#seed saving

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - January 1-7

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1. Homes built with clay, grass, plastic and glass: How a Caribbean island is shying away from concrete

“[… Clay] traps moisture which then evaporates and pulls heat from the surface as it goes. […] The roof is covered in old recycled advertising banners and piece of a water tank, the other half of which is used to house some of Rahaman-Noronha's fish [… and] multi-coloured glass bottles inset into walls provide an avenue for streams of light and colour.”

2. To Combat Phoenix’s Extreme Heat, a New Program Provides Sustainable Shade

“The neighborhood workshops allow residents to get a shade plan tailored to their community’s needs and identify the locations where officials can plant trees. Meanwhile, the workforce-development side of the program creates the jobs needed to keep the trees alive for generations[….]”

3. Conservation corridors provide hope for Latin America’s felines

“[… S]cience has shown that to maintain healthy populations there needs to be connection between individuals. [… A] protected area that is close to another has more species and more potential for their survival.”

4. Social program cuts tuberculosis cases among Brazil's poorest by more than half

“The decrease [“in TB cases and deaths”] was over 50% in extremely poor people and more than 60% among the Indigenous populations. […] "We know that the program improves access to food [… and healthcare…] and strengthens people's immune defenses as a result.””

5. Geothermal has vast potential to meet the world’s power needs

“New geothermal systems could technically provide as much as 600 terawatts of carbon-free power capacity by 2050[…. C]ountries could cost-effectively deploy over 800 GW of geothermal power capacity using technology that’s in development today[….]”

6. New D.C. Catholic archbishop is pro-LGBTQ+ and anti-Trump

“In 2018, he objected to the blaming of gay priests for the clergy sexual abuse crisis, “saying that such abuse was a matter of power, not sexual orientation[….]” “We must disrupt those who portray refugees as enemies [… and] seek to rob our medical care, especially from the poor.””

7. Chesapeake Bay Will Gain New Wildlife Refuge

“The Chesapeake Bay area will have a new wildlife refuge for the first time in a quarter century. […] “This new refuge offers an opportunity to halt and even reverse biodiversity loss in this important place, and in a way that fully integrates and respects the leadership and rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities.””

8. Inside Svalbard seed vault’s critical mission to stop our favourite fruit and veg from going extinct

“[… T]he world’s largest secure seed storage […] sits proudly in a massive former coal mine[….] Right now, there are over 1,331,458 samples of 6,297 crop species. […] “During 2024, 61 seed genebanks deposited 64,331 seed samples, including 21 from institutes that deposited seeds for the first time this year[….]””

9. Medical debt will be erased from credit reports for all Americans under new federal rule

“The rule will affect more than 15 million Americans, raising their credit scores by an estimated average of 20 points. [… S]tates and localities have already utilized American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to support the elimination of over $1 billion in medical debt for more than 700,000 Americans[….]”

10. 'Forgotten' water harvesting system transforms 'barren wasteland' into thriving farmland

“"The process started with the community-based participatory planning[….]” 10% to 15% of the water will actually soak into the ground to replenish the water table, creating a more sustainable agricultural process.”

December 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[solarpunks]

Preliminary planning started back in 2011, and in 2020, the reservoir action management plan, a detailed 260-page document was published by the Klamath River Renewal Corporation – the non-profit entity formed to manage the entire dam removal project. ''The document gave us our targets, and has kept us on track," says Joshua Chenoweth, senior ripariani ecologist for the tribe who was hired to manage the revegetation project. Between 2018 and 2021 seed collection crews – many of whom are tribal elders – were hired to harvest native seeds, by hand, in preparation for the dam removal. They collected 98 species and around 2,000lbs (900kg) of seeds. The seeds were then dispatched to specialised nurseries, which propagated them en masse, and sent the seedlings to storage facilities where they were kept until the time came for them to be planted.

When it came to planting the seeds, Chenoweth has used a variety of methods, including seeding by helicopter alongside the old-fashioned way, by hand. Beginning straight after the first draining in late 2023, the team hand-sowed 500 acres of land, including 25,000 acorns. "It really is the most effective restoration tool. And the only reason we used a helicopter was when muddy conditions made it too dangerous for us to walk on the land." The results were "excellent", Chenoweth says. "Despite a hot and dry summer, where we've seeded is green, we're seeing flowering plants teeming with life. I counted eight different butterflies in the areas we hand-seeded. There's moths, hoverflies, bees, birds. It's been a really exciting first year." The team will continue to seed and plant the area for another two years, prioritising the tributaries important for salmon habitat. "The first year has definitely given me a lot of hope," Chenoweth, "but it'll probably get more challenging from here. Now we're completely at the mercy of Mother Nature."

