Zip-Lock Bag

Spinach Surprise!

~ illbtru ~ 2 Comments

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Amazing development today. Here it is, February 22, 2024 and to my amazement I found something I was not expecting. I pulled back three layers of floating row cover and was astonished!

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Mind you, we had terrible icy, cold weather in mid January 2024. One day it was -26 degrees below zero. Plus, in February 2024 we had frozen rain the size of peas. Row covers are definitely worth the money!

Here is what I found.

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The variety of spinach is called “Space”, which I purchased from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. https://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/spinach/smooth-leaf-spinach/space-organic-f1-spinach-seed-4543G.html. Organically grown and is it ever delicious! Amazing, beyond my wildest dreams!

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The beauty of growing naturally is you do not have to wash your greens until you use them. The spinach will last in the fridge for up to a month. Use a food grade bag or container to store your greens for further use. I use this method of storage for all my greens (cabbage, collards, kale, lettuce, spinach and swiss chard).

Think about your soon to be garden! Looking forward to hearing from you.

Papa

Seed Saving Tip

~ illbtru ~ 1 Comment

Have you saved seed from your vegetable garden or traded for seed during a seed swap? Have you provided space for them in your spring garden?

Here’s a tip worth your consideration. Find those seeds and start germination testing. Why? Germination of 50% or below should send you to your 2016 seed catalogs for replacements. Doing this now insures you will find the replacements available instead of “out of stock”.

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Save time and money as a low germination rate will require double the seed sown for an expected yield.

An easy technique for germination:

  • Gather paper towels and zip-lock bags
  • Moisten the paper towel
  • For large seeds a minimum of 10 seeds ( ie.: watermelon, gourd, winter squash, summer squash, sunflower, pumpkin, beans, peas)
  • For small seeds a minimum of 25 seeds ( ie.: eggplant, sweet pepper, hot pepper, tomato, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, spinach)
  • Place seed in moistened towel with spacing between seeds and fold towel in half. Be sure to label the bag with the seed name.
  • Place in zip-lock bag and seal.
  • Place the zip-lock bag in a warm place providing temperatures of 70-85 degrees.
  • Check the bag every 3-5 days for signs of germination.The seed coat should be bursting and either a plant shoot should be on the top of the seed and/or a root on the opposite end.
  • All the seeds in the bag should germinate at the same rate of time for the seed type.germination600
  • A 50% germination rate for 10 seeds would be 5 seeds.
  • A 50% germination rate for 25 seeds would be 13 seeds.

Any questions? Do not hesitate to contact me!!

Papa