing them) was the first to show me this trick.  I remember asking, "That's all?!"   To which he replied, "Well, ya gotta label it!"

A few years later, I received in the mail seed similarly stored from a friend in Washington state who introduced me to these above pictured sweet-as-candy tomatoes (I call them "Little Hawaiians" since they originally came from there...not sure of their real name).  It was very cool to see that even more people in the know were perpetuating species with such a simple technique.  Cooler, still, was that upon opening the package I knew exactly what kind of seeds they were.

Which takes us here...label your seed.  This is packed, ready to be stored in the freezer

Step 3:  Label.  Believe me, I store so many things that I'm sure I'll remember, and then don't.  I tend to plant things as well, knowing the logic (or lack thereof) of my placement will stick with me until the plants emerge.  Um...no.  That doesn't actually work, and for some strange reason, I'm still not convinced.  But, when it comes to seeds, I do manage to label them.  Maybe it's because I know if I store five different types of tomato seed, I might forget which is which.  When I actually plant them, I know they'll show me who they are, and labeling my patch never gets done.  But, for seeds:  label, add the date, and stick in the freezer.

or...place in a paper bag and stick in an airtight cooler.  Seed separated from pod.  Pod a nice treat for the chickens.

Finally, after you've saved seed you can envision your plans for next year.  I sometimes think about a new way to grow something, and then use my saved seed, knowing they came from the same crop. I'll test my proposed theory with both an experimental and a control patch.  Over the years, as well, you'll get to know your plants better since you've maintained a line.  Whatever your goal, the best part of all of this is the added understanding you'll have about growing your own food.  Most definitely, that's something satisfying to savor.