Seed Harvesting

[Clyde]

When I use the seeds I bought from you, can I use the seeds from the item(s) i just harvested to grow more?
I apologize if this doesn't make any sense.

 

[jeepgirl]

Each survival kit comes with a 4 page instruction on how to save the seeds and the best time to grow. You can plant the seeds this year, harvest them and follow proper saving techniques and you will replenish what you've used and more! I'm not sure if people understand the concept of Heirloom seeds but it really is an endless supply of food. The taste of an heirloom tomato will change your mind forever!

 

[Clyde]

Each survival kit comes with a 4 page instruction on how to save the seeds and the best time to grow. You can plant the seeds this year, harvest them and follow proper saving techniques and you will replenish what you've used and more! I'm not sure if people understand the concept of Heirloom seeds but it really is an endless supply of food. The taste of an heirloom tomato will change your mind forever!

Thank you for the information. I am looking to by a couple of items this week.
Do you know anything about a soft drink bottle greenhouse?

 

[LissyPrepper]

What are heirloom seeds? I've never heard of them. How do they differ from other seeds?

 

[jeepgirl]

The term Heirloom is usually applied to fruit, flower or vegetables varieties that were being grown before World War II. between the 1950's and 70's hybrids came into play and dominated the vegetable market. It became harder to find different varieties. Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated--meaning that unlike hybrids, seeds you collect from one year will produce plants with most of the characteristics of the parent plant. And that's key to their survival.

Heirlooms are always open-pollinated varieties. This means that if the seeds produced from the plant are properly saved, they will produce the same variety year after year. This can't be done with hybrids (which are a cross between 2 separate varieties)


Typically, heirlooms have adapted over time to whatever climate and soil they have grown in. Due to their genetics, they are often resistant to local pests, diseases, and extremes of weather.

Hybrids were created for the commercial farmer so when you go into your grocery store every tomato looks the same. With Heirloom you will have different size and not uniformity. When you plant an heirloom seed, harvest the vegetable, and save the seeds correctly, you create an endless supply of food that will stay true to it's original seed parent. Also, the taste of heirloom seeds is astounding compared to hybrids. It's like eating your great- grandfather's tomatoes and be able to continue to have that. Almost like a lost secret recipe. The health benefits of eating heirloom vegetables is higher than hybrids. Have you had the iceberg lettuce from the grocery store?..it really tastes like nothing.

Our customers write us all of the time and tell us how quickly our seeds sprout and I had a friend that planted our heirloom corn seed and a hybrid variety from the local store. Our corn grew almost 2 feet taller and the color was beautiful, yielding a better crop.

You will produce a seed that can be saved and used over and over that offers you health benefits and saves you money!!!!

 

[jeepgirl]

Thank you for the information. I am looking to by a couple of items this week.
Do you know anything about a soft drink bottle greenhouse?

I've seen the concept done before but never realized it had a name. It's really a neat idea. You can take one soda bottle, cut it in half, poke holes for water drainage, plant seeds in bottom and then tape the upper part of the bottle back to the bottom. Instant greenhouse effect! You take the lid off and water it so it's easy to maintain. I am going to try this with my kids because when I was growing up this is how school's did stuff. It's a great way to recycle and use bottles I would normally throw away!

I also saw a huge greenhouse made of soda bottles which would be less expensive than the plastic!

You can even use those pesky water bottles to start small seeds!

 

[Clyde]

I've seen the concept done before but never realized it had a name. It's really a neat idea. You can take one soda bottle, cut it in half, poke holes for water drainage, plant seeds in bottom and then tape the upper part of the bottle back to the bottom. Instant greenhouse effect! You take the lid off and water it so it's easy to maintain. I am going to try this with my kids because when I was growing up this is how school's did stuff. It's a great way to recycle and use bottles I would normally throw away!

I also saw a huge greenhouse made of soda bottles which would be less expensive than the plastic!

You can even use those pesky water bottles to start small seeds!

I think the kids will get a kick out of doing this!
I am going to give this a try.

 

[bairleafarm]

I currently have over 150 different breeds if heirlooms here. I save seeds from every crop. I've never saved seeds from carrots or lettuce. Mainly cause I dont know how and haven't researched it.

 

[LissyPrepper]

Thanks for the info. I'll check out the site. I'm looking to plant a couple of apple trees. They thrive up here with minimal maintenance. I definitely want to try the soda bottle greenhouse. there's some great ideas for preps on here.

 

[Bravery]

The term Heirloom is usually applied to fruit, flower or vegetables varieties that were being grown before World War II. between the 1950's and 70's hybrids came into play and dominated the vegetable market. It became harder to find different varieties. Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated--meaning that unlike hybrids, seeds you collect from one year will produce plants with most of the characteristics of the parent plant. And that's key to their survival.

Heirlooms are always open-pollinated varieties. This means that if the seeds produced from the plant are properly saved, they will produce the same variety year after year. This can't be done with hybrids (which are a cross between 2 separate varieties)


Typically, heirlooms have adapted over time to whatever climate and soil they have grown in. Due to their genetics, they are often resistant to local pests, diseases, and extremes of weather.

