Keep the Fresh Produce Coming!

With a little effort now, it is possible to bring fresh vegetables to the table until October, November, and beyond.

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By: Valerie Rose and Ginny Bode, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners

It can feel heartbreaking to bring in the last head of lettuce, knowing that soon you’ll need to make the transition to store-bought vegetables. But wait, more and more savvy gardeners extend the growing season by planting cool-season vegetables in the warm summer months of July and August. It may seem counter-intuitive until you try it and experience the bounty of harvesting late into the fall.

Selecting the Right Varieties is Key
Planting a fall/winter garden requires seeds and plants proven to grow well in summer heat, then ripen as the daylight shortens and the temperature drops. By planting from July to August, your fall harvest can include leafy greens, cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts, along with carrots, beets, and other root vegetables. A light frost even brings out the best flavor in collard greens and parsnips! Now is the time to plant, selecting a location with the maximum amount of sunlight as fall moves toward winter.

Be prepared to water seedlings daily as they get started. © Adobe Stock

Kale and other leafy greens do well as fall-season crops. © Adobe Stock

Plan to plant from July to early August. The chart below can be used as a guide along with the information on the back of the seed packet.

Veggie	Plant time	Harvest	Note:
Bush Beans	Until late July	Before frost
Pole Beans	Early July	Before frost
Beets	Before August	Fall and winter
Beet Greens Only	Thru Sept 1	Fall crop
Broccoli	Direct seed until mid-July, transplant until mid-August	Fall and winter	Will usually continue producing past Thanksgiving, sometimes until Christmas
Brussels Sprouts	Direct seed by July 1, transplant by August 1	Fall	In protected spots harvest can continue into mid-winter
Ballhead Cabbage	Direct seed by July 1, transplant by August 1	Fall	Cabbage will hold in the garden for long periods and can be harvested until early winter
Bok Choy (Chinese Mustard)	Seed by mid-August	Fall
Chinese Cabbage	Late July	Fall	Cabbage will hold in the garden for long periods and can be harvested until early winter
Savoy Cabbage	Direct seed until mid-July, transplant until mid-August	Fall	Cabbage will hold in the garden for long periods and can be harvested until early winter
Carrots	Mid-July	Fall and winter
Cauliflower	Direct seed by July 1, transplant by August 1	Fall
Chicory: Witloof or French endive	Mid-July	Fall	Roots can be dug in late fall, placed in a box of moist soil, covered with sand and forced in a warm room for winter greens.
Cornsalad, (lamb’s lettuce or fetticus)			September for fall use or late October to winter over for  early spring use.
Endive: curled or broadleaf types	Until mid-July	Fall	In October tie leaves together to blanch hearts. A light mulch of straw will protect it from early frosts and permit harvest into winter.
Garlic	Late fall	Early summer harvest
Kale	Seeded by July, transplant until mid-August	Fall
Kohlrabi: white and purple	Seed until mid-July	Fall	Harvest when stems are 1-1/2″ to 2″ in diameter, before the stems become woody.
Lettuce: Head and Romaine	July	Fall
Lettuce: Leaf	Mid-August	Fall
Mustard Greens	By mid-September	Fall	See Bok Choy
Onions: green or table use	Seed until mid-July	Fall	Seedlings made in August will normally winter over for spring use. Onion sets can be planted anytime during the fall and winter if the soil is well drained and workable.
Parsley	Seeded early July	Fall or spring use
Radishes: Early varieties	Until mid-September	Fall	Winter radishes (oriental types and Black Spanish) should be planted in July and harvested all winter
Rutabaga	Plant in early through mid-July	Fall and winter	Leave them in the garden and harvest as you need all winter
Spinach	By mid-August	Fall	Plant in September to winter over for an early spring crop.
Swiss Chard	By mid-July	Fall	Planted in late August the plants will winter over and produce an earlier crop the following year than spring planting.
Turnips	By mid-August		For greens, plant through September

Retrieved from: https://extension.wsu.edu/snohomish/fall-and-winter-vegetable-gardens-for-western-washington/

Look for seed catalogs that focus specifically on fall/winter gardening in west coast or northern climates. They feature helpful charts with planting dates. They also include a reminder that gardeners must plant earlier if they’re growing in a colder zone than the seed company’s locations. It is also an option to leave this step to a commercial grower and buy plant starts from a nursery or garden store. Read the label carefully to ensure you’re getting a late-season variety.

