Seed Harvesting is as important as harvesting the produce.
Heirloom plants will produce seeds that can be harvested to produce an identical plant year after year. Hybrid seeds will produce a plant but that plant produces sterile seeds. This is not sustainable because you would have to purchase seeds and/or plants every season.
There are two types of seeds: wet and dry. An example of a wet seed would be one harvested from a tomato, and an example of a dry seed is one harvested from a bell pepper or an onion. Onion seeds, for example, are produced when you allow the onion plant to bloom late in the season. The plant will flower and produce seedpods. Let the pods dry and then harvest the seeds inside. To harvest and store dry seeds from a bell pepper, for example, simply scrape the seeds loose and place on a hard surface to dry. Once dried store in glass containers and store in a dark area or the refrigerator.
Any seed imbedded in pulp would be considered a wet seed. To harvest wet seeds, scrape the pulp and seeds into a bowl with room temperature water and let soak up to three days to separate the pulp and any fungus/bacteria from the seeds. Once you see foam forming on the water, pour the water off and typically, “dead” seeds will be floating on top of the water, so pour them off as well. Then cover the remaining seeds with fresh room temperature water and pour back and forth between two bowls several times to rinse. Place the seeds on a hard non-porous surface to dry. If you put wet seeds on paper towel or newspaper to dry, they will stick to the material and you will ruin them trying to separate them from the material. Dry them on tile, hardwood cutting boards or even a counter top. Once dry, seal in glass containers and either store in the refrigerator or on a dark shelf.
Compost
Gardens need fertilizer and some gardeners simply do not want to use commercial fertilizers for various reasons. If you want to be self-sufficient, you can compost all of your garden plants and rotted fruits to make your own organic fertilizer. You can compost organic scraps from the house such as eggshells, as well as banana and potato peels. Do not compost bones, meats, and animal or human waste. Gather yard waste and place on the compost pile such as grass clippings, leaves and dead yard plants. Make a compost box to keep it all confined and cover with a tarp to allow the heat and moisture to go to work decomposing the organic material.
You can purchase compost barrels that spin and accelerate the process or buy special bacteria to sprinkle on the pile. However, letting nature take its course works just as well. It will take time and patience on your part. Once broken down mix the compost in with your growing soil and use for mulch to place around the stems to protect the roots from cold or heat and to retain moisture in the soil.
Irrigation
Once you have decided to begin raising your own crops you will need a water source. If you are still connected to a municipality for your water you would probably find it is not economically feasible to water your crops, but you will still need a reliable and sustainable water source for irrigation.
