Getting Off The Grid - Fall Planting and Saving Seed

Just chillin with the house plants - Photo By Andria Perry

August 28, 2017

Last week I got the ground prepared for fall planting, well the first of several plantings, and I took the tiller to be repaired. On Thursday I had help and the area as wide as a pick up truck and as long as fifty feet was turned over with the tiller. 

I allowed it to sit for a few days so that all the grass on top would die. Since it has been dry for a week and rain is in the forecast to get here in the next couple of days, And under the farmers almanac as a good time to sow seed, with all things lined up late Sunday evening Tony sowed the seed for turnip greens, collards and kale. If its God will I will have sprouting greens in a week and full grown leaves to start harvesting within three weeks.

I noticed I am low on cabbage in the deep freezer so I think I will sow seed for cabbage also, its been a couple years since we grew cabbage.

From The Garden : 

Sunday evening I also picked enough okra for another quart for the deep freezer. 

The Seeds :

As the seeds began in get ready in many of the flowers I have started collecting them, This year I planted Marigolds in the garden to repel pests and they were beautiful. Now as the blooms die I take the seeds for next year.

Collecting Marigold seed is one of the easiest seeds to pick, clean up and save. 

First make sure the flower bud has died and dried all the way up with no green left,  then just pinch the dead head off. You will still have a beautiful plant blooming so this is not ever done all at once.

Next clean them up. Take the bud in hand and gently open it and the seeds should fall out. 

This year I planted the orange and the yellow Marigolds, with the yellow being the last to bloom. I am also harvesting the seeds of the sunflowers for the first time.

Read more click here : Harvesting Sunflower Seeds 

I am not new to collecting seeds, that was our job as children, my mom always let us collect the seeds from all the plants.

The blast from the past : Two years ago what was happening? August 28, 2015 my jorunal.

Its in the Air - Lush Green Grass

  It is well known that I am not a fan of cold weather, I don`t like having cold feet at all nor a cold nose and ears.

   However, The past couple of nights the temps have been cooler, that means no a/c running, and its nice. Fall is in the air. But I think the weather man said Summer is coming back and with hurricanes.

   Staring out the kitchen window waiting for my coffee to get done making in the Mr. Coffee I noticed that everything has a thick dew and the grass is lush and green once again. This is odd for a central Alabama late August but I will take it over brown and dead any day  .

   I watered my kitchen Basil and the Rosemary, the oregano looks dead. The small Aloe and the Christmas Cactus for a drink too.

   I did not make any plans for the day because I do have to get a tooth filled but I do need to mow grass and clean up my house plants, they could use a good fresh re-potting and larger pots, I gave half of them away yesterday :). I might run by the CO-OP to see if they have any turnip green seeds in yet. Yes I did get those small packets of seed for .02 but if I am going to can greens I will need a field full, plus some to share with friends and family.

   I need to make more jelly and/ or jam with the blackberries from last years pickings that I have in the deep freezer. I did find one case of half pints left at the Dollar General store and bought those. 

   A couple nights ago I heard what all people hate to hear that can food, that pop of a seal being bad or the food has spoiled. I checked and it was a half pint of pears, the band had a spot of rust and I reckon it messed up that seal so I lost one :/

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I always check on my dogs every morning and for days I have noticed they are playing and having fun. Wrestling. I think its funny because Harley is so little and Rosco is as big as a grown adult. I did not make it home before dark yesterday so they did not get a walk and that is why I wanted the fenced in area so badly, so they can run and play.

Today I take them for a walk / run. I know they love it and I need it, doctors orders. But I really do not need a doctor to tell me to walk and exercise. One day I would like to tell a doctor to live my life for a day just to see if he could do it. Its doubtful, he would probably cry when the blister burst while digging a ditch or a post hole and had to continue working.

By Andria Perry 

That is what is happening on the homestead, what is happening on your homestead?

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry