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Post by oldmobie on Jul 11, 2019 19:34:15 GMT -5
Here's the seed grown garlic that made it to harvest. Now I need to look up what to do with it so it lasts through dormancy.
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Post by oldmobie on Apr 4, 2019 20:20:45 GMT -5
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Post by oldmobie on Mar 29, 2019 14:18:38 GMT -5
Quality green beans that are still nice even picked a day or two too late. Large plants that shade you as you pick, and take full advantage of trellis space. A desirable landrace giving me extra seeds to trade or share. Maybe a bit of a sheep / goat / chicken treat along the way. Hadn't thought about it. Sure, that'd be nice, but I'd still like to be able to collect seed in case I want to grow it elsewhere or share / trade. Most winters we'll get some sub zero (farenheit) temps. Not usually below -20, or longer than a week.
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Post by oldmobie on Mar 29, 2019 5:28:38 GMT -5
I grew a collection of pole green beans last summer. They were chosen because they're popular green beans, tasty, and stringless (Or mostly so). I failed to collect seed in the fall. So I collected this week. Any that fell off the vine without my intervention: rejected. Pods not well filled: rejected. (A few of those slipped by me.) Moldiest pods: rejected. Visible damage to seed: rejected. Next I'll select for viability. Seeds not alive: rejected. (Learned that one from Joseph Lofthouse. I only grow out plants from seed that survived. Does wonders for seed viability in the next generation.) I'm thinking of calling it Last Stand. I won't repeat what Mrs oldmobie wants me to call it. For one thing, folks would think it's related to Lazy Housewife, which it isn't. Besides, I prefer the term convenience enthusiast. And I don't even have a donkey. So of course I have a few questions. 1) Do I need to be concerned about the low level mold? 2) Should I sort out anything obvious, knowing I'll surely miss something? 3) Should I soak with bleach, vinegar, peroxide, etc to kill off pathogens? If the answer to #3 is yes: 4) Which chemical? 5) What concentration? 6) For how long? 7) Can I do this, then redry for storage, or is it important to soak right before planting?
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Post by oldmobie on Mar 25, 2019 18:27:05 GMT -5
The one covered in wax looks like cassava to me (Manihot esculenta), you won't be able to get that to sprout. It is propagated by stem cuttings. And it needs a LOT of heat. Correct. (About not sprouting.) Those were the first to fail me. About two days later, the purple yams, which seemed to be actual sweet potatoes were in similar condition. (Soft, blotchy coloration inside, a sweet smell that didn't seem healthy.) I cut them up and put in the goat bucket, as I did with the yampi. They seem to have been eaten; I never found pieces of either. Now the seed dryer is empty and shut off. I'll see if I can buy slips locally of different varieties. Otherwise, I have my eye on a company that will send a dozen slips (A mix of three varieties which I pick.) for $19. Anyone know of a bargain that will top that?
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Post by oldmobie on Mar 16, 2019 15:50:04 GMT -5
Checking my tubers yesterday, the yampi (the almost black ones) were getting very soft. With a gentle pressure, one of them bubbled out a cloudy liquid that smelled unpleasantly sweet. I started to cut off the affected area, but there was no unaffected area, only less affected. The flesh seemed like it was supposed to be white, but there was a pink/ purple discoloration around the edge. This was worse in the softer parts. I cut 'em up and put 'em in the goat bucket.
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Post by oldmobie on Mar 10, 2019 19:58:22 GMT -5
And they're in. I'll either break their dormancy or make my seed dryer smell terrible. The muffin tin is full of water, but the tubers can't touch it because of the hardware cloth. Temp was 84° F before I opened the door.
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Post by oldmobie on Mar 10, 2019 7:32:02 GMT -5
I picked up a few sweet potatoes (or relatives) at an asian market today. One kind marked purple yam white skin, one marked yampi. Both were stored for eating, not gardening. They've been refrigerated. (I gather that's not ideal.) The yampi seems to be covered in wax. My current plan to try to get slips from them is to empty my seed dryer, adjust it to 85°F, and put in the tubers above a water source. That'll give warmth, darkness, airflow and humidity. I got the idea after reading this. I'm open to advice. How do you guys think I can improve my odds of getting slips? What should I do about the wax? For what it's worth, wikipedia thinks yampi is Dioscorea trifida. I guess sweet potato is Ipomoea batatas. Probably no crossing, I guess. Crap.
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Post by oldmobie on Mar 5, 2019 0:16:55 GMT -5
Seven to eight inches of rain OTF last week; five of that in one night! I get the impression your farm is either desert or "deserty". I know you've been improving your soil. No idea about earthworks. How well did your place handle 5" at once? Did it soak in good or run to someplace you could capture it? (Like your pond.) Or did it just flood and run off?
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Post by oldmobie on Jan 13, 2019 22:01:32 GMT -5
I hung my scapes upside down to dry in a paper bag as recommended by kazedwards . I opened it up today for processing and found seeds in the bottom! Threshing the flower heads yielded some more. Here's the whole group.
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Post by oldmobie on Dec 6, 2018 10:48:57 GMT -5
...and there has to be more than just those to identify and acquire. Malabar Spinach.
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Post by oldmobie on Nov 23, 2018 17:00:37 GMT -5
My whole trailer is mold Mecca... my uncle has since given me a dehumidifier witch has remedied the situation. I think a dehumidifier is a great solution to help with seed drying. If it's there for the seeds, putting it and the seeds in a small room with the door shut could help boost the effectiveness. I actually have a seed dryer I made from an old lab incubator. I replaced the power cord and added a muffin fan and a thermostat thermometer. It works great, but getting all my cobs in there without shelling would've taken a wire basket or something like it. (That I don't have.) My humidity is low enough this time of year, if there's sufficient airflow. Sadly, I put my stuff into the ziploc too early, and of course airflow in there was insufficient. Other members on here use dehydrators with good success, but watch the heat. I think some can kill or damage the seeds by getting too hot. More about my seed dryer...
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Post by oldmobie on Nov 20, 2018 18:35:46 GMT -5
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Post by oldmobie on Nov 18, 2018 15:13:28 GMT -5
My little patch of grain corn didn't produce too well. I put it out in the driest part of summer, and couldn't seem to water it enough for good germination. So I'd like to minimize seed loss. It was also my first year with Day 's White Nighting. Only one seed germinated. It seems I should've planted it earlier. It seems to be viable, but it didn't dry on the stalks. I left it to dry in the house until it seemed dry enough, then put it into the same (open) ziploc bag as the rest. It was too soon. Now I have mold and germination, and some of the cobs seem to be shrinking and / or losing density. I put it into a flat to dry better, but wonder if I should do more. Should I shell it and put in the seed dryer? If so, should I keep the moldy seeds and soak the whole lot in something? If left on the cob, should I soak or spray with something? Or just let it dry and be choosy about what I save?
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Post by oldmobie on Oct 15, 2018 21:07:18 GMT -5
About that six pack of Beauregard I bought in the spring... they made it. Better production than I hoped in the aquaponics. Found a few missed potatoes among them. I got at least one seed back from growing peanuts in my aquaponics grow bed.
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