Some cool weather crops do not need to be harvested until needed since the cool air and soil can “store” the mature vegetables until you harvest. © Adobe Stock

Bush and pole bean varieties can be planted in July and harvested before first frost. © Adobe Stock

If you have a greenhouse, you can learn from writer and educator Eliot Coleman. He farms year-round in coastal Maine, harvesting fresh produce from snow-covered, unheated greenhouses. In his classic guide, ‘The Winter Harvest Handbook,’ Coleman coaches novice and experienced gardeners in extending the growing season. Another resource, Winter Gardening in Maritime Northwest: Cool Season Crops for the Year-Round Gardener, by Binda Colebrook, is especially suited for our region.

Preparing a Space: Look for the Sunny Side
Make a sun and shade map of your yard or patio. Yes, your container garden can also grow cool-season vegetables if it gets enough sun. Your fall/winter garden needs to be in a spot where the low-lying sun will still find its way into your yard, as it arcs low across the southern sky. Remember, your garden will gain more sun as the deciduous trees conveniently drop their leaves, blocking much less light. Note which buildings and fences on the southern edge of your yard will cast longer shadows as the days get shorter, causing deep shade for months.

Raised beds will keep your garden from drowning in rains that accompany the season change. A bed made of boards or cement blocks also provides an easy place to secure hoops for supporting row covers. Read more about the multiple options to extend the growing season in this Ask a Master Gardener blog article on season extenders: https://www.skagitmg.org/season-extenders/

Getting Started: When to Start Indoors, When to Seed Outdoors
You can either sow seeds directly into the garden or start the seeds indoors to grow sturdy young plants that can later be transplanted. The back of the seed packet may tell you this, or  check out the WSU Extension home vegetable planting guide. The seeds for root crops, such as carrots and beets, are best sown directly in the soil to avoid damaging the roots when transplanting.

Some gardeners prefer to start seeds indoors where they can monitor the soil and protect the seedlings from pests. If you do start seeds indoors, aim to do so 3-8 weeks before planting them in the garden. The exact timing will vary for each vegetable, depending on how long it takes to grow from seed to a transplant-sized seedling. For example, broccoli and cabbage typically take about 5-6 weeks from seed to transplanting. So, it would be best to start broccoli seeds around the beginning of August to have seedlings ready for transplanting by mid-September.

To provide warmth and light for indoor seeds, you can use a sunny window, an electric light with a germination heating mat, or a plastic or glass-covered hot box. It’s essential to plant into a seedling mix, not simply potting soil. After germination, increase lighting to prevent tall, spindly plants. See the Skagit Master Gardener blog article about starting seeds indoors here: https://www.skagitmg.org/indoor-grow-stand/

When moving young plants from indoors to the garden, it’s crucial to gradually harden them off by exposing them to the outdoor environment. Not doing so could cause sunburn and stress for the plants. To harden off the plants, place them in a location outdoors that receives 2-3 hours of sunlight for the first couple of days and bring them inside at night. Gradually increase the time in the sunlight and wind conditions for a week before transplanting into the garden. 

Whether direct planting or transplanting seedlings, prepare the garden soil by adding compost and organic matter to improve its texture and fertility. Be prepared to water daily, during the driest time of the year. You can water by hand, or set up a drip irrigation system to consistently water through the hot days of summer. See the Skagit Master Gardener blog article on drip system: https://www.skagitmg.org/diy-drip-irrigation/

Young carrots mulched with straw. Photo © Valerie Rose

Be sure to mulch between seedlings and rows. Straw or other mulch will retain soil moisture at the plant roots, which is crucial during the warm days at the end of August and in early September. Mulch will also suppress weed growth. Keep in mind that plants grow slowly in the diminished sunlight starting late October. Therefore, some gardeners can grow their plants to harvest stage beginning in late November. Then the cool air and soil can “store” the mature cool weather crops until you harvest. 

