At the root of productive food gardening is the art of seed saving.
Everything else – germinating, fertilising, pruning – comes long after, says Edible Eden Design founder Karen Sutherland.
“People don’t know how to recognise when the seed is right,” Ms Sutherland says. “Different plants’ seeds have different requirements.”
Whether it is harvesting before seeds are ready, or not waiting for zucchinis to naturally pollinate, small mistakes can be costly.
Seed saving is one of the most important parts of the food cycle, and it’s one of the only ways guaranteed to save gardeners money – store-bought seedlings can be costly, Ms Sutherland says.
“Often seeds should be harvested when they’re yellow, brown or black,” she says. “Definitely not green … for example, pumpkin seeds should be plump when harvesting.”
Ms Sutherland will be explaining the ins and outs of seed saving at a free workshop in Taylors Hill this month.
It will run from 7-9pm on Wednesday, April 20, at the Taylors Hill Neighbourhood House, 121 Calder Park Drive. For more information, call 9747 5424.
