Crazy gardening idea?

Ravenlost · #1 04/11/12, 10:59 PM

Today I discovered a nice healthy LARGE tomato vine growing in my old chicken pen. I've also found about 12 nice squash plants there too.

It's got me to thinking...instead of storing my extra seeds in the freezer during the winter, why not just sow them in the garden so they'll come up "volunteer" the next Spring?

Crazy idea? Anyone ever try this?

gone-a-milkin · #2 04/11/12, 11:09 PM

I do a lot of transplanting from the compost pile.

On a smaller level I do let things self-sow in beds that are not going to be tilled.
In my salad beds I generally leave a few to go to seed.
They are the first ones to germinate and I dont 'care' if they get wiped out by late freezes.
It is a fun surprise when they come up between the flagstones.

I have a lot of volunteerism as a result of just allowing a few of each thing to bolt.

My chickens grow some nice sorghum *just* outside of their pen each year too.

Ravenlost · #3 04/12/12, 12:45 AM

Hubby and I are experimenting with different ways to garden, so I think I may try this. Seems like it would work with some types of plants...like peas, etc.

EDDIE BUCK · #4 04/12/12, 01:02 AM

Just yesterday I found a tomato plant that has come up in my row of garden peas.Its bigger than all mine I have started inside with heat and grow lights.How in the world did that happen and why has the cold not killed it?? If it makes it through this freeze tonight I'm saving seeds from that rascal

CajunSunshine · #5 04/12/12, 03:04 AM

What the OP is describing follows along the same principles of the gardening technique called ''wintersowing''. Google it and be amazed!

Ravenlost · #6 04/12/12, 03:18 AM

Thanks CajunSunshine! I'll definitely do that!

geo in mi · #7 04/12/12, 07:41 AM

I think Paquetbot uses a similar method with his tomatoes. Sows them in a cold frame outdoors and sort of walks away. (Correct me if I'm wrong, Martin.)

geo

Paquebot · #8 04/12/12, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geo in mi

I think Paquetbot uses a similar method with his tomatoes. Sows them in a cold frame outdoors and sort of walks away. (Correct me if I'm wrong, Martin.)

geo

That's correct except that I also pack about 6" of snow on top of them for water. Jiffy Mix starting medium becomes soaked, seeds get a nice cool drink, and seedlings emerge almost as quick as if started over heating mats.

Martin

Halfway · #9 04/12/12, 11:32 AM

Volunteers along tree lines or old fence rows are GREAT! Especially if you know you may not have the time to care for them beyond your traditional garden. It seems the cukes always do really well ad the cherry tomatoes too!!!!

Not sure about bean or peppers.

It seems the compost heap always want to produce some cukes and watermelon too!

Ravenlost · #10 04/12/12, 12:12 PM

Every year I have volunteer beans and peas pop up in the garden, which is why I'm thinking they would do well.

Tinga · #11 04/12/12, 01:26 PM

I have 3 whole heads of Artichoke flowers that I didn't break down for compost. ( The stalks are super heavy duty and I *was* going to wait for them to dry before I broke them down. The heads fell to the ground with winter and now I've got like 100 or so little sprouts from all the heads!

Huntmo1 · #12 04/12/12, 06:25 PM

I always have stray tomato plants popping up in my garden because of all the composted tomatoes that fell on the ground that I didn't pick up. I currently have lettuce and squash growing on the edge of my compost pile. I had so many extra tomato plants last year, I don't know why I even started any from seed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenlost

Today I discovered a nice healthy LARGE tomato vine growing in my old chicken pen. I've also found about 12 nice squash plants there too.

It's got me to thinking...instead of storing my extra seeds in the freezer during the winter, why not just sow them in the garden so they'll come up "volunteer" the next Spring?

Crazy idea? Anyone ever try this?

Jan in CO · #13 04/12/12, 07:38 PM

My father always got his best squash plants from his compost. Just scooped up a batch of starts and moved them to where he wanted them, clipping off the extra plants.

Callieslamb · #14 04/12/12, 08:18 PM

Last night's heavy frost got all the ones that I was watching outside. The ones in the greenhouse are doing very well. I am seriously considering sowing them in the greenhouse in late winter and transplanting them to the garden. I lost 100 tomato seedlings to some kind of fungus this year - while on my light stand. Grrrrr.

Glacialtill · #15 04/13/12, 12:06 PM

We let a lot of early greens go to seed when they start to bolt when the weather gets hot. So we end up with a bunch of free homegrown seeds like lettuce, cilantro, dill, spinach and so on. I get a few beds ready in the fall and broadcast the seeds, lightly rake them and let them be. The come up in the spring when the weather is right, often before the soil can be worked. Win win.

We've had winter squash for the last two years without planting any, so the seeds must have been from the compost.

We always have cosmos coming up here and there and transplant them where we want them. They always do great.

A new thing I'm experimenting with is garlic bulbils--the small cloves that form from the garlic flower if you don't cut the scapes. I scattered them here and there and they're coming up all over the place. Apparently it's a great free way to increase your garlic stock if you're patient. Time will tell.

Here's an interesting link on the bulbil idea: Organic Garlic Bulbils For Sale

Ravenlost · #16 04/13/12, 12:38 PM

Night before last we had temps in the 30s...high 30s. The tomato plants started indoors are goners. The volunteer wasn't affected at all.

I'll definitely be experimenting with volunteers...if I can call them volunteers since I plan to purposely seed the garden!

jwal10 · #17 04/14/12, 03:19 PM

Works if plants were not hybids, who knows what you will get from hybrids....James

How Do I · #18 04/15/12, 05:43 PM

We get tons of volunteers from the compost pile every year. We have tomatoes and peppers coming up right now. I like the controlled environment for most vegetable seed starting though.

fffarmergirl · #19 04/16/12, 08:52 PM

I'd love to do a lot of winter sowing but I still have a hard time telling the difference between weeds and vegetable seedings. I start most of my seeds indoors so I know what's what. . . . .

Just Little Me · #20 04/16/12, 09:07 PM

I plant half my seeds in the fall right before frost. The second half in the spring after danger of frost. Both come out great.