I love gardening year round with my Tower Gardens! Fresh greens for my smoothies, and lettuces & herbs for salads, and the produce in the summer! Just like with meat products, I like to know where my food comes from! lisaescaffi.towergarden.com
I like seeds from Johnny Seeds and sprouts from ATL Urban Farms in Atlanta, GA
Hi Lisa! Those types of systems seem like a great option for urbanites to be able to produce lots of food in a limited space. I have worked with hydroponics before and see it as being beneficial with the proper biological inputs (like "compost tea", EM1 etc) in certain situations but personally I always prefer to cultivate in the soil when ever possible. Soil organisms provide symbiotic interactions with plant roots that cannot be simulated in hydroponic conditions and so crops grown in living soil are more nutritious and more flavorful. That being said, I to acknowledge that with the proper biological inputs (and given one is refraining from using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides etc) hydroponic systems can be a helpful way for people to grow above average quality food in certain situations.
Thanks for the comment and link to your hydroponic growing system.
Thanks for the kind words and for reading my article.
I have also written in more depth on the topic of the transgenic agriculture (and the detriments and inherent risks of gene splicing technology in general) in the past. Your comment inspires me to make that topic the focus of my next article on here as I feel many are misinformed and/or ignorant to the dangers of that use of technology.
Please share a link to your "GMO Tuesday production" here in the comments so I can check it out.
Hey Aaron! I watched to your "GMO Tuesday" episode and was impressed with all the info you shared. In the episode you covered the Chemical Spill/Burn in Ohio. Please share the link below with anyone you know that is living within a few hundred miles of where that train dumped all those chemicals (and then they were lit on fire). I gathered some pertinent data, actionable intel and info on proactive solutions (for detox and soil remediation).
Ohio Train Derailment Chemical Spill/Toxic Mushroom Cloud Data and info on Dioxin Detox and bioremediation:
(scroll down below the images through that link for the solutions info)
You also covered the health benefits of hot peppers in your episode so I wanted to share this article that explores a long list of other health benefits that eating hot peppers can offer https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/hot-peppers-for-health
Thanks again for sharing my article, keep up the great work with your show.
What an inspiring post! I just moved from Baltimore, where I (mostly) container gardened but still managed to get lettuces, spinach, herbs, blueberries, and cranberries (yes!) to a multi-acre spread in the country. There, I intend to farm veggies and herbs (starting an herb growing 10-month course now) and flowers to increase pollinators. My new idea of fun is reading seed catalogues. Thanks for this--great way to start my morning. Peace...
(Please always keep in mind, that while at the time of this writing, to the best of my knowledge, the above listed seed companies are not involved with creating or selling genetically modified seeds, there is an aggressive move being made by large pharmaceutical and Big Ag companies to buy out smaller companies so paying attention to who the parent companies of the companies you are buying seed from is important if you want to take comprehensive steps to boycott Blackrock/Vanguard's oligarchic technocratic corporatocracy).
Great list. I've ordered from Strictly Medicinal, as they have a diverse pool of herbs that are difficult to find elsewhere. And, of course, Seed Savers!
Thank you SO much. I share all of the values and 'requirements' you laid out, so this will give me a great start! I really appreciate you putting this list together - SUPER helpful!!
What varieties of seeds are you looking for exactly?
Firstly, ensuring that all seed you buy is open pollinated and organically (or better yet regeneratively) grown is a must if you are looking to preserve the hard work of our ancestors and grow nutrient dense food and medicine (in a way that also honors the living planet).
Secondly, it is always best if you can try and find seed companies within your own bioregion but if that is not possible as close as possible to where you intend to grow them. That way the previous generations that came before the seeds you buy will have already taken in the stimulus of the local climate and adapted to be even more well suited to grow in your garden.
Thirdly, If possible I like to try and ensure that at least a couple varieties of seed I grow each year are ancient heirloom varieties that were passed down by the peoples who were/are indigenous to the place where I am growing them. I do this so that I can do my small part to preserve that living heritage of the people that originally called the land where I now live home, so I can pass that living heritage (in the form of seeds) onto future generations (providing them a tangible way to connect to the past, the living land and the future).
I will post another comment with a list of some of the seed companies I have purchased from and/or heard good things about in the States so you have an easy starting point for your research and seed search.
Also, I do have an offer going for anyone that signs up for an annual paid subscription to my substack newsletter where I send out 7 of my favorite heirloom seed varieties as a first time sign up bonus. The varieties vary based on what I have left available in my collection, but as of now I am sending out these varieties as part of that sign up bonus gift: Hopi Blue Corn, Golden Giant Amaranth, Hopi Red Dye Amaranth, Hokkaido Black Soybeans, Wild Cone Flower (Echinacea purpurea), Red Goji Berries (Lycium barbarum) and Temperate Tulsi aka Holy Basil (Ocimum africanum).
Thank You, this is amazing! so many great points!!!!!!
🌼FOOD IS MEDICINE🌼
for the past two years started to eat more fresh fruit & vegetables (some from my garden) and totally eliminated vaccines. for the first year in decades, NO INFLAMMATION in my wrists after intense gardening!!!!!!
Thanks for reading and sharing this article with your readers and friends.
That is inspiring to hear how turning to nature's medicine cabinet has helped improve your health and resilience. Thank you for caring about our Mother Earth and expressing your love for her through planting and tending a garden.
I wish you many bountiful harvests this year and beyond! <3
I'm going to try and channel you in the spring, Gavin. :) I will come back to this article later in the winter. To be honest, fall and winter are my favorite seasons, and even more so since I moved to New Hampshire. I'm dreading "Bug Season" - esp. the ticks, black flies and deer flies.May - mid August. They are just ridiculous. I am going to have to rethink where I planted my vegetable garden. I had to mow a little around the house (the rest of the hill/land is all left wild) because the ticks were waiting for me at my door. :( It really did help tremendously. But, I've been composting for many years - even when I lived in NYC. I would take my compost on the train to the farmer's market and then I had a worm bin. I love being able to just throw it on the pile here. :) Thx for the great information and pep talk!
I am not sure what 'channeling me' means in this context but I feel honored (I think) :)
How about planting a wall of essential oil rich fly repelling plants around your intended garden space (like lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, lemon grass and citronella) these would provide nectar for pollinators and materials for making tea, meals and other things while also hopefully repelling unwanted bugs.
That is so great that you are composting, I love vermicomposting as well, they are such efficient little allies and one can make amazing liquid extracts from the vermicompost that is rich in beneficial organisms such as PNSB (purple non-sulfur bacteria enhance plant growth, boost resistance to environmental stress, improve the yield and quality of harvests).
You are most welcome, thank you for your positive vibes and thoughtful comments :)
ps - I am loving Yearning For The Wind, thanks for recommending it. Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book so far:
"In a medieval document known as The Four Ancient Books Of Whales, the Welsh Druid and mystic Taliesin says "I adore my God, my strengthener, who infused me with a soul to direct me with its seven faculties: fire, earth, water, air, mist, flowers and southerly wind". Sometimes I try to recite this as I hike through the woods, to hold this vision that the elements through which I walk are the powers of my soul. If only I could always be hiking this Great Mystery: assured that the hills, rivers, trees and clouds are the faculties of my soul extended beyond my body, my feet, and even beyond the footprints I leave in the dust of the trail behind me.
