Propagation: SEED SAVING 2010 - WHOSE IN?, 1 by BLOSSOMBUDDY

BLOSSOMBUDDY wrote:
Well, I found that book on seed saving.. it has just about every domestic flower in there.

Right now I dont have a therapuetic escape, been a tough week. Wish I did. The whole world is suffering... thats why alot of us save seeds. To garden again, to make a meal for ourselves and not be tormented by high prices everywhere, fight joblessnes and such to survive. Between feeding humans and animals it goes hand in hand for a good many.

I save envelopes from mail that gets opened when I get mail.. Ironically, the ones bills come in make the best ones for saving seed because you can cut them and tape them up in such away and put seeds in them for swapping and you can see a sample of the seeds through the address window without opening the envelope later after it is stuffed.

Ziploc baggies are great, but I have issues with my hands where some days I cant hardly hold a pencil, type or sleep because of pain and the dang zippers are a pain often to open so they get wasted here. Reusing them is a good notion, however, not always doable.

I dont have time to get all fancy with lables so usually the name and year harvested get scribed on the packet and thats all...nothing fancy and so what on any printed advertisements on them since they end to the trash eventually anyway.

While I love the fancy packets, generic is quick easy and does the job. Saves time. And fancy packets be they zippy bags with a lovely label or paper etc, those are great for gifting if gifting is your thing with seeds.

When I get a big load of seed from a particular plant then they go in big sandwhich zipper bags or larger.. never reuse the zippers. Sometimes recycling gets unsaniatary.

If i am packing for trading, I dont weigh stuff.. usually the person I trade with gets a heaping helpful. Everyone packs different and you really need to ask the trader who its packed, if its a fair trade.. Taking pictures of the trade helps to iron things out so no hard feelings go. Somtimes if a trade is not exactly fair a second offer might have to be in order...Following up too with a was everything ok, does help, but liek I said sometiems a photo of the trade before sending can save those unbalanced headaches later on. We all like to be treated fairly. And sometimes its not always possible to send everythign at once if you do larger trades.

Often I just use the little brown envelops like below..just depends on whats on hand.

Been trading seed for some 22 years and seen a lot of ways us gardeners like to do it up and I am sure liek most of us its all how budget and time dictate.

So anyway, how about trials of drying seeds? Some seed can be a challenge. Right now I am doing loofas.. Im not a happy camper with the results or the labor. Thought they woudl eb easier. I think I will have to try to start thenm earlier for a longer and better dry down perion. They are molding and the sponges are not to pretty.