Gardeners: do you save seeds?

The only seeds that don’t save well are spinach and lettuce. Everything else saves well as long as you avoid heat. I planted some packed for 1994 seeds this year and they were fine.

I have saved marigold and nasturtium seeds. One of my good friends saves tomato seeds if they get a particularly good tomato.

I don’t grow veggies anymore, the last few years, a couple of grape tomatoes and last year some heirloom Pineapple toms. that did poorly because of the late rains and cool temps. They got rot on the bottoms. :-(

I used to collect scads of seeds, and was really into growing the purple and other fingerling potatoes that I would store.

But, I am obsessed with my morning glories and collect seeds in the fall and store over winter. This year I have a ton of volunteers and some really beautiful white and purple and rose colored ones. I am anxiously waiting on a bunch of volunteer vines to bloom that sprouted around my antique wrought iron graveyard fencing. I can’t wait to see what colors they produce. :-D

Yes, I plant heirlooms and save seeds.

There are several seed exchanges through which you can trade rare/heirloom varieties with other like minded gardeners.

One thing I have noticed with heirlooms (particularly tomatoes) is that although the flavor is generally much superior, they are usually not quite as productive and are a bit more finicky when it comes to care. (your mileage may vary)

Yes, every year with the optimism of an amnesiac.

Good odds with nasturtiums, marigolds, cleome, dill, annual poppies and morning glories.

Yes, yes and yes to all the same reasons you cited. Once I find a plant that grows well in my garden those seeds become coveted and I will save them for next year! I once grew 48”-52” cucumbers and wouldn’t you know it the seeds were not heirloom! I was bummed about that one!

I do save seeds and love to exchange them.

I do.
I save alot of flower seeds.:)

Yes & lots of weeds too :-/

@Scooby

I love my big “Mule Ears” weeds on the hill below my deck. I have about 7 of them right now and they are 3–5 ft. tall with big, phallic shaped spiked blooms full of little yellow flowers.

I talk to them too, paying them admiring compliments and I call them the “aliens.’ haha

A friend was over the other day complaining that she had a few coming up on the side of her driveway and I told her that I won’t let my gardener cut them because I think they are cool.

She shut up about her weed OCD. lol

@Coloma Would those be mullein? They have a lot of uses.

@incendiary_dan

Oooh..yeah, that must be them, well, some variety anyway! Cool!
I love them, they are huge with giant fuzzy leaves and these wild 2 ft. stalks of yellow flowers…hmmm, I wonder if I could get my variety typed somewhere to see if they are the ones that can be used for some remedies? Neato! :-D

I have a memory of Amerinds using them as torches. Possible?

@gailcalled Yea, dipped in wax or tallow they’re great torches. Because of their pithy center, they’re also really useful for friction fire. I’ve never been good with hand-drills, but I think I might try it out with some mullein stalks.

@Coloma Some of the ones around here are as tall as me. I’ve seen ones taller, but not that often (and I’m not a particularly tall person). I think I might try to plant some next year, as I intend to have a much better herb section of my garden.

@Coloma ;-)

The weeds in my garden are causing quite a stir too of late :-/
I’ve left a couple hanging about up near my cabbage palm ( which is coming back after dying off from last years frosts ) as they annoy the hell out of my neighbour, all in good fun Lol…. I’m no Alan Titchmarsh by any means but they have a really bright yellow flower too & I am quite fond of them.. I might start a Save the weed campaign, after all we have so much to thank the humble weed for ;-)

@Scooby

It’s all in the perspective, one mans/womans weed is anothers flower. :-D

@incendiary_dan

I am curious about your comment about the pithy center making them useful for friction fire.

It is my understanding that one needs a hard wood to make an effective friction fire (using the bow drill method). Granted, my experience is limited, but every time I have used the bow method the stick used as the “drill” needed to be pretty darned sturdy in order not to come apart from the mechanical stress placed on it. (I’m more of a flint and steel kind of guy, or better yet a lighter conveniently tucked into my pocket, kind of guy myself)

@YoBob Yea, it’s not good for the bow-drill, but it’s the best for a hand-drill. The bow-drill method puts too much downward pressure for most mullein stalks. The main problem with using them for hand-drills is that they’re nearly impossible to get smooth, so attaching a section of it to the tip of a smoother stick, like willow, is what works best in my experience. Still haven’t gotten a hand-drill coal yet, but mullein gets me more heat and a lot closer to fire.

@Coloma

That works for people too, kinda, sorta! :-/

@incendiary_dan – It has been my experience that my hands are more likely to catch on fire than the tender when using the hand drill method. ;)

IMHO, one of the most important items in the zombie apocalypse survival kit is a baby bic lighter.

@YoBob Haha, yea, I have a few of those in my pack right near my fire piston and ferro rod. Friction fire is good, but even in terms of primitive methods there are better ones.