We're getting ready for spring! We've been busy buying heirloom and organic seeds. The more I read about GMO seeds and all things GMO (genetically modified organisms), the less I like it and the less I will support it. To expand a little on the different types of seeds that are available we will discuss those that are available.

Let's talk about the different types of seeds

Hybrid Seeds
With hybrid seeds, you certainly can save the seeds to replant the next growing season, but what you grew the year before probably won't be what the seeds produce the following years. Hybrid seeds are a result of a crossing of 2 vegetables or fruits by pollination. They tend to inherit desired traits of both "parent" plants.

Heirloom Seeds are seeds, that have been bred and recognized by the USDA for over fifty years. They are probably better for seed survival. Since they are grown by small independent farmers, they are hard to find.

Non-Hydrid Seeds are those that we choose for this homestead. These are from heirloom plants that have been bred and rebred for many, many years to create a desired trait. These types of seeds, when saved, will most likely reproduce plants with the same traits as the plant that grew before it. With these, you can choose healthy, rigorous plants to save seeds and most likely, with proper care, have that same type of fruit or vegetable the following years.

Open Pollinated Seeds are those that are pollinated by natural means, i.e. bees and other flying insects.

GMO seeds are those that have been genetically modified, most often are antibiotic resistant, have the potential to introduce allergens to humans and seem to be creating herbicide resistance. GMO seeds DO however, produce crops that have longer shelf lives and can create higher yields.


Living in these times, we must learn to be frugal in all things, including seed saving. Last year's garden was 90 x 90 feet. This year we're going to extend it a bit because I am planting more items so that I can sell at the farmer's market. With companion planting (growing compatible vegetables in the midst of each other, you can maximize your planting area. Growing onions in the midst of tomatoes has definate advantages).

With the planning stage, we have purchased pole beans, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, chili peppers, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, onions, zuchinni, crookneck squash, cantaloupe, pumpkin, cucumbers, 2 different types of eggplant, pimientos, bok choy, lemon cucumbers, sweet potatoes, Kennebec potatoes, and several types of lettuce. I also want to grow birdhouse gourds and luffa gourds this year. I've tried growing corn several times and have had no luck with it. It's almost easier to barter other veggies that I grow for enough corn to preserve for my husband and I. Our farmer's market is a wonderful place to buy and barter.

We're putting in a large herb garden this year. Most herbs reseed themselves so this is an investment that will hopefully be well worth the time, cost and effort. Most of our herb garden seeds have already been purchased from heirloom seed dealers on eBay and through heirloomseeds.com. Our garden will include: dill, sweet basil, lemon basil, rosemary, thyme, comfrey, chamomile, cilantro, feverfew, echinacea, nasturtiums, and yarrow. I have several lavendar plants growing already and will add to those numbers as well.

We planted strawberries and 4 grape vines last year, as well as 16 fruit trees (apple and pear). The fruit trees became a living property line marker for the side yard. More grape vines will be added this year. I also planted 4 raspberry vines that I accidentally mowed over when I cut the grass. Lesson learned: Place bright colored markers where plants are that are NOT located in the main garden. We use a good portion of our back yard to grow produce and raise chickens. Space has to be defined so that productivity will be high.

Living in Kentucky means that we are dealing with clay soil. Clay is great for holding moisture (as evidenced by last year's rain and the garden being unable to be tilled until the 1st of May), but it also means that we have to amend the soil's pH to be of good growing medium. We have (and are) adding the cleanings from the chicken coop to the garden bed this winter, this past fall we added mulch from leaves and grass clippings (we haven't been here long enough to grow good compost), have added sterilized manure, sand and will probably be adding lime to it as soon as I get to the co-op store to buy it. We will also add more sand to the garden this year. By all rights, the lime should have been added last fall, but it was something that I just learned, so we're going to get it done. There are other things that can be done to improve soil texture, such as planting different types of grains in the fall as a winter cover crop. That's something we'll try as we go along.

We've created a rough draft of how the garden will be planted. I believe in companion planting and in wide row planting. It seems to save quite a bit of space and still produces larger yields. This year I will try raised beds for a lot of the vegetables. I've read quite a bit about the advantages of that too.

In a future post, I'll share that diagram with you and as the year rolls along, we'll share pics of our garden with you as well. I can't wait until spring! With visions of vegetable and herb plants in my head, it's time to close this post and get to bed.