|
Saving Tomato Seeds
When saving tomato seeds it's often recommended to ferment them. I tried this and it's not as hard as you might think.
Start with nice ripe tomatoes. Squeeze the pulp into a small container, and add about as much water as you have pulp. Place somewhere out of the way until they start bubbling or go
mouldy. This only takes a few days. Add some more water and scrape of any mould, swirl them around. The good seeds will sink. Pour off the liquid, and rinse a few times until the liquid
is clear. Pour them through a sieve and spread them out to dry. Some people recommend soaking in a diluted chlorine solution for 5 minutes before drying them, but I haven't tried
that.
Apparently the fermentation process aids germination and kills some diseases.
Tip provided by Olwen
|
|
|
Homemade Root Hormone
Cut tips of willow and chop briefly in food processor. Leave to soak in water overnight and strain. Use the liquid to soak cuttings in for a few hours. This
solution promotes root formation.
Tip provided by Therese
|
|
Cleaning Hard Seeds
Put the seed material in a food processor with the steel blade attached (sounds drastic). Pulse for short bursts. Take contents outside and blow gently to
remove chaff and old pods etc. Some seeds benefit from a bit of abrasion on their coats.
I would definitely suggest using only this for very hard seeds. I have done it successfully with sandersonia seed pods (doing sackloads at a time!) They are
a very hard seed which need three months chilling and a months leaching to germinate!
Make sure the seeds are properly dry before doing this or they will be too soft.
Tip provided by Therese |
|
|
Pantyhose Planting Bags
Here is a great way to make cheap planting bags - ideal for situations on steep slopes where soil won't hold without retainers, or just anywhere that you want to grow something but don't have a garden dug.
Cut the legs from old pantyhose and fill them with soil or potting mix. Make a funnel out of a plastic drink bottle or similar, then use this to put the soil into the pantyhose. Tie a knot in the end. If you are going to use this on a hillside, pin it to the ground with bent coathangers or similar. Then cut holes into the bag for your plants. You can cover the bags with straw or bark or similar for aesthetic reasons if you wish.
Tip provided by Norma
|
