Time to Think About Seeds!

 

Hello Gardeners

 

It’s time to start thinking of seeds!

 

Maybe you have some lettuce starting to bolt (sending up a stalk) or some tough beans still left on the vine or even an onslaught of cherry tomatoes.

You may think these vegetables are destined for the compost, but they may still have some usefulness left if they are open-pollinated plants (not hybrids).

No, I’m not talking about a great recipe to use up your extra and past prime produce. I’m talking about seeds.

 

Here’s some quick basic information on how to save vegetable seeds:

1. Select open-pollinated (not hybrid/ F1) varieties of plants.

2. Start with the easiest seeds to save: Peas, Beans, Tomatoes and  Lettuce

3. Grow your plants making sure they are not cross-pollinated with other varieties. Select the healthiest plants to harvest seeds. If growing vegetables, also select good tasting fruit with high yields. Don’t choose wonky looking plants and select fruits from more than one plant if possible.

4. Gather fruits or seed pods at the correct time. See details below.

 

 Peas and Beans

Allow pods to ripen on the plants until they are dry and start turning brown. Peas and beans must be completely ripe or they won’t germinate. This will take about a month after harvesting the other peas/beans for eating. You can either strip the pods from the plants or pull up the entire plants whole and spread them to dry inside or other sheltered well-ventilated area for a couple of weeks. Shell pods and store in paper envelopes or jars. Pea and bean seeds remain viable for 3 years.

Tomatoes

Allow fruit to ripen fully and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Put the seeds and pulp in a glass jar with some water. Let sit at room temperature for 2-4 days, stirring once a day. Each day pour off the pulp and seeds that float to the top. Viable seeds will sink to the bottom. After 4 days, remove the seeds at the bottom, rinse thoroughly, drain and spread on newspaper or paper towels to dry. Package in paper envelopes or jars. Tomato seeds remain viable for 4 years.

Lettuce

You must allow the lettuce plant to bolt or grow a stalk which will make a flower head with small yellow flowers. They eventually change to feathery white tufts which contain black or white seeds. Lettuce seeds don’t ripen all at once, so monitor the plants for a month or two. Each time you see some seeds turning dark, shake the plant over a paper bag to catch the seeds. Dry indoors for a week before storing. Lettuce seeds remain viable for 5 years.

 

Seed Savers Exchange has a good resource.

 

Which brings me to the topic of the next Seed Talk—Saving Seeds. The Seed Talk is on Tuesday September 12, 6:30 pm at the White Bear Lake library. This is an in-person event that is free and open to anyone. I’ll be talking about saving vegetable and native plant seeds. Bring your questions and experiences! This is a time to share. More information here.

Remember the WBL Seed Library depends on seed donations from gardeners like you!

 

Pam

 

 

Contact info for the Seed Library:

Email: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com

Blog site: WBL Seed Library

 

Gardener Get Together July 12th!

 

Hello Gardeners!

 

We’ve had plenty of hot, hazy days this summer. Too hot to garden! So what’s a gardener to do?

Come meet your fellow gardeners!

                                                                                                         

Gardener Get Together Seed Talk, Wednesday, July 12^th, 6:30 pm,  in-person!

Come meet your fellow gardeners at this outdoor get together. We’ll talk about all things plants and gardening! During these hot days lounging in the shade is perfect for reading. Bring a favorite plant or gardening book to share what you enjoyed about the book.

 

Bring a lawn chair or blanket and meet outside in the boulevard area in front of the White Bear Lake library on Clark Street. In case of rain, we’ll meet inside the library in the Lion’s Den conference room. No need to register in advance.

 

Hope to see you there!

Pam

 

 

Contact info for the Seed Library:

Email: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com

Blog site: WBL Seed Library

 

A Request for help and a Surprise

 

Hello Gardeners!

 

Scattered showers or not!

My yard is mostly the ‘not’. I’ve received barely a trace a rain the last few weeks. This must be the earliest I have had to water my gardens in years. I hope this isn’t a hint of what is to come.

