Harvesting Seeds

[Rick]

Since just about everyone is in some stage of harvest I thought I'd post a resource for harvesting and storing seeds for next year's garden. Enjoy.

http://howtosaveseeds.com/seedprep.php

[welderguy]

I need to do a lot more of this, i don't save near enough seeds I should.

[Cast-Iron]

Obviously this only works with non-hybrid plants. Just saying for those who may be new to gardening. Nice if you can get heirloom seeds from an organic supplier and then start collecting seeds for next year's garden.

[Winnie]

They don't need to be heirloom or organic, just non hybrid or open pollinated as they are also known. FYI

[Cast-Iron]

They don't need to be heirloom or organic, just non hybrid or open pollinated as they are also known. FYI

You're correct, they don't NEED to be. But if you find an organic heirloom that you like, chances are somewhat better that it will be free from GMO contamination. Many noxious weeds in North America are now tainted with Monsanto's "Round-Up Ready" gene sequencing because of unintended cross-pollination. The problem facing many urban gardeners here in the states is that there are significant amounts of genetically altered pollens now floating freely through the air. Open pollination isn't as safe as it used to be and our congress thought it in our best interests if we don't hold Monsanto accountable for their actions. That may not be as big an issue across the pond for you Winnie. Not yet!

[Rick]

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Even the simplest of posts warrants a conspiracy theory.

[Cast-Iron]

If you spent more time researching and less time functioning as a talking head, you'd already know that everything alleged in my post has already happened. Your holier than thou conspiracy bashing is getting quite annoying. My only assumption is that these genes will soon find their way across the Atlantic. While I haven't seen any scientific confirmation of this yet, I find it highly likely to happen. Nearly a mathematical certainty.
I have friends, degreed professionals, who work for multinational agribusinesses. One of them a nationally recognized source of heirloom seeds. The problem of genetic contamination is a real one that already concerns many within the industry. As more genetically engineered plants are being introduced into the environment, more plant species will become susceptible to these unwanted genetics. Pull your head out of your lower orifice and do the research!

[Rick]

As I said, you can put me on ignore if you choose. I've posted on the Monsanto nonsense recently. Congress didn't waive anything for them. But then, that doesn't fit your everything is a conspiracy paranoia. Please, put me on ignore.

[Rick]

Your holier than thou conspiracy bashing is getting quite annoying.

Then perhaps you should work on learning how to control your emotions. That's not something I intend to concern myself with.

[welderguy]

You're correct, they don't NEED to be. But if you find an organic heirloom that you like, chances are somewhat better that it will be free from GMO contamination. Many noxious weeds in North America are now tainted with Monsanto's "Round-Up Ready" gene sequencing because of unintended cross-pollination. The problem facing many urban gardeners here in the states is that there are significant amounts of genetically altered pollens now floating freely through the air. Open pollination isn't as safe as it used to be and our congress thought it in our best interests if we don't hold Monsanto accountable for their actions. That may not be as big an issue across the pond for you Winnie. Not yet!

OMG HAHAHAHAHAAH! Are you serious, or are you just messing with rick? genetically altered pollens, SERIOUSLY, How many hours a day do you spend digging this info up, and exactly who did the research on this?

[welderguy]

As I said, you can put me on ignore if you choose. I've posted on the Monsanto nonsense recently. Congress didn't waive anything for them. But then, that doesn't fit your everything is a conspiracy paranoia. Please, put me on ignore.

Your too entertaining to ignore!!!

[Winnie]

You're correct, they don't NEED to be. But if you find an organic heirloom that you like, chances are somewhat better that it will be free from GMO contamination. Many noxious weeds in North America are now tainted with Monsanto's "Round-Up Ready" gene sequencing because of unintended cross-pollination. The problem facing many urban gardeners here in the states is that there are significant amounts of genetically altered pollens now floating freely through the air. Open pollination isn't as safe as it used to be and our congress thought it in our best interests if we don't hold Monsanto accountable for their actions. That may not be as big an issue across the pond for you Winnie. Not yet!

Now I'm not being funny here, but how will you prevent such contamination from the seed you are saving yourself?

[Cast-Iron]

OMG HAHAHAHAHAAH! Are you serious, or are you just messing with rick? genetically altered pollens, SERIOUSLY, How many hours a day do you spend digging this info up, and exactly who did the research on this?

I hate to break it to you WG, but when you alter a plant's DNA, you have altered it's pollen as well. I don't know your background or familiarity with the subject, but I assure you I am not "messing" with Rick. Here's an article from those "shrooms" over at Scientific American that I came across a few years back. It addresses this specific problem of cross pollination. As more and more genetic sequences are manipulated and introduced into the wild, what other unintended consequences can we expect? Once the proverbial cat is out of the bag, there is no putting it back in. There is a potential for environmental disaster when we start playing God without also having his all-knowing understanding. As for how much time I spend researching? More than I spend watching television or ridiculing others when I haven't bothered to do the research myself!

