RANGELY I The Rangely Community Garden meeting for October is Saturday at 9 a.m. at the CNCC banquet room in the Johnson Building.
Come to our next meeting and find more information on harvesting seeds and information about our gardens. We invite you to attend and share your ideas with us. All ages and organizations may participate in the gardens. The Rangely Community Garden is located west of camper park.
Tips on harvesting seeds
Some of the seeds in your garden are edible, others can be used for next spring’s planting. In days gone by, when the pioneers gathered the last vegetables, they were concerned about harvesting seeds to use the following season. Nowadays, the majority of gardeners simply purchase their seeds. However, you may want to save seeds and experience gardening the way your ancestors did. Seeds that are easy to save are radish, mustard, spinach, lettuce, endive, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, squash, pumpkin, peas, beans, peppers, marigolds and many herbs.
Save the seeds from the best plant and not necessarily the best fruit. Save seeds from leafy plants that take the longest to go to seed. Choose root plants which flower or produce seeds prematurely. Let the seed stalk form on radishes and leafy plants and then cut the entire stalk when it and the seed pods are brown and dry. Place the stalks in a plastic or large paper bag and beat them lightly with a stick to break the pods. Pour seeds from the bag and pick out any remaining chaff.
Harvest your seeds and enjoy next spring’s planting free of charge. You can find more information on “saving seeds” at the Colorado Extension website www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07602.html.
— Phyllis Henley, 629-2897
Rangely Community
Garden member