Some questions I have...

[El]

Having had many failures and some success with my garden so far this year, I've been pondering... how did things like peas, carrots, potatoes, cucumbers, watermelons and so on survive back before people could buy seeds at the store? How about before they started saving seeds from their harvests?

It seems to me that at one point in our history, these fruits and vegetables (in some variation or another) had to have been self-seeding perennials. I know tomatoes will come back sometimes, but what else can you plant once and have it reseed itself on a fairly reliable basis?

No, I've not been

[Tex]

Some questions I have...

I am not sure when Man started saving seeds. It probably started about the time that we figured out how to herd animals so we could give up our nomadic lifestyle. When we were strictly hunter gatherers it was unfeasible for us to save seeds in order to harvest.

When we finally figured out that there were certain animals that we could keep in close proximity and harvest when needed, we started looking for a renewable feed source. This also carried over into our diet as well. Our herding capabilities came first in my opinion. Not long afterward though, we started farming.

Before all of this happened seeds were spread by animals. A bird, cow, horse or whatever would graze upon a flower or plant and the protective outer shell on the seed would protect it while it passed though and was redeposited in a new locale. The seed would come out prepackaged in a handy little pile of fertilizer and with a few rains and Mother Natures infinite wisdom a plant would start growing in a new area. This process was repeated the world over.

It was a slow process but it worked terrifically. Sometimes a plant could'nt survive very well in a specific region, but because it closely resembled another type of plant, cross-pollination happened. In this instance a new species was formed that was very well suited for a specific geographic region or environment. This is why we have plants on different continents that closely resemble those found elsewhere in the world.

I hope this helps.

Tex

[W.Lynn]

Some questions I have...

Even into the late 1800s and early 1900s, it wasn't unusual for people to go to a location where something grew wild (say a certain valley with apples, or a low riverbank full of watermelons) and eat a lot of whatever it was right there at the location. The very act of carrying melons to the edge of a patch of growth, and eating it another 50 or 100 feet away at your family's picnic spot helped spread seeds. Then more would he taken home, eaten there, seeds discarded, maybe they'd grow.

Some have been on purpose down the ages, others have been happy accidents.

[El]

Some questions I have...

So why is it that I couldn't plant a field of watermelon, let a portion of them go to seed, and come back next summer to a field of watermelons? Why do I have to properly save and store the seeds for use next year? It just seems to me that there was a time when we did things differently, yanno?

[DMH]

Some questions I have...

Such an interesting topic. Theories vary widely as to when and how man started farming. Some believe around 12,000 years ago. But Tex is right about how the seeds spread around. As far as today's seeds not growing it is most likely due to GMO (genetically modified) seeds. It all boils down to patents and money for the big chemical companies.

[W.Lynn]

Some questions I have...

And there's that "maybe" factor. As desirable as it is to have a watermelon patch, one dry season will be enough for every ant hill in the area to be desperate enough to eat into those seeds, or deer to uproot the young vines for the moisture in them.

Some things will be more reliable than others, some things will survive your local conditions better, and some things you'll just be better at figuring out what they need.

So yes, gather non-gmo seeds, save them, and try to hold on to more each year.

[AmericanBTGoG]

Some questions I have...

Ever notice what grows by the side of self-service car washes, where people empty their car ashtrays?

[VINCENT]

Some questions I have...

eL, DONT LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE. THEY ARE IDIOTS. IT WAS THE ALIENS THAT TAUGHT US TO USE SEEDS AND PLANT OUR OWN GARDENS. THE ILLEGAL ALIENS THAT IS, AND THEY STILL DO IT FOR US TODAY. HIRE A MEXICAN. YOUR GARDEN WILL BLOSSOM.



OH, AND IF YOU TAKE MY ADVISE, I PROMISE YOU RICHS BEYOPUND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS

[El]

Some questions I have...

Uh...huh. Thank you, Vincent...for that...uhmmm...contribution. hmy:

[VINCENT]

Some questions I have...

stick with me, i wont lead ya astray


but seriously. i have had a hell of a time this year too. i thought the garden was a total loss, but it turned out not to be. although i did lose a huge portion due to flooding. what im learning is that gardening isnt as easy as we think. you cant just plant everything at one time. many many of these palnts need to be planted at different times throughout the year. even if you think its too cold yet! or too hot. or what ever. trust in the package, trust in the farmers almanac, and trust in your local farmers.

oh, and dont give up. our lives arnt YET dependant on these gardens. we still have time to get it wrong. and thats how we learn to do it right.

[El]

Some questions I have...

Well, I have tomatoes, cantaloupe and watermelon nailed. It's everything else I"m struggling with. I've killed enough seedlings to have fed Ethiopia, but I'm learning!

The hardest part for me has been not being where my garden is. After working a ten hour day, I don't feel like coming home, changing and then driving over, realizing I forgot something, driving back for it, then waiting for someone to unlock the shed for me. Next spring will be better and next year's garden is gonna be killer! I can just feel it!

[uncle fester]

Some questions I have...

Mortisha bought some brocholi plants from the nursery and we had two volunteers that we transplanted .The nursery plants made small florets all over the plant and flowered right away and the volunteers from last year look normal .I saved seeds from last years plants so i'm going to start my own next season .( If they don't outlaw it)
uncle fester

[Deerhound]

Some questions I have...

This what the EU are planning to bring into law in Europe in 2016;
http://www.naturalnews.com/040214_seeds_european_commission_registration.html

Yet again bureaucracy intends to turn me into a criminal.