The successful gardener will be rewarded by protecting young plants from pests and providing them with some shade if the weather gets too hot. It is important to regularly monitor the growth of the plants, provide adequate support if needed, and address any signs of disease or nutrient deficiencies. 

Take time at the height of summer to plant a fall/winter garden. The fresh, delicious harvest will brighten your autumn and winter meals.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

Coleman, E., Winter Garden Handbook. (2009) Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, Vermont.

Colebrook, B. Winter Gardening in Maritime Northwest: Cool Season Crops for the Year-Round Gardener. (2012) New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0.

Sideham, B. Growing Vegetables in Containers. (2018) University of New Hampshire Extension. Durham, New Hampshire. Retrieved from: University of New Hampshire Extension

Enroth, C. Starting a Garden: Cool Season Vegetables and My Top 5 Cool Season Crops. University of Illinois Extension (March 26, 2020). Retrieved from: University of Illinois Extension 

Koziol, N. Extending the Harvest: Get Ready to Sow Cool-Season Crops. Retrieved from: Chicago Botanic Gardens 

Allen, D. Late Summer or Early Fall is the Time to Plan and Plant. Retrieved from: University of California Northridge

Miles, C., Sterrett, G., Hesnault, L., Benedict, C., Daniels, C. Home Vegetable Gardening in Washington. (2013) Washington State University. Pub. #EM057E. Retrieved from: Washington State University

Andrews, N., Stoven, H., Noordijk, H., Selman, L., Streit, K., Edmunds, B., Bell, N. and Binning, V. Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardening in the Pacific NW. (May 2022) Oregon State University. Retrieved from: Oregon State Extension 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Valerie Rose has been a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener since 2009 and is a veteran at growing fall and winter vegetables. Ginny Bode, MG Class of 2022, is a novice at planting a fall garden and is ready to get started planting.

Mark your calendar for these upcoming master gardener events:

Skagit County Fair
Thursday ~ Sunday, August 8-11, 2024
Skagit County Fairgrounds
Building D
(map)
Visit our booth, see our displays, and talk with master gardeners about how to make your garden beautiful and productive.
Know & Grow Lecture Series
Season Extenders
Presented by Hallie Kintner
Tuesday, August 20, 2024 ~ 1 p.m.
Free Admission
NWREC Sakuma Auditorium
16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon

 

 

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A Second Act for Your Square 1-Gallon Pots at the Discovery Garden!

Bring your leftover square 1-gallon pots to the Discovery Garden (16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon). The bin for recycling the square 1-gal pots is located in the parking lot, just north (to the right) of the main entrance.
We only need square 1-gallon pots like the ones pictured below (bottom right). The recycling bin will be available now through fall. Simply put your pots into the bin, and we take care of the rest!

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Help for the Vegetable Garden Novice

Tips every first-time vegetable gardener should consider

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By Anne Hays and Cathy Markham, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners 

I am a vegetable garden rookie! There, now you know.

Some of us become gardeners later than others. I grew up moving from state to state just about every year. Our family’s unique military and government-dictated lifestyle left few opportunities for gardening growing up. As an adult, I found myself living in Alaska, spending 30-plus years tending fireweed, wild lowbush blueberries, and devils-club. Now, living in the abundantly beautiful Skagit Valley, I have the time and desire to learn how to successfully plant and grow a vegetable garden. As a novice, first-time veggie gardener, I turned to my wonderful friend and fellow Master Gardener, Cathy Markham, and asked her to mentor me through the process. The following is a journal of guidance and learning with the goal of a vibrant and bountiful vegetable garden this coming spring and summer.

Think Before You Leap

As both a gardener and a chef, Cathy has been growing a cook’s garden for many years. Both her Italian grandmother, on the central coast of California, and her mother, in the high mountain desert of Idaho, grew gardens. Cathy has never known a time when her family didn’t grow, harvest, and preserve.

