Waxing Poetic about Garden Volunteers

This is a little note I was sharing with the community garden members where I currently garden, and I thought I would share it with you all as well . . . .


In the garden, wherever I (and others) have used the compost produced by our garden, there have been a bunch of interesting seedlings. At first I thought, hoped really, that they were chives. They had that grass like look of young Allium seedlings.

But, no, what looked like a single seed leaf, divided into two long narrow seed leaves, very typical of the Umbelliferae family, but other than that I had no idea what they were. They didn't really look like carrot seedlings, and I was hoping they were not hedge parsley, often called 'stick tights' or 'miners lice,' which spreads like wild fire. It is totally edible and choice, by the way, but not many people know it or know how to use it.

Meanwhile, the seedlings have been coming in thicker and thicker.

Today I noticed a seed coat still posed on the end of one of the seed leaves. I have been watching to see what the first true leaves look like in an attempt to identify it. That seed coat looked amazingly like a fennel seed, so picked it off and tasted it. Yep, fennel. And it is coming in, in some places, as thick as turf grass.

The good news, is that fennel seedlings are totally edible in soup or salad. They don't taste like much now, and they don't amount to much either. But if you can tolerate them a few weeks, they will be yummy and tender.
 
I can tell you exactly why we have it in our compost. Last year, I was waiting for the fennel seeds to become mature, and I was going to collect them for tea and flavoring--for myself and to possibly share with the food bank if people were interested. But then right before they were mature, someone cut the fennel down. And honestly, I did not investigate further.  But apparently they were put in the compost.

Fennel normally does not have this rampant kind of germination rate, at least not in California where most of my garden experience comes from. Many kinds of seeds, especially but not exclusively those of the Umbelliferae family, have built in dormancy, so that only a few will germinate at any one time, staggering the germination of the seeds over days, months, and even years. It is a built in survival mechanism, which allows at least some of the plants' off spring to survive all kinds of quirky weather changes. Dormancy, however, is built into the seeds at the end of their development. So, if you time it just right, by picking the seeds after they have developed viability, but before they have developed dormancy, you can end up with perfect germination as soon as everything else is in line--such as day length, moisture, and temperature. Apparently, someone caught the fennel, in the exact perfect zone.

For future reference, never ever put fully mature or nearly mature seed heads of any kind in the compost--unless you either want volunteers or you know for a fact that the compost is going to get hot enough to sterilize them. Making truly hot sterilizing compost is an art and a science and it takes a careful blend of materials and attention and work. Yes, it does sometimes happen by accident. But don't count on it.

All gardens get volunteers. Plants that show up, because the seed bearing parts rotted in place or in the compost. Some times the wind blows them in, or they arrive by birds, or perhaps even fairies.  Volunteers are one of the delights of gardening, as far as I am concerned. I love surprises in the garden, and they are often superior to hybrids in taste and color, and nearly always superior to hybrids in vigor and hardiness. Volunteers rock. But not necessarily when they are coming in like turf grass . . . .

Gardening, of course, is a learning experience.  Community gardening is even more so.  We learn together in community.  We learn about gardening and garden materials management not just from our own experience, but from the experience of other gardeners as well.  We learn also, grace; to take the good with the bad and to turn sow's ears into silk purses, to turn a plethora of fennel seedlings into beautiful food.  

Nature abhors bare soil.  Sun light degrades soil nutrients in bare soil, and rain water dissolves them and washes them away.  In nature, if there is enough light, enough warmth, enough soil, enough moisture--the ground is always covered with either green growing things or with a deep natural mulch.  Nature attempts to do the same thing in the garden.  Nature gives us weeds and volunteers to save our soil.  It's our job, in the garden, to accept nature's innate system  and manage it to work in our favor . . .

A Few Thoughts on Starting Seeds . . .

Here at the end of August the weather is cooling off, barely, and I am struggling not to be a seed starting fool.  I have a flat of older seedlings that I move around on the sun porch several times a day, to take best advantage of the light.  In addition I have two flats of newly planted seedlings and one intensive care flat of new cuttings and divisions.  (Not to mention the cuttings in water in the kitchen window, young trees in containers, misc. container plantings, and other things planted in the yard.)

Poking seeds into potting soil is an easy enough task.  However, if that tasks turns out to be successful, tending the plants, potting them up into larger containers, and eventually chipping away at the hard adobe soil out in the yard are not so easy.  There must be a limit!  

