0:00:00.000,0:00:01.560
Elise>> As a beginner gardener,

0:00:01.560,0:00:02.700
you may be intimidated

0:00:02.700,0:00:04.440
by the thought of saving seed,

0:00:04.440,0:00:06.360
but it is such an

0:00:06.360,0:00:07.800
easier-than-you-think skill

0:00:07.800,0:00:09.060
and critically important

0:00:09.060,0:00:11.040
because it allows you to maintain

0:00:11.040,0:00:12.600
control of your food source

0:00:12.600,0:00:14.820
and what you get to plant out each season.

0:00:15.540,0:00:16.680
We're going to be talking today

0:00:16.680,0:00:18.540
about why it's so important,

0:00:18.540,0:00:21.360
how to identify when the seed is ready to save,

0:00:21.360,0:00:23.280
as well as how to go about doing it.

0:00:23.280,0:00:25.080
Robin>> Yes, and I'd like to add in.

0:00:25.620,0:00:27.300
When I was a beginner gardener,

0:00:27.300,0:00:29.820
I was very intimidated by saving seeds.

0:00:29.820,0:00:31.860
It probably took me a few years

0:00:31.860,0:00:33.840
before I ever started doing it,

0:00:33.840,0:00:35.760
but then I realized how easy it is.

0:00:35.760,0:00:38.940
And as far as you getting your free seed pack,

0:00:38.940,0:00:41.280
with that one seed pack,

0:00:41.280,0:00:44.160
you can turn that into dozens

0:00:44.160,0:00:46.380
or hundreds of seed packs,

0:00:46.380,0:00:47.340
and you don't need another one

0:00:47.340,0:00:49.560
from us if you learn this basic skill

0:00:49.560,0:00:50.820
of how to save seeds.

0:00:50.820,0:00:52.440
So what you're seeing right now

0:00:52.440,0:00:54.360
is sort of the end stage

0:00:54.360,0:00:55.080
of the garden.

0:00:55.080,0:00:58.260
Here in Florida, it's mid-April,

0:00:58.260,0:01:01.200
which is kind of the equivalent of the end

0:01:01.200,0:01:03.360
of the summer in the northern climates.

0:01:03.360,0:01:05.520
We're past having tons to eat,

0:01:05.520,0:01:06.540
and we're actually

0:01:07.260,0:01:09.840
in the more of the seed-saving stage.

0:01:09.840,0:01:11.580
And so what I'm really excited about

0:01:11.580,0:01:14.520
is we have seeds in multiple different stages

0:01:14.520,0:01:15.540
that we're going to be able

0:01:15.540,0:01:16.440
to show you today.

0:01:16.440,0:01:19.020
Elise>> So when you are

0:01:19.020,0:01:20.520
letting things go to seed,

0:01:20.520,0:01:21.360
it's the end of season.

0:01:21.360,0:01:23.700
A lot of people have concerns

0:01:23.700,0:01:25.200
that they want to stop it,

0:01:25.200,0:01:29.520
and it's just not part of the natural process.

0:01:29.520,0:01:31.800
Once things decide to go to seed,

0:01:31.800,0:01:33.840
whether it be from temperature cues,

0:01:33.840,0:01:36.300
daylight, as the days start to shorten,

0:01:36.300,0:01:37.680
it cues the plants in like,

0:01:37.680,0:01:39.660
"Hey, we need to reproduce."

0:01:39.660,0:01:41.220
There's not much we can do

0:01:41.220,0:01:42.660
to slow that process down.

0:01:42.660,0:01:43.980
And we don't really want to

0:01:43.980,0:01:46.080
because we need to save some seed.

0:01:46.080,0:01:48.360
So as we go through this process,

0:01:48.360,0:01:49.860
different plants are going to bolt

0:01:49.860,0:01:51.660
or go to seed at different times.

0:01:51.660,0:01:55.020
So identifying when it's time

0:01:55.020,0:01:57.240
to save that seed is important.

0:01:57.240,0:01:58.560
If you harvest it too early,

0:01:58.560,0:01:59.880
the seed may not be viable,

0:01:59.880,0:02:01.140
and if you wait too long,

0:02:01.140,0:02:03.180
it may do what's called self-seeding,

0:02:03.180,0:02:05.040
which just means sending out a lot of volunteers.

0:02:05.040,0:02:06.240
Not the worst thing in the world,

0:02:06.240,0:02:08.880
but not as much in control

0:02:08.880,0:02:11.160
of how you save those seeds.

0:02:11.160,0:02:14.340
Robin>> Either self-seeding can be wonderful

0:02:14.340,0:02:17.520
or keeping a little more [br]controlled in order to harvest.

0:02:17.520,0:02:19.020
Now, one quick question,

0:02:19.020,0:02:20.940
with a lot of these plants,

0:02:20.940,0:02:23.280
if they're starting to bolt just a little bit,

0:02:23.280,0:02:25.800
you can be pruning that back

0:02:25.800,0:02:28.800
to continue flushing out greens, right?

0:02:28.800,0:02:30.540
Elise>> So it depends on the plant.

0:02:30.540,0:02:32.940
So a lot of our herbs and stuff

0:02:32.940,0:02:34.140
can take pruning,

0:02:34.140,0:02:36.180
so if we want to buy a little time

0:02:36.180,0:02:37.800
with some of our basils and such,

0:02:37.800,0:02:39.060
you can prune those back

0:02:39.060,0:02:41.820
and it will extend your harvest season.

0:02:41.820,0:02:45.180
But certain things like the radish, for example,

0:02:45.180,0:02:47.820
or even your mustards,

0:02:48.480,0:02:50.100
when things bolt and go to seed,

0:02:50.100,0:02:53.100
it completely changes the [br]flavor profile of the plant.

0:02:53.100,0:02:54.300
So you're going to find

0:02:54.300,0:02:56.040
that they don't taste quite as good.

0:02:56.040,0:02:58.500
They usually tend, especially [br]with the leafy greens,

0:02:58.500,0:02:59.640
to get a lot more bitter.

0:02:59.640,0:03:01.200
The leaves get tougher.

0:03:01.200,0:03:04.440
With the root vegetables like radish,

0:03:04.440,0:03:06.540
it's going to make the root,

0:03:06.540,0:03:07.620
which is what we would harvest,

0:03:07.620,0:03:09.240
a lot harder and woodier.

