Be happy when it rains….

Some people watch the weather and when there’s a forecast for sun tomorrow they think “oh goodie… I’m going to be happy” or “oh no, it’s rain… I’m not going to be happy, I’m going to be sad”. In fact, I’m stoked it was raining today. I just came back from a cuppa coffee, walk by myself around my back garden. It’s a contemplative time, the ol’ daily cuppa in the garden time. Today I didn’t whip out a couple of weeds, I didn’t even sit down the seats are wet. I thought about how easy it’s going to be to weed tomorrow, I’ll get so much more done then if I had weeded yesterday. Also how there’s no need for me to do any watering. This morning I looked at my half wine barrel planters and thought about filling two of them up with seedlings now that a couple are over being productive or pretty. One though is a show stealer in full bloom, casting delightful colour across my dewy garden. I thought about how the lawns could do with a mow… but I didn’t feel guilty cause I can’t really do it now… it’s rainy after all!

I’ve checked on the seedlings, given out a few squirts from the mister bottle, noticed a few have popped up and I feel cheerful. I don’t’ let the telly weather guy tell me if I’m going to be happy or sad, or listen when he apologises, “not a good day from Palmerston North down to Wellington, I’m afraid you got showers on and off all day building into horrible heavy rain in the afternoon”. I just look for the amazing, the cool, the beautiful and its there, showing its vitality, strength and vivacious life.

Water is so precious. We don’t currently get billed for it where I live, but here is national and international debate about ownership of water. I know there are times in the peak of summer when the councils put water restrictions on watering the garden, on washing the car and other “frivolous” water-wasting activities. It makes me seriously think about putting in slim line water tanks. One down the South West corner of my house so that I can always water the front garden and one down the back of the garage so I can always water the back garden, when the plants need it. I have no idea how to divert the water from the spouting into a tank… so I guess I have to pay someone who knows. The tanks wouldn’t be cheap, maybe a grand all up each would be my guess. Is it THAT precious that I would spend that much money to secure it? I bet the families in Christchurch who lined up for water day after day and had to pay inflated prices in the shops thought it was. Mmm I think I might look into that, but right now I’m off to brush my car… might as well get a free clean while it’s wet!      

The low down on my Cucurbits

 Pumpkin/ Squash: The family, the genera and the species.  

This is an important family in that they are VERY productive, and if you choose well they will keep right through the winter.  Some are also useful in terms of containers/ taonga puoro like HUE, and much adored like Kamokamo.  All of them like a very fertile soil.

Kamokamo

The Cucurbits are a promiscuous bunch; so here's some korero to get you going.

If you choose one of each genus in the cucurbit family, they won’t cross. I’ve made up a diagram of the ones I like to grow, just with Family, Genus and Common Name (see below). But check out the book “Seed to Seed” by Suzanne Ashworth, or seed saving websites to find out the whole cucurbit family and the ones relevant to your family. 

If I grow 1, 2, 3 out the front and 4 & 5 out the back they won’t cross. 

Or, here’s the fun part. You can hand pollinate. This means identify a male flower of the plant of the same species. Maori have a history of fertilising gourd (hue) of the same cucurbit family* (see Elsdon Best's Maori Agriculture page 250). 

Bees in the pumpkin flowers

The female flowers are the ones with a little bulb behind the blossom. Pick the male flower, a few to be sure, pull off the petals so you can see pollen on the end of the anthers (it’s the yellow powdery stuff). These are the plant’s boys bits. Rub these on the female flowers especially the very middle bit call the stigma, this will be connected to the fruit (ovary) below by a tube called a style (in case you’re wondering how I know this… I studied Botany at University and needed to draw the distinguishing characteristics of all the plant families).

Now, back to the pumpkin flowers, when you’ve fertilised the female flower you then need to tape up the petals or tape on a paper bag so that no bees or other pollinators can get in. Also, mark this flower with a brightly coloured tie so it won’t be eaten, or rather the seeds will be saved before it is eaten. The seed from this pumpkin will be pure and will be good for saving and sharing.

Cucrubit family showing genera and common names

Seed saving- for starters

Seed Saving

E kore au e ngaro he kakano i ruia mai i Rangiatea

 (I will never be lost for I am a seed scattered from Rangiatea)

Some seeds are easy, anyone can do it. Some are a bit trickier and it takes a bit of an understanding of that plant family to save the seeds really well. Here are some easy ones:

Potatoes: you only need to save as least 1 of each variety and that will save a seed line. Plant that one and you’ll get about 10 more, plant them the following year (in a different spot in the garden) and you’ve got about 100 and so on.