My soul can hike farther than I can, if my thinking mind will only give it free reign. I don't tote my soul through the woods as if it were an uncomfortable backpack. My soul carries me. Along the trails, up cliffs, down to the river, to the far mountains, to the setting sun beyond the wisps of cloud turning pink in the west. Air fire, water, earth, mist, flowers and southerly wind. These are the stuff of my soul..
Mist, flowers and southerly wind. How did these three aquire the same status as earth, air, fire and water?
Mist is air and water. Southerly wind is air and heat. Flowers are a spectacular blend of soil, water, sunlight --- and even air, for a flower does not stop at the edge of its skin, anymore than we stop at the edge of ours. Around every flower is the sweet fragrance of scented air. This field of fragrance is the flower's soul."
Lol, it was a compliment - meaning that your enthusiasm for and knowledge of gardening will channel through me and override all of my gardening obstacles. :)
Thx for the suggestion. I am really going to re-think my process this year. And garden location. It might just be the wrong spot and too beloved by the bugs. I have a stone circle in the middle of the garden filled with Yarrow and I really thought she would keep the bugs away. I might also just keep everything wild and buy my veggies from my farmer friends. :)
I remember and LOVE that quote!! This is the perfect time of year to sit and read books like that, don't you think? 💚
I am gonna be making a cannabis, tulsi, lavender, aloe, mint and sage infused topical salve in the next couple days and I think I am gonna add some Yarrow into the mix this time for added benefits when applying to open wounds.
Yes I agree, it is a beautiful time of year to explore written realms that tug at the heart strings, nourish the imagination and expand one's mental horizons :)
This is a fantastic summary of practically everything I feel like I’ve failed to articulate to my friends and family over the past decade or so. And also the second time this week that I’ve seen someone mention a book that’s been sitting unread on my shelf (Braiding Sweetgrass), so I will definitely be making time for that this month.
Re: point #4 — in my house, the room with the best light is kind of a 3-season enclosed porch, but I’ve mostly had decent results starting seedlings indoors with a heat mat but no lights. Some arugula in one window, soaking some sugar snap peas to plant today. However, I have consistently failed to grow healthy peppers from seed— the last time I had a good crop was in a rental plot in a community garden when I lived in the city. (I’m starting a new plot further uphill this year and letting the old one go fallow/fill in with perennials.) I’ve also failed to grow mushrooms on coffee grounds, though I was successful at expanding some of the leftover spawn onto fresh sawdust after inoculating some logs a few years ago. (Hoping to do more of this, as well as maybe trying indoor cultivation again.)
Tulsi and chamomile have been reliable self-sowers for about 3 years at a time in my experience, then I have to buy new seeds. I’m always disappointed by borage, though.
Yes I agree with Barbara, Braiding Sweetgrass is a wonderful creation, a weaving together of science, poetry and wisdom from the people who called this land home before the Europeans arrived. Reading it provided a big part of my inspiration for writing my own book.
I also like to start seedlings with natural light when ever possible. No luck with peppers eh? hmm What types have you tried growing? The heat mat can definitely help with peppers as their preferred germination temp is higher (given they are native to central america and tropical south america). One thing I like to do whenever I am having trouble germinating a seed (or having trouble getting good germination rates) is to take a look at the closest related wild cousin of that crop and observe how the germination process is helped along in it's natural habitat. With peppers, many of the modern domesticated varieties we grow in our gardens and farms today come from a wild chili called a Chiltepin pepper (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum). In nature, this pepper is often eaten by birds, which peck the peppers (providing some friction/abrasion that scratches the shell of the seed) and then as they pass through their digestive system the stomach acid also further dissolves part of the firm shell of the seed) after which the seeds are deposited in the bird droppings and germinate to start new plants. This process can be emulated via a technique called "Seed Scarification". There are manual methods for providing abrasions on the seed shell that can work but I like to go the route of teaming up with beneficial organisms that closely approximate the biochemical actions of the stomach acid of a bird so I use a product called EM1 (Effective Microorganisms). It is a consortium of beneficial bacteria and other organisms that you dillute into a liquid and then can soak the seeds in before planting. This not only helps simulate the process in nature that increases germination rates but also helps to mitigate pathogens and increase the rates of photosynthesis in plants (via the action of specific symbiotic organisms that are in the mixture). It is a helpful product for other things in the garden as well (such as powdery mildew, speeding up compost decomposition and boosting plant vigor when applies to the leaves in a diluted form).
With regards to growing oyster mushrooms in spent coffee grounds. I have managed to get just coffee grounds to provide a solid harvest but I have found if you mix in other nutrient rich foods for the mycelium it boosts the harvest and chances of success. I have mixed in chaff from my amaranth flowers and the mycelium really liked that and also used some hard wood pruning clippings another time which worked well. I used this kit the first time I tried it https://shop.mushroommountain.com/collections/indoor-fruiting-kits/products/coffee-cultivator
Do you have any books on mushroom cultivation? If you like I can suggest some that I have found to be especially helpful in honing my home scale cultivation efforts.
That is interesting about the Tulsi and Chamomile. My chamomile self sows every year and one variety of Tulsi (Temperate Holy Basil aka Ocimum africanum) self sows year after year for us but the other Tulsi varieties do not germinate on their own in our climate so I start them indoors.
Really, borage is not happy where you are? It seems to be unstoppable here, what are you using for mulch? We often use cedar bark and the borage seems to like germinating in the places where that has been decomposing for a couple years.
Thanks so much for the comment, I am wishing you great germination rates and many bountiful harvests this year :)
Thanks, same to you! I was actually going to ask about scarification techniques, because we have a few wild persimmon trees that I’d like to try propagating seeds from — I think they need the same kind of digestion-equivalent treatment. I’ve seen people leave whole buckets of tomatoes to ferment before collecting the seeds, so it makes sense that peppers would need similar treatment. When I‘ve started peppers from seed, the issue isn’t failure to germinate but just generally slow growth — only a few ripe fruits by the end of the growing season — and I’ve only done marginally better with healthy seedlings purchased from a farmer’s market and transplanted with a shovelful of compost. It might be a soil/nutrient issue — I really should have done a test by now — or just the fact that even the sunniest areas don’t really qualify as full sun.
Anyway, mulch — what don’t I use? For the first round of perennial plantings (thornless blackberries, black raspberries, strawberries and elderberries) I had a whole truckload of hardwood mulch dumped at the end of the driveway. Then a couple of hugelkultur beds further downhill— we catch a lot of runoff from further up the mountain, so soil retention is a major concern. Sometimes I’ve collected burlap sacks from a coffee roaster to use as weed barriers in the walkways, bark raked up from the area where we split firewood, chop-and-drop weeding, an occasional bale of straw or bag of mulch from the local feed and seed store, etc… This past year I started using straw instead of leaves in the compost bin, and dumping ashes in with the leaves that really do need raking in a separate container.
