Evening glow in the greenhouse

Evening glow in the greenhouse
WELCOME TO MY BLOG! I am glad you found me because I hope I can be helpful or at least interesting for you to follow, be you a gardener yourself or just watching vicariously.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Diary 5/31


Sprinkling outside. New interns are here. Melons and winter squash going in and maybe some weeding in the beds in the greenhouses. Asparagus to pick and some snow peas for dinner? End of holiday weekend and transition back to work with three helpers tomorrow, we will get the onions cleaned up and hopefully plant some more lettuce, spinach, and ? I have been saving seeds for years and if you have room, you can, too. Nice to start with easy things such as cilantro, lettuce, and kale. Leave a plant or two in until past prime, bolting, making flowers. The flowers will develop seed heads and ultimately seeds. One plant can give you enough seed for many years. Harvest, dry thoroughly, and store in dry dark place. Hybrids only have a 1:64 chance of repeating themselve unless the two parent are related. Doesn't mean don't try them, but by saving seed from only one plant you greatly limit the gene pool and ultimately the plants of the future. So, it is not easy to get the same tomato, for instance, from saving seed of one hybrid tomato. If it is open pollinated or an heirloom, then the plant will only accept its own pollen and thus not cross with another. I have zinnia seed I have been saving for years and sometimes it gives me the beautiful large pink flowers I want, and sometimes it gives me a small beige flower that is somewhat disappointing. That is the thrill of it !

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