0:03:09.240,0:03:11.430
So it's just not as appetizing.

0:03:11.430,0:03:13.620
Robin>> So once they're starting to bolt,

0:03:13.620,0:03:15.840
it's time to start saving seeds.

0:03:15.840,0:03:18.240
So should we start with

0:03:18.240,0:03:20.280
this beautiful radish right here?

0:03:20.280,0:03:20.760
Elise>> Yeah,

0:03:21.480,0:03:25.380
so when you have a plant that's bolted,

0:03:25.380,0:03:26.760
the first thing you're going to see

0:03:26.760,0:03:27.600
is not the seeds,

0:03:27.600,0:03:28.620
it's going to be the flowers.

0:03:28.620,0:03:31.500
All of these are going to pollinate themselves.

0:03:31.500,0:03:32.940
You don't have to be concerned

0:03:32.940,0:03:34.500
about trying to cross-pollinate

0:03:34.500,0:03:35.580
or do anything like that.

0:03:35.580,0:03:37.860
Sometimes when you first start searching

0:03:37.860,0:03:39.540
and Googling about seed saving,

0:03:39.540,0:03:41.580
it gets a little bit like next level

0:03:41.580,0:03:44.340
or extra steps that aren't actually necessary.

0:03:44.340,0:03:46.500
So just letting nature do its thing.

0:03:46.500,0:03:46.980
Robin>> Yes.

0:03:46.980,0:03:47.700
Elise>> At this point,

0:03:47.700,0:03:49.740
these leaves or these flowers

0:03:49.740,0:03:51.720
are being pollinated by bees.

0:03:51.720,0:03:53.100
And when that happens,

0:03:53.100,0:03:56.220
they will eventually start forming the seed pods,

0:03:56.220,0:03:56.820
which you can see

0:03:56.820,0:03:58.860
just starting to form along here.

0:03:58.860,0:04:01.020
Robin>> Yeah, we have the flower,

0:04:01.020,0:04:02.100
well, we have the bud,

0:04:02.100,0:04:03.180
then the flower,

0:04:03.180,0:04:06.000
then we have the very small seeds

0:04:06.000,0:04:07.260
just getting started,

0:04:07.260,0:04:09.000
and then the larger seed pods.

0:04:09.000,0:04:12.120
So this is kind of the earlier stage,

0:04:12.120,0:04:14.130
really early stage here, right?

0:04:14.130,0:04:15.540
Elise>> Yeah, this is the very beginning,

0:04:15.540,0:04:16.680
and it kind of does show you

0:04:16.680,0:04:17.700
as like a walk through.

0:04:17.700,0:04:21.420
So this, leave it be.

0:04:21.420,0:04:23.760
We are doing nothing with [br]this plant at this point.

0:04:23.760,0:04:25.800
There's no viable seed to save.

0:04:25.800,0:04:28.320
We're going to be looking for

0:04:28.320,0:04:30.540
nice, thick, fat seed pods,

0:04:30.540,0:04:33.180
as well as a brown color to the seed pod,

0:04:33.180,0:04:34.380
before we're going to consider

0:04:34.380,0:04:35.400
saving seed from it.

0:04:35.400,0:04:35.760
Robin>> Yeah.

0:04:35.760,0:04:37.260
And before we move on to that,

0:04:37.260,0:04:39.240
actually, we have this radish here as well,

0:04:39.240,0:04:42.360
which is probably like a week or two behind.

0:04:42.360,0:04:43.320
Elise>> What would you say?

0:04:43.320,0:04:45.000
From here to here?

0:04:45.000,0:04:46.380
Elise>> I'd say at least two weeks,

0:04:46.380,0:04:47.100
Robin>> two weeks.

0:04:47.100,0:04:48.180
So you can see,

0:04:48.180,0:04:51.120
this is still a little bit [br]more of the bolting stage.

0:04:51.120,0:04:52.200
It's not leggy yet,

0:04:52.200,0:04:54.300
the flowers are just starting to come out.

0:04:55.740,0:04:58.240
You know, I'll still eat it.

0:04:58.800,0:05:00.480
It's definitely a much rougher green,

0:05:00.480,0:05:02.820
but for me,

0:05:03.360,0:05:05.520
I'd still be cooking these up and everything.

0:05:05.520,0:05:07.800
But this is definitely on

0:05:07.800,0:05:09.060
to the seed saving stage.

0:05:09.060,0:05:11.400
Elise>> One of the fun things [br]that I always like to do

0:05:11.400,0:05:12.600
especially when you're late in season

0:05:12.600,0:05:14.300
and just trying to get the [br]lest of it out of it,....

0:05:14.300,0:05:16.080
These flowers are all edible.

0:05:17.220,0:05:19.200
They make a beautiful, fun addition to your salad.

0:05:19.200,0:05:24.060
So they taste just like the plant itself.

0:05:24.060,0:05:25.860
So if you're eating a radish,

0:05:25.860,0:05:28.320
it's going to have a zip, like a radish flavor.

0:05:28.320,0:05:31.020
With the kales, the same way.

0:05:31.020,0:05:33.660
So it's just a fun, flavorful addition.

0:05:33.660,0:05:35.880
You can use them as garnish

0:05:35.880,0:05:37.860
in your salads or on your plate.

0:05:37.860,0:05:38.880
Or you can even,

0:05:38.880,0:05:41.820
my daughter will pick entire flower salads

0:05:41.820,0:05:42.960
in her palm and just....

0:05:42.960,0:05:44.160
It's just a fun way

0:05:44.160,0:05:45.360
to involve the kids in the garden.

0:05:45.360,0:05:46.980
Robin>> And if you hear Patrick laughing

0:05:46.980,0:05:48.660
behind the camera, it's all good.

0:05:48.660,0:05:50.100
That's Patrick and Victoria.

0:05:50.100,0:05:54.900
Oh, there's a ladybug, lady beetle, ladybug.

0:05:54.900,0:05:57.900
Yeah, they're back there [br]enjoying the garden with us.

0:06:00.060,0:06:00.840
I just want to say,

0:06:03.000,0:06:04.740
How many seeds?

0:06:04.740,0:06:07.860
So in your free seed pack, you get about 20,

0:06:07.860,0:06:09.840
is it 50 radish seeds?