Borage… again, it germinates fine, and at least half the plants will get to a decent size and bloom, but not enough that I’ve ever managed to save a significant amount of seed. I think it’s mostly acting as a trap plant for insects, so that’s okay: )
Mushrooms… I was in the middle of catching up on that article when you sent out this one. I actually have a copy of that massive tome by Paul Stamets, though I haven’t gotten as much use out of it as I might have hoped so far. And a much simpler guidebook called “100 Edible Mushrooms” by Michael Kuo. “Radical Mycology” looks interesting for sure, as well as the one on moss & lichen… truly one of the best things about wintertime in the woods.
:) I have never tried growing persimmon before but I imagine the EM1 would provide a similar effect. Also I would give bamboo vinegar a try, Here is some info https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFhWpQw7juA
Yes lactic acid fermentation is a great technique for saving seed from tomatoes, when I am saving large heirloom tomato seeds I like to cut mine in half and squeeze out the seeds and juice into a jar (keeping the squeezed halves separate) and then adding about an equal volume of water to how much tomato juice it in the jar at the end, stir well, put plastic wrap over the top with a few pin holes poked into it for air flow. I blend the squeezed/seedless halves and simmer with herbs to make pizza sauce so I can get two things from one harvest :) AS for the seed, juice and water mixture, I then let the jar sit at room temp for about 3-4 days or until a layer of mold forms on top of the juice/water (stirring once the next day to loosen up the seeds from the material in the juice). I scrape the mold layer off the top and then pour them through a strainer and rinse well before drying. The lactic acid fermentation process renders and pathogenic organisms that may have been on the seeds inert and also helps improve germination rates.
For the peppers I find that soaking the seeds in either diluted EM1 and/or actively aerated compost tea (for more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVCMWkVicds ) really helps them to be more vigorous in their growth. Also if you inoculate the roots of the seedlings with mycorrhizal fungi before planting in the soil in the garden this really helps boost harvest yields. I find that for helping the peppers to produce heavily kelp meal really helps as a slow release organic fertilizer. Biochar in the compost does wonders too and yes they need at least 8 hours of direct sun to be happy.
That is awesome you are providing the soil diverse forms of nourishment and coverage! I love Hügelkulturs, I did an "inverted Hügelkultur" (aka dead wood swale) underneath our raised beds 4 years ago in our back yard and the soil is magnificent in them now. Do you guys have any on contour swale garden beds for slowing and sinking that water from further up the mountain?
Cool idea with the burlap sacks. Sounds like you have a great soil building routine going on :)
ah okay, well I like to pick off the young shoots and buds of our borage (to encourage lateral shoots) and then after eating those in salads etc about 4-5 times I let it bloom and get a lot more seeds. I do the same with our second year kale plants (and those flower buds taste delicious, like a nutty broccoli).
I do admire Paul Stamets work in many ways (like his work on helping the bees with fungal extracts or stimulating neurogenesis in brain damaged people via combining lion's mane extract with psilocybin) though sometimes I get turned off by his ego and I am not a fan of how he uses the narratives put out by the military industrial complex to sell his products/patents (such as when he got funds from the Army for saying his extracts could help with "Counter Bioterrorism"). That being said, his scientific research is solid and I do own some of his books. Radical Mycology is a worthwhile investment. There is another book I found to be very helpful by Tradd Cotter https://mushroommountain.com/organic-mushroom-farming-and-mycoremediation/ as well.
Oh and Peter McCoy (author of Radical Mycology) just published a new smaller book as well, I just started reading it but I am really enjoying it so far. Here is info on the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/8525 It is available through iTunes as an ebook as well.
Thanks for the comment and I hope you have great germination rates this year :)
That sounds like a great idea with the tomatoes. Some years I’ve grown an Italian variety for drying called Principe Borghese… and I always grow my own garlic and chives. For peppers, if I’m feeling ambitious enough to try starting my own, my favorite variety is a small yellow bell pepper called Doe Hill. More often I’ll just buy 6 or so live plants, usually one cayenne and one banana pepper and a few others. Funny story, actually… my first year of vegetable gardening, I planted a dozen habaneros and tried to make hot sauce by juicing them. I think that might be one of the worst ideas I’ve ever had… I couldn’t even go back in the kitchen for the rest of the day!
I’ve got to say, if this is what your book is going to be like (holistic perspectives on cultivating, cooking and seed saving/propagation for a wide variety of both annuals and perennials), then I am definitely looking forward to it. Do you have a pretty clear idea of how many different types of plants it’s going to cover? And how much focus on site selection/design? (I’m already planning on trying your sweet potato/amaranth companion planting strategy, for starters— and glad to see you’ve mentioned the idea of “sneaking” edible plants into the landscape in a way that looks good from the sidewalk.)
Hill and swale, yes— that’s exactly what I’ve been going for with the hugelkultur beds. I was trying to sketch it out, and the best way I can describe it is like a very poorly constructed stack of shallow cups:) Most of the beds have a roughly 6-foot section of tulip poplar log anchoring the downhill side along the contour of the slope, with varying amounts of smaller brush piled up against them and things like Siberian iris planted in some of the low spots. I haven’t tried actually burying a whole log, but I think that’s exactly what I should try when I settle on a spot to plant asparagus.
Thank you for the suggestions— I will definitely look into the EM1/bamboo vinegar techniques, and try out the kelp meal if I can find it. I sometimes use a liquid kelp fertilizer, but slow-release with added biomass sounds even better. And I do use a mycorrhizal seed starting mix — though I wish it came in something smaller than a 60-lb bale — and mix the leftovers with compost, garden soil, etc. pretty much the way you’ve described to fill larger pots and grow bags.
This could be a small book. So much information that I'm feeling overwhelmed. Guess I'll start by ordering seeds. I haven't started saving my own yet; something else to learn. I need a system.
Just the logistics would be helpful. How to store and store in what? And which crops are easily saved? I can't imagine trying to save onion seeds for example. Last year I tried to grow from seeds, but it was tedious with poor results. Onion sets are too cheap for the hassle, in my opinion.
After being separated from the fruit, berry, or flower etc (and cleaned if need be) heirloom seeds need to be dried well in a cool, dark place (I use paper plates in an empty cupboard in our kitchen). After drying for at least one week these can be put into a jar or air tight bag and stored in a cool, dry and dark place (we store in our basement in a tote) for at least 2 years (for most varieties). If you add a desiccant (either silica beads, which you can buy online or just some rice that has been baked in the oven on low for 45 min or so to really dry it out) to your seed storage container this will ensure even more stable humidity conditions and further desiccation (which is a good thing for most seeds types) and then your seeds can usually remain viable for 4-5 years in ideal conditions.
Saving seeds from heirloom peppers, tomatoes, kale (or any brassica), basil and other herbs is quite easy. They each have their own tricks for making the process easier and giving better results for viability rates.