Cathy advises working to get the most out of your garden space. When she teaches about gardening, she advises “Think before you leap.” Answer a couple of key questions such as “What do you want to take away from your decision to garden and what kind of commitment are you honestly willing to make regarding time, dedication, and hard work?” There are no wrong answers; it is just very helpful to define your expectations.

After many, many years of experience gained from multiple acres of gardens, and knowledge collected from gardeners who have gone before her, Cathy asks every novice vegetable gardener to consider:

Do you have a space that is prepared to plant? Is the soil in need of amending? Is there adequate water and is the sunlight appropriate for your garden space?

Is your space protected from deer, rabbits, or other animals that see your garden as a free salad bar?

Are you prepared to tend your garden frequently, checking for insects and disease, weeding, tending seedlings, and then harvesting for maximum yield?

Considering these questions will help you decide if “digging in” and starting a home vegetable garden is for you. In fairness, sometimes our lives or interests can’t support the commitment of growing a garden and it is better to support a local farm stand. Gardening is just not fun when you are constantly trying to keep your plants alive in poor soil and conditions, or when you are doing the added work of trying to keep the deer and rabbits out of your garden. If you are serious about getting a harvest for delicious eating and winter storage, the answers to these questions are important.

After listening to Cathy’s advice, considering her questions, and thinking through our commitment to becoming vegetable gardeners, my partner and I said “Yes! We are ready and committed to growing our own vegetable garden.”

This past fall, we set about building a garden space, installing six vinyl-clad trough-style raised beds which were ordered from an online source.

The start of the process of building a raised bed garden on a small, city lot. © Anne Hays/Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

The raised bed components delivered by the online retailer. © Anne Hays/Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Opting to use drip irrigation, we installed the necessary infrastructure and then filled the six beds with commercially distributed topsoil. Placed next to the house on the south side, three beds measure 3.5 feet by 3.5 feet. Two beds measure 2.5 feet by 8 feet and one measuring 2 feet by 6.5 feet, adjacent to the square beds with a 6-foot path and workspace in between. We plan to attach hog-wire to the house wall for trellising above the three, square beds.

The investment, not including the raised beds, came to $539.63. Once everything was in place, we invited Cathy to visit the newly minted, naked garden. She thought the raised garden beds looked great; having the potential for lots of sun, available irrigation, and plenty of space for vertical growing! Cathy suggested getting started right away by planting winter veggies such as leeks, kale, and garlic as a first foray into the veggie gardening realm.

Rookie Alert: The eight garlic cloves purchased were about six more than most any household needs. Cathy happily adopted the surplus garlic for her garden. Then she quietly pointed out that the leeks, which by then, looked more like bunches of scallions, needed to be separated from their clumps to grow with adequate space. Who knew?

The raised bed components assembled and ready for DIY drip system installation. © Anne Hays/Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

The finished garden beds ready for planting. © Anne Hays/Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener
The Next Step – Planning What to Grow
Here again, Cathy’s advice, based on years of experience and research-based learning, was invaluable-she helped us decide what to grow; when to grow; and whether to buy starts versus seeds. Her advice is to grow what you love to eat. Okay, then not so many cukes since my partner is not a fan. Cathy recommends a wonderful book: Grow Cook Eat by Willi Galloway as a starting point for garden planning.
Starting with Seeds Versus Buying Plant Starts
Locally grown plant starts are a reliable way to get up and running. But spending time with seed catalogs is enthusiastically encouraged! Some favorites are provided in the references below.

The next steps will include getting together during the cold and dark winter months for tea or warm cider to go through seed catalogs and map out the garden planting. Raised bed experts recommend growing tomatoes on a trellis, and weaving in other climbers, such as beans, on the same trellis to efficiently utilize the space. It is key to plant at the right time – don’t start too early!

Here are some of the guiding principles Cathy encourages new gardeners to lean on:

Grow what you love to eat.

• You have a lot of choices for what to plant in your vegetable gardens but the best choices are the ones you or your family are actually willing to add to your diet and eat. You are more likely to put the work into the garden and harvest for foods you love to eat.

Start small and be successful with easy-to-grow plants.