0:06:09.840,0:06:12.300
How many seeds do you think you'd get

0:06:12.300,0:06:13.740
from this one plant?

0:06:13.740,0:06:16.140
Elise>> So you're probably looking

0:06:16.140,0:06:17.760
at 500 if not better

0:06:17.760,0:06:19.740
if you were to allow this fully to mature.

0:06:19.740,0:06:21.030
Robin>> 500!

0:06:21.030,0:06:25.140
Elise>> This is kind of like [br]garden economics, right?

0:06:25.140,0:06:30.540
So we don't have to let all [br]of our plants go to seed,

0:06:30.540,0:06:34.980
but it is important to save maybe an eighth.

0:06:34.980,0:06:37.320
So if you plant out 10 radishes,

0:06:37.320,0:06:38.700
eat eight of them for you

0:06:38.700,0:06:40.800
but leave two to save seed from.

0:06:40.800,0:06:42.900
You always want to leave at least two,

0:06:42.900,0:06:44.340
if not more, of plants.

0:06:44.340,0:06:45.900
It allows for better crops pollination,

0:06:45.900,0:06:47.100
you'll get better seed.

0:06:47.100,0:06:49.500
It also allows genetic mixing

0:06:49.500,0:06:50.880
so that you don't end up with something

0:06:50.880,0:06:53.850
over time showing up in your plants.

0:06:53.850,0:06:54.420
Robin>> Yeah.

0:06:54.420,0:06:57.060
Elise>> But that is important to think of.

0:06:57.060,0:06:59.220
You're not having to sacrifice much

0:06:59.220,0:07:01.541
to be able to save an insane amount of seeds.

0:07:01.541,0:07:02.730
Robin>> You're not sacrificing anything!

0:07:02.730,0:07:03.600
Elise>> Yeah!

0:07:03.600,0:07:05.460
Robin>> Some people could look at it as

0:07:05.460,0:07:06.840
"Well, I could have eaten that radish,"

0:07:06.840,0:07:09.180
but saving that one radish

0:07:09.180,0:07:12.360
can turn into 500 radishes

0:07:12.360,0:07:13.620
for you and your community.

0:07:13.620,0:07:17.100
So I'm incredibly excited about seed saving.

0:07:17.100,0:07:18.600
I mean, receiving this pack,

0:07:19.200,0:07:20.820
it's called the power of the seed pack

0:07:20.820,0:07:22.620
because with this one pack,

0:07:22.620,0:07:23.760
you can grow a lot of food.

0:07:23.760,0:07:25.620
But if you get into seed saving,

0:07:25.620,0:07:27.540
we're talking about you being able

0:07:27.540,0:07:28.980
to start giving packs

0:07:28.980,0:07:30.720
to people all throughout your community.

0:07:30.720,0:07:32.100
So it's super exciting.

0:07:32.100,0:07:35.760
So let's see some other plants

0:07:35.760,0:07:39.240
that are in the seed stage.

0:07:39.240,0:07:42.240
Elise>> So over here is cilantro.

0:07:42.240,0:07:45.000
And a lot of times we don't connect the dots,

0:07:45.000,0:07:46.560
especially with our herbs,

0:07:46.560,0:07:49.740
as far as fresh herbs and seeds.

0:07:49.740,0:07:52.200
So a lot of people will use coriander.

0:07:52.740,0:07:54.480
That's cilantro seed.

0:07:54.480,0:07:55.440
They're the same plant.

0:07:55.440,0:07:56.940
It's just eating the seed

0:07:56.940,0:07:57.720
which is ground up

0:07:57.720,0:07:59.940
or eating the herb which is fresh.

0:07:59.940,0:08:03.120
So this is going to look a little bit different

0:08:03.120,0:08:05.040
when it bolts or goes to seed.

0:08:05.040,0:08:08.160
So you're going to have not as much leggy growth.

0:08:08.160,0:08:10.020
It's going to stay a little bit more compact.

0:08:10.020,0:08:11.460
They stay kind of in place

0:08:11.460,0:08:13.800
but the leaves get really frilly.

0:08:13.800,0:08:15.540
I use the leaves as an indicator

0:08:15.540,0:08:17.220
that there is a change in bolting

0:08:17.220,0:08:17.940
because sometimes,

0:08:17.940,0:08:19.260
especially when we're new to gardening,

0:08:19.260,0:08:20.340
we may not know if that's

0:08:20.340,0:08:22.380
a natural part of it or whatnot.

0:08:22.380,0:08:24.600
So typically when plants go to seed,

0:08:24.600,0:08:26.760
they're going to change their leaf shape a lot.

0:08:26.760,0:08:29.280
Robin>> You've got these tiny little leaves

0:08:29.280,0:08:30.352
here on the radish for example.

0:08:30.352,0:08:31.920
Elise>> Yeah, which is completely different

0:08:32.640,0:08:33.780
from this one here.

0:08:33.780,0:08:34.260
Robin>> Yes.

0:08:34.260,0:08:35.880
Elise>> And the same goes here.

0:08:35.880,0:08:37.980
So this is our normal cilantro leaf,

0:08:37.980,0:08:39.300
a little yellow though,

0:08:39.300,0:08:42.240
and then this is what it looks like

0:08:42.240,0:08:46.200
when it is in seed or bolting.

0:08:46.200,0:08:49.440
So there is a completely different look to it.

0:08:49.440,0:08:51.420
And the same goes,

0:08:51.420,0:08:52.680
so regardless of where

0:08:52.680,0:08:56.160
the seed pods are forming

0:08:56.160,0:08:57.540
or the shape of those seeds,

0:08:57.540,0:09:00.600
anything in this green stage is not ready yet.

0:09:00.600,0:09:02.760
We need to wait for it to start to turn brown

0:09:02.760,0:09:04.980
before we're looking at saving seeds.

0:09:04.980,0:09:05.400
Robin>> Yes,

0:09:07.260,0:09:10.260
cilantro is in the beneficial [br]insect attractant mix,

0:09:10.260,0:09:12.840
so you'll generally only get one

0:09:12.840,0:09:14.520
or a couple of cilantro seeds.

0:09:14.520,0:09:18.120
But that's the key - let that go to seed.