 

That brings me to the first part of this email’s subject line: ‘A Request for help’.

The White Bear Lake library has a native pollinator garden that is located between the parking lot and the sidewalk. I have been taking care of it almost since its start by weeding, watering and replacing plants as needed. The last two summers it has been difficult to keep it watered sufficiently and several plants died. There has been a lack of rain and several nearby trees suck up water. There is not an outdoor water spigot, so water needs to be carried in. I have 5 one-gallon jugs I fill at my house and drive to the library to water the garden. Needless to say, 5 gallons of water doesn’t go far for thirsty plants! As I don’t live real close to the library, this is a significant chunk of time.

What would be great is if there are several people who could share the task of watering the garden. Perhaps each of us could water a few times a month (unless we get rain) during June through October, but I am open to any schedule or amount of help you could provide. Please email me at wblseedlibrary@gmail.com if you can help with the watering.

 

Now onto the ‘Surprise’ portion of the subject line of this email.

At the end of each month I count the number of seed packets left in the seed drawers. I also know how many seed packets I added, so I can determine how many were taken of each type. My surprise came when I saw over 100 packets of native plant seeds found new homes in May! Now, at first glance that is wonderful! The more naïve plants growing, the better it is for the pollinators, birds and our environment. But my concern came when I thought about what is needed to grow these seeds.

Most native plant seeds need a period of stratification before they will germinate. Stratification is a cold, moist period that will break dormancy. Think ‘winter’, though your fridge makes a good substitute. Stratification periods usually range from 30-90 days. Even if you placed the seeds in moist sand in your fridge at the beginning of May, there really isn’t enough time to germinate the seeds and grow them large enough to survive over the winter.

So, if you did take some native plant seeds this spring, please be aware of the stratification time written on each packet. You can plant them now, and perhaps they might germinate this season, but probably you will have to wait until next spring for them to germinate. If you haven’t planted them yet, it might be better to wait until late this fall. I give a talk about starting native plant seeds in the fall where I explain several methods of starting native plant seeds.

The seed drawers for native plants is now mostly empty. Late this summer I hope to have another seed packaging event so we can fill up the drawers with more seeds!

 

 

The Grow a Row project has started!

What is the Grow a Row Project? It’s a chance for you to add seeds that are regionally grown to the seed library. Seed harvested from plants that are grown in our neck of the woods will, in time, grow better here as they become adapted to our environment. I have 25 packets of Haricot Vert bush beans and 1 partial packet of Extra Early Marvel peas. Thanks to the gardeners who participated in the Grow a Row event last year!

The idea is to plant a row of these beans or peas and let them ripen and dry on the vine. Then late in August or September, harvest the seeds and return them to the seed library. All directions for growing and harvesting the seed is attached to the special grow a row packets. These packets are on the seed table in a special box.

I hope you consider participating in this event as it is a way to continue the success of the White Bear Lake library as well as provide excellent seed for future gardeners.

Pam

 

Gardener Get Together  – Seed Talk

Wednesday, July 12^th, 6:30 pm,  in-person!

Come meet your fellow gardeners at this outdoor get together. We’ll talk about all things plants and gardening! Bring a lawn chair or blanket and meet outside in the boulevard area in front of the White Bear Lake library on Clark Street. In case of rain, we’ll meet inside the library in the Lion’s Den conference room. No need to register in advance.

 

New Library of Things for Gardeners!

The White Bear Lake library has a new option in their ‘Library of Things’ options.  It contains: 1 bulb planter, 1 transplanter shovel, 1 cultivator fork, 1 trowel shovel, 1 pruner, 1 15 in. lopper,1 pruning snip, 1 weeder, 1 folding saw, 1 knee pad : mixed materials ; in box (22 in. x 15 1/2 in. x 9 1/2 in.) + contents sheet. Patrons need to be 18 or older to check this out.

Here’s a link to the kit.

 

Two handy charts for when to start seeds indoors and outdoors as well as the best time to transplant seedlings outside.

Note: The Twin Cities is in Zone 4 and the average last date of frost is May 10^th.

From Johnny’s Selected Seeds (Note, you must enter last date of frost): start calculator

From the Farmer’s Almanac: start chart

 

Plant Sales

 

Native Plant Expo and Market

 

Market: Purchase MN native plants from multiple growers. No systemic insecticides.

Expo: Learn to select and grow native plants for pollinators, wildlife, and water quality. Visit with educators and experts from conservation and environmental organizations. Get your landscaping questions answered.

 

 

Shoreview Native Plant Expo is June 10, 2023, 9am – 1pm

 

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Shoreview, MN

3920 Victoria St N
Shoreview, 55126 + Google Map

Shoreview Expo

 

 

Contact info for the Seed Library:

Email: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com

Blog site: WBL Seed Library

 

Grow a Row for the Seed Library!

 

Hello Gardeners!

The Grow a Row project is starting!

What is the Grow a Row Project? It’s a chance for you to add seeds that are regionally grown to the seed library. Seed harvested from plants that are grown in our neck of the woods will, in time, grow better here as they become adapted to our environment. I have 25 packets of Haricot Vert bush beans and 1 partial packet of Extra Early Marvel peas. Thanks to the gardeners who participated in the Grow a Row event last year!

The idea is to plant a row of these beans or peas and let them ripen and dry on the vine. Then late in August or September, harvest the seeds and return them to the seed library. All directions for growing and harvesting the seed is attached to the special grow a row packets. These packets are on the seed table in a special box.

I hope you consider participating in this event as it is a way to continue the success of the White Bear Lake library as well as provide excellent seed for future gardeners.

Pam

 

Seed lists online and paper copy update: I have found it difficult to keep on top of updating the seed lists. Many seed packets have been added and many more seed packets have found new homes this month, so as soon as I update a list, it becomes out of date within days. Please peruse the seed drawers and don’t rely on the seed lists. From January 1- April 30th, over 1900 packets of seeds have found new homes! I added over 1800 packets of seeds this year too.

 

Gardener Get Together  – Seed Talk

Wednesday, July 12^th, 6:30 pm,  in-person!

Come meet your fellow gardeners at this outdoor get together. We’ll talk about all things plants and gardening! Bring a lawn chair or blanket and meet outside in the boulevard area in front of the White Bear Lake library on Clark Street. In case of rain, we’ll meet inside the library in the Lion’s Den conference room. No need to register in advance.

 

New Library of Things for Gardeners!

The White Bear Lake library has a new option in their ‘Library of Things’ options.  It contains: 1 bulb planter, 1 transplanter shovel, 1 cultivator fork, 1 trowel shovel, 1 pruner, 1 15 in. lopper,1 pruning snip, 1 weeder, 1 folding saw, 1 knee pad : mixed materials ; in box (22 in. x 15 1/2 in. x 9 1/2 in.) + contents sheet. Patrons need to be 18 or older to check this out.

Here’s a link to the kit.

 

Two handy charts for when to start seeds indoors and outdoors as well as the best time to transplant seedlings outside.

Note: The Twin Cities is in Zone 4 and the average last date of frost is May 10^th.

From Johnny’s Selected Seeds (Note, you must enter last date of frost): start calculator

From the Farmer’s Almanac: start chart

 

Plant Sales

 

Native Plant Expo and Market

 

Market: Purchase MN native plants from multiple growers. No systemic insecticides.

Expo: Learn to select and grow native plants for pollinators, wildlife, and water quality. Visit with educators and experts from conservation and environmental organizations. Get your landscaping questions answered.

 

 

Shoreview Native Plant Expo is June 10, 2023, 9am – 1pm

 

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Shoreview, MN

3920 Victoria St N
Shoreview, 55126 + Google Map

Shoreview Expo

 

Oakdale Native Plant Expo is June 3, 2023, 9am – 1 pm

 

Oakdale Fire Station #1

5000 Hadley Ave N
Oakdale, MN 55128 United States + Google Map

Oakdale Expo

 

 

Contact info for the Seed Library:

Email: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com

Blog site: WBL Seed Library