Elizabeth Navarro
Seed Exchange
Last year was the first year for the seed exchange. Initially, I wasn't going to participate, but the list owner (who is a very nice lady) nagged me into it. Since I was new to seed saving, I very carefully chose seeds from plants that had been reseeding themselves in my gardens for years so I knew they would germinate. More details identify plant by picture When my turn came to choose from the list, I picked out some herbs intending to start an herb garden. Good thing I also bought herb seeds because not a single seed from the exchange germinated. I was shocked. These people save seeds like they do everything else. By the numbers. Hand pollinate each flower, gather seeds at the correct time of day, using the correct tool, dry in the correct humidity and darkness and no breeze on special screens, store in darkness at the correct temperature in the correct containers, etc etc.
Here's how I save seeds. Every morning when I get home from work and every evening when I get up, I go around the yard and pick off the dead flowers that are setting seeds, carefully placing them into whatever container I happen to be carrying such as a used envelope, a teacup, a small bowl or the palm of my hand if I forget to bring something. All seeds are dried in my climate-controlled kitchen, the climate being controlled by Mother Nature (I don't have air conditioning), in specialized drying containers such as teacups and paper plates. When they look "done", I place each type of seed in its own tiny (labeled) Gladware container and then put it in the veggie drawer in my fridge that I have given over to seeds.
by Elizabeth Navarro on 2022-06-11 01:58:40
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