0:09:18.120,0:09:20.460
They're in the beneficial insect attracting mix

0:09:20.460,0:09:22.320
because they do attract insects,

0:09:22.320,0:09:24.900
so you actually want to let those go to flower

0:09:24.900,0:09:25.920
and go to seed.

0:09:25.920,0:09:27.840
Harvest them, and then next year

0:09:27.840,0:09:30.240
you can have a lot of cilantro.

0:09:30.240,0:09:32.940
So, I want to talk a little bit about

0:09:32.940,0:09:34.800
saving seeds from the basil.

0:09:34.800,0:09:35.640
In the basil mix,

0:09:35.640,0:09:37.860
you've got up to five different basils

0:09:37.860,0:09:42.420
your standard Italian, Thai, holy basil,

0:09:42.420,0:09:44.520
lemon basil, and red Reuben.

0:09:45.480,0:09:49.260
Of those, which would you say is the hardest?

0:09:49.260,0:09:52.800
They're not all the same for saving seeds, right?

0:09:52.800,0:09:53.460
Elise>> Yeah

0:09:55.620,0:09:58.020
we say is easy to save seed, and it is.

0:09:58.020,0:10:01.020
But there are some that are easier

0:10:01.020,0:10:03.000
to save seed from than others.

0:10:03.000,0:10:05.280
Things like arugula and radish

0:10:05.280,0:10:07.620
are super, super easy.

0:10:07.620,0:10:10.560
If you're questioning your abilities, start there.

0:10:10.560,0:10:13.140
If you're a little bit more confident

0:10:13.140,0:10:15.300
or just willing to play and explore and have fun,

0:10:15.300,0:10:18.120
then something like basil is a good halfway point.

0:10:18.120,0:10:20.010
You're going to be able to save seed,

0:10:20.010,0:10:21.840
but it's a little bit more nuanced

0:10:21.840,0:10:23.100
as far as when you're catching it

0:10:23.100,0:10:25.080
at just the right stage

0:10:25.080,0:10:27.120
if you're wanting to take [br]the seed inside with you.

0:10:27.120,0:10:29.220
But that's an important point....

0:10:29.220,0:10:32.400
Robin>> just to say in the seed saving guide,

0:10:32.400,0:10:33.480
we have a list

0:10:33.480,0:10:35.460
and it tells you exactly which

0:10:35.460,0:10:37.980
seeds are the easiest, more middle level,

0:10:37.980,0:10:39.060
and the hardest.

0:10:39.060,0:10:41.040
So you can see which seeds

0:10:41.040,0:10:43.560
you want to try saving and which ones not.

0:10:43.560,0:10:45.900
Elise>> Yep, so if you're questioning

0:10:45.900,0:10:47.640
if you're going to be able to pull it off,

0:10:47.640,0:10:51.300
one option is to just let nature take its course.

0:10:51.300,0:10:54.660
I am a huge believer in a soil seed bank,

0:10:54.660,0:10:56.100
which basically means

0:10:56.100,0:10:58.560
allowing the plants to self-seed.

0:10:58.560,0:11:00.060
So the soil seed bank

0:11:00.060,0:11:02.400
is basically just allowing the plant

0:11:02.400,0:11:03.900
to take its natural course.

0:11:04.620,0:11:06.000
Instead of us trying to

0:11:06.840,0:11:07.920
control the situation

0:11:07.920,0:11:09.540
and catch it at just the right point

0:11:09.540,0:11:10.500
and take the seeds inside

0:11:10.500,0:11:12.180
to save and replant the next year,

0:11:12.180,0:11:14.520
if you're guessing when it's ready,

0:11:14.520,0:11:15.660
just let it go.

0:11:15.660,0:11:17.160
Let them flower,

0:11:17.160,0:11:19.500
let them produce their seed pods,

0:11:19.500,0:11:21.780
and let it distribute those seeds

0:11:21.780,0:11:22.680
as it sees fit.

0:11:22.680,0:11:24.120
Robin>> Yes, the term for that

0:11:24.120,0:11:26.040
is a self-seeding annual.

0:11:27.240,0:11:31.560
Well, some annuals are self-seeding,

0:11:31.560,0:11:33.120
it's like you can't stop it.

0:11:33.120,0:11:34.440
They're going to keep coming back

0:11:34.440,0:11:35.160
year after year,

0:11:35.160,0:11:37.560
and that can be an incredible thing.

0:11:37.560,0:11:38.880
So here in Albert's yard,

0:11:38.880,0:11:41.460
he has a plant called Ethiopian kale,

0:11:41.460,0:11:44.040
it's growing everywhere.

0:11:44.940,0:11:47.340
Arugula is also a really wonderful

0:11:47.340,0:11:48.420
self-seeding annual.

0:11:48.960,0:11:50.820
So you want that.

0:11:50.820,0:11:52.200
Just let these seeds go,

0:11:52.200,0:11:53.100
let them burst,

0:11:53.100,0:11:55.320
and then you'll get to know these plants

0:11:55.320,0:11:57.120
and have spots where they're coming up,

0:11:57.120,0:11:59.340
and you say, "Hey, I didn't have to do any work.

0:11:59.340,0:12:01.620
The Earth did the seed saving for me

0:12:01.620,0:12:02.640
and the planting."

0:12:02.640,0:12:04.080
And then you get the harvest.

0:12:04.080,0:12:07.140
Elise>> Yeah, I have arugula, for example,

0:12:07.140,0:12:10.440
that I planted three or four [br]years ago in the garden,

0:12:10.440,0:12:12.660
and I don't save the seed from it.

0:12:12.660,0:12:13.740
I just let it do its thing.

0:12:13.740,0:12:15.060
It moved itself to a bed over,

0:12:15.060,0:12:16.740
and I didn't mind where it showed up in the bed.

0:12:16.740,0:12:18.540
So I just let the plants that popped up there

0:12:18.540,0:12:19.380
do their thing,

0:12:19.380,0:12:20.580
and then the ones that were in the walkway,

0:12:20.580,0:12:21.840
I just pulled up and ate.

0:12:22.800,0:12:24.540
I haven't planted it in three or four years.

0:12:24.540,0:12:28.680
So, I guess, when you allow things to self-seed,

0:12:28.680,0:12:33.180
it's a little unruly or less planned or formal,

0:12:33.180,0:12:37.140
but it's way less work and just as effective.