[the-habitat-ring]

For Christmas I got most of my family members a pack of heirloom seeds picked out just for them. They’re the classic kind of gardeners — they grow their peas, zucchini, tomatoes, etc. pretty much the same way as my great-great-grandparents did, with seeds bought from the same store. I’ve always been the one to branch out, and it was a lot of fun picking out seeds that would be fun for them without freaking them out too much. So I got things like Holstein cowpeas for my brother who works in dairy farming, turkey craw beans for my brother who’s a hunting enthusiast working on his turkey super slam, and giant rattle poppies for my sister-in-law who enjoys baking and flower arranging. For my niblings I got fun variations on things they already grew, like dragon tongue beans and pineapple squash.

I also gave out seeds I saved from my garden, and I’m proud of how the seed packets I made turned out!

The okra and rats tail radishes are new to them, but I think they can handle it. And I think I’ve convinced some of my family to try the love of my life next year, Swiss chard

To top it all off, all of the seed packets were “wrapped” by putting them in the envelopes from our leftover wedding invitations (from years and years ago, and printed with an old address so they’d be a pain to use for anything else)

[natureisthegreatestartist]

[tomorrowsgardennc]

saving seeds does NOT save you money but rather allows you to use the same allowance to try new seeds.

[simplefoodsmallfarmz]

We have had 3 hard frosts and the veggies still pull through. It pays to save your seeds as seeds have a memory.

Booking tours now through mid April 2025.

[graciliswindowsill]

I really thought that i couldn't participate inthis solstice Solarpunk Aesthetic Week but surprise!!! A friend decided to give their father some local seeds as Christmas gift. The contacts flew and suddenly I'm in the middle of a seed swap!

Giving seeds of black popcorn, a variety of beans, red okra and Pau-Brasil.

I might receive a slice of pie, and seeds of a type of cucumber, shiso and a different type of bean.

[sarahmackattack]

Saw ur post on insta about milkweed. Are you telling me that I’ve been manually separating my seeds from the fluff for years and am only just now learning this trick?!?!!!!???

Mind = blown, thank you so much for sharing

Happy to assist.

For those who haven't seen it:

[anipgarden]

Collecting Milkweed Seeds - All Facts, All Seeds, No Fluff

(OK but please also consider I'm not an ~expert~ I'm not a ~scholar~ I'm just a nerd on Tumblr who really likes milkweed and wanted to make a fun lil post about it)

[Image ID: a green, leafy common milkweed plant (Asclepias syriaca) with five large, ovalish and bumpy green seed pods. The seed pods are currently unopened.]

It’s fall, which means if you haven’t seen them already, now’s the time that milkweed plants will start producing seed pods! (Well, technically, they’re called follicles, but fuck it they’re seed pods).  Each pod has dozens of seeds inside, some species can even have up to 200 seeds, so even collecting just a few can be a good way to boost your pollinator gardening efforts big time! What you do with them then is up to you--adding life to your backyard garden, sharing with friends, making seed bombs--but first you’ve gotta collect them.

The first thing you want to do is identify your milkweed plants--in an ideal world, you’d be able to tell precisely what kind of milkweed you’re collecting from (so you can know precisely what growing conditions that species prefers.) But when they’re dying back, forming pods, and releasing their seeds, it can be hard to tell. It helps to visit sites early, to know what milkweeds are there, and while you’re there you might even find some forming pods. 

It can be helpful to band off the pods early! This will keep the seeds from escaping, so you can come back later and collect them! I would only do this for a couple of pods--each pod has a lot of seed in it, so only taking one or two from each plant should still net you plenty of rewards! When I’m doing this in my backyard, I tend to use rubber bands--the size of rubber band you’ll need varies depending on the species. I’ve also seen people use the lacy-looking jewelry bags to a similar effect--if the pod splits open, all the seeds get trapped in the bag!

[Image ID: the first image is of appears to be swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) with about fifteen long, green, smooth and pointed seed pods. Most of the pods have small black rubber bands wrapped around the midsections. The second image is of what appears to be common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) with two large, ovalish and bumpy green seed pods. A white fine mesh bag has been tied over the pods.]

For people who want to get seeds from unopened pods, you have to be very careful not to force open a pod that isn’t ready--otherwise, the seeds inside won’t fully develop. How do you tell if a pod is ripe? There’s a seam in each pod, and it should open fairly easily with minimal pressure if it’s basically ready. If you’re basically prying it open, you’re too early. The seeds inside should be a nice dark color, and be plump in the middle--if they’re creamy colored or light orange, you’re too early. There may be some undeveloped seeds in each pod (I am talking maybe 1 to 3 here), but if the majority of them are ready, you’re good to go!

[Image ID: a tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) seed pod that has been opened at the seam, revealing dark brown seeds and lots of creamy white floss. Four seeds are floating away from the pod on fluffy white comas. The pod is being held between a white person's fingers.]

I’ve also seen people who go late late late into the season, after most of the pods have already fully split off and released their seeds. Some of the seeds occasionally stay in the pod, so they’ll take the leftovers that didn’t get scattered after winter passes. That’s a fair strategy! I prefer to get mine way early on, so I can get a clear ID of what kind of milkweed it is (some will flower and produce pods at the same time), but if you already got an ID early in the season and then come back later this can also work! But…

[Image ID: several dried brown seed pods have opened fully, releasing a cloud of milkweed floss with seeds attached. Some seeds are still in the pods, but many are primed to float away.]

There is, however, one thing that tends to be a bit annoying about collecting milkweed seeds--and that’s the fluff. These fluffy white bits attached to the seed--called comas--function similarly to the iconic fluffy dandelion seed. A milkweed seed’s coma allows it to float through the air and on the water until it (hypothetically) reaches bare soil or an otherwise suitable start to settle down and germinate. If you’re collecting the seeds for later use, though, that same coma can mean your milkweed seeds are traveling through the air and away from where you’re collecting them, or all over your apartment once you get them home. Removing the comas by hand is an option, but tedious, and still leads to a nice pile of fluffy that will get airborne at the first gust of wind. At the end of the day, for many people trying to collect milkweed seeds, the coma is just an annoying part they dread.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to collect milkweed seeds without having to deal with the comas long-term!

[Image ID: A single brown milkweed seed floating on a comparatively huge mess of white fibers.]

Method 1

So this is my favorite method because it's honestly one of the simplest and easiest once you get used to it. You open the pod, grip the top part of the middle ‘pith’ section tight, and gently scrape off the seeds into a bowl or bag. This leaves you with almost no fluff in your collection bin, and you can then toss the middle fluffy part--or I’ve heard of people collecting milkweed fluff for spinning! Most of the videos I’ve seen on it use common milkweed or other large milkweed pods as an example--however, I’ve successfully done this with smaller milkweed pods like A. curassavica as well. 

Method 2

This method is one I’ve used in the past. Take the seeds and fluff and put them into a bag (paper or plastic) and add a coin or two. Shake the bag around--a lot. The coin will dislodge the comas from the seeds. The seeds will then drop to the bottom of the container, and the fluff will float around on the top. I’ve also seen this with buckets and blocks, like in the video below!

Method 3

I’ve seen a handful of people discuss burning the floss of the seeds! Apparently the seeds themselves aren’t damaged badly by the fire, though honestly this is a method that I am simply too anxious to try myself.

Method 4

This was a method I found while I was looking for other methods people have done. Apparently, you can just roll the pod between your hands and it’ll work to dislodge the seeds? I may have to try it next time!

Hopefully this advice is helpful for you all! I know collecting seeds was a hassle for me before I learned my favorite method. If I had a nickel for every time I got yelled at for releasing milkweed fluff into the house...

If you've got a method that I haven't heard about yet, let me know!! I'm always down to learn more about milkweed, and it can also help someone else down the line!

[gardening-guy]

gardening update || 12/01/24 🏡🌱🌼

was out in the garden today to water a bit and we've got good news and bad news...

bad news is one of my 3 veggie/crop raised beds is just absolutely wilting... i have no idea why bc it wasn't like this the last time i checked two days ago, but now everything looks so sad and miserable

i am very confused as to why... am i over watering?? was it too cold??? do they not have enough mulch??? should i buy more straw to mulch them more???? aaaaaaa i have no idea please help 😭😭

onto the good news...

i harvested a ton of different flower seeds in the garden! we have violas, coneflower, zinnia, and my pink cosmos! i definitely still have more to learn about seed collecting and seed saving, but i'm still just beginning and i have time to learn & hone the skill!

the viola seeds are really interesting, they remind me of one of the monster things from stranger things lol. i only caught glimpses of the show when my dad was watching it, but they remind me of these guys:

[turtlesandfrogs]

Today, we're doing part of the selection process for saving seed from kale. Ideally, when they bloom next year, I'll have winnowed my population down to about 25 to 50 plants.

