Posted on 08/29/2014 12:20:32 PM PDT by greeneyes
Green bean seed saving question: Normally I wait until the pods are crispy dry and then take the seeds for next year. This year we’ve had too much rain, so the pods won’t dry completely. I just snagged a bunch and recused the seeds as many of the pods are starting to mold. Some of the seeds are not quite as dry as I’d like. There might be a small dent if I bit them. Will they dry and be viable for next year?
I’ve heard of people essentially picking the whole bush and letting it dry in a barn somewhere.
I’ve picked beans that were *mostly* dry and shelled them, let them dry, and they sprouted. As long as the pod looks brown and ‘ripe’.
Another suggestion. In case there are the little beetles that bore into the seeds, once you shell them, put a tsp of DE over them and distribute it. I put some in all my bean/pea seeds that I save from year to year, just in case. And once they get crispy dry I put them in the freezer in a couple nested ziplocs.
This link might be useful:
And I thoroughly recommend ‘Seed to Seed’ by Ashworth for any and all seed saving endeavors. It’s like a whole class on how to and gardening practices.
Not only does it give information on how to for each type of seed, it gives region specific tips and times to plant for best results. I’m a big garden geek and I love this book!
DE is the best bet if you want to avoid insecticide. Unfortunately it does need to be reapplied after it rains.
On my wish list is one of these:
http://www.vermontbean.com/dp.asp?pID=53092&c=139&p=Dustin+Mizer+W%2FDeflector
The fly paper sounds like a good idea too. I might try that next year. I totally gave up on fighting bugs on my winter squashes until I get one of those dust distributors and just plant the resistant varieties. But those seem to require a lot of heat units (the Moschata type) so that’s probably not an answer in CNY.
Washing them once a week with the baking soda worked for me. I washed half of the plants and they are green and healthy but the plants I didn't wash are all dead. To refresh, I use a miriclegrow fertilizer waterer but put put baking soda in it and wash the plants thoroughly.
Pyrethrin. (I think I spelled that right.) The product name I use is; High Yield - livestock, pet, and garden dust. Pyrethrin is all natural derived from plants.
High Yield - livestock, pet, and garden dust.
>>I really try to not use any insecticide,<<
Same here. Pyrethrin is a natural insecticide derived from plants.
You can also sterilize, kill bugs and weed seeds by covering the ground with black plastic and let the sun make it really hot underneath. Just make sure to cover the perimeter of the plastic with dirt to keep the heat in under the plastic.
That was the case in my desert garden. Those tomato plants survived for three years until a frost killed them.
Getting back to my garden in Kansas after 16 days of visiting my son and his family in Dallas. My daughter was going to water occasionally but I’m not expecting much after the recent heat wave.
Bumper crops of poblano and habenaro peppers. Still bumpkiss for bell peppers. Strange.
Still have zukes, a brief lull in cukes until final planting kicks in next week. 2nd planting of wax beans should kick soon as well.
Silver queen is almost ready. Passable later-season tomatoes after a feeble beginning (ain’t gonna buy that brand of fertilizer again, had to switch midsummer). Lots of butternuts and acorns. Greens out the wazoo. Looks like a passable fall beet crop, they germinated better than I initially thought, just thinned and weeded. A few white eggplant. Fall peas germinated great, we’ll see if I get a crop. Lots of tomatillos. Fall turnip crop is looking robust.
I am not sure. This is our first year to save green beans as dry pods, and we have had no trouble with that since the weather here turned hot and dry for a while.
It’s the leaves and vines that we have trouble with. The melon fruit is ok, but the vines die before they finish maturing.
That’s it. A different brand name in Bountiful Gardens catalog. Says it will not harm the bees if applied at night, because it will not be harmful by morning.
Frost is why our tomatoes are mostly seasonal.LOl But one or two plants makes some nice cherry tomatoes of use in the winter salads.
Well, one must take a vacation now and then. Hope for the best.
How do you use the acorns? Any tips or recipes to share?
I bake them, then cut them into rings, clean out the seeds and serve with butter and maple syrup.
You don’t soak or boil them first to get rid of the tannic acid?
Sorry, acorn squash...
OK. That makes more sense. LOL
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