The Seeds We Saved in 2015

Each year I try to learn a little bit more about seed saving. It appeals to the practical (aka cheap) side of me (those seed packets really add up!) and to the inquisitive side of me (you mean, that's how a plant makes seed?).

Hooked on this Heirloom: Sanditas

These adorable little cucumbers are becoming wildly popular with gardeners, and for very good reason!

How to Save Marigold Seed

There was a time when I just didn't get marigolds. I saw them being sold at plant centers by the thousands and wondered "who on earth buys these boring flowers?"

Then, I started gardening.

Specifically, I began organic gardening. One of the first things I learned as I began growing food is that marigolds are a must-have. The marigold is described as a workhorse in the garden, driving away pests like aphids and cabbage worms and rabbits. Though some will claim that the miracles of the marigold are overstated, I know many gardeners who have sworn by these beauties for years. I no longer see them as boring, I see them as incredible in their simple beauty, and I'll include them for as long as I garden.

Marigolds rock because:

• They are very easy to grow, either transplanted or from seed.

• They come in a stunning variety of shapes and colors, adding gorgeous splashes of red, yellow, and orange to the garden.

• They release compounds that destroy nematodes that feast on and destroy root systems.

• Their pungent odor has been said to keep deer and bunnies at bay.

• Some people swear that planting them by tomatoes improves the flavor of the tomatoes. My grandma planted a marigold by each of her tomato plants religiously.

• They are edible! Some varieties taste better than others; Lemon Gem, other Gem varieties, Mexican, and Signet are popular edible choices. Grow those and you can pick off  a flower or two for your salad or chopped and cooked into rice.

• They bloom continuously. All spring, summer, and into fall, marigolds put out new blooms. You'll have beautiful swatches of color all season long.

• They are wonderful for bees and other pollinators.

Once you realize how simple it is to save marigold seeds, you will never buy another packet again (unless you want to add another variety to your stash, of course!).

It's so simple, there is no reason NOT to. You'll have thousands of seeds with very little effort, and will have ample marigolds every single year.

Saving Marigold Seed

• Throughout the season, but mostly in the fall, the marigold flower heads will shrivel up and dry out while still on the plant.

• Simply pull off these dead head and allow them to completely dry indoors.

• Toss them all in a jar to store through the winter, and in the spring you'll have more marigold seeds than you could possibly use.

• I take the dried flower heads out in the spring when the threat of frost is gone, and I sprinkle them generously all over where I want marigolds. Not all of them will germinate, but a ton of them will!

Repurposed plastic relish container holding 16 marigold dead heads;
this will give me hundreds of seeds for the next season.

When ready to plant, it's simple.
Peel away any of the dead petals and you will see the seeds.

The seeds pull out easily.
Start marigolds indoors, or do what I do; in the spring,
I simply scatter them all over the beds I want marigolds to grow.

Enjoy your marigolds! Leave a comment if you have a new-found (or old and long-standing) love for marigolds. :)

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links. I'm eligible to receive a small commission whenever a product is purchased through these links. Click Here for my full disclosure!

Hooked on this Heirloom: Amish Paste Tomato

As I start to grow and collect the seeds from heirloom vegetables (and flowers, too), I am going to start showcasing our favorites! First up in "Hooked on This Heirloom" is our current favorite: Amish Paste tomatoes.

Okay, so maybe you've heard of heirloom tomatoes. You think they look pretty, sound tasty, and must be unique, but you aren't sure what makes them any different from a 'regular old' tomato. Here is a quick explanation: 

An heirloom, or heritage, breed (of any vegetable) is a variety that has been saved and passed through many generations. The seeds from an heirloom will breed 'true'- you will get the same vegetable as the plant you saved the seed from. 

A hybrid vegetable is a cross between two different varieties, usually to take advantage of the best traits of both plants. Hybrids can be wonderful in the garden, but they have one major disadvantage: you can't save their seed. Or more specifically, you can't keep the breed going by saving their seed. You can certainly try to replant hybrid seeds, but you will likely get a plant that produces odd tomatoes, or no tomatoes at all.

*Don't confuse hybrid with GM (genetically modified), please! They are not the same at all. Farmers have been creating and breeding hybrid vegetables for thousands of years; they are completely safe and don't require a scientific laboratory. You just can't save their seeds reliably. :)

There are very good reasons to grow heirloom tomatoes, and here are mine:

1. You can save their seed from year to year, saving money (a big plus for me!).

2. The varieties are astounding! Browse my favorite heirloom seed companies, Baker's Creek or Seed Saver's Exchange, and the beauty and array of all the types of tomatoes will amaze you. You will also find, as you start making gardening friends old and new, that most are very willing to share their heirloom seeds with you. (bonus! make new friends by sharing/swapping seeds!)

3. You can implement your own 'natural selection' year by year. Take the seeds from the plant that did the best and produced the nicest tomatoes and then plant those seeds the next year. With each passing year you will have selected your own strong strain that is suited for the conditions and climate in your own yard.

4. You are helping to preserve seeds that may be rare. Many varieties of veggies have gone extinct, which I find very sad. By saving and planting all kinds of different heirloom plants, you will not only have fun with the variety, but you'll be helping to keep rare breeds alive and well for the generations who follow you.

 Click here to see how I saved tomato seeds; it's unbelievably easy!

Throughout the growing season, we find that Amish Paste can produce a variety of shapes. Most of the tomatoes that grow are the classic roma, or plum, shape, but in this photo you can see we get some other shapes as well:

 

We even sometimes get a few 'Siamese Twin' tomatoes!

Here are the reasons why I'm especially in love with Amish Paste and will continue to save their seed year after year:

• They are a good all-around tomato. Beautiful for saucing, dicing to freeze or can, or just slicing to eat fresh.
• The plant is EXTREMELY hardy. Despite my error last season starting them too early indoors, and a rough start outdoors, they flourished wildly.
• They produce an astounding amount of tomatoes. Quite honestly, at times it's hard to keep up with them. 

We sauce them,

Dice them,

Tower up our containers,

And fill up our freezer. We are learning to can, as well.

As the summer wears on, it seems every day 

we come in the house with a bowl-full of Amish Paste!

Not a bad performance, considering the little space we have.

These tomatoes have us convinced; heirlooms are absolutely worth a try!