• A very small garden can be very productive and rewarding. It gives you a chance to experiment with plants, maybe one tomato plant or eggplant. Greens, bush beans, cherry tomatoes, carrots, and herbs are an easy way to start. Choose bush and dwarf varieties for small spaces so you won’t have to worry about staking. If you have vertical space, climbing vegetables are great; these include peas, beans, cucumbers, indeterminant tomatoes, and now several new varieties of squash have been developed which grow vertically in small spaces.

Grow nutrition-rich and versatile choices.

• Adding nutrient-dense vegetables to our diet is always a plus! Dark leaved greens like kale, spinach, and chard; rich dark root vegetables like beets and carrots; peas and beans, garlic, onions, leeks, and shallots; broccoli or broccolini; and tomatoes!

Grow what is expensive to buy or is not as flavorful when you buy it.

• This is especially true of herbs which are easy to grow for the most part and make a huge difference in food preparation. Tomatoes and English peas (shelling peas) are examples of vegetables that are so much better fresh from the garden. Potatoes and corn are plentiful and readily available, so you may choose to skip giving up the space it takes to grow them.

Decide what “mountains to die on.”

• Based on your time and patience, decide what you are willing to deal with in your garden. For example, you may choose not to grow many vegetables from the cabbage family because you are not willing to deal with the bugs and worms that they attract. You may choose instead to grow broccolini, a short, early-season vegetable, or maybe Kalettes (a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts) because they are fun. You can buy what you choose not to grow at a farmer’s market.
• We live in an area where an excellent choice of vegetable starts is available. If you have a new garden, this is a big boost to success because you don’t have to deal with the germination of seeds. Beans are the exception here, they do best when grown from seed. The plus for growing from seed is the huge variety of available seed sources. This may not be a priority for new gardeners.

Grow organic as much as possible.

• The better you take care of your garden the less you will need to use any chemicals on it. Keep the garden clean of weeds, and mulch to keep the weeds down and the soil moist. Keep the pathways clean also; weeds and grass are very difficult to manage when they grow big. It is easier to pick them small, not letting the weeds compete for nutrition. Thinning your growing plants appropriately will cause them to grow strong and able to survive the normal garden bugs. Use a foliar spray made of a mix of kelp concentrate and fish emulsion for fertilizing. Water the plants consistently so they do not become compromised and weak, which leads to disease.

Begin at the right time – don’t start too early.

• It is so tempting to get the seeds or plants in the garden early. The first sunny day seems warm enough – surely we are done with the cold weather! Garden success comes from resisting this temptation. It isn’t a competition with anyone else, or a race to see who can get the earliest peas. Take the time to prepare the gardens, clean out the flower beds, and pace yourself. This may not suit some, but except for garlic, which gets planted in late October, and leeks and shallots in March, planting can wait until April for the cool spring crops, and everything else until mid to late May. Wait patiently until late May and or even early June to plant tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and tender herbs like basil. Until the soil is warm, so many plants just shiver and sit. But if you wait until the soil is warm, seeds will germinate quickly and plants are stronger. A compromised plant may not ever get back the vigor of one that has not been traumatized by the weather!

Commit to what you start, that is – take care of your garden. And have fun!
As winter turns to spring, we will meet, talk, plan, and put these guiding principles into action. We plan to continue with a follow-up blog post in spring to report back about our plans and decision process. We promise, you’re going to want to learn more about our garden pest-repelling strategies.

The end goal – Cathy Markham’s garden yields an abundance of fresh produce for eating and preserving. © Cathy Markham / Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

REFERENCES:

Galloway, W. (2012). Grow Cook Eat: A Food Lover’s Guide to Vegetable Gardening. Seattle, WA. Sasquatch Books.

Raymond, D. (1983) Joy of Gardening. North Adams, MA. Storey.

Damrosch, B. (2008) The Garden Primer: The Completely Revised Gardener’s Bible. New York, NY. Workman Publishing Company.

LeHoullier, C. (2014). Epic Tomatoes. North Adams, MA. Storey.