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...-modified-crop

[Cast-Iron]

Now I'm not being funny here, but how will you prevent such contamination from the seed you are saving yourself?

Good question! I don't have the answer. Geographic separation helps to a point, but I know of no fool-proof means to assure it doesn't happen in your garden plot, greenhouse, or field. Hence the problem. If science is someday able to prove how harmful some of these plants are to our health, how do we reverse it? Figure that one out and you might have a Nobel Prize in your future.

[welderguy]

I hate to break it to you WG, but when you alter a plant's DNA, you have altered it's pollen as well. I don't know your background or familiarity with the subject, but I assure you I am not "messing" with Rick. Here's an article from those "shrooms" over at Scientific American that I came across a few years back. It addresses this specific problem of cross pollination. As more and more genetic sequences are manipulated and introduced into the wild, what other unintended consequences can we expect? Once the proverbial cat is out of the bag, there is no putting it back in. There is a potential for environmental disaster when we start playing God without also having his all-knowing understanding. As for how much time I spend researching? More than I spend watching television or ridiculing others when I haven't bothered to do the research myself!

I would say you open yourself up to ridicule, some of us just tend to walk in when the door is open, just saying. I see what you mean about cross pollination, but how does it come to monsanto as the cause of that? Here is what i know about gardening, I plant the seeds, I water the seeds, I weed, and fertilise, I pick my veggies and eat them. So far i haven't had any carrots that look like beets or taste like watermelon, I haven't died yet from what i've eaten for the last several years. But I also don't use any chemicals or pesticides on my garden.
I 100% agree with too much playing god, some things shouldn't be messed with ever. But on a serious note, with the statement of contaminated natural pollination, that would mean nothing is safe ever again or is it just certain pollen that is contaminated?
I have no interest in spending countless hours of research on a subject that I know won't be changed by me, because I don't think there is an address or phone number for mother nature . besides if I were researching about contaminated pollen it would take away from me being on here ridiculing people, as well as watching all them survival shows on tv.

[crashdive123]

Good golly Miss Molly. Never thought that a thread about harvesting seeds would need a word of caution to lighten up or the thread would have to be closed. My goodness people!

[gohammergo]

If you let a few carrots go to seed, you will have more seed than you can use. We did three carrots, and ended up with about 10 oz. of seed. I planted them the following year alongside new seed that we had bought and the saved seed plants did much better.

[nell67]

I would say you open yourself up to ridicule, some of us just tend to walk in when the door is open, just saying. I see what you mean about cross pollination, but how does it come to monsanto as the cause of that? Here is what i know about gardening, I plant the seeds, I water the seeds, I weed, and fertilise, I pick my veggies and eat them. So far i haven't had any carrots that look like beets or taste like watermelon, I haven't died yet from what i've eaten for the last several years. But I also don't use any chemicals or pesticides on my garden.
I 100% agree with too much playing god, some things shouldn't be messed with ever. But on a serious note, with the statement of contaminated natural pollination, that would mean nothing is safe ever again or is it just certain pollen that is contaminated?
I have no interest in spending countless hours of research on a subject that I know won't be changed by me, because I don't think there is an address or phone number for mother nature . besides if I were researching about contaminated pollen it would take away from me being on here ridiculing people, as well as watching all them survival shows on tv.

monsanto was sueing farmers for saving seed that was cross pollinated with ge pollen, some of those sued were farmers who actually bought Monsanto seed and saved some seed to replant,but not all. Organic farmers were being sued as well,due to the cross pollination monsanto claimed that the farmers were benefiting from monsantos patents. A federal appeals court,who was hearing a case brought by Organic farmers to protect themselves from such lawsuits by monsanto ,dismissed the farmers lawsuit,but only after forcing monsanto to agree to NOT sue the Organic farmers if their crops become contaminated by the monster ge pollen. http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013...t-sue-farmers/

[Rick]

I've seeded carrots as well. You're right, they make a ton. It takes two years to seed carrots. They don't flower the first year but come right back up the second and produce seeds. Just make certain you don't have hybrid carrots. That would be pretty disappointing to wait 2 years and not have any viable seeds. You can refrigerate the seeds in something moisture proof like a jelly jar.

[welderguy]

monsanto was sueing farmers for saving seed that was cross pollinated with ge pollen, some of those sued were farmers who actually bought Monsanto seed and saved some seed to replant,but not all. Organic farmers were being sued as well,due to the cross pollination monsanto claimed that the farmers were benefiting from monsantos patents. A federal appeals court,who was hearing a case brought by Organic farmers to protect themselves from such lawsuits by monsanto ,dismissed the farmers lawsuit,but only after forcing monsanto to agree to NOT sue the Organic farmers if their crops become contaminated by the monster ge pollen. http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013...t-sue-farmers/

isn't that just retarded!!! good god what they gonna sue people for next breathing the air within a certain distance from them.