You may be scratching your head right now from reading the title. You’ve heard of growing many things, but seeds? As odd as it may sound, I believe everyone should grow a seed garden.
What Is a Seed Garden?
Good question. To tell you the truth, if you google ‘Seed Garden’ I doubt you will find much information on the subject. In fact, you can talk to a room full of master gardeners and ask how many grow a Seed Garden and I wouldn’t be shocked if no one raised their hand. A Seed Garden is a specific place in your garden that you reserve for plants that you let go to seed in order to collect the seeds.
Why You Should Start a Seed Garden
So, if master gardeners don’t have a seed garden, and google has little information, why should you start one?
I have not one, but three really compelling reasons why.
A seed garden is cost efficient, and can save you hundreds of dollars, maybe even thousands! For example, the average American household spends $70 per year on their garden seeds. In addition to the savings, you will have virtually free food for years and years to come. Now the savings is in the thousands.
A seed garden breeds conservation. The weather, environment, human impact, and other influences threaten many of our plant species. People who live today have the sacred right and obligation to protect the commonwealth of the Earth and the common health of people and all our relations for many generations to come.
Saving seeds doesn’t only help improve agricultural biodiversity, but it also helps farmers and researchers find varieties of crops that grow better in different regions, especially as the impact of climate change becomes evident. {source}
Planting a seed garden helps protect and conserve heirlooms and provides seed diversity for future generations.
A Seed Garden can be useful to barter, trade, or sell. The exchange of seeds dates back to the first gardens ever to have been grown. One farmer trading with another and so on. The first settlers brought seeds from their native land and that is why you see much of the variety that we have today. Saving your seeds to barter, trade, or sell is a great way for you to try new crops and monetize your homestead.
Now that you know of all the amazing reasons why you need to plant a seed garden, let’s get started.
Before you plant a seed garden, or before you trade, plant, or sell seeds, make sure the seed you started with doesn’t have a patent on it.
GMO companies are not the only ones stopping you from saving your own seeds. Organic farms as well as GMO seed companies have applied and received patents which make it illegal for you to harvest their seeds for use.{source}
First, make sure that your seeds are the type that can be saved for the next year. The best seeds for saving are:
- Non-GMO
- Heirloom and open-pollinated
- Annuals
- Not cross-pollinated
- Organic
- From fully ripe and healthy plants
To see what heirloom garden seeds I love and use, read the post here.
Planning Your Seed Garden
When planning your seed garden, you can do it one of two ways. You can designate a specific area, or leave them where they are. In a designated area, set a place in your garden that is specific for seed saving. You can either plant your plants in there from seed, or you can transfer the plant from your main garden after the harvest is done, but before it goes to seed.
You can also leave them where they are. Many people don’t like this option because they are ready to start the next growing season. However, if you don’t plan on replanting your garden, you can leave your plants right where they were and let them go to seed for collection without disturbing them.
Seed Garden Seed Collecting Tips
- For plants with little seeds, place a paper bag over the seed head and shake to collect seeds
- Harvest your seeds on a dry, sunny day
- Only harvest seeds from your best pants
- Once your seed pods start to turn brown, it’s time to harvest.
For additional garden planning tips, check out our other articles
- How To Plan Your Garden
- Get Your Garden Ready For Spring
- Starting Your Garden With Seed Starting Basics
Need some help with your garden planning, as well as keeping track of what should be ready when? The Gardening Notebook has some help for you!
This is a guest post by Amber Bradshaw of My Homestead Life. Amber is an environmentalist, homesteader, garden and outdoor enthusiast. She is a wife, mother of three. Amber owns a contracting business with her husband, was President of the local Herb Society for the last three years, a 4-H Leader, Blogger and runs a CSA. Amber strives to get back into nature with a more sustainable and self-reliant lifestyle that fits a busy schedule and a tight budget. She lives on the east coast with her family on a little over 1/4 acre and encourages others to do big things with small spaces.
When not out in the garden you can find her sharing her latest homestead tips at My Homestead Life, on Facebook, on Pinterest or Instagram.
the post first appeared on thehomesteadinghippy.com See it here
The post How to Plant A Seed Garden-A Garden Everyone Should Grow appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
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