In the wild, plants produce anywhere from hundreds to thousands of seeds for every one that successfully grows, matures, and sets seed of its own.  The odds are stacked against the survival of every individual seed produced.  The survival rate of the seeds that find their way to our hands can be better (or sometimes worse) than those seeds produced in the wild.  Growing plants from seed successfully, requires us to understand what the particular seed we are growing needs to thrive; and then being able to deliver those conditions right on time.

When we purchase seeds in packets, especially the more common types of seeds, most of what we need to know may be printed right on the packet.  We need to understand that these instructions are generally not negotiable.  For instance, most seeds need to be kept evenly moist but not soggy to grow.  If we let the garden bed or potting soil dry out, particularly if that happens at just the wrong time, the seeds or seedlings will do what most wild seeds do everywhere—they will die their little tiny deaths.  

Gardeners use many strategies to keep their newly planted seeds and seedlings moist.  My seed starting shelves are the perfect size to hold a single nursery flat on each shelf, and the shelves themselves are wrapped in clear recycled plastic to admit light and hold in moisture.  I start my seeds in six packs and small pots placed within the nursery flats.  I initially pour about an inch of water in the bottom of the flats to give the soil and the seeds a good soaking, and then, with a spray bottle, I keep the surface moist throughout the following days.  This takes a lot of attention, but I gladly give it.

But there are ways to get around paying so much attention.  The more you read about seed starting the more techniques you will find.  Most long time gardeners have used many techniques over their lifetimes and they have settled down with something that works for them.  Some have small green houses with misters running on timers, some use special wicks or self watering arrangements available through garden and nursery supply catalogs.  On the other end of the spectrum you will find gardeners that just throw the seeds on the ground.  In my Hoopa garden, which much of this blog was written about, this was absolutely my favorite (but not only) technique.  

Here in my new home in Lucerne CA, I have found that throwing the seeds on the ground only feeds the bugs and the birds.  So, I have adapted, as gardeners everywhere must adapt.  What works in one place and for one person, will not necessarily work in every place for every person.  Don’t give up if you have so far failed.  Remember, the odds are very much against the seeds; there is no way you are ever going to kill as many as have died in nature.  If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.  

I hope to find myself organized enough to bring you some more thoughts on starting seeds in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, below are some links to more information.  The first is an article on starting seeds that discuses temperature, light, and other germination requirements and supplies, as well as books and websites for more information.  At the second link you will find lots of information on fall planted crops that you can start from seed over the next few months, depending on your weather.  Happy gardening! 

Seed Secrets:

http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2006/06/seed-secrets.html

Fall Gardens:

http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/search?q=Fall+gardens

Seed Secrets

Seeds are like dreams. When you hold them in your hands you can imagine the future: trees lush with shade and summer fruit; vegetables from distant shores; fragrant and spicy herbs; flowers busy with butterflies and hummingbirds. Whatever green things you dream of, most of them start with seeds.

From the tiny veronicas that inhabit lawns and meadows to the giant sequoias of the Sierras, almost all flowering plants set seed. Gardeners with the patience to unlock the secrets of seeds can grow almost any flowering plant no matter how large or small. The key is understanding the needs of each variety you wish to grow.

While most seeds will be happy to take right off when planted in fairly warm soil and kept evenly moist, some seeds require a little more consideration. You can start by planting out only a portion of the seeds in a packet, to see how they will do, or you can do a little research first.

Many seeds will only germinate within narrow temperature ranges. For instance, most common summer vegetables need fairly warm soil temperatures. And soil temperature is often quite different than the temperature of the air. Other seeds have genetically coded dormancy periods that require a specific cold wet time period to stimulate germination. Some seeds need light and others need dark.

Fortunately, for most plants, this information is known and it is usually listed in seed catalogs or on the seed packages. But not always. Resources are listed at the end of the article just in case you are having trouble getting any of your treasured seeds to grow. Meanwhile, here are some basic tips and short cuts to help you unlock the secrets of seeds.

Large Seeds:

Larger seeds, like those from squash and pumpkins, generally germinate and grow quickly. They have a large store of energy to begin their life and are ready to spring into action. All they ask is a warm moist place to sink their roots and adequate sun light to start growing. A warm sunny window or porch makes a good starting place, or they can be planted out in the garden after the soil surface feels warm to the touch. I like to start a few seeds at a time – knowing full well that those I start before the soil warms up may not survive. But if they do and I get an early crop, that makes me smile.

There are exceptions to the large – quick rule. A common one is seed with hard or thick seed coats. Gourds and many trees and shrubs fall into this category. Often all that is necessary to get these seeds to grow is a well placed nick through the seed coat and a nice soak in tepid water over night. (When nicking seed coats it is important to avoid the portion that contains the plant embryo. Ask a gardening buddy for advice on this.) Some thick shelled seeds need to be cold stratified, or have other specific germination regimes. This, however, is more the concern of ornamental gardeners than vegetable gardeners.

