Saving seeds is one of the first things prehistoric man did when he left his hunter-gatherer existence and settled down on a piece of land. Although it is still possible to gather food in some places in Hawaii, it’s also important to grow it yourself so you have it right at hand when you need or want it.
Saving seeds is one of the first things prehistoric man did when he left his hunter-gatherer existence and settled down on a piece of land. Although it is still possible to gather food in some places in Hawaii, it’s also important to grow it yourself so you have it right at hand when you need or want it.
At one time, the U.S. government was the main provider of seeds. Politicians would distribute them while traveling around their district. Today, politicians have no more seeds to give, so we either need to buy them or save them ourselves.
Most seeds, except those that are genetically modified, are inexpensive, but it also comes down to quality and availability. Good seeds are hard to find, and farmers cannot plant if they don’t have easy access to quality seeds.
Maine farmer and farm tool inventor Eliot Coleman believes in growing his own seed. He said, “Seeds are the spark of the operation. … For most crops the vigor and viability of seeds grown under careful cultural practices will far excel seeds that are purchased.” When you grow your own seed, you’ll keep seeds from the biggest and the best for your own garden or farm and you’ll see good results in quick seed emergence, excellent plant vigor and wonderful crops.
Some seeds are easy to collect, save and grow. Others may require some effort, especially in separating the seed from the chaff. So is life. Late summer can be a good time to gather seed. As the weather gets drier, it is easier to dry them down.
Allow some plants in your garden to flower and go to seed. Ideally, you will choose seeds from several plants instead of one. This helps maintain diversity in your seeds. Each plant is an individual with special attributes. Taking seeds from a few plants assures that you have a larger gene pool. Some plants may have more tolerance to heat while others may grow better in cooler months. This diversity will express itself in the different seasons and in the different challenges you’ll face as a grower.
Inbreds are plants crossed with themselves or even with siblings. This is done to concentrate characteristics. Before the 1900s, most seeds were inbreds, distributed by the government and some seed companies.
Most inbred seeds come out true-to-type, looking very similar to the parent, but some might look a little different.
Seed savers usually save inbred seeds and select for characteristics they want or need in certain seasons, such as heat-tolerance, sweetness, disease-resistance, large fruit or head.
A hybrid is usually a cross between two unrelated varieties usually within the same family. By crossing them together, seed breeders can incorporate positive characteristics from each parent into the next generation. If you save seeds from a hybrid and plant them, a whole mix of unpredictable characteristics will likely emerge. The plants will probably resemble a little of each parent and everything in between. We are good examples of hybrids, with a mix of genes from each of our parents. Like the children of hybrid plants, we have a mix of our parents’ genes and aren’t exactly the same as either of them or our siblings.
Many believe the creation of hybrids was a strategy to force farmers to buy new seed for each season, but there are also benefits, especially when breeding for increased resistance to diseases. Some diseases are so virulent that it is best if both parents have some tolerance. Combining the two creates a hybrid with multiple levels of disease tolerance. This hybridizing technique has been used in breeding tomatoes for Hawaii.
Among my favorite seeds to save are pumpkins and kabocha, okra, eggplant, lettuce, peppers, green onion, daikon and tomato. These are all easy to save and provide a great next generation of plants. Seed saving will compound your savings, especially when you have fresh, luscious, and sweet vegetables to harvest for your table, share with others or sell.
This article originally appeared in the Molokai Dispatch on July 17. Republished with permission.
Glenn I. Teves is the UH CTAHR County Extension Agent on Molokai.
Tropical Gardening Helpline
Raven asks: My lettuce and parsley plants have a yellow stippling pattern on the leaves. What causes this and is there anything I can do about it?
Tropical Gardener answer: Scot Nelson was very helpful in identifying this problem from looking at the photographs of the damage. He suspects the plants have been attacked by the garden fleahopper, Halticus bractatus.
This tiny critter is between 1/8 and 1/16 inches long but in large numbers their sucking of plant juices can cause some serious cosmetic damage.
Though the stippling may make your lettuce look unappetizing, you can wash any critters that remain off the damaged lettuce and it is OK to eat. The damage may appear similar to that caused by mites, but in wet weather, the fleahopper is a more likely suspect. These insects, though tiny, are visible to the naked eye. Some adults have back legs that allow them to hop, as well as wings that help them quickly move from plant to plant.
In the nymph stage, fleahoppers resemble active aphids. They are related to aphids and other sucking insects, such as leafhoppers, but fleahoppers do not usually threaten the life of the plant.
Use botanical products containing rotenone or sabadilla to reduce their population or try using a safer soap and neem oil spray that will suffocate them on contact and may discourage others from feeding.
Sticky traps may be effective in catching some of them as they move from plant to plant. Be careful what you use on edible crops and follow directions on the label for the waiting time before harvest, even with organic insecticides.
If fleahoppers present a serious threat to your crop’s appearance, try planting a nonedible trap crop nearby where they will gather. Use a systemic insecticide to kill them, then remove the plant. Because they move rapidly, planting a fleahopper favorite such as alfalfa is no guarantee they will stay away from your lettuce.
Natural predators exist that even botanical insecticides will kill. Discourage them with frequent soap and oil sprays and learn to love stippled lettuce and parsley until they move on.
More information and photos of this critter are available at entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/leaf/fleahopper.htm.
Gardening events
Wednesday: “Farm to School Workday” from 8:30 to 10 am at Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter
School lower garden next to the library. Bring tools to help prep garden for students. For information or to
volunteer now or during the school year, call 640-0278
Farmer direct markets
Wednesday: Hooulu Community Market, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay
Saturday: Keauhou Farm Bureau Market, 8 a.m. to noon at Keauhou Shopping Center
Sunday: South Kona Green Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Amy Greenwell Garden in Captain Cook
Plant advice lines
Email questions to Master Gardeners at konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu.
Call UH-CES in Kainaliu between 9 a.m. and noon Thursday, at 322-4892.
Email plant questions to konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu for answers by Certified Master Gardeners.
Some questions will be chosen for inclusion in this column.
This column is produced by Diana Duff.