Onions do take a bit of patience (if you are growing them for the big bulbs) but some varieties (like green onions or chives) can give you a good crop in one season so saving seed from them can be helpful. If you leave some onions in over the winter (mulched well) they should come back with spherical flowers the next season (which the pollinators love and the beneficial predator insects as well). Another fun type of onion I like to grow is nick named the Egyptian "Walking Onion" (as it grows thick stalks (reminiscent of a leek but hollow) about a meter high and then the bulbs form on the top until the plant gets weighed down and deposits the bulbs elsewhere in the garden, sending up more onions (giving them the effect of 'walking all over your garden').
If you have any questions about seed saving from specific crops I am happy to offer tips that have helped me :)
Another dumb question, will I have success from leftover seeds from last year? They are in their original packets.
Also, what do you think of peat pots? Generally, I start my seeds in the small plastic cells and put under grow lights. When they get big enough, I transplant into peat pots and move them to my sun room before moving them outside to harden off before planting. I have always removed the plants from the peat pots instead of planting the peat pot. I have generally had good success with this procedure, but am I creating unnecessary work for myself?
Also, I would like to know what you recommend as a potting medium. The last few years we have made our own potting soil from peat moss, Black cow (are you familiar with that?), lime, organic fertilizer, perlite, and a handful of Epsom salts. This is what we use to fill grow bags, pots, and wooden standing planters. This is much cheaper than buying potting soil with questionable ingredients. However, last year we had trouble finding peat moss, and the price keeps going up. Truthfully, supply has been a bigger concern than price. We're far from wealthy, but we're frugal otherwise and can afford to buy supplies IF we can find them. Because of the lack of sunny areas and space, we really need a lot of potting soil. In addition, turning lawn or former flower gardens into growing areas has become too big of a challenge for us due to age and physical limitations. My husband had back surgery in 2019 (don't recommend) and he's not able to meet the physical requirements even though he won't admit it.
Gavin, before you know it, you will know a lot about my family! Probably more information than you really want to know! I'm sure you will soon be wishing you were charging more for that subscription! I'm sure I will have more questions in subsequent posts.
Oh and in case this could be helpful to you in planning for expanding/optimizing your food gardening efforts (given you currently have limited sunlight in established food growing areas) here is a list of 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘀:
𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀:
- Low bush blue berries
- Elderberries
- Raspberries
- Saskatoon berries
𝗩𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀:
- Asperigus
- Bush beans (need part sun)
- Rhubarb
- Beets
- Kale
- Radishes
- Carrots
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘀:
- Cilantro
- Anise hyssop
- Arugula
- Dill
- Lemon balm
- Chives
- Mint
- Parsley
𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀:
- Mondo grass (ophiopogon japonicus)
- American ginseng (panax quinquefolius)
- Golden seal (hydratis canadensis)
- Meadowsweet (spirea ulmaria Or filipendula ulmaria) tall flowers
- Oregon grape (mahonia aquifolium)
- Black cohosh (actaea racemosa) wall white flowers
Not a dumb question at all. The likelihood they will spout depends on a number of different factors (such as the frequency of ambient humidity/temperature shifts in the space they were stored, the species of seed and how much light they were exposed to). If they were in a cool, dry and dark place I would say there is a good chance most species of seeds would still sprout.
I like peat pots in theory, but without good ventilation they can get moldy pretty easily. This does not always impact plant health, but it can sometimes and then there is of course the question of breathable air quality for the humans tending the plants.
I am not familiar with the "Black Cow" product no, is it a kind of composted manure? Depending on the ratio of the other items you listed it sounds like it could make for a good potting mix. Also, be careful not to add too much Epsom salts as too much magnesium can actually inhibit calcium uptake.
I personally usually just use about 50% finished compost (from my woody moldering/vented compost pile, which just means it is fungal dominant and I added more woody fibers, wood chips and other carbon rich materials than green nitrogen rich stuff), 25% coconut coir and 25% native soil from my yard.
Yes I have noticed the price of peat moss going up. Coconut coir is a nice alternative if you can find it locally or online in bulk.
As far as turning lawn or former flower gardens into food growing areas, have you heard of a technique called "Sheet mulching" aka "lasagna composting"? It might be easier since you can do it in stages and not have to do a bunch of ripping up of lawn or tilling. Here are a couple links to info about that technique:
I am sorry to hear about your husband's back troubles, has he ever tried turmeric for mitigating the inflammation? I find that eating fermented turmeric rhizome, black pepper and coconut oil combined does wonders for me when I do some damage to my muscles, tendons or joints and am feeling stiff.
Not at all, I enjoy getting to know kindred spirits from all over, thought I may not always be able to answer right away, I am happy to listen and share what I know :)
Thanks so much for subscribing! Since you are my first annual subscriber I will be adding in a couple extra bonus seeds as a celebratory thank you.
Yes always feel free to ask questions, I may take a little bit to respond (especially once I am back at work landscaping during the growing season) but I am always willing to share what I have learned along my path.
I will be emailing you tonight or tomorrow with info on the heirloom seed set I am sending you.
Always wondered how (especially) the very big bees fly...levitation is the only thing that makes 'sense'.....effing cool.
What a lovely read!
Thanks! I think I shall re-post with an added 24th reason come January ;)
Nice synopsis. Will link.
yummy and beautiful, this is the way ahead. Respect & X 2 All
I love gardening year round with my Tower Gardens! Fresh greens for my smoothies, and lettuces & herbs for salads, and the produce in the summer! Just like with meat products, I like to know where my food comes from! lisaescaffi.towergarden.com
I like seeds from Johnny Seeds and sprouts from ATL Urban Farms in Atlanta, GA
Hi Lisa! Those types of systems seem like a great option for urbanites to be able to produce lots of food in a limited space. I have worked with hydroponics before and see it as being beneficial with the proper biological inputs (like "compost tea", EM1 etc) in certain situations but personally I always prefer to cultivate in the soil when ever possible. Soil organisms provide symbiotic interactions with plant roots that cannot be simulated in hydroponic conditions and so crops grown in living soil are more nutritious and more flavorful. That being said, I to acknowledge that with the proper biological inputs (and given one is refraining from using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides etc) hydroponic systems can be a helpful way for people to grow above average quality food in certain situations.
Thanks for the comment and link to your hydroponic growing system.
Wow❣️ Amazing article! Thank you😊
Thanks for reading and for the thoughtful comment :)
Great article...we will be linking back to this on our GMO Tuesday production this week!!!
Greetings Aaron :)
Thanks for the kind words and for reading my article.
I have also written in more depth on the topic of the transgenic agriculture (and the detriments and inherent risks of gene splicing technology in general) in the past. Your comment inspires me to make that topic the focus of my next article on here as I feel many are misinformed and/or ignorant to the dangers of that use of technology.
Please share a link to your "GMO Tuesday production" here in the comments so I can check it out.
Certainly.....