0:12:37.140,0:12:39.420
Robin>> Volunteers is another name.

0:12:39.420,0:12:41.280
If you ever hear of that, volunteers,

0:12:41.280,0:12:42.900
they've volunteered themselves.

0:12:42.900,0:12:44.460
So, basil.

0:12:44.460,0:12:49.140
Here we have your standard Italian basil,

0:12:49.140,0:12:51.900
which, honestly, these plants were not

0:12:51.900,0:12:54.660
super successful because of the downy mildew.

0:12:54.660,0:12:57.420
But I'd say, do you think we'll still be able

0:12:57.420,0:12:58.440
to get seeds out of them?

0:12:58.440,0:13:01.620
So, they weren't super successful in that regard,

0:13:01.620,0:13:03.420
but save seeds and next year,

0:13:03.420,0:13:05.160
hopefully, they'll be really successful.

0:13:06.840,0:13:09.120
What do you want to say about the basil?

0:13:09.120,0:13:11.880
Elise>> So, if you're trying [br]to maintain your basil

0:13:11.880,0:13:12.420
throughout the season,

0:13:12.420,0:13:14.220
let's say it's halfway through your growing season

0:13:14.220,0:13:15.420
and it starts to bollt,

0:13:15.420,0:13:16.440
pruning can help.

0:13:16.440,0:13:17.160
We're going to go over

0:13:17.160,0:13:18.900
how to prune and when to prune

0:13:18.900,0:13:19.920
and all that in a different video.

0:13:19.920,0:13:22.500
But once you are ready

0:13:22.500,0:13:23.700
for it to do its thing,

0:13:23.700,0:13:27.420
you would just simply stop [br]pruning out the flowers.

0:13:27.420,0:13:29.280
And at that point, it's going to go

0:13:29.280,0:13:30.360
through its natural evolution.

0:13:30.360,0:13:33.360
Now, basil is in the list

0:13:33.360,0:13:35.640
as far as like what's easiest to save

0:13:35.640,0:13:37.440
and what's not as easy to save.

0:13:37.440,0:13:41.640
The basil's halfway in there

0:13:41.640,0:13:45.360
because as it's flowering at the top,

0:13:45.360,0:13:48.000
it's also got viable seed at the bottom.

0:13:48.000,0:13:51.840
And it's not as obviously brown as the thick pods.

0:13:51.840,0:13:55.740
So this is maybe a little bit early.

0:13:55.740,0:13:59.160
But as soon as it gets the lightest yellow to it,

0:13:59.160,0:14:02.640
that means it's already put out its seeds.

0:14:02.640,0:14:04.560
So they're really good volunteers.

0:14:04.560,0:14:07.320
That one's maybe just a touch early.

0:14:07.320,0:14:10.380
I don't know that I see any that have opened yet.

0:14:10.380,0:14:13.290
But so they're going to be harder to identify.

0:14:13.290,0:14:15.600
Robin>> The holy basil is the one that is

0:14:15.600,0:14:18.000
going to be a really prolific

0:14:18.000,0:14:20.280
self-seeding annual in a lot of gardens.

0:14:20.280,0:14:23.100
But the Genovese basil is one

0:14:23.100,0:14:25.020
that's easier to actually harvest,

0:14:25.020,0:14:26.520
save, and harvest the seeds

0:14:26.520,0:14:27.000
would you say?

0:14:27.000,0:14:28.680
Elise>> I would you say they probably

0:14:28.680,0:14:31.717
all are close to the same as far as that.

0:14:31.717,0:14:31.732
Robin>> Oh. Ok.

0:14:31.732,0:14:34.140
Elise>> It just depends on your climate

0:14:34.140,0:14:36.540
and everything as to what's going to perform best.

0:14:36.540,0:14:41.100
Holy basil comes from more of a warmer climate,

0:14:41.100,0:14:42.720
a little bit more drier.

0:14:42.720,0:14:45.120
The Genovese is going to tolerate

0:14:45.120,0:14:47.580
a little bit cooler temperatures.

0:14:47.580,0:14:49.920
So it just depends on where you are

0:14:49.920,0:14:51.120
as to what's going to do best.

0:14:51.120,0:14:52.860
Which is kind of a beautiful thing

0:14:52.860,0:14:55.260
about how you send out multiple varieties.

0:14:55.260,0:14:56.880
Because out of the five,

0:14:56.880,0:14:58.620
maybe four rocked it in your garden,

0:14:59.460,0:14:59.940
and one did not.

0:14:59.940,0:15:00.480
And that's okay.

0:15:00.480,0:15:01.440
Robin>> Yeah, that's the idea

0:15:01.440,0:15:02.640
of having five different types

0:15:02.640,0:15:03.540
of basil in your pack.

0:15:03.540,0:15:05.520
Is that some were going to do well

0:15:05.520,0:15:06.120
and some aren't.

0:15:06.120,0:15:07.560
And it creates that diversity.

0:15:07.560,0:15:10.200
So that's a little bit about basil.

0:15:10.200,0:15:13.800
And we have to mention the weeds a little bit.

0:15:13.800,0:15:17.220
This here is one of my favorite weeds.

0:15:17.220,0:15:18.780
And this is....

0:15:18.780,0:15:19.800
Elise>> purselane,

0:15:19.800,0:15:22.320
Robin>> this was Gandhi's favorite vegetable.

0:15:22.320,0:15:25.200
And not only is it wonderful for eating,

0:15:25.200,0:15:26.700
but it produces a lot of seeds.

0:15:26.700,0:15:28.440
This is one of the few

0:15:28.440,0:15:31.560
ones that actually produces a seed

0:15:31.560,0:15:33.540
even while the pod is still green.

0:15:34.980,0:15:36.600
And it's got all these black

0:15:38.040,0:15:39.180
seeds inside of it.

0:15:39.180,0:15:42.660
So wow, just in this one seed pod,

0:15:42.660,0:15:45.120
there's enough, there's enough seed right here.

0:15:45.120,0:15:47.520
There's probably a hundred seeds right there.

0:15:47.520,0:15:49.620
Enough to start a small purslane garden.

0:15:49.620,0:15:51.900
And you can also eat these seeds.

0:15:52.740,0:15:54.112
The whole plant and the seeds.

