We found this freshly molted cicada on our porch – See how green it still is ? After we had taken all the pictures we wanted we prodded it gently and it flew off into the next tree where it started to sing – the sound of summer 
Author Archive
Choose early ripening, disease free fruits to save seed from. Wash seeds from ripe melons in a strainer, dry on a paper plate or paper sheet. Seeds are ready to store when they break instead of bending. What to note when labeling the seed: - what kind of cantaloupe the seed is from - how long it takes the cantaloupe to mature - basic planting instructions - basic seed saving instructions - what year the seed is from
Jul
15
2009
Saving Seeds: Squash and ZucchiniPosted by: Rose in squash, zucchini, tags: saving seeds
Seeds should be taken from fruits that have surpassed maturity by 3 weeks already. Remove seed, wash, let dry on paper plate or thick sheet of paper. NOTE: There are four species of squash:
You can grow different species in the same garden and still save pure seed, as squash only cross pollinates WITHIN the same species. What to note when labeling your seeds: - what species and kind of squash the seed was saved from - how long it takes the squash or zucchini to mature - basic planting instructions - basic seed saving instructions - what year the seed was saved in
Seeds should be taken from fruit that has ripened past edible stage and begun to turn yellow and soften. To get to the seeds, cut the cucumber lengthwise, scoop the seeds out, wash them and dry them on a paper plate or thick sheet of paper. Cucumber seeds, like squash and melon seeds, are dry when they break instead of bending. Useful information to note when labeling your seeds: - the cucumber variety the seed is from - how long the cucumber takes to mature - basic planting instructions - basic seed saving instructions - the year the seed was saved
Carrots Do cross pollinate, so separate them 1/4 mile from other carrots in the first year. In the second year, when they are going to seed, separate them also from Queen Anne’s Lace (about 1/4 mile). Dig carrots up before the hard frost in the fall. Trim the tops to 1″ and store roots in a root cellar, in slightly damp sand, sawdust or leaves, over the winter. Replant in the spring, harvest the seed heads when they are dry. Useful information when labeling your seeds: - what kind of carrot the seeds are from - which year the seed was saved - basic seed saving instructions - basic planting instructions, including approximate root size - how long the carrots need to mature
Pick ripe, fully colored fruits that show no sign of disease to save seeds from. Remove the seed core and place on a paper plate or thick paper sheet to dry. Useful things to note when you label your seeds: - the name of the pepper variety - how long the fruits need to ripen from transplant - how hot the pepper variety is - the color of the ripe fruit - seed saving instructions - basic planting instructions - the year in which the seed was saved
Pick one ripe fruit of each plant (at least), squeeze the seeds and juice into a strainer. Then wash the seeds, spread them on a paper plate or thick paper sheet, and dry them. DO NOT save seeds from double fruits. DO NOT save seeds from first fruits of large fruit varieties. Store in paper envelopes in a dry and dark place. Don’t forget to label your seeds. Useful information to note is: - what kind of tomato the seed is from - how long it takes the fruit to ripen basic seed saving information - basic planting instructions - in which year the seed was saved Bean flowers are self-pollinating, so the danger of cross pollination is comparatively small. It’s is recommended to separate different kinds of beans by a garden length though to ensure absolute purity.
Don’t forget to label your seed ! It is helpful to note: - what kind of bean the seed is from - if the bean is a pole bean or bush bean - how long it takes the bean to ripen - basic planting instructions - the year in which the seed was saved I know this might come a little early for many of you out there, but I will start a new “series” here, giving information about saving seeds of different plants. I guess you all know that it is not much use to save seed from hybrid plants as you never know what you are getting, but even if you planted hybrids, you can still the seeds anyway and see what comes of them next year. Anyway, it is better to buy heirloom seed if you plan on saving seeds. You will find a list of the plants I mention in this series on the Index page. I mentioned suckers in an earlier post, saying that you can pinch them if you wish, but don’t have to – well, some people do not know what a sucker actually is. What is a sucker ? Suckers grow our between a tomato leaf branch and its stem. If you pinch them off and stick them in the ground, they will root and you have another tomato plant. Here is a nice picture of a sucker on an early tomato plant:
What is the benefit of pinching suckers ? If you choose to pinch the suckers off your tomatoes, you will end up with bigger fruit, but probably less of them. If you leave the suckers grow, however, you might get more, yet smaller fruit. It really depends on your preference and on how much work you are willing or able to put into your tomato patch.