Tomatoes: cut a tomato in half (across the equator), squeeze out all the seeds into a cup. Add some water, and leave for 2-3 days (label it). This might go mouldy which is good; it will break down the gel around the seed. Pour off the water (& vegetable matter) and leave to dry (label it).

Note: Don’t put onto a paper towel - trust me I’ve done it and it sticks which is not what you want. A saucer or lid is fine. When dry you’ll be left with the seed, pop into an envelope or container and label.

Beans: leave them to dry in the vine until they rattle in their pods. Take out, check for insects, put into an envelope or container (label it).

Peas: same as beans. When the pea or bean stalk goes to seed, it stops producing any more flowers- so you might like to have specific ones for seed saving.

The next ones are still pretty easy but take a little bit of consideration:

Corn: only heritage and heirloom or open pollinated corn will be suitable for seed saving. 1 of hybrid corn seeds will not be like the parent plants, they will be throw backs to the grandparents. Grow at least 150 – 200 corn plants of the same type of corn, more if you have room. This is quite a lot. Don’t plant any other types of corn close by this growing season, it may cross. When all the cobs are nearly ripe, go through the rows/ blocks of corn and select the strongest plants and the best cobs. Mark them with a bright coloured tie and don’t eat them. Leave these marked ones on the plants (tillars) to dry right out. This will be good seed (label it).

Trickier:

Cucurbits: pumpkins, kamokamo, melons, cucumbers squash etc.  I'll post another blog about this family.

Brassicas: all the cabbage family should be caged to guarantee pure seed.

Umbelliferae: carrots, parsnip, celery, parsley, should be caged to guarantee pure seed.

Here's some parsley going to seed right now in my garden, its from the Umbellifereae family- which has Umbels, upside down umbrella shaped seed structures.

Tamarillos: save seed like tomatoes.

Apples: don’t bother saving seeds, they’re so different, they’ve been grafted.

Peaches: grow easily from peach pip/ stones. Sometimes a quick clamp in a vice to crack the stone helps them along.

Citrus: if the tree is a round shape, this means it’s on dwarf rootstock. The rootstock is a prickly branched thing at the bottom which may on rare occasions grow small hard green little fruit. If it does, the seed from this fruit can be grown to be rootstock for other citrus trees. It’s likely that the scion wood (top part) will have very few seeds in the fruit; it will probably be chosen to be seedless.

If the citrus you have is an old fan shaped, save all the seeds you can. I am keen to get some of these if you have any? This is a heritage fruit tree.

Garlic: easy, save your best bulbs for seeds, split up into cloves and plant out on the shortest day of the year. DON’T plant out the cheap Asian supermarket stuff, it’s been treated. There are many NZ garlics that have a far superior taste.

This all brings me to the golden rule of seed saving:LABEL  LABEL  LABEL

It looks kinda like a lab experiment, but its not, just an easy way to store seeds

I had to learn to be disciplined to label everything even with Botany study at University. I’ve never been a huge fan of documents, admin systems, but with seed saving it’s essential to have a plan. Once you get a few seed types they all start to look similar and you just can’t grow them all in one season. 

You need to know:

·       When they were collected?

·       How long they will last?

·       Who collected them?

·       Where they were grown?

·       Where was the seed from?

·       Description of the plant, fruit, habit, colour

·       Special qualities, does it keep well? Disease resistant, slow to bolt?

·       What does it grow well next to? (companion plants)

Some seed savers pop the seed into the freezer for a couple for days to kill any insects that may be present.

We can look at seed storage in another blog.

I'm sorting out the database today for my seed collection to open it up to be able to share locally and turn it into a seed library- so those of you who are keen, get in touch.  I'm very happy to share, I'm very happy to try growing new things.  I've gotten well past the point where I'm not able to grow everything I've got myself, out in my suburban garden in a growing season really need to keep these growing and saving seed so the seed doesn't get old. (and lose germination rates)

Of course if you have special heritage seeds, and you want a hand looking after them, message me on Facebook or email horowhenua.kaikai@gmail.com


That'll do for starters

Share the Love – Seed Saving

Share the Love – Seed Saving

proof of Biodiversity a birds nest

Kia ora Whanau,

I've had a very busy weekend completing Iron Maori, it was amazing but now I'm knackered.  We've had beautiful Hawke's Bay weather.

Today however, its cut up real windy and I found a little birds nest.  This is my proof of biodiversity. It must have served it purpose, its early summer now, the birds have flown the nest.  I didn't put it there, I didn't plant it, I didn't select it, but the birds moved in.  

My teacher Geoff Lawton said; 

"Once you start getting things right, Mother nature kicks in behind you"