Here's our Promo...
https://rumble.com/v299tk8-gmo-tuesday-promo...and-of-course-superbowl-57-prediction.html
Awesome thanks!
here is today's production...you guys are the closing monologue...
https://rumble.com/v29htyq-on-gmo-tuesday...vibrations-5g-and-living-pods...and-ohio.html
Hey Aaron! I watched to your "GMO Tuesday" episode and was impressed with all the info you shared. In the episode you covered the Chemical Spill/Burn in Ohio. Please share the link below with anyone you know that is living within a few hundred miles of where that train dumped all those chemicals (and then they were lit on fire). I gathered some pertinent data, actionable intel and info on proactive solutions (for detox and soil remediation).
Ohio Train Derailment Chemical Spill/Toxic Mushroom Cloud Data and info on Dioxin Detox and bioremediation:
https://archive.org/details/r-0brl-09s-ohio-gas-625xawd-300-13-februwdary-23-1
(scroll down below the images through that link for the solutions info)
You also covered the health benefits of hot peppers in your episode so I wanted to share this article that explores a long list of other health benefits that eating hot peppers can offer https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/hot-peppers-for-health
Thanks again for sharing my article, keep up the great work with your show.
What an inspiring post! I just moved from Baltimore, where I (mostly) container gardened but still managed to get lettuces, spinach, herbs, blueberries, and cranberries (yes!) to a multi-acre spread in the country. There, I intend to farm veggies and herbs (starting an herb growing 10-month course now) and flowers to increase pollinators. My new idea of fun is reading seed catalogues. Thanks for this--great way to start my morning. Peace...
Where can I buy seeds?
Here is a list of some Seed Companies in the US I have purchased from and/or heard good things about:
Seed Savers Exchange: https://www.seedsavers.org/
Siskiyou Seeds : https://www.siskiyouseeds.com/
Uprising seeds: https://uprisingorganics.com/
Native Seed Search: https://www.nativeseeds.org/
Sierra Seeds: sierraseeds.org
Strictly Medicinal Seeds: https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/
San diego Seed Company https://sandiegoseedcompany.com/
True Love Seeds: https://trueloveseeds.com
MI Gardener Seeds: https://migardener.com/en-ca
Clear Creek Seeds: https://www.clearcreekseeds.com/
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange: https://www.southernexposure.com/
Fedco Seeds: https://www.fedcoseeds.com/
Grow Organic: https://www.groworganic.com/
Renee’s Garden Seeds: https://www.reneesgarden.com/
Botanical Interest Seeds: www.botanicalinterests.com
Grow Organic Seeds: https://www.groworganic.com/
Territorial Seeds: https://territorialseed.com/
North Circle Seeds https://northcircleseeds.com/
Prairie Road Organic Seed https://www.prairieroadorganic.co/
The Plant Good Seed Company: https://www.plantgoodseed.com/
Wild Garden Seed: http://www.wildgardenseed.com/
The Living Seed Company: https://www.livingseedcompany.com/
Redwood Seeds: www.redwoodseeds.net
Adaptive Seeds: https://www.adaptiveseeds.com/
Eloheh Seeds: https://elohehseeds.com/index.html
Restoration Seeds: https://www.restorationseeds.com/
Trade Winds Fruit: https://www.tradewindsfruit.com/
Seeds of Change: https://www.seedsofchange.com/
Bakers Creek Rare Heirloom Seeds: https://www.rareseeds.com/
Harris Seeds https://www.harrisseeds.com/
Snake River Seeds: snakeriverseeds.com
Restoration Seeds: https://www.restorationseeds.com/
(Please always keep in mind, that while at the time of this writing, to the best of my knowledge, the above listed seed companies are not involved with creating or selling genetically modified seeds, there is an aggressive move being made by large pharmaceutical and Big Ag companies to buy out smaller companies so paying attention to who the parent companies of the companies you are buying seed from is important if you want to take comprehensive steps to boycott Blackrock/Vanguard's oligarchic technocratic corporatocracy).
For Chili seeds I use ECO Seeds out of Redwood City CA.
https://ecoseeds.com/
Great list. I've ordered from Strictly Medicinal, as they have a diverse pool of herbs that are difficult to find elsewhere. And, of course, Seed Savers!
Thank you SO much. I share all of the values and 'requirements' you laid out, so this will give me a great start! I really appreciate you putting this list together - SUPER helpful!!
My pleasure, glad to help.
I am so glad to hear you also share those values with regards to seeds.
Please let me know how your garden goes this year. :)
Great Question! :)
What varieties of seeds are you looking for exactly?
Firstly, ensuring that all seed you buy is open pollinated and organically (or better yet regeneratively) grown is a must if you are looking to preserve the hard work of our ancestors and grow nutrient dense food and medicine (in a way that also honors the living planet).
Secondly, it is always best if you can try and find seed companies within your own bioregion but if that is not possible as close as possible to where you intend to grow them. That way the previous generations that came before the seeds you buy will have already taken in the stimulus of the local climate and adapted to be even more well suited to grow in your garden.
Thirdly, If possible I like to try and ensure that at least a couple varieties of seed I grow each year are ancient heirloom varieties that were passed down by the peoples who were/are indigenous to the place where I am growing them. I do this so that I can do my small part to preserve that living heritage of the people that originally called the land where I now live home, so I can pass that living heritage (in the form of seeds) onto future generations (providing them a tangible way to connect to the past, the living land and the future).
I will post another comment with a list of some of the seed companies I have purchased from and/or heard good things about in the States so you have an easy starting point for your research and seed search.
Also, I do have an offer going for anyone that signs up for an annual paid subscription to my substack newsletter where I send out 7 of my favorite heirloom seed varieties as a first time sign up bonus. The varieties vary based on what I have left available in my collection, but as of now I am sending out these varieties as part of that sign up bonus gift: Hopi Blue Corn, Golden Giant Amaranth, Hopi Red Dye Amaranth, Hokkaido Black Soybeans, Wild Cone Flower (Echinacea purpurea), Red Goji Berries (Lycium barbarum) and Temperate Tulsi aka Holy Basil (Ocimum africanum).
Hope this helps! :)
Thank You, this is amazing! so many great points!!!!!!
🌼FOOD IS MEDICINE🌼
for the past two years started to eat more fresh fruit & vegetables (some from my garden) and totally eliminated vaccines. for the first year in decades, NO INFLAMMATION in my wrists after intense gardening!!!!!!
You are most welcome :)
Thanks for reading and sharing this article with your readers and friends.
That is inspiring to hear how turning to nature's medicine cabinet has helped improve your health and resilience. Thank you for caring about our Mother Earth and expressing your love for her through planting and tending a garden.
I wish you many bountiful harvests this year and beyond! <3
thank you for sending me here kitten, i have subscribed, love to you substack sis
me too, also just subscribed!
🌼love u sis!🌼
I'm going to try and channel you in the spring, Gavin. :) I will come back to this article later in the winter. To be honest, fall and winter are my favorite seasons, and even more so since I moved to New Hampshire. I'm dreading "Bug Season" - esp. the ticks, black flies and deer flies.May - mid August. They are just ridiculous. I am going to have to rethink where I planted my vegetable garden. I had to mow a little around the house (the rest of the hill/land is all left wild) because the ticks were waiting for me at my door. :( It really did help tremendously. But, I've been composting for many years - even when I lived in NYC. I would take my compost on the train to the farmer's market and then I had a worm bin. I love being able to just throw it on the pile here. :) Thx for the great information and pep talk!