0:15:54.112,0:15:56.760
Elise>> Purslane is the highest

0:15:56.760,0:16:00.240
in omega-3 fatty acids out of the plant kingdom.

0:16:00.240,0:16:05.700
So it's really good nutritional healthy fats.

0:16:05.700,0:16:08.820
Robin>> And there's no purslane in your seed pack.

0:16:09.600,0:16:12.000
But they'll probably be purslane in your garden.

0:16:13.380,0:16:15.960
So we want to show a little bit of arugula.

0:16:17.220,0:16:19.080
I'll just go ahead and harvest this.

0:16:19.080,0:16:23.160
Here is sort of the next stage beyond the radish.

0:16:23.160,0:16:24.180
This is arugula.

0:16:24.180,0:16:26.280
You can see the white flowers on top.

0:16:26.280,0:16:28.980
And with this, you can actually see

0:16:28.980,0:16:30.840
how the pods have gone from that

0:16:30.840,0:16:33.420
smooth to actually being able to see

0:16:33.420,0:16:35.400
basically it looks like an outline

0:16:35.400,0:16:37.320
of the seeds in the pod.

0:16:37.320,0:16:39.660
Elise>> This is probably a week out

0:16:39.660,0:16:40.980
from your final stage,

0:16:40.980,0:16:42.540
which is when you're going to be saving it from.

0:16:42.540,0:16:44.880
So the pods are going to start to bulge,

0:16:44.880,0:16:47.760
and then once they turn brown,

0:16:47.760,0:16:49.260
you're good to go.

0:16:49.260,0:16:51.120
And it's time to start saving seed.

0:16:51.120,0:16:53.340
If we save it at this green stage,

0:16:53.340,0:16:56.820
the seeds may germinate,

0:16:56.820,0:16:58.380
but it's very likely that

0:16:58.380,0:17:00.180
none of the seeds are viable at that point.

0:17:00.180,0:17:02.160
Robin>> So inside of here,

0:17:02.160,0:17:04.860
you can see that the seeds are still green.

0:17:05.580,0:17:07.500
You want to wait till those seeds

0:17:07.500,0:17:08.820
have gone from green to brown

0:17:08.820,0:17:12.420
or to dry, and whatever [br]color their final stage is,

0:17:12.420,0:17:14.940
brown, black, some are reddish.

0:17:16.200,0:17:19.740
So again, this arugula is about a week off

0:17:19.740,0:17:23.340
from being brown and ready to harvest.

0:17:23.340,0:17:25.500
Elise>> This is the next [br]stage that we're looking for,

0:17:25.500,0:17:29.400
and this is the perfect seed saving time frame.

0:17:29.400,0:17:32.940
The pods are brown, they're brittle,

0:17:32.940,0:17:36.420
so they break apart easily if we were to do that.

0:17:37.680,0:17:40.800
The whole stem is at that stage.

0:17:40.800,0:17:43.680
In the very beginning, you might have,

0:17:43.680,0:17:45.180
three or four that started to turn,

0:17:45.180,0:17:46.320
but the rest are still green.

0:17:46.320,0:17:48.360
So, at this point, I would say

0:17:48.360,0:17:50.100
this is perfect seed saving.

0:17:50.100,0:17:52.500
You can even tell if you're uncertain.

0:17:52.500,0:17:53.940
You can always break open a pod

0:17:53.940,0:17:55.440
and check the seed color.

0:17:56.460,0:18:00.600
It is a nice, red color, so this is ready to go.

0:18:00.600,0:18:02.940
Robin>> The seeds are just falling right out,

0:18:02.940,0:18:04.620
just falling right out of the pod.

0:18:04.620,0:18:06.600
So, that's looking beautiful.

0:18:07.800,0:18:11.640
So, just from a few seed pods of one plant,

0:18:11.640,0:18:15.180
there's more, there's more seeds

0:18:15.180,0:18:16.320
than you get in your pack,

0:18:16.320,0:18:18.120
just from a few pods.

0:18:18.120,0:18:19.980
And we're going to show you now

0:18:19.980,0:18:21.240
how to process this

0:18:21.240,0:18:22.740
and how to save them for next year.

0:18:22.740,0:18:25.170
But before doing that, I'm just going to

0:18:25.170,0:18:27.240
scatter these out into the garden,

0:18:27.240,0:18:30.120
and we'll see if we're having more arugula c

0:18:30.120,0:18:31.080
oming back from that.

0:18:31.080,0:18:32.100
Probably will.

0:18:32.100,0:18:34.160
Elise>> It's just that easy.

0:18:34.160,0:18:38.100
Robin>> Here, I have some arugula.

0:18:38.100,0:18:39.720
Actually, I gotta be honest,

0:18:39.720,0:18:41.700
this is actually Ethiopian kale,

0:18:41.700,0:18:43.320
but the seeds are the same.

0:18:43.320,0:18:44.640
You work with them the same.

0:18:44.640,0:18:47.160
Most of the brassicas are the same.

0:18:47.160,0:18:48.540
But from the seed pack,

0:18:48.540,0:18:50.100
if you were working with your arugula,

0:18:50.100,0:18:51.660
this would be the exact same way.

0:18:51.660,0:18:54.060
So, these were drying.

0:18:55.020,0:18:56.760
They could be harvested just like this,

0:18:56.760,0:18:58.140
or they could have been harvested

0:18:58.140,0:19:00.120
and left to dry for a little while.

0:19:00.120,0:19:03.780
But you can hear they're nice and crispy.

0:19:03.780,0:19:07.080
The seeds are actually [br]falling right off into there.

0:19:08.340,0:19:09.660
And so, what I'm doing

0:19:09.660,0:19:13.620
is I'm just gonna crush up these pods.

0:19:13.620,0:19:17.400
I'm just trying to crush up real well

0:19:17.400,0:19:20.880
so that I can get these seeds

0:19:20.880,0:19:22.740
to pop out of the pods.

0:19:22.740,0:19:24.780
And one thing I'll say is

0:19:24.780,0:19:26.220
you don't have to get them all.

0:19:26.220,0:19:27.900
They're so abundant.

0:19:27.900,0:19:30.180
And with some of these self-seeding ones,

0:19:30.180,0:19:31.680
you can just take this

0:19:31.680,0:19:34.080
and then just wander around the yard

0:19:34.080,0:19:36.060
and scatter it around the yard.

