31 July 2009

seeds

I dug over and composted a few other bare patches of earth, where the peas came out, and where there's gaps in other rows. Planted some Bell Pepper, and more Cilantro. The current Cilantro plants have all gone to seed. I pulled out the smallest, stunted plants to throw away, and let the rest dry. One is dry enough the most mature seeds began to fall off the plant, so I brought it inside, stripped the leaves (I don't want little dry bits of leaves all over the floor) and hung it up next to the garlic to finish drying, so we can plant more again next spring! It smells lovely.



Gathering Lettuce seed, too, and cutting down the dying plants after. I let tons of Romaine plants bolt, so of those when only a third or half of the seedheads have made their poufs, I cut the whole top off, shake it into a bag, let it dry some and then brush the seeds off by hand- not minding to waste the rest of the unfinished seedheads. The Bibb and Simpson Lettuce (A's favorite) I only had a few- only two Bibb plants gone to seed, and only half a dozen Simpsons. On those I pick each individual seedhead once it is mature- leaving the rest to finish themselves- so I get the most seeds off each plant, but its a lot more tedious. Next year I'll let only a few Romaine bolt, and more of the Simpson.

3 comments:

MOM said...

You may find your seed gathering in vain. Most plants grown from comercial seeds will not produce viable seeds. Something about the hypridizing to make the original seeds. If you want to gather and grow from your own seeds you should look up some seed saving groups and heirloom variety plants. They us the old varieties that will produce viable seeds.
Love your journal/blog
MOM

Jeane said...

I was careful to choose seed packets that didn't say "hybrid" or "F2" on them, but I still don't know if they're any good. I hope the lettuce is, at least- I got some volunteer lettuce in the garden this year from a few plants that bolted last year and dropped seed on the ground, so I think at least the lettuce will grow for me.

I wanted to get seed from a seed saver's exchange, but it was kind of expensive. I did buy heirloom tomato seed this year, so I think those might work, too.

MOM said...

I should have known with all your reading you would know about the seeds.