The first 3 months of year 2012, we did managed to harvest some seeds for future planting. Collecting our own seeds has able us to buy different variety of seeds and each year we have chance to add new varieties in the garden. For example, for peppers the first year we only have one variety and the second year we have 3-4 varieties growing, then the 3rd year maybe 7-8 varieties. The number of pepper varieties in our collection each year keep adding up. Its fun to harvest these different variety of fruit from the same family growing with different shape, colour and flavour.
Like human, seeds need to adapt to a new environment as well. The process of saving seeds with each new generation will make the variety or genetic strain you are growing more and more suitable and easier to grow in your garden. When I bought seeds, some seeds can be a challenge to germinate it. But when I collect the seeds later generation after generation, the seeds germination rate gets better and better while the plants become hardier in our own garden environment.
We collected some 'Clemson spineless' okra seeds this month. It was main priority in the seed list to stock up because I finished the seeds last year. Lucky we managed to stock up more this year than last year.
From the capsicum family, so far we managed to save sweet cherrytime and banana capsicum seeds. The other varieties has just started to bloom and fruit. Hopefully, I will remember to save some seeds for the other type.
Our new collection of sunflower seed this year ~ Giant Russian Sunflower.
This is the first time we are collecting Rainbow Chard seeds.
At the moment many volunteers are popping out.
We probably don't need to sow the seeds, they did the job for us voluntarily.
All we need to do is transplanting.
For fun I did sow some of them, and germination was fast.
Several tomato seeds varieties has also been safely collected. For example, yellow pear cherry tomato, tigerella tomato and joy's yellow cherry. But I have not achieved my target for them yet.
We also have new pumpkin/squash seeds variety in our home-grown seeds collection like Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Pumpkin.
We grow bush bean 'Redland Pioneer' for two years already, but this is the first time we collected the seeds. This bean suits really well in our garden, a reliable crop. We usually planted them in Spring and Autumn to fill in the gap as they produce really fast.
What seeds have you been collecting recently?
Saya telah menerima banyak perminataan semenjak saya menulis blog ini mengenai benih-benih yang saya kumpul seperti adakah boleh saya menjual benih-benih ini. Saya minta maaf kadang-kadang tidak dapat memenuhi permintaan atas kesibukan atau bilangan benih yang saya kumpul kekadang terhad untuk keperluan sendiri. Tetapi mulai minggu ini sampai hujung bulan ini sahaja saya akan cuba membuat senarai benih-benih apa yang boleh saya jual di ebay tanahairku jika ada luangan masa. Sebagai penjual di laman itu, saya pakai nama penjual tukangkebunkmg (link disertakan) kepada siapa yang sudi melawat laman tersebut. Saya juga ada sertakan barangan keperluan bayi atau ibu mengandung. Setiap pembeli akan menerima percuma 10 biji mammoth hybrid sunflower apabila meninggalkan mesej nama blog kami 'Kebun Malay-Kadazan Girl'.
Have a lovely weekend!