Already, I've selected for:

Ability to sprout after more than a year of poor storage conditions

Vigor in overcrowded situations (because I thought it wouldn't have a good germination rate... turns out they're very resilient seeds!)

Strong root systems capable of getting water even without irrigating, even in hotter and dryer conditions than normal (they're in a hoop house)

Now, I'm selecting for leaf shape and resistance to invertebrate grazing pressure:

I'm working from a grex, which in the context that I know it from, is a population of plants that have a lot of genetic diversity, with a lot of expressed variety, which can either be maintainedor be used to select a new variety. You can make a grex by picking a few varieties of kale, for example, letting them cross, and then choosing to maintain a certain level of diversity through the following generations.

We've decided that we like the broader, flatter, less frilly leaves, so I'm thinning out all the frilly-est plants. Here's post thinning:

And here's the day's kale for breakfast and lunch:

I'll keep making selections over the next year or so, removing from the gene pool any that are too bug eaten, or don't make it through winter, or bolt way early next spring.

Now, I'm not an expert here, and I'm doing this very casually, but I've been very happy with the results so far. If you want to learn more, I really liked Carol Deppe's book about breeding vegetables.

[inthecityofgoodabode]

August 2024: A Little Bit Of Everything

Monday harvest:

Tuesday harvest:

Seeds we collected from this year's leeks:

Wednesday harvest:

Curbside find of the week. These 100 gallon stock tanks run for around 130 bucks & this one was free. We're going to use it to make a container version of a hugelkultur bed:

Friday harvest:

These are some of the summer squash that volunteered in our front bed. They appear to be a hybrid of lemon squash & either straightneck or crookneck squash:

Tersa sphinx caterpillar:

Seen while walking:

Found while walking - two rocks... one obviously evil:

We have volunteer pumpkins in the front bed starting to make:

A volunteer crookneck squash from the front bed:

Sunday harvest:

I felt something on my back & snapped this photo:

And here it is biting me:

Out of focus shot of a hummingbird feeding at our chive blossoms:

My queen planted some lemongrass today to take the place of the Bells of Ireland that had gone to seed:

[banefolk]

It’s seed collecting season in my poison garden so here is some poppy seed ASMR. Sound on!

[thestudentfarmer]

1.5.2025

A new year!

That means lots of new things and experiences to come, experience and enjoy (or not! It won't always be great)

Resolutions felt weird to set, So this year I figured I'd reword resolutions to goals and things I look forward to or want and aim to do.

This year.....

I want to finish 3 quilts.

I want to try 5 new food recipes.

I aim to extend my garden to make a floral/herbal/"wildgrow" area.

I aim to reduce the trash leaving my home as much as possible this year.

I will at some point have a composter. What style is don't know yet. But I aim to make compost.

I have a goal of all cloth textile brought into the home that is new, being cotton or other compostable material. Secondhand or thrifted for other cloth textiles. (Except socks. and a few other small things for health and safety)

I aim to hatch 12 chicks.

A small update garden update~

The hummingbirds are getting more comfortable with me being around and out while they chill and feed. I believe this is an Anna's hummingbird. (A wiki link below)

2 people have also seen a roadrunner in the neighbourhood! Myself being one, I happened to spot the little guy heading out of the garden into a neighbours yard. I am hoping to catch a picture to share, but am not certain that is a visitor that will be seen regular as their rare to see normally aside from being fully out of the city. No sightings of the hawks in a bit, but there is a pair of the lovebird parrots that hang around the telephone poles regularly now. Caught the woodpecker drinking from the sugar feeder again.

Peas are growing in, hoping for pods soon :D

Carrot seed bed.

Yellow squash

Tomato's.

I put up some heater lamps for the chickens. It's supposed to drop around low 30s (*f) the next few weeks in the early hours (due to that big storm) and I want to make sure they'll be comfortable. Also took some measures to protect our exterior pipes from freezing.

More info on critters~

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna's_hummingbird

That's it for today's post. :)

🌱🐦Happy Urban Homesteading 🐦🌱

[tomorrowsgardennc]

i know i normally dont post the seed packet designs on this here tumblr but come onnnnnnnnnnnnn even i think i did a damn good job on this one!!

hnnnngggghhhhhh

[forest-and-fauna]

More seed saving!

Unfortunately the wildlife got to my largest pumpkin before I could, so I'm collecting seeds from this little one.

Pumpkin seeds will be rinsed with cold water, dried on a plate for a week or two, and then stored in the refrigerator.

The pumpkin is a little too small to do anything with so it will be left outside for our fat, spoiled backyard squirrels.