I am not sure what 'channeling me' means in this context but I feel honored (I think) :)
How about planting a wall of essential oil rich fly repelling plants around your intended garden space (like lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, lemon grass and citronella) these would provide nectar for pollinators and materials for making tea, meals and other things while also hopefully repelling unwanted bugs.
That is so great that you are composting, I love vermicomposting as well, they are such efficient little allies and one can make amazing liquid extracts from the vermicompost that is rich in beneficial organisms such as PNSB (purple non-sulfur bacteria enhance plant growth, boost resistance to environmental stress, improve the yield and quality of harvests).
You are most welcome, thank you for your positive vibes and thoughtful comments :)
ps - I am loving Yearning For The Wind, thanks for recommending it. Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book so far:
"In a medieval document known as The Four Ancient Books Of Whales, the Welsh Druid and mystic Taliesin says "I adore my God, my strengthener, who infused me with a soul to direct me with its seven faculties: fire, earth, water, air, mist, flowers and southerly wind". Sometimes I try to recite this as I hike through the woods, to hold this vision that the elements through which I walk are the powers of my soul. If only I could always be hiking this Great Mystery: assured that the hills, rivers, trees and clouds are the faculties of my soul extended beyond my body, my feet, and even beyond the footprints I leave in the dust of the trail behind me.
My soul can hike farther than I can, if my thinking mind will only give it free reign. I don't tote my soul through the woods as if it were an uncomfortable backpack. My soul carries me. Along the trails, up cliffs, down to the river, to the far mountains, to the setting sun beyond the wisps of cloud turning pink in the west. Air fire, water, earth, mist, flowers and southerly wind. These are the stuff of my soul..
Mist, flowers and southerly wind. How did these three aquire the same status as earth, air, fire and water?
Mist is air and water. Southerly wind is air and heat. Flowers are a spectacular blend of soil, water, sunlight --- and even air, for a flower does not stop at the edge of its skin, anymore than we stop at the edge of ours. Around every flower is the sweet fragrance of scented air. This field of fragrance is the flower's soul."
- Tom Cowan
Lol, it was a compliment - meaning that your enthusiasm for and knowledge of gardening will channel through me and override all of my gardening obstacles. :)
Thx for the suggestion. I am really going to re-think my process this year. And garden location. It might just be the wrong spot and too beloved by the bugs. I have a stone circle in the middle of the garden filled with Yarrow and I really thought she would keep the bugs away. I might also just keep everything wild and buy my veggies from my farmer friends. :)
I remember and LOVE that quote!! This is the perfect time of year to sit and read books like that, don't you think? 💚
Well then thank you very much! :)
I am gonna be making a cannabis, tulsi, lavender, aloe, mint and sage infused topical salve in the next couple days and I think I am gonna add some Yarrow into the mix this time for added benefits when applying to open wounds.
Yes I agree, it is a beautiful time of year to explore written realms that tug at the heart strings, nourish the imagination and expand one's mental horizons :)
Yarrow makes everything better, especially when wounds are concerned. In my opinion. :)
This is a fantastic summary of practically everything I feel like I’ve failed to articulate to my friends and family over the past decade or so. And also the second time this week that I’ve seen someone mention a book that’s been sitting unread on my shelf (Braiding Sweetgrass), so I will definitely be making time for that this month.
Re: point #4 — in my house, the room with the best light is kind of a 3-season enclosed porch, but I’ve mostly had decent results starting seedlings indoors with a heat mat but no lights. Some arugula in one window, soaking some sugar snap peas to plant today. However, I have consistently failed to grow healthy peppers from seed— the last time I had a good crop was in a rental plot in a community garden when I lived in the city. (I’m starting a new plot further uphill this year and letting the old one go fallow/fill in with perennials.) I’ve also failed to grow mushrooms on coffee grounds, though I was successful at expanding some of the leftover spawn onto fresh sawdust after inoculating some logs a few years ago. (Hoping to do more of this, as well as maybe trying indoor cultivation again.)
Tulsi and chamomile have been reliable self-sowers for about 3 years at a time in my experience, then I have to buy new seeds. I’m always disappointed by borage, though.
Thanks Jean, that actually really means a lot :)
Yes I agree with Barbara, Braiding Sweetgrass is a wonderful creation, a weaving together of science, poetry and wisdom from the people who called this land home before the Europeans arrived. Reading it provided a big part of my inspiration for writing my own book.
I also like to start seedlings with natural light when ever possible. No luck with peppers eh? hmm What types have you tried growing? The heat mat can definitely help with peppers as their preferred germination temp is higher (given they are native to central america and tropical south america). One thing I like to do whenever I am having trouble germinating a seed (or having trouble getting good germination rates) is to take a look at the closest related wild cousin of that crop and observe how the germination process is helped along in it's natural habitat. With peppers, many of the modern domesticated varieties we grow in our gardens and farms today come from a wild chili called a Chiltepin pepper (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum). In nature, this pepper is often eaten by birds, which peck the peppers (providing some friction/abrasion that scratches the shell of the seed) and then as they pass through their digestive system the stomach acid also further dissolves part of the firm shell of the seed) after which the seeds are deposited in the bird droppings and germinate to start new plants. This process can be emulated via a technique called "Seed Scarification". There are manual methods for providing abrasions on the seed shell that can work but I like to go the route of teaming up with beneficial organisms that closely approximate the biochemical actions of the stomach acid of a bird so I use a product called EM1 (Effective Microorganisms). It is a consortium of beneficial bacteria and other organisms that you dillute into a liquid and then can soak the seeds in before planting. This not only helps simulate the process in nature that increases germination rates but also helps to mitigate pathogens and increase the rates of photosynthesis in plants (via the action of specific symbiotic organisms that are in the mixture). It is a helpful product for other things in the garden as well (such as powdery mildew, speeding up compost decomposition and boosting plant vigor when applies to the leaves in a diluted form).
With regards to growing oyster mushrooms in spent coffee grounds. I have managed to get just coffee grounds to provide a solid harvest but I have found if you mix in other nutrient rich foods for the mycelium it boosts the harvest and chances of success. I have mixed in chaff from my amaranth flowers and the mycelium really liked that and also used some hard wood pruning clippings another time which worked well. I used this kit the first time I tried it https://shop.mushroommountain.com/collections/indoor-fruiting-kits/products/coffee-cultivator
Do you have any books on mushroom cultivation? If you like I can suggest some that I have found to be especially helpful in honing my home scale cultivation efforts.
That is interesting about the Tulsi and Chamomile. My chamomile self sows every year and one variety of Tulsi (Temperate Holy Basil aka Ocimum africanum) self sows year after year for us but the other Tulsi varieties do not germinate on their own in our climate so I start them indoors.
Really, borage is not happy where you are? It seems to be unstoppable here, what are you using for mulch? We often use cedar bark and the borage seems to like germinating in the places where that has been decomposing for a couple years.
