The Patrick County Master Gardeners will be in attendance at the Stuart Farmers’ Market on October 21 to host the annual seed swap. They will have lots of seeds saved from their own gardens and hope that market-goers will bring extras to swap as well.
Seed saving allows the home gardener to save seed of plants that have grown well for them in the past, which means a better chance for success in the future. If you have a favorite flower or vegetable which has performed well in your garden, chances are it would do so for your neighbors as well.
Saving seed isn’t hard, and it’s fun to know you are in control of what you put into your garden each year, even if it’s only one or two varieties.
To save your seed, always choose healthy, productive plants. Choose the best bloom or fruit and allow those to come to full maturity or ripeness. It may be necessary to protect the fruit from critters who would otherwise destroy your plans for ‘brown bagging,’ which is another name for seed saving.
The technique for most seeds calls for simply allowing the seeds to dry, collecting them and then labeling them and storing them in a cool dry place. Moisture is death to your saved seeds.
Come on out to the Stuart Farmers Market on Friday to find out more detailed information about taking control of what you plant.
The master gardeners will also be accepting your leftover nursery pots, so if you’re wondering what to do with those black pots sitting in your shed, bring them out to the market and allow the master gardeners to give them a second life being used to pot plants for next year’s plant sale fund-raiser. If you have any questions you can call Arlisa Johnson at (276) 952-8302 or email at arlisaj@embarqmail.com. You can also reach the Patrick County Master Gardeners through their Facebook page.