Robinson, Jo. (2014). Eating on the Wild Side. New York, NW. Hachette Group.

Miles, C. (2013). WSU Home Vegetable Gardening in Washington. Washington State University Extension Publication #EM057E. https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/home-vegetable-gardening-in-washington-home-garden-series.

This is a non-inclusive list of seed purveyors to consider:

Renee’s Garden Seeds, www.reneesgarden.com
For some varieties of seeds, Renee’s offers combination packages of two or three types of seeds, dyed so you can differentiate. This is especially nice for variety without planting a huge garden. The tri-color beans and three variety zucchinis are particular favorites.

Italy-Franchi www.growitalian.com

Territorial Seed Company https://territorialseed.com/

Johnny’s Selected Seeds Company https://www.johnnyseeds.com/

Learn from the experts at the
Country Living Expo
& Modern Homesteading

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Learn More and Register Here >>

These Gardening Topics and More:

• Fruit Tree Pruning & Grafting
• Microclimates in the Garden
• Low Maintenance Gardening
• Roses
• Bee Keeping
• Soil Sampling
• Veggie Gardening
• Growing in High Tunnels, Cold Frames, and Unheated Greenhouses
• Pest Control
• Hop Growing
• Flower Arranging
• Know Your Native Trees
• Introduction into Mason Bees

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Anne Hays and Cathy Markham are certified Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners, Class of 2022. Cathy has a degree in food and nutrition from the University of Idaho and is a Registered Dietician. Her vegetable garden has been featured in the Seattle Times Sunday Magazine.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a Master Gardener, may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/mg/

Seed Saving and Sharing

Open the door to learning about plants in a whole new way.

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By Sheri Rylaarsdam, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Want to see an adult in an eight-foot-tall sunflower costume? Let your vegetables grow into monsters? Save some cold hard cash? Save an heirloom plant or design a new one?

These are all possibilities once one starts down the road of seed saving. You can begin almost accidentally by not pulling all the radishes in the garden. Several weeks later you’ll notice they have grown six feet tall with multiple branches and hundreds of seedpods. The original radish is an unrecognizable nob at the bottom of the magnificent plant.

Radish plants gone to seed in the author’s garden. © Photo by Sheri Rylaarsdam

Radish seed pods can be collected when they turn brown and look dried out. Interestingly, they are also edible. © Photo by Sheri Rylaarsdam

Now you know getting started is easy enough. So next you may be asking “What other vegetables produce harvestable seeds when left to grow?”

First, always save seeds from open-pollinated plants, not hybrids. Open-pollinated seeds are plants pollinated openly by wind, rain, or flying critters. Heirloom seeds are included in this category, named so because the saved seeds have produced ‘true to type’ plants for fifty years or more. The seeds collected from hybrid plants are sterile because they are a manually-produced cross between two varieties and will not grow true to form.

It is easiest to save inbred or self-pollinated seeds. These are seeds of plants whose pollen is transferred within the same flower or from one flower to the other within the same plant. Peas, beans, lettuce, and most tomatoes are examples of plants with inbred or self-pollinating seeds.

Beet plants grow tall when left to seed. © Photo by Sheri Rylaarsdam

Cobra green pole beans going to seed. © Photo by Sheri Rylaarsdam

Harvesting Self-Pollinating Seeds
Let beans and peas dry on the plant, then pick the pods to shell. Thresh the pods by hand. The chaff can be winnowed by tossing the pods in the wind and catching the seeds in a basin.

Lettuce seeds send up a seed stalk, ripening two to three weeks after flowering. Harvest daily by shaking the seeds into a paper bag. The lettuce feathers and chaff can then be separated from the seeds using a fine mesh screen.

To save seeds from tomatoes, choose fully ripe tomatoes. Cut across the equator of the tomato and scrape out the gel and seeds. Let the seeds ferment for a couple of days until a black or white mold forms on top. This helps remove any pathogens on the seed surface and also removes the natural germination inhibitor that coats the seed. Strain off the mold and rinse the seeds slowly and carefully. Drain in a fine mesh strainer and dry thoroughly on a saucer. Be sure to label the saved seeds with the name of the variety and the date they were saved. Since the viability of seeds is most affected by fluctuating temperature and moisture levels, it is important to store them in a cool, dry place-ideally in a tightly closed glass jar in the refrigerator.