Thanks so much for the comment, I am wishing you great germination rates and many bountiful harvests this year :)
Thanks, same to you! I was actually going to ask about scarification techniques, because we have a few wild persimmon trees that I’d like to try propagating seeds from — I think they need the same kind of digestion-equivalent treatment. I’ve seen people leave whole buckets of tomatoes to ferment before collecting the seeds, so it makes sense that peppers would need similar treatment. When I‘ve started peppers from seed, the issue isn’t failure to germinate but just generally slow growth — only a few ripe fruits by the end of the growing season — and I’ve only done marginally better with healthy seedlings purchased from a farmer’s market and transplanted with a shovelful of compost. It might be a soil/nutrient issue — I really should have done a test by now — or just the fact that even the sunniest areas don’t really qualify as full sun.
Anyway, mulch — what don’t I use? For the first round of perennial plantings (thornless blackberries, black raspberries, strawberries and elderberries) I had a whole truckload of hardwood mulch dumped at the end of the driveway. Then a couple of hugelkultur beds further downhill— we catch a lot of runoff from further up the mountain, so soil retention is a major concern. Sometimes I’ve collected burlap sacks from a coffee roaster to use as weed barriers in the walkways, bark raked up from the area where we split firewood, chop-and-drop weeding, an occasional bale of straw or bag of mulch from the local feed and seed store, etc… This past year I started using straw instead of leaves in the compost bin, and dumping ashes in with the leaves that really do need raking in a separate container.
Borage… again, it germinates fine, and at least half the plants will get to a decent size and bloom, but not enough that I’ve ever managed to save a significant amount of seed. I think it’s mostly acting as a trap plant for insects, so that’s okay: )
Mushrooms… I was in the middle of catching up on that article when you sent out this one. I actually have a copy of that massive tome by Paul Stamets, though I haven’t gotten as much use out of it as I might have hoped so far. And a much simpler guidebook called “100 Edible Mushrooms” by Michael Kuo. “Radical Mycology” looks interesting for sure, as well as the one on moss & lichen… truly one of the best things about wintertime in the woods.
:) I have never tried growing persimmon before but I imagine the EM1 would provide a similar effect. Also I would give bamboo vinegar a try, Here is some info https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFhWpQw7juA
Yes lactic acid fermentation is a great technique for saving seed from tomatoes, when I am saving large heirloom tomato seeds I like to cut mine in half and squeeze out the seeds and juice into a jar (keeping the squeezed halves separate) and then adding about an equal volume of water to how much tomato juice it in the jar at the end, stir well, put plastic wrap over the top with a few pin holes poked into it for air flow. I blend the squeezed/seedless halves and simmer with herbs to make pizza sauce so I can get two things from one harvest :) AS for the seed, juice and water mixture, I then let the jar sit at room temp for about 3-4 days or until a layer of mold forms on top of the juice/water (stirring once the next day to loosen up the seeds from the material in the juice). I scrape the mold layer off the top and then pour them through a strainer and rinse well before drying. The lactic acid fermentation process renders and pathogenic organisms that may have been on the seeds inert and also helps improve germination rates.
For the peppers I find that soaking the seeds in either diluted EM1 and/or actively aerated compost tea (for more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVCMWkVicds ) really helps them to be more vigorous in their growth. Also if you inoculate the roots of the seedlings with mycorrhizal fungi before planting in the soil in the garden this really helps boost harvest yields. I find that for helping the peppers to produce heavily kelp meal really helps as a slow release organic fertilizer. Biochar in the compost does wonders too and yes they need at least 8 hours of direct sun to be happy.
That is awesome you are providing the soil diverse forms of nourishment and coverage! I love Hügelkulturs, I did an "inverted Hügelkultur" (aka dead wood swale) underneath our raised beds 4 years ago in our back yard and the soil is magnificent in them now. Do you guys have any on contour swale garden beds for slowing and sinking that water from further up the mountain?
Cool idea with the burlap sacks. Sounds like you have a great soil building routine going on :)
ah okay, well I like to pick off the young shoots and buds of our borage (to encourage lateral shoots) and then after eating those in salads etc about 4-5 times I let it bloom and get a lot more seeds. I do the same with our second year kale plants (and those flower buds taste delicious, like a nutty broccoli).
I do admire Paul Stamets work in many ways (like his work on helping the bees with fungal extracts or stimulating neurogenesis in brain damaged people via combining lion's mane extract with psilocybin) though sometimes I get turned off by his ego and I am not a fan of how he uses the narratives put out by the military industrial complex to sell his products/patents (such as when he got funds from the Army for saying his extracts could help with "Counter Bioterrorism"). That being said, his scientific research is solid and I do own some of his books. Radical Mycology is a worthwhile investment. There is another book I found to be very helpful by Tradd Cotter https://mushroommountain.com/organic-mushroom-farming-and-mycoremediation/ as well.
Oh and Peter McCoy (author of Radical Mycology) just published a new smaller book as well, I just started reading it but I am really enjoying it so far. Here is info on the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/8525 It is available through iTunes as an ebook as well.
Thanks for the comment and I hope you have great germination rates this year :)
That sounds like a great idea with the tomatoes. Some years I’ve grown an Italian variety for drying called Principe Borghese… and I always grow my own garlic and chives. For peppers, if I’m feeling ambitious enough to try starting my own, my favorite variety is a small yellow bell pepper called Doe Hill. More often I’ll just buy 6 or so live plants, usually one cayenne and one banana pepper and a few others. Funny story, actually… my first year of vegetable gardening, I planted a dozen habaneros and tried to make hot sauce by juicing them. I think that might be one of the worst ideas I’ve ever had… I couldn’t even go back in the kitchen for the rest of the day!
I’ve got to say, if this is what your book is going to be like (holistic perspectives on cultivating, cooking and seed saving/propagation for a wide variety of both annuals and perennials), then I am definitely looking forward to it. Do you have a pretty clear idea of how many different types of plants it’s going to cover? And how much focus on site selection/design? (I’m already planning on trying your sweet potato/amaranth companion planting strategy, for starters— and glad to see you’ve mentioned the idea of “sneaking” edible plants into the landscape in a way that looks good from the sidewalk.)
Hill and swale, yes— that’s exactly what I’ve been going for with the hugelkultur beds. I was trying to sketch it out, and the best way I can describe it is like a very poorly constructed stack of shallow cups:) Most of the beds have a roughly 6-foot section of tulip poplar log anchoring the downhill side along the contour of the slope, with varying amounts of smaller brush piled up against them and things like Siberian iris planted in some of the low spots. I haven’t tried actually burying a whole log, but I think that’s exactly what I should try when I settle on a spot to plant asparagus.
Thank you for the suggestions— I will definitely look into the EM1/bamboo vinegar techniques, and try out the kelp meal if I can find it. I sometimes use a liquid kelp fertilizer, but slow-release with added biomass sounds even better. And I do use a mycorrhizal seed starting mix — though I wish it came in something smaller than a 60-lb bale — and mix the leftovers with compost, garden soil, etc. pretty much the way you’ve described to fill larger pots and grow bags.
