mike777
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Starting seed planting

I'm a total novice, but I just can't find the answer on the internet. So if any help, I would be so thankful.

In starting seeds, I see on youtube everyone is using seeds that they buy from a package. Can't I just use the seeds from the veggies I eat. Like green peppers, they're loaded with seeds.

I especially want to start off making my own kale. I can't believe how much it costs in a grocery store now.

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rainbowgardener
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At times you can. I do collect seeds from some of my home grown flowers, herbs, veggies. But it depends a little. I have never had any luck trying to start peppers from seeds from grocery store green peppers (though there are people who say they have). Green peppers are picked very green, so the seeds in them are immature. If you get ripe, red bell peppers, they will work better.

You can start tomatoes from grocery store tomato seeds. We have a thread going on about it now. It's a bit more complicated, because they are encased in gel which has to be fermented off.

And most grocery store veggies are hybrids, which means the plants grown from the seeds will not resemble the parent veggie you got it from any more (or less) than your children resemble you. Seeds from red tomatoes will produce red tomatoes, but they may not be the same size or flavor.

Seeds from grocery store squash grow very well - my compost pile is always full of volunteers from them.

Dry beans from the grocery store will usually sprout if soaked over night. Cloves of grocery store garlic can be planted and grow into a head of garlic. Grocery store potatoes can be used as seed potatoes. Common seed spices like dill seed, mustard seed, caraway will often sprout if they haven't been sitting on the shelf too long.

Welcome to the forum! :D

Compost Angel
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Mike, Rainbowgardener has steered you down the right path. I want to add that many, many plants sold in the spring for home gardening are hybrids, and you won't get the same produce from the seeds you save.

In my experience, an extra buck or two to get the best seeds you can is usually money well spent!

imafan26
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I agree with Rainbow. I have started seeds from the store mostly dried beans, ginger, garlic, shallots, and some melons and squash. I also have collected seeds from my plants. Crackerjack marigolds, fennel, dill, basil, shiso, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Hibiscus acetosela, sunflowers, sesame, turmeric (divisions), cardomom (divisions), peppers and papaya.

I have not collected seeds either from the store or my own tomatoes, the birds will occasionally drop a present. Bird planted seeds are usually good. Birds are fussy and will only go after the best fruit. The tomatoes were hybrids but sometimes the progeny is still good. The ones that are not good, the birds don't bother. I have grown kaffir lime leaves and calamondin from seeds. It will take years for them to fruit. Kaffir lime leaves are grown more for their leaves, the fruit is pithy and not very good for eating anyway.

There are some things are not worth growing for me. None of the cold hardy fruits will do well. Apples, peaches, pears require minimum chilling. I do have a bartlett pear but it does not taste very good.

I can grow the store garlic because it is a softneck variety. The type of onion and garlic you can grow will depend on your location. You will be able to grow most the of the things that were grown close to where you live. I can grow asparagus but not rhododrens, or crocus.

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applestar
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Yep I agree with what has been said.
Find out the closest heirloom or open pollinated -- NOT hybrid (sometimes noted as F1) -- variety of kale that is like the kind you like to eat, and buy seeds for those. There are inexpensive sources like Sample Seed shop, Pinetree Gardens, etc. that sell very small packets if you only need to grow a small amount.

Kale, though, will require two years to obtain seeds because it's a type of plant called "biennial" that flowers and makes seeds 2nd year, then dies. Leave some of the kale plants -- preferably best and healthiest -- mostly unharvested in the garden in the fall and - if they survive the winter -- they will grow tall flower stalks next spring and flower. By summer, they will have formed seed pods -- dry and save before they shatter and scatter seeds all over the place (though these will grow when conditions become favorable).

You will get TONS -- way more than you need to grow kale in the garden, so use some for growing kale sprouts, put excess in the bird feeder.... It's best to collect seeds from a least two or more plants for genetic diversity.

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rainbowgardener
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what do you think, mike, was this helpful?

You mentioned particularly wanting kale. That is one that you will have to buy a packet of seeds for. What we eat is the leaves and only before it has started to flower/ set seed.

As noted seeds are quite inexpensive. One packet of seeds will likely be way more than you need. But you can store the leftovers. If you keep them in a cool to cold dry place, they will last several years. So your two dollar investment in a seed packet will give you several seasons worth of kale. :) Such a bargain!



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