A week or two after your last frost date, make hills that are 4-5 feet apart from each other on all sides, and approximately 12” in diameter. Plant 6-8 seeds per hill. After 3 weeks, thin to 3-4 plants per hill, depending on the quality of the soil. Keep on top of weeds without disturbing the vines once they started running. If you wish to save seed, take them from over ripe cucumbers that have already turned yellow and slightly soft. Wash seeds from the cucumber and dry them. They are ready to be stored away when they break instead of bending.
1. At a nursery, pick up seeds, potting soil, and a few small pots or a window box (it must be shorter than the length of your windowsill-measure first!). Get a container at least four to five inches deep with a drainage hole at the bottom. 
Feb
20
2009
Good buys for gardenersPosted by: Rose in General, fruits and vegetables, tags: gardeningIf you are new to the wonderfully healthy and economical past time of gardening, this list might be interesting to you. For all those who have been gardening for ages already, maybe you enjoy checking what this lady thinks is essential, and add what’s missing, from your own experience Via: baltimoresun.com
Explanations and estimated price of all listed items you can find here  So here is a study that tells you, basically, that living in the countryside, close to nature, as a producer, instead of a synthetic, stressful environment where people live as consumers only, will prevent addictions, will even cure addictions, will be the best you can do for your children and yourself. The addictions of our times are manifold, and they are inflicted on people purposefully in order to increase profit. Think melamine in infant formula, think MSG… But things are even worse than this. Our environment poisons us in more than just chemical-enviromental ways. It is artificial, synthetic, and somehow deep inside we recognize this but cannot do anything about it. The root causes of addiction, then, must run deeper than any individual pathology: they must be sought in a larger story of cultural malaise and ‘poverty of the spirit’ that forces individuals, often en masse, into desperate and dysfunctional coping strategies. Get out of the system, get out into the countryside, before it is too late, for your children’s sake, and read this review, or the book The Globalisation of Addiction itself, from the beginning: Via: nthposition online magazine by Mike Jay |
|
Cantaloupes DO cross pollinate with other “melons” like other cantaloupes, musk melons, snake melons and Armenian cucumbers. Separate therefore from other “melons” by a quarter mile.
Squash within the same species DOES cross pollinate, therefore species should be isolated by a quarter mile. This will also reduce the danger of squash bugs spreading over all the crops if they pester one patch.
Cucumbers DO cross pollinate, so if you want pure seed, separate cucumber varieties from each other by a quarter mile.
Carrots are biennial, that means, you can harvest seeds only in the second year.
Peppers DO cross pollinate, so separate varieties by about 500 feet, unless you can plant them in insect proof cages that are covered with window screen.
Tomatoes usually do not cross-pollinate, at least not the modern varieties. Potato leaf varieties should be separated by the garden’s length though.
Save seeds from plants that ripen first and are disease free. Harvest seed pods reserved for seed saving when they are dried completely. Crush the pods in a cloth, or burlap sack, winnow the seeds from the chaff, and store in a dry, dark place, in a paper envelope or burlap sack.
It is a good idea to plant cucumbers in hills so they can vine in peace and do not get too crowded.
As tomatoes are most gardener’s favorite plant, especially but not exclusively amongst beginners, here are a few things that might be worth knowing about growing tomatoes. If those among you who have decades of tomato growing experiences are unhappy with my information or have things to add, please feel free to comment 
Here is the link and one of the pictures you find there.
Via: 
Entries (RSS)