Betting you will LOVE "Braiding Sweetgrass!" The audio version read by Robin is awesome, too!
This could be a small book. So much information that I'm feeling overwhelmed. Guess I'll start by ordering seeds. I haven't started saving my own yet; something else to learn. I need a system.
It is actually an excerpt from (what will be) a big book (well about 450 pages). I hope to have it published soon.
Part of the book will be focusing on seed saving.
If you have any questions about how to save seeds from specific crops I would be happy to share what I know.
Thanks for the comment.
Just the logistics would be helpful. How to store and store in what? And which crops are easily saved? I can't imagine trying to save onion seeds for example. Last year I tried to grow from seeds, but it was tedious with poor results. Onion sets are too cheap for the hassle, in my opinion.
Happy to help any way I can :)
After being separated from the fruit, berry, or flower etc (and cleaned if need be) heirloom seeds need to be dried well in a cool, dark place (I use paper plates in an empty cupboard in our kitchen). After drying for at least one week these can be put into a jar or air tight bag and stored in a cool, dry and dark place (we store in our basement in a tote) for at least 2 years (for most varieties). If you add a desiccant (either silica beads, which you can buy online or just some rice that has been baked in the oven on low for 45 min or so to really dry it out) to your seed storage container this will ensure even more stable humidity conditions and further desiccation (which is a good thing for most seeds types) and then your seeds can usually remain viable for 4-5 years in ideal conditions.
Saving seeds from heirloom peppers, tomatoes, kale (or any brassica), basil and other herbs is quite easy. They each have their own tricks for making the process easier and giving better results for viability rates.
Onions do take a bit of patience (if you are growing them for the big bulbs) but some varieties (like green onions or chives) can give you a good crop in one season so saving seed from them can be helpful. If you leave some onions in over the winter (mulched well) they should come back with spherical flowers the next season (which the pollinators love and the beneficial predator insects as well). Another fun type of onion I like to grow is nick named the Egyptian "Walking Onion" (as it grows thick stalks (reminiscent of a leek but hollow) about a meter high and then the bulbs form on the top until the plant gets weighed down and deposits the bulbs elsewhere in the garden, sending up more onions (giving them the effect of 'walking all over your garden').
If you have any questions about seed saving from specific crops I am happy to offer tips that have helped me :)
Great in depth information, Gavin.
Another dumb question, will I have success from leftover seeds from last year? They are in their original packets.
Also, what do you think of peat pots? Generally, I start my seeds in the small plastic cells and put under grow lights. When they get big enough, I transplant into peat pots and move them to my sun room before moving them outside to harden off before planting. I have always removed the plants from the peat pots instead of planting the peat pot. I have generally had good success with this procedure, but am I creating unnecessary work for myself?
Also, I would like to know what you recommend as a potting medium. The last few years we have made our own potting soil from peat moss, Black cow (are you familiar with that?), lime, organic fertilizer, perlite, and a handful of Epsom salts. This is what we use to fill grow bags, pots, and wooden standing planters. This is much cheaper than buying potting soil with questionable ingredients. However, last year we had trouble finding peat moss, and the price keeps going up. Truthfully, supply has been a bigger concern than price. We're far from wealthy, but we're frugal otherwise and can afford to buy supplies IF we can find them. Because of the lack of sunny areas and space, we really need a lot of potting soil. In addition, turning lawn or former flower gardens into growing areas has become too big of a challenge for us due to age and physical limitations. My husband had back surgery in 2019 (don't recommend) and he's not able to meet the physical requirements even though he won't admit it.
Gavin, before you know it, you will know a lot about my family! Probably more information than you really want to know! I'm sure you will soon be wishing you were charging more for that subscription! I'm sure I will have more questions in subsequent posts.
Oh and in case this could be helpful to you in planning for expanding/optimizing your food gardening efforts (given you currently have limited sunlight in established food growing areas) here is a list of 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘀:
𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀:
- Low bush blue berries
- Elderberries
- Raspberries
- Saskatoon berries
𝗩𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀:
- Asperigus
- Bush beans (need part sun)
- Rhubarb
- Beets
- Kale
- Radishes
- Carrots
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘀:
- Cilantro
- Anise hyssop
- Arugula
- Dill
- Lemon balm
- Chives
- Mint
- Parsley
𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀:
- Mondo grass (ophiopogon japonicus)
- American ginseng (panax quinquefolius)
- Golden seal (hydratis canadensis)
- Meadowsweet (spirea ulmaria Or filipendula ulmaria) tall flowers
- Oregon grape (mahonia aquifolium)
- Black cohosh (actaea racemosa) wall white flowers
- Wild ginger (asarum caudatum)
- Bugle (ajuga reptans)
Hope this helps! :) Happy Garden Planning
Hi Nancy,
Not a dumb question at all. The likelihood they will spout depends on a number of different factors (such as the frequency of ambient humidity/temperature shifts in the space they were stored, the species of seed and how much light they were exposed to). If they were in a cool, dry and dark place I would say there is a good chance most species of seeds would still sprout.
I like peat pots in theory, but without good ventilation they can get moldy pretty easily. This does not always impact plant health, but it can sometimes and then there is of course the question of breathable air quality for the humans tending the plants.
I am not familiar with the "Black Cow" product no, is it a kind of composted manure? Depending on the ratio of the other items you listed it sounds like it could make for a good potting mix. Also, be careful not to add too much Epsom salts as too much magnesium can actually inhibit calcium uptake.
I personally usually just use about 50% finished compost (from my woody moldering/vented compost pile, which just means it is fungal dominant and I added more woody fibers, wood chips and other carbon rich materials than green nitrogen rich stuff), 25% coconut coir and 25% native soil from my yard.
Yes I have noticed the price of peat moss going up. Coconut coir is a nice alternative if you can find it locally or online in bulk.
As far as turning lawn or former flower gardens into food growing areas, have you heard of a technique called "Sheet mulching" aka "lasagna composting"? It might be easier since you can do it in stages and not have to do a bunch of ripping up of lawn or tilling. Here are a couple links to info about that technique:
https://www.permaculturewomen.com/what-is-lasagna-gardening/
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/soil-compost/sheet-mulching-aka-lasagna-composting-builds-soil-saves-time
I am sorry to hear about your husband's back troubles, has he ever tried turmeric for mitigating the inflammation? I find that eating fermented turmeric rhizome, black pepper and coconut oil combined does wonders for me when I do some damage to my muscles, tendons or joints and am feeling stiff.
Not at all, I enjoy getting to know kindred spirits from all over, thought I may not always be able to answer right away, I am happy to listen and share what I know :)
Thanks so much for subscribing! Since you are my first annual subscriber I will be adding in a couple extra bonus seeds as a celebratory thank you.
Yes always feel free to ask questions, I may take a little bit to respond (especially once I am back at work landscaping during the growing season) but I am always willing to share what I have learned along my path.
I will be emailing you tonight or tomorrow with info on the heirloom seed set I am sending you.