Gardening is good. I had a garden for over 20 years. When the harvest comes in, that's when it gets difficult. Each produce matures very quickly and seems all it once. Sometimes it came in so quickly, I ended giving a lot of it away. It doesn't last very long in the frig, so all the equipment for preserving it needs to be ready. All hands are needed to pick, prep, blanch, cook, freeze, can, pickle, or dry. Plenty of Mason jars and freezer bags are needed. IMHO, the harvesting and preservation part was much harder than gardening.
I have a pretty epic seed collection. I store mine so they are protected from light and humidity. I save my own seeds every year so my crops keep adjusting to my climate. Some seeds can last an incredibly long time, like large bean seeds, and some will only last a couple seasons like tiny lettuce seeds. But you only need one lettuce head to go to seed to replenish your supply anyway. I have a pea variety that was found buried with king tut. They managed to grow from those seeds and bring that pea back to civilization again. Pretty amazing.
Have you tried winter sowing? It worked well for me here in northern IN. Made up my containers, set out in the garden in the ice and snow and ended up with some harrdy veggies and flowers.
You have to plant them in dirt in clear containers with covers, suits or holes to let rain and snow in, the seeds germinate when they are ready and they are so hardy as they weren't babied inside. There is a winter Sowers FB group with lots of info.
These things all depend on your area. I'm in a warm climate and I garden year round. Winter is the easiest time for gardening here, summer is what kills most of my plants off. I'm limited to mostly sweet potatoes, squash, and eggplant in the hottest months. Even my peppers struggle and sometimes die off in my summers. I'm putting my brussels sprouts and cabbages out this week and will be harvesting them through the winter. I'm also planting all my peas which will feed us through winter. My peppers are still going, I'll be cutting them back probably in january and they are perineal for us so they come back on their own every march. I plant all my carrots and lettuces and herbs in greenstalks. If you are in a cold climate you would have to plant with strategies I'm unfamiliar with.
You can't buy gmo seeds so that's nothing you have to worry about. Public doesn't have access to them. I also suggest rareseeds.com as well as botanical interests. Those are my 2 faves I buy from every year.
Gardening is good. I had a garden for over 20 years. When the harvest comes in, that's when it gets difficult. Each produce matures very quickly and seems all it once. Sometimes it came in so quickly, I ended giving a lot of it away. It doesn't last very long in the frig, so all the equipment for preserving it needs to be ready. All hands are needed to pick, prep, blanch, cook, freeze, can, pickle, or dry. Plenty of Mason jars and freezer bags are needed. IMHO, the harvesting and preservation part was much harder than gardening.
That is 100% fact
Appreciated.👍
I have a pretty epic seed collection. I store mine so they are protected from light and humidity. I save my own seeds every year so my crops keep adjusting to my climate. Some seeds can last an incredibly long time, like large bean seeds, and some will only last a couple seasons like tiny lettuce seeds. But you only need one lettuce head to go to seed to replenish your supply anyway. I have a pea variety that was found buried with king tut. They managed to grow from those seeds and bring that pea back to civilization again. Pretty amazing.
Have you tried winter sowing? It worked well for me here in northern IN. Made up my containers, set out in the garden in the ice and snow and ended up with some harrdy veggies and flowers.
You have to plant them in dirt in clear containers with covers, suits or holes to let rain and snow in, the seeds germinate when they are ready and they are so hardy as they weren't babied inside. There is a winter Sowers FB group with lots of info.
These things all depend on your area. I'm in a warm climate and I garden year round. Winter is the easiest time for gardening here, summer is what kills most of my plants off. I'm limited to mostly sweet potatoes, squash, and eggplant in the hottest months. Even my peppers struggle and sometimes die off in my summers. I'm putting my brussels sprouts and cabbages out this week and will be harvesting them through the winter. I'm also planting all my peas which will feed us through winter. My peppers are still going, I'll be cutting them back probably in january and they are perineal for us so they come back on their own every march. I plant all my carrots and lettuces and herbs in greenstalks. If you are in a cold climate you would have to plant with strategies I'm unfamiliar with.
I've never experienced snow before. Always wondered what it's like.
Where to buy seeds that aren't GMO?
Baker Creek
rareseeds.com
I purchased from them every year. Typically 90% + germination success. Quality and very reasonably priced with a large selection.
You can't buy gmo seeds so that's nothing you have to worry about. Public doesn't have access to them. I also suggest rareseeds.com as well as botanical interests. Those are my 2 faves I buy from every year.