If you’re growing squash (be it summer or winter), you’re likely growing some Cucurbita pepo squash. Cucurbita pepo is one of the 3 squash species most commonly found on market gardens. Pepos are a motley crew. Delicata, Spaghetti, Acorn, Zucchini, Pie Pumpkins, Jack o’Lanterns, Patty Pans, Crooknecks, and Sweet Dumplings are all Pepos. Not to … More Meet The Motley Pepo Squash Crew
Are you still afraid of saving seeds? Of all that crossing that comes with bees and pollinators and wind in your seed crops? Let us review #seedsavingformarketgrowers so far. Two crops will only cross if they are the same species. If a crop is a SELFER (predominantly self pollinating) – there is very little crossing … More Saving The Seed Of The Dreaded Cucurbit
Saving onion seeds is as EASY as popping those sprouting onions into the ground and letting them put on green leaves that turn into flowers, which in turn become seeds. And saving onion seed is as HARD as the amount of rain you get. All that moisture and maybe hail and harsh winds can spread … More The EASY and HARD of Saving Onion Seed
Beets is chard and chard is beets. That’s right, they are both the same species Beta vulgaris. And that means they will cross up if you let them. My favourite thing about growing beet/chard seed is the elongated stems of the flowering plants with their defined edges and stripes that offset the vivid colours. My … More Beets is chard and chard is beets.
Should you save carrot seed? To answer that, start off by thinking about the carrots you grow. Are any of your carrot varieties open pollinated? Or are they all F1 hybrids like Napoli, Yaya, or Miami? If you’re only growing F1s and you don’t want to trial any OPs, then carrot seed saving is not … More Should you save carrot seed?
There are things you know a lot about and things you don’t know as much about. I know a lot about Brassicas seeds and Brassica cross pollination. But now that we’ve ran out of seed Brassicas to talk about, it’s time to move on to other crossers on #seedsavingformarketgrowers. And next up are some storage … More My Seed Saving Zone Of Discomfort
Here’s a Brassica cheat sheet for #seedsavingformarketgrowers There are 6 common brassicas species. If you grow two crops of the same species. They will cross pollinate together. For better or worse. Mostly worse if you want something true to type. But if you grow two brassicas of different species side by side, they will not … More Brassica Seed Cheat Sheet
There are 2 kinds of Radishes Spring Radishes – small, round and ready in 3 to 4 weeks from sowing. You can plant them all summer if you treat them right Winter Radishes – larger radishes and daikon that are sown midsummer for fall harvest. These store well through the winter. Both are in the … More The Misery (And Joy) Of Radish Seed
This is a Public Turnip Announcement. There are Rutabagas and there are Turnips. And maybe you think they are the same thing and maybe you insist that they are different. I’m not here to tell you how you should use these words. I just want to make sure you’re equipped to save their seed. Because … More Rutabaga And Turnips – Brassica Napus In Your Garden
Mustard greens are an easy choice for #seedsavingformarketgrowers Mustard greens are in the Brassica juncea species. I’ve heard that there is a whole world of Brassica juncea diversity out there including heading mustards and turnip root mustards and swollen stem mustards. I can’t vouch for those. But what I do know is that there is … More Brassica juncea – another crosser for your seed plan
