After 13 years online, Cubits.org is scheduled to be shut down. Please make sure you have the contact information for all your friends, and that you download whatever content you want from this site.
Starlight for germinating those. I now have potential viable seeds. They are from 2013, but I hope they will germinate for me.
I posted the picture because I wanted to show how potential viable seeds of this plant look like. Not to accuse the Piggy (can't remember who it was) who sent the seeds.
I want to make a database of seed pictures to help people find out how the seeds should look like. In the past (and it will also happen in the future) , I made mistakes myself, just not knowing that some plants seem to set a lot of seeds, but only a few viable seeds.
Together with my son in law I'm also working on a video that shows how to gather and clean seeds. When it's ready I will send it to you to ask your opinion about it. It's so hard to show those things, because every seed is different. But I hope it will be helpful for beginners.
Star, I love Mother Earth News! It's right up my ally, but I do have a hard time navigating their site. I picked the magazine up because it is inspiring! Plus hubby likes to read. He was very interested in learning about building your own solar panels. Some really good stuff in that magazine!
Joseph's landracing sounds cool. I had never heard of landrace before coming to the Piggy Swap. Its a very cool way to develop new, hardier strains. I met a gal from Texas who likes gardening, when I asked what she grows, she said "Whatever comes out of the compost." At first I laughed, but then I thought about it.... depending on were your produce originally came from, that is probably a very effective way to produce food in Texas conditions.
Oh, I forgot to tell you, I bought my 1 inch PVC and 40 - 1 inch tees!!!!! I'm so excited! I've also been hunting for vermiculite, but Lowes was sold out. I think will order some and have it sent to Lowes for me. I also bought some vinyl guttering for some vertical gardening! It was only 10 foot, but that's enough to get me started. I was thinking about running around the deck area. Maybe growing strawberries out of it.
Jonna I glad you can take pics. I wish I could. I can take good pics of my feet though.
Oh no.. Not even thinking that. We got the seed from Critter and I hoping she finds a few more. I did do a special oink for em if she does.
After many tries, I also found out that they do not like alot of water either. I was so excited because I finally had some plants going and than we got down to 1F and than floods it just killed them big time. Hurt my heart as did all the plants I lost last winter. I hoping for better weather this winter . I still have pots I haven't dumped but just stacked in a pile kinda hoping that hope against hope maybe something might come back next year since it didn't this year.
I've had plants that should have been by all means dead, but sometimes if there just a touch of life left in the roots , miracles do happen and it will regrow but may take years to see it grow again of it does.
I think it great to do pics of the seeds. I know there many times I may have a seed and have lost the name but have an idea it could be this plant or that plant, but not really sure of what the seed looked like when memory fails.
Formosa... Lily seeds they another one of hand that I can think of that need candled and benefit from 'skin peeling' is the phrase I use. African daisy seed too. Anything that I can feel that has a seed hidden in a coat covering I peel. It also helps from keeping the seed from rotting as the skin molds and breaks down and makes for faster germination.
Promise That is one of the things I would love to learn how to do too. Of course me and electrical things don't get along, but I would love to have enough solar panels to run electric for my trailer and to heat and cool a gh.
I don't understand the whole concept of it yet, other than it uses stored power somehow from sunlight, but it has to beat paying co-op electric rates that get higher and higher.
Having a big christmas party Sunday afternoon, it's an annual thing with us to have open house the Sunday before Christmas. Made cute little paper envelopes out of scrap paper and old envelopes, then filled with excess seeds. Lots of common things like cosmos and marigolds. Labelled them and sent them off in some of my Christmas cards and packages...the excess are in a basket, which I will leave out at the party for guests to take home, like a party favor. So happy that this year I really got on the ball with seed saving and packaging. Also the winter garden has some rutabagas to harvest for Christmas dinner. Feeling very content!
Name: Deborah Orangeburg, SC Zone 8a Don't Sweat the Small Stuff!
There is so much to learn about seed sowing and growing. BTW, Ella, you just reminded me that I still have formosa lily seeds in my garden, that I never got to harvest for the swap. I can't seem to remember to take some cutters with me when I go out. How long are they viable? Will they last until the next swap if I store them in the fridge? Maybe I should start my WS by planting some while I wait for my seeds.
And yes, chocolate cosmos. I wanted some so badly. I did find a small plant for sale at a flower show at the farmer's market last year, so I didn't plant the seeds that I got from the swap. I hated paying $4 for that little pot. Well long story short, it didn't like the sun (I lost a large oak tree that once provided some shade) nor the rain and just rotted. Broke my heart. But, I still have the seeds. Now that I know what to do, I need to sow them now as well.
Name: Joseph Cache Valley Great Basin Landrace: locally-adapted diversity
Tonight I am wishing that I had opened this squash in time for the swap... It is the embodiment of what I want my landrace moschata squash to look like: Deep orange flesh, long-necked, and medium-sized.
Deebie Lilium seeds won't stay viable for long (6-8 months), unless you put them in the freezer, After drying very well, put them in closed containers and put them in the freezer. In that way they will stay viable for years.
You folks really got me hooked on seed saving. I had more seeds than I knew what to do with this year but it has led to an informal "garden club" of 4 friends locally. This fall we started passing around seeds and they were so excited by things I find "common" that it gave me an idea. Divvied up my baggies of extra annual seeds and made simple paper envelopes out of scrap paper and envelopes, I will post a picture later. Have more than 50 envelopes. Included some in Christmas cards and will give a bunch to my sister when she visits after Christmas, the remainder will be set out in a basket tomorrow at our Christmas party like party favors for guests to take a few home. It helps me not feel like a hoarder if I'm using/sharing all my collected seeds.
Jonna, what a great idea to make a database of the seed photos! (and information? like germination time, needs light, etc ??) I grew some "mini bottle gourds" for the first time this year and when I opened the (commercial) seed package I wasn't at all sure that I actually had seeds in there -- and they took a LONG time to germinate, and germinated over the course of several months -- a few came up first, then when I had just about decided that was it, a couple more popped up, and so on.
Sandy It's a huge project, so first it will only be the seed photos. Later I want to add photo's of (some of) the seedpods on the plants and after that I might add additional information about how to germinate. I will open the database on my website when I have about 150 photos, but my aim is 1.000 photo's by the end of next year. All depends on how fast I will be cured. Will post a notice here when it goes online.
Ella's Garden isn't just about gardening. We're a diverse community of individuals, coming together to enrich the personal, business, hobbies, lifestyles, and horizons of all community members. You'll find forums for shopping & selling too!
Starlight for germinating those. I now have potential viable seeds. They are from 2013, but I hope they will germinate for me.
I use them for almost everything outside.
Broke my heart. But, I still have the seeds. Now that I know what to do, I need to sow them now as well. 