Harvesting Wind-Pollinated Seeds
Varieties of wind-pollinated plants need to be separated by distance or mature at different times in order not to cross. Wind-pollinated plants include beets, chard, spinach, and corn. Corn pollen is light and can be carried long distances by the wind. A distance of two miles is the recommended isolation distance. A minimum of two hundred plants is needed to have enough genetic diversity.
Harvesting Seeds Pollinated by Bees
Bee-pollinated plants include many ornamental flowers and these vegetable families: Apiaceae (carrots, dill, parsley, cilantro, parsnip, chervil, caraway), Amaryllidaceae (onion, garlic, shallots, scallions, chives, leeks), Brassicaceae (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips, kale) and Cucurbitaceae (squash, pumpkins, gourds). If vegetables have the same Latin name they can cross. Avoid cross-pollination by allowing just one type of vegetable from each family to go to seed. For example, if one lets leeks go to seed, do not let onions, garlic, shallots, scallions, or chives go to seed at the same time. The seed-producing vegetable also needs to be isolated from other seed-producing vegetables in its family by one-half mile. Cucurbitaceae are often hand-pollinated. Professional seed savers often use a system of cages to avoid cross-pollination.

Carrots, cabbages, beets, and onions are examples of biennials. These should be left in the ground or stored over the winter and replanted in spring to produce seed in the second year.

Start with something easy. Choose a variety of beans, peas, lettuce, or tomato that is delicious, grows vigorously, is a good producer, and is resistant to pests and diseases. Once you’ve started saving seeds, collect all the seeds you can. Then you’ll have plenty to plant next year, some to share, some to donate to a seed library or take to a seed swap.

Sharing seeds by donating to a seed library can make it easy for new gardeners to get started. Supplying seeds and information encourages gardeners to be out in nature, eat healthy food, and save money. Seed swaps are an excellent way to get seeds for the garden for the whole next year. Seed swap events usually have music, food, classes, and sometimes adults dressed up like sunflowers!

One can support biodiversity by supporting seed banks, buying from seed companies that increase biodiversity, and contributing to seed libraries and local seed guilds. The U.S. has lost a large percentage of its food plant biodiversity in the last 100 years. By saving seeds, you are doing your part to preserve the genetic diversity which is vital for the future of our food supply.

Seed stewards work to increase, not decrease, biodiversity. By saving and growing open-pollinated varieties of vegetables in the same area for many years and selecting for taste, disease resistance, and productivity, one can develop an improved vegetable. The selected variety will have the characteristics necessary to withstand unfavorable local conditions such as drought or heavy soil.

Seed saving is a gateway to learning about vegetables and flowers in a whole new way, witnessing their whole life cycle and how they interact with other plants. It has led to a new appreciation for nature’s abundance. Through seed sharing, I’ve contributed to altruistic causes that make a difference in the daily lives of people in our community. And I’ve met interesting people that make me smile-such as the fellow seed sharer wearing an eight-foot-tall sunflower costume.

 

REFERENCES:

Ashworth, Suzanne, 2002, Seed to Seed, Seed Savers Exchange

Gardening for Everyone: Seed Saving/WSU Lewis County Extension/ s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2057/2022/02/Seed-Saving-Handout.pdf

Op-ed: Saving Heirloom Seeds Can Protect Crop Diversity/civil eats/civileats.com/2022/01/27

Community Horticultural Fact Sheet #17/ WSU Jefferson County Extension/ extension.wsu.edu/jefferson/master-gardener-seed-library

Hubbard, Kristina K. January 11, 2019
https://civileats.com/2019/01/11/the-sobering-details-behind-the-latest-seed-monopoly-chart/

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sheri Rylaarsdam is a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener, Class of 2019. She is an avid seed saver and vegetable grower.

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Questions about home gardening or becoming a Master Gardener, may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/mg/