Thursday, October 8, 2015

Saving Seeds for Next Growing Season - Green Beans

Allow the been pods to dry on the vine, once they turn brown and outer shell brittle, they are ready to pick, pluck and store for the next growing season 
Shell the pods, extract the beans that should be dry and light to the touch without any visible moisture

 These are all perfectly dry for storage, in a cool dry place but not cold (like fridge or freezer)
 On the left are beans in the exact dry state, on the right the beans are too moist to survive till next growing season
 In this photo you can see the difference between the dry and moist beans
 Pretty but not perfect for seeding
These are just the right color, size and moisture level. I'll be storing them in wax paper bags in a desk drawer of my studio that does not experience temperature fluctuations from season to season. Next spring the will be sprouted in toilet paper containers filled with starter mix to be transplanted into the raised bed garden after they produce sufficient growth. What would you like to save for next year's garden?

2 comments:

  1. Good to know! I have to first plant a garden to have seeds to harvest. ;) Did you begin with organic seeds or starter plants or did you begin with the ones you find easily in hardware stores, grocery stores and such in the spring? I am sure organic is most desirable, but will this work with just generic vegetable seeds you can find virtually everywhere?

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