Okra intrigued me as a child. My classmates had never eaten it -- betraying our northeastern roots where the plant would have struggled to survive, and the pods weren’t part of our regional fare. But …
Saving Cucumber Seeds
In the past, I've had a love-hate relationship with cucumbers. I loved their crisp, sweet flavor, so cooling to crunch on a hot summer day, and the way their aroma filled the kitchen with a fresh …
Saving Pepper Seeds
Peppers started out as a tiny berry hidden on perennial bushes in the mountains of Mexico and Central America, but they’ve come a long, long way since they were domesticated 6,000 years ago. Ever …
Seed Germination Techniques: Soaking, Scarifying, Stratifying, and Smoking
If you're accustomed to planting simple annual seeds where all you need to do is open a packet, put seeds in dirt, and then wait for them to sprout, the process of more difficult seed germination …
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How to Save Bean Seeds
Beans are an incredibly exciting plant to grow. This may come as a surprise to folks whose experience with the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is limited to the limp, gray-green cylinders that glorp …
How to Save Brassica oleracea Seeds
Originally titled "How to Save Brassica oleracea Seeds (Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts, Gai Lan)." I know it's a mouthful, so you can see why the title was …
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What Is Landrace Gardening?
“No. No, no, NO! ARGHHH!” This is typically not the sound you want to hear coming from the squash patch. But I had reached my wit’s end and was throwing a (teeny tiny) hissy fit over my plants …
How to Save Tomato Seeds
If you are a gardener, chances are you’ve grown tomatoes. There are few plants more adored and widely grown across the gardener landscape from carefully watered patio pots, to the sprawling volunteer …
How to Save Eggplant Seeds
Eggplants are one of my favorite fruits. I feel conflicted admitting that, however, as they’re one of the more challenging plants to grow on my dry Ozark hill. Since I don’t spray plants with …
Why Save Seeds?
As we dip into the cold stillness of winter, the garden lays silent and still under its mulch blanket. The trees are bare, the birds quiet, and anything green and growing seems like a distant memory. …
10 Heirloom Seeds and Their Strange Histories
Heirloom seeds offer much to the backyard and homestead gardener. They reproduce true-to-type, affording you seed self-sufficiency if you grow and save them from year to year. But for those who …
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