Small Seeds:

Small seeds generally take longer to develop into vigorous plants, and the smaller the seed, the more tender loving care the young plant will need. Tomatoes can take four to six weeks from starting before they are ready to face down slugs in the garden, while our hearty pumpkins may be prepared to brave the real world in as little as two or three weeks. Tomatoes and other small seeded plants have limited food stored, so quality seed starting medium or potting soil, supplemental feeding, and lots of the right kind of light is essential.

Seed Starting Mediums:

Unless you have the time and energy to experiment, purchasing sterile seed starting medium is the way to go. These products are all ready screened, contain no weed seeds, bug eggs, or disease pathogens. For those on a limited budget, screened, sterilized compost or leaf-mold can be pressed into use. Make sure your material is well decomposed and all large pieces are removed. You can mix in a bit of sand if you like, to improve drainage. If we get a sunny day you can sterilize your mix outdoors. Evenly moisten your medium, spread it in an old metal baking pan, filling the pan to the top and gently tamping it down. Cover tightly with clear plastic wrap and place in the sun on a warm surface. An old car, or an asphalt, cement, or rock surface works well. Leave in the sun for the day, and your mix is ready to use.

Supplemental Plant Food:

Young seedlings can be feed fish emulsion (get the deodorized kind if you are keeping the plants inside), tea made from alfalfa pellets, diluted coffee, or commercial seed starting food. Fish emulsion and seed starting food are available through most seed catalogs and plant nurseries and will have directions on the label. For do it your selfers: One cup of brewed coffee, diluted, makes a full quart of seedling food and can be used once or twice a week. A handful of alfalfa pellets thrown into a gallon of water and left in the sun makes a nice supplemental plant food that can also be used once or twice a week. Some folks prefer manure or compost tea. More information on these can be found by searching on the Internet.

Light:

Plants need ultraviolet light to grow. The best source is the sun. However, grow lights and full spectrum lights are available for those of us who want to get an early start when our weather won’t allow it. If you are not ready to set up supplemental light, limit your early seed starting to sunny porches and windows. Start a few seeds at a time, and enjoy your fresh produce over a long season.

Space Saving Germination Trick:

My favorite way to start seeds is in zip lock bags. You can keep the seeds evenly moist without any effort, and it is easy check on the emerging seedlings progress. Layer 2 – 4 pieces of bathroom tissue over four pieces of newspaper cut to size. Moisten the stack, and evenly place 6 – 12 seeds on the surface. Slip this into a clean used (or new) reclosable sandwich sized bag. You can store a stack of these baggies in an evenly warm place, away from direct heat. Be sure to check daily. When the seedlings have developed their first seed leaves carefully remove the paper from the bag, and carefully transfer the seedlings to six packs or small pots of potting soil or seed starting medium. By starting seeds this way I find I get better germination rates, better seedling survival rates, and it definitely saves space.

Soil Thermometers:

A soil thermometer is a good investment for anyone serious about growing a large number of plants from seeds, particularly if you are interested in rare or exotic plants. They are also useful to the serious vegetable gardener. Most vegetables germinate best when the soil is between 70 – 90 degrees. Soil thermometers can be found for around $10.00 through many seed catalogs and plant nurseries.


On Line Resources:

The Seed Site
http://theseedsite.co.uk/seedpods.html
Scroll to the bottom of the page for links to information on germination, seed sowing, and seedlings. This site lists more varieties of seeds than most of us will grow in a life time.

Vegetable Germination Temperatures
http://www.heirloomseeds.com/germination.html
Easy to use chart gives soil temperature ranges for germination of commonly grown vegetables.


Books:

The Seed Starter’s Handbook, by Nancy Bubel, published by Rodale Press. Everything the serious vegetable gardener needs to know about starting their own seeds, from soil temperatures, days to germination, and much more.

Save Your Own Seed, By Lawrence D. Hill, published by The Henry Doubleday Research Association. This is a very cool little book that includes a chart on how long vegetable seeds can be saved. It is kind of surprising, some get old pretty quickly and some kinds can last for years.

Growing California Native Plants, by Marjory G. Schmidt, published by California Natural History Guides. Lots of information here on growing ornamental wild plants in the home landscape.

For more information see http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com and stay tuned, next week we will be exploring the wonderful uses of sweet alyssum. Mean while, you can probably find me out in the garden Digging the Dirt.

Copyright 2006 Harvest McCampbell
Published by the Hoopa Valley People Newspaper May 30, 2006
Posted here with permission