Harvesting veggies, herbs, and flowers is the best part of gardening but don’t overlook another crop you might want to gather… seeds for next year.  If you’ve grown peas, beans, tomatoes, or lettuce these are the easiest to save and assure you will have good seeds for next year.  There are many advantages to saving your own seeds and it’s very satisfying to see your plants through from generation to generation.  Kind of like how we enjoy grandchildren!  It’s also time to harvest some herbs like basil and dill seeds, plant some more salad greens (but not bulbs or garlic yet), and keep on weeding.

Seed Saving.  Why bother?  Gardeners and farmers have traditionally saved seeds from their favorite plants because they know that is the best way to have the best varieties and strains for your local conditions.  Seeds contain the genetics of the parent plants and if you have a favorite tomato, bean or lettuce that does well for you why not save those seeds for next year?  Beside they are free and abundant right now!  Seed Savers Exchange has been promoting seed saving for many years and offers very practical advice for beginners.

Not all plants lend themselves to the home seed saver.  I recommend the “self-pollinating” plants (beans, peas, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, dill, arugula, sunflowers, & parsley) are mostly foolproof.  I would avoid insect/wind pollinated plants (corn, squashes, cucumbers, pumpkins, & melons) because they are considered “promiscuous” as they cross pollinate, and most offspring will not be the same as the parents.  Hybrids (F₁) varieties are also not reliable for seed savers.  If you really want to learn more about the wonders of seed production and saving then I recommend the book The Seed Garden. 

Seed savers divide seeds in “dry seeds” and “wet seeds” because they use different methods to prepare them for storage.  Dry seeds (lettuce, arugula, beans, & peas) are easiest because we simply need to let the seed pod or bean mature fully until it turns yellow-brown and dries on the plant.  Before it pops open collect the pods/beans for more drying before storing.  Even though these seeds appear dry, they require thorough drying so they don’t get moldy in storage over winter.  This is an excellent use for those neglected lettuce plants that went to seed.  After collecting seeds (get more than you need so you can share some) lay them out on newspaper in an airy, protected location for a couple weeks.  Beans & peas especially need extra drying time. Once dry you can separate off the pods or chaff by gently blowing it away from heavier seeds.  Don’t worry about small bits of debris in the seeds.

Wet seeds (tomatoes & peppers) are removed from over-ripe fruits to be sure the seeds are mature.  Pick the most desirable plants for your seeds (earliest, biggest, high yielding, pest & disease free, etc.) so you select the best next for year.  Cut open the fruits and scoop out the biggest seeds for drying.  Spread them out on a baking tray for drying at room temperature.  Gently mix them every couple days to keep them separated as much as possible.  Once they’ve dried completely, collect them for storage. 

Storage containers can be anything that will protect the seeds from moisture, heat, mice, light, etc.  Glass jars, empty medicine bottles, zip lock bags (in a larger glass jar), etc.  Most important:  LABEL every container/bag/bottle with the plant name, variety, and date stored.  Keep your saved seed (plus leftovers that you purchased this year) in a cool, dry, dark place over the winter.  Not in the refrigerator or freezer.

Planting in September   Some of the best salad greens can be planted now.  Try some more leaf lettuce, mesclun, arugula, and spinach.  Plant a crop now and again next week to spread the harvest out.  As days get shorter plants slow down so it will take longer to mature but they won’t tend to get bitter or go to seed (“bolt”).

Fall Bulbs… now is the time to order your fall bulbs for October-November planting.  If you haven’t grown garlic, this should be the year you start.  Order bulbs or “seed garlic” from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, FEDCO, Maine Potato Lady, or other online sources for late October planting.  Many are already out of stock of garlic. The best local source for seed garlic is Caravan Gardens on Rte. 103 in Cuttingsville (farmstand open Wednesdays and Saturdays).  Supermarket garlic is often treated with a chemical to retard growth so aren’t recommended for planting.

Pest Alerts:  Insect pests are slowing down now but there still may be late season Japanese Beetles and Stinkbugs (handpick them) along with moth caterpillars about. 

Powdery mildew on squashes or other plants can be very damaging just as these plants are finishing their production and it will increase with cooler weather and rain.  Look for a powdery white or gray coating on the leaves.  Several methods have been shown to prevent and reduce the impact of this disease.  1) Spray a mixture of milk (1 cup milk in 2 cups of water plus ½ tsp. liquid dish soap or 1 oz. powdered milk in 2 qts. water) over the leaves every week or after rain;  2) Spray Serenade on the leaves to prevent infection;  3) Baking soda raises the pH (acidity) too high for mildew to grow (1 Tbsp + ½ tsp. liquid dish soap in 1 gal. water) applied on cloudy days or in the evening.

Weeds… Do not stop weeding yet!  Weeds are now producing their flowers and seeds for next year’s generation, and several generations after that.  Weeds are known to produce from 5,000 up to 100,000 seeds per plant!  Do not allow weeds to go to seed in your garden.

Coming Soon… harvesting & curing potatoes, onions, beets, & carrots.

Remember to compost your food and yard wastes for the best garden fertilizer.  Here’s a short video to help you get your own compost started.

What are you seeing on in your garden?  Got questions?  Suggestions? Leave a message in the Comments below.

Bring your plant or bug samples to the Mount Holly Farmers’ Market Plant Clinic on the Belmont Green Saturday mornings.