Free Seeds

Well, not really "free" because you pay for the product, the seeds are just an extra bonus.

When buying produce from a local grocery store, do not buy "Seedless" products. Most of those are hybrid and will not reproduce.

Instead of "seedless" buy the regular produce with the seeds. Examples include all types of melons - water melons and cantaloupe. When cutting the melon open, harvest the seeds, dry them for a few days and then store in the freezer.

Keep a couple of seeds out of the freezer, place them between 2 wet towels. In a few days the seeds should sprout. If the seeds have not sprouted within 5 or 7 days, throw them away along with any other seeds that were harvested from that same melon.

Sometimes this same thing can be done with peppers. Buy the pepper, let it dry for a couple of weeks and then harvest the seeds. Keep the peppers in a dry place where mold is less likely to grow.

Dealing with a spring frost

Just when you get your garden in the ground, a late spring frost comes through and kills all your plants. Its pretty disheartening to see fresh sprouts killed off. Its on of those "oh man" moments.

Save a few 2 liter bottles and 1 gallon milk jugs with the bottom cut out. Keep the jugs stored in a box of some kind out in the shed. When a frost comes through, take the jugs and put them over the plant the night before.

A year ago I remember hearing someone talk about leaving the caps on or taking them off the jugs. But I can not remember which one was best. Taking the caps off will let the plant breath. But could also let cold air into the jug.

Besides the jugs, have a few light duty plastic tarps or old sheets on hand. But, try not to let the plastic of cloth of the sheet touch the plant.

If the plants get a frost on them, wash them off with a water hose. I heard that it was better to wash the frost off, then to let it thaw. That when the frost thaws on its own, that is when the frost bite occurs on the plant.

Planted some peppers

The peppers went in the ground this evening. The grand total was:

4 Bell peppers
4 Jalapeno peppers (mild)

Last year, there were tomatoes and cucumbers planted in this raised bed. So I am hoping that the peppers do well.

The plants were planted a little close together, but oh well. It will have to do.



I will post an update in the next couple of weeks. Over the next few days I am hoping to get the peas, beans, tomatoes and cucumbers planted.

Its the small things that matter

When spending time with your children, sometimes its the little things that maters. Such as watching a movie in the living room.

Nobody said that parents have to take their kids to an expensive movie theater - when a DVD can be rented from the red box for a $1.

Nobody said that parents have to take their kids to an expensive restaurant, when a home cooked meal is better and provides quality family time.

Nobody said that parents have to take their kids to the grocery store, when they can plant a garden.

Take time with your family, and spend some quality time together.

Are you worried about food?

These days people are not only worried about this house note, or their electric bill, they are also worried about something much more basic - food.

An economic report from last month said that between 700,000 - 800,000 people lost their jobs in one month. Less people have jobs, so less bills get paid. But the one thing that must be bought is food. But what if someone told you that you do not have to buy food? That you can grow your own.

Its true. Regardless of what people have been told for the past 30, 40 or 50 years, food does not come from a grocery store - it comes from the ground. At first I did not believe it. I honestly thought that the grocery stores used some kind of magic to make the food appear out of thin air.

Could you imagine the money that a family could save if they planted some onions, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, bell peppers, or anything else. Instead of having to "buy" the food, people could just go into their back yards and pick what they wanted. Why didn't someone think of this before? Familes could have been saving untold amounts of money all this time.

People, its time to step up and take care of your family. If these economic times are hitting you hard, its time to plant a garden - just like what our grand parents used to do.

Almost time to plant your garden

As the warmer weather gets here, its time to plant the garden. My potatoes are a couple of weeks behind, but its no big deal. Around march 14th or 21st (probably on the 21st) I'am going to try and plant part of the spring garden. I'am looking at squash, cucumbers, snap beans and peppers.

I like planting the pickling cucumbers better then I do the straight 8s. There seems to be less waste and the seeds can be easily saved.

This year I'am thinking of planting at least 4, maybe even 8 jalapeno pepper plants, 4 bell pepper and 4 sweet pepper plants. This year I'am going to put up a lot more peppers then I did last year. My wife and I had to buy peppers from the store. Hopefully we will not have to do that this coming winter.