Dec 10, 2022

Fall Vegetable Garden Seed Saving & Cleanup

 

Oh my, I'm behind in the Fall cleanup. I caught the flu!  I've only had it once before and that was over fifty years ago!  Dolly doesn't do well laying up sick A month later I'm thankful to God for healing me.  I'm singing Hallelujah!  
Now back to the topic of garden cleanup. There were tomato plants, cucumbers, and sweet peas in cages that needed to be removed.  We live in a very windy location and there may have been cages blown down to the swamp if I didn't get on this job! My sweet neighbors behind the swamp may not need any of those.  I had to get to work! 
Today we also have an easy Amish way of saving heirloom tomato seeds!  Ways to save some money and time in this inflation-filled world.  Let's get to it friends!


HOW TO SAVE HEIRLOOM TOMATO SEEDS



Stacy explains how to

I did some of my Pink Heirloom Brandywine Tomatoes a few months back and with the recent cleanup, I've added some more. The Garden cabin is up just high enough for a few flower pots to fit underneath!  Here's hoping it is a success!

TOMATOES

Top Left to Right:  One Pink Heirloom Tomato which was done months ago, next tomatoes which fell from plants on the last hard frost,  Oskar my little tomato-eating sidekick, Bottom cherry tomatoes

I've got to go back out there and cut the cherry tomatoes.  I got side-tracked because my little 4-legged helper pictured above ate my last big heirloom Tomato!  He is such a rascal! I looked high and low and finally found him over to the side chomping down on it. Maybe that is the variety already started in the pot.  I sure hope so they are delicious!

Amazing how this works!  Makes sense and is so easy to do!  Save time money and seeds friends!

                                                                    BELL PEPPERS


We really were blessed with an abundant harvest of these peppers all season long. Some would still be hanging on the plants if those hard frosts hadn't hit so early.  Today we are having Spring weather.  These are just a few of the assorted bell peppers I harvested on November 22. Some are still crisp and in good shape in the fridge right now.  I chopped and froze the little softer ones for cooking during the Winter months. They are great used in cooking sauces and stir-fries. 

CARROTS


While out in the garden pulling up dead plants and removing the tomato cages I found these growing scattered around out there!  In Early Spring I purchased some growing bags and planted some carrots in them.  They did not do well for me in the bags, but I can tell next year I need to plow up a plot for them to grow in the ground they seem to love it!  They taste wonderful too!

TURNIPS


I couldn't resist there were only two plants in the ground why not pull them and be done with the live plants. Hopefully, the collards will put on a few more leaves but if not they've been delicious!  
We ate the turnips last night and do you know those two little plants fed four of us as a side!  I served them with fried chicken and butter beans. Chuck and I had a spoonful of turnips after all had eaten to finish them up!  They were very good!


Check out the wonderful scraps that the hens and roosters enjoyed!
I love it when you can use everything that you grow or buy for that matter in some way or another.

MARIGOLD SEEDS


Remember the beautiful stands of assorted marigolds I grew in the vegetable garden and the raised planters?  I've never saved the seeds before and this is a first.  Why not I got many many seeds from just a few pods.  I hope they'll do well if they are my heirloom seeds they probably will.  The zinnia seeds are already saved for next year!  As of this week now all the marigold seeds needed are saved.

It does take time to do these things but I've been regaining my strength and if you are a doer like me even sitting for long periods of time doing nothing gets old.  So I sat and got seeds from pods.

PRICKLY PEAR RARE CACTUS

Left cuttings were planted a few months back and thriving. 
Right cuttings were taken a few weeks ago

INTERESTING HISTORY OF THIS CACTUS

The cactus cuttings pictured above are from the mother plant which I started at another home 45 years ago. The newly not-so-healthy-looking cuttings on the right were saved by John and Carly from that home for me. That cutting came from the cactus my grandmother Goldie had that she started from her mother Dolly, my namesake's plant. 
You know Great Grandmother Dolly's plant may very well still be growing. The area where she lived is to this day very secluded. If so that plant is well over 200 years old. Her daughter Goldie my grandmother's plant would be well over 100 years old

The one I started at the older home would be 45 years old now. I say would be because until very recently it fell to some destruction by the highway department. It wasn't supposed to be destroyed in the road project but it was chopped to pieces. My sweet Carly and John are doing their best to save pieces of the plant. Hopefully, now their plantings will live on for many years. 

You know it isn't things that are important but the special meaning and sentiment behind them.
We'll get it going again!  I'm excited to see the top one I have here at Hibiscus it is small pretty and thriving, and the one on the left was saved by my family.  I just put them in hacked or not I think they'll make it too!  

Sorry for the delay in posting this but maybe it will be helpful next growing season
I'm cleaning and clearing some junk making room for Christmas!
Hope you're having wonderful days

Until next time!




4 comments:

  1. Oh no! I didn’t know you were sick. Glad your feeling better. I have only had the flu once in my life too. That was many years ago.

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    1. I'm so glad you and I don't get this very often! Now to bake and decorate. Merry Christmas Lisa!

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  2. So glad you got over the flue. In April, I got the flue, It turns out I actually had covid. All is well. Your garden must have brought you great joy. Those 4 legged critters are so fun. We have two. Merry Christmas.

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    1. Hi Linda, I'm so sorry about the covid.  I'm thankful that you're doing well!
      My garden does bring me joy.  The little critters are fun! Merry Christmas to you and the family!
      Dolly

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