0:19:36.060,0:19:38.040
So, for now, I'm just gonna do that.

0:19:39.300,0:19:41.160
And then at the bottom of this,

0:19:41.160,0:19:46.020
you'll see we've got the pods,

0:19:46.020,0:19:47.460
which are called chaff,

0:19:47.460,0:19:49.680
and then we've got the seeds in there.

0:19:49.680,0:19:54.540
So, a shallow bowl is going to be ideal

0:19:54.540,0:19:59.160
if you want to be winnowing.

0:19:59.160,0:20:02.280
But with this, I can just basically

0:20:02.280,0:20:06.360
take the chaff off the top.

0:20:07.220,0:20:10.200
Elise>> I kind of think of it like popcorn.

0:20:10.200,0:20:11.820
If you want to get the kernels,

0:20:12.480,0:20:13.860
and they settle to the bottom,

0:20:13.860,0:20:14.760
and it's all mixed together.

0:20:14.760,0:20:16.380
So, I always toss the bowl of popcorn.

0:20:16.380,0:20:19.140
You can toss the seeds to separate,

0:20:20.280,0:20:21.348
the light from the heavy.

0:20:21.348,0:20:22.800
Robin>> Yes and shallow trays

0:20:22.800,0:20:24.360
are going to be key for that.

0:20:24.360,0:20:26.640
So, I've just removed most of the chaff,

0:20:26.640,0:20:28.200
and now I'm going to actually

0:20:28.200,0:20:29.700
blow this lighter stuff.

0:20:35.700,0:20:37.320
There's still a little bit more big stuff.

0:20:39.840,0:20:40.620
So, you can see

0:20:40.620,0:20:42.300
there's still a little more chaff in there.

0:20:42.300,0:20:43.200
That's fine.

0:20:43.200,0:20:45.600
You could easily store it [br]for a year with that chaff,

0:20:45.600,0:20:48.060
but ideally for longer-term storage,

0:20:48.060,0:20:49.680
you do want to remove that

0:20:49.680,0:20:51.180
because it can hold on to moisture

0:20:51.180,0:20:52.440
and there could be insects.

0:20:56.280,0:21:00.600
Elise>> Now, they do have

0:21:00.600,0:21:03.240
a lot of equipment that you can purchase

0:21:03.240,0:21:04.140
for something like this.

0:21:04.140,0:21:05.280
You can do screens,

0:21:05.280,0:21:06.180
you can have fans,

0:21:06.180,0:21:07.740
you can have different sieves

0:21:07.740,0:21:10.560
where they sort out the different size seeds.

0:21:10.560,0:21:14.160
But for most home-scale or small-scale gardening,

0:21:15.060,0:21:16.440
this will do the trick.

0:21:16.440,0:21:18.660
You don't have to spend the money on anything.

0:21:21.260,0:21:23.220
Robin>> There you go!

0:21:23.940,0:21:25.740
Imagine how much seeds you get

0:21:25.740,0:21:28.320
from your one little pack of arugula.

0:21:29.100,0:21:32.280
Easily, you can be getting this amount of seeds

0:21:32.280,0:21:35.340
from one arugula plant or one mustard plant.

0:21:35.340,0:21:37.380
So, that one plant

0:21:38.340,0:21:40.260
from that one pack.

0:21:41.940,0:21:43.740
So, from this one pack,

0:21:44.580,0:21:47.040
if you save one or two plants,

0:21:47.040,0:21:49.860
you can easily get this amount of seeds.

0:21:49.860,0:21:53.400
This really shows the absolute value

0:21:53.400,0:21:54.900
in saving some of your seeds

0:21:54.900,0:21:56.220
because you can turn your one pack

0:21:56.220,0:21:59.460
into like dozens, hundreds of packs

0:21:59.460,0:22:00.360
for future years.

0:22:00.360,0:22:01.860
Elise>> And for years to come.

0:22:01.860,0:22:03.600
This is something that allows you

0:22:03.600,0:22:06.540
to maintain this gift of the seed pack

0:22:07.500,0:22:09.180
as long as you choose to.

0:22:09.180,0:22:12.660
There's no outside resources or inputs needed.

0:22:12.660,0:22:15.600
This is something anybody can do and achieve.

0:22:15.600,0:22:17.400
Robin>> Now, a lot of people,

0:22:17.400,0:22:18.660
when it comes to seed saving,

0:22:18.660,0:22:20.040
they worry about getting

0:22:20.040,0:22:22.740
the exact same variety for future years,

0:22:22.740,0:22:25.920
or cross-pollination, separation.

0:22:25.920,0:22:28.740
The good news is, as a beginner seed saver,

0:22:28.740,0:22:30.540
you don't have to worry about any of that.

0:22:30.540,0:22:33.540
You might get a slightly [br]different variety next year,

0:22:34.140,0:22:36.420
but you're gonna get dill,

0:22:36.420,0:22:38.820
you're gonna get radishes,

0:22:38.820,0:22:39.900
you're gonna get turnips,

0:22:39.900,0:22:41.580
they're just gonna be a little different.

0:22:41.580,0:22:43.740
So, you don't have to worry about that.

0:22:43.740,0:22:46.260
The easiest ones to start with,

0:22:46.260,0:22:48.180
if you just want to start with the easy ones,

0:22:48.180,0:22:56.220
are arugula, mustard, radish, [br]turnip, dill, and cilantro.

0:22:56.220,0:22:57.840
I would say, out of this pack,

0:22:57.840,0:23:00.300
those are the easiest ones.

0:23:00.300,0:23:02.580
Elise>> On the other side of things,

0:23:02.580,0:23:05.220
carrots are very nearly impossible

0:23:05.220,0:23:07.260
for a beginner gardener.

0:23:07.260,0:23:10.620
It's totally doable, but for [br]all intents and purposes,

0:23:10.620,0:23:12.120
I would say just let that one alone

0:23:12.120,0:23:14.460
and not bother with that quite yet.

0:23:14.460,0:23:17.520
But also, too, the ones [br]that can be a little tricky

0:23:17.520,0:23:20.940
are lemon balm, oregano, and even kale.

0:23:21.480,0:23:24.240
Kale needs some different inputs and cycles,

0:23:24.240,0:23:27.060
and it's just not the easiest to save seed

0:23:27.600,0:23:28.800
on a beginner level.