Hybrids were created for the commercial farmer so when you go into your grocery store every tomato looks the same. With Heirloom you will have different size and not uniformity. When you plant an heirloom seed, harvest the vegetable, and save the seeds correctly, you create an endless supply of food that will stay true to it's original seed parent. Also, the taste of heirloom seeds is astounding compared to hybrids. It's like eating your great- grandfather's tomatoes and be able to continue to have that. Almost like a lost secret recipe. The health benefits of eating heirloom vegetables is higher than hybrids. Have you had the iceberg lettuce from the grocery store?..it really tastes like nothing.

Our customers write us all of the time and tell us how quickly our seeds sprout and I had a friend that planted our heirloom corn seed and a hybrid variety from the local store. Our corn grew almost 2 feet taller and the color was beautiful, yielding a better crop.

You will produce a seed that can be saved and used over and over that offers you health benefits and saves you money!!!!

Thanks JeepGirl... now I'm hungry again. I do remember eating my grandmother's tomatoes when I was a kid ... ohhhh they had so much flavor... now the ones from the grocery store look so pretty but taste bland at best. I will be visiting your store soon!!!

Now that I'm thinking about it... I want some of those tomato seeds you were talking about, some cilantro seeds, some jalapeno pepper seeds, and some onion seeds (I doubt you have any lime seeds)... then I can grow some ingredients for some fine salsa!! Yuuuummmmm

I really need to get started on doing this because I would rather learn now when I am not depending on eating the crops in order to stay alive.

 

[jeepgirl]

I think that is the best prep you can take. Gardening is like raising a child, the first one you make a lot of mistakes but you learn from it so the second time around it's much easier! I found a lime basil that is good for salads and fish. Are you talking about Lime trees? You could grow them in your area very well!

 

[jeepgirl]

I currently have over 150 different breeds if heirlooms here. I save seeds from every crop. I've never saved seeds from carrots or lettuce. Mainly cause I dont know how and haven't researched it.

I can go into more detail tomorrow but I wanted to post this for you.

*Growing heirloom carrots for seed is slightly more difficult than growing them for their root. Carrots will produce an edible root in just one year. But to produce flowers and seed, a carrot must grow for two years. The best way to carry your heirloom carrot plant into the next season when it will flower, you must dig it out of the ground and store it in a cool place. Then replant it next year. Within a few weeks, it will produce flowers followed by harvestable seed.

​

*After lettuce flowers, it will form stalks with seeds at the top. This process is called bolting. After your lettuce bolts, put a bag or around the seeds to keep birds away and give the seeds time to dry. When the stalks are completely dry, cut and thrash the bolts to separate the chaff. Put the seeds away in a cool, dry location until you’re ready to plant again.​

here's a video I found​

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[Bravery]

I think that is the best prep you can take. Gardening is like raising a child, the first one you make a lot of mistakes but you learn from it so the second time around it's much easier! I found a lime basil that is good for salads and fish. Are you talking about Lime trees? You could grow them in your area very well!

So that explains why my son is so messed up!!! Only kidding... he's a good kid... but he's 13 and it makes me wonder why we had children... and then I remember how much fun we had making him.

 

[Clyde]

I think that is the best prep you can take. Gardening is like raising a child, the first one you make a lot of mistakes but you learn from it so the second time around it's much easier! I found a lime basil that is good for salads and fish. Are you talking about Lime trees? You could grow them in your area very well!

So that explains why my son is so messed up!!! Only kidding... he's a good kid... but he's 13 and it makes me wonder why we had children... and then I remember how much fun we had making him.

I agree! I am sure I have jacked my son up in some areas, but my ex-wife is still the winner in that department! Not looking forward to the teenage years !

 

[LissyPrepper]

They should hand out "I survived my teenagers" badges. I'm on the other side of that hump. thank God. It wasn't easy.

 

[Bravery]

Jeepgirl.... loved that video.

 

[jeepgirl]

Bravery-Good! At least you have boys! have two very smart little girls that are nothing but trouble. I thought I had a lot of grey hair now, I can only imagine what it will be in a few years!!!

 

[old_anorak]

Heirlooms are definitely the way to go. One thing to remember with heirloom corn is to make sure you have yours a good distance from anyone else's corn patch or they will cross pollinate. I've not seen any other veg do it as bad as corn.

We used to do something like the soda bottle thing with milk jugs only we did outside in the garden itself. You cut the bottom off of a milk jug and push the open end down into the ground for a few days to let the sun warm the sun and then plant your seed and put the jug back over it. You can put the little plastic cap back on it on cool days and take it off on warmer ones until it's warm enough to harden your plantlings a few hours at a time during the day and then putting the milk jug back over it at night. If you have the room for them, you can save them from season to season to protect your tender, young plants from frost.

If you like cantaloupes, try banana cantaloupes. They are an old variety and you'll most likely never see them in the market, you might at a farmer's market if you're lucky. They are sweet as can be and the flesh is very tender. Despite the name, they don't taste like bananas!

I was lucky that jeepgirl could get some seed for me since the seed I had from last year was accidently fed to the parrot.

 

[jeepgirl]

It's shipping tomorrow!

 

[old_anorak]

Woohoo!!!!!! Thank you!