0:23:28.800,0:23:31.080
So, those are probably the ones

0:23:31.080,0:23:34.020
where you might not bother [br]focusing this first year.

0:23:34.020,0:23:36.600
Maybe reserve a few extra seeds from the pack

0:23:36.600,0:23:38.280
for the following year's planting

0:23:38.280,0:23:39.720
until you feel a little bit more comfortable

0:23:39.720,0:23:41.940
moving forward with them.

0:23:41.940,0:23:43.500
As far as storage is concerned,

0:23:43.500,0:23:48.060
I already mentioned dry is key,

0:23:48.060,0:23:50.940
but aside from that, you want things to be,

0:23:50.940,0:23:54.600
in general, cool and dark as well.

0:23:55.500,0:23:56.760
So, you don't...

0:23:56.760,0:23:58.800
There are fancy ways to do this,

0:23:58.800,0:24:00.900
but literally underneath your bed,

0:24:01.680,0:24:03.540
on the top shelf of your closets,

0:24:03.540,0:24:05.640
somewhere that's naturally going to be dark,

0:24:05.640,0:24:06.840
naturally going to be

0:24:06.840,0:24:10.320
temperature-controlled in your home.

0:24:10.320,0:24:11.940
A garage is not a good place.

0:24:11.940,0:24:13.080
They get super hot.

0:24:13.080,0:24:15.480
Garden sheds, although it

0:24:16.200,0:24:17.340
sort of makes sense in your head,

0:24:17.340,0:24:18.660
not a good spot.

0:24:18.660,0:24:20.880
And another thing that's really common

0:24:20.880,0:24:24.120
is having them in either [br]the fridge or the freezer.

0:24:24.120,0:24:27.840
And while it is temperature-controlled

0:24:27.840,0:24:31.320
and colder does technically extend the shelf life,

0:24:31.320,0:24:33.300
it's also an incredibly humid

0:24:33.300,0:24:34.320
and moist environment.

0:24:34.320,0:24:36.180
So, unless you have those seeds

0:24:36.180,0:24:39.180
going into a sealed jar, completely dried,

0:24:39.180,0:24:41.340
potentially with some sort of

0:24:41.340,0:24:43.080
dehumidifier packs or something like that,

0:24:43.080,0:24:44.700
I would not advise that

0:24:44.700,0:24:47.880
unless you are sure that that [br]container is fully sealed.

0:24:47.880,0:24:48.480
Robin>> Yeah,

0:24:48.480,0:24:50.640
and all of these are going to store

0:24:50.640,0:24:53.460
for a good year just in your house,

0:24:53.460,0:24:56.100
like Elise said, in your pantry

0:24:56.100,0:24:59.220
or in your dresser drawer.

0:24:59.220,0:25:01.560
And most of them will store for a few years,

0:25:01.560,0:25:02.760
so there's really no need

0:25:02.760,0:25:04.800
to put them into the fridge or the freezer.

0:25:04.800,0:25:07.260
That's really more like seed banking,

0:25:07.260,0:25:09.000
you know, keeping stuff for the long term.

0:25:09.000,0:25:10.500
But for next year and the year after,

0:25:10.500,0:25:12.300
it's definitely not needed.

0:25:12.300,0:25:15.060
Now, if you want more details on this,

0:25:15.060,0:25:16.860
like which ones are the easiest,

0:25:16.860,0:25:18.540
how to store them,

0:25:21.180,0:25:22.380
some more tips,

0:25:22.380,0:25:23.940
the seed saving guide

0:25:23.940,0:25:25.860
is going to have all that information for you.

0:25:25.860,0:25:29.340
And we are incredibly happy

0:25:29.340,0:25:31.740
and excited to be providing these packs to you.

0:25:31.740,0:25:33.600
It brings us an incredible amount of joy.

0:25:33.600,0:25:36.000
But I think it would bring a lot more joy

0:25:36.000,0:25:38.040
if next year, you didn't need us.

0:25:38.040,0:25:43.080
If next year, you mostly grew [br]from the seeds you saved.

0:25:43.080,0:25:45.840
And of course, if you start to exchange seeds

0:25:45.840,0:25:47.220
with others in your community,

0:25:47.220,0:25:49.950
you start to use the seed libraries, y

0:25:49.950,0:25:52.200
ou start to connect with local seed growers,

0:25:52.200,0:25:54.060
you use the Facebook group

0:25:54.060,0:25:56.040
to exchange seeds with others,

0:25:57.180,0:25:59.460
eventually, we would like to not send seeds

0:25:59.460,0:26:00.540
in the mail at all anymore

0:26:00.540,0:26:02.760
because you all have just become

0:26:02.760,0:26:05.280
your own little hubs all over the country.

0:26:06.000,0:26:07.860
Anything last you want to say?

0:26:07.860,0:26:09.660
Elise>> It's all about building the community

0:26:09.660,0:26:11.700
and thinking about the future.

0:26:11.700,0:26:14.820
Robin>> Yes, that is really [br]the true solution to all this.

0:26:14.820,0:26:17.340
The solution is not which plants,

0:26:17.340,0:26:19.200
it's not the seeds,

0:26:19.200,0:26:20.280
it's the community.

0:26:20.280,0:26:22.140
Building your community of people,

0:26:22.140,0:26:24.480
but also your community of plant

0:26:24.480,0:26:26.160
and animal relatives.

0:26:26.160,0:26:27.060
And that means

0:26:27.060,0:26:29.760
not just working with the 20 seeds in this pack,

0:26:29.760,0:26:31.020
but eventually

0:26:31.020,0:26:33.000
Elise>> starting to explore and expand

0:26:33.000,0:26:35.220
and try and just experiment

0:26:35.220,0:26:36.240
and have fun with it.

0:26:36.240,0:26:37.380
And give yourself grace.

0:26:37.380,0:26:38.280
Robin>> Yes.

0:26:38.280,0:26:39.900
So yeah, start small.

0:26:39.900,0:26:42.120
This pack is a great way to start small.

0:26:42.120,0:26:43.140
But in years ahead,

0:26:43.140,0:26:46.080
you'll be growing maybe even a couple

0:26:46.080,0:26:48.240
hundred different plant friends.