Seeds don’t cost much, but their price can add up season after season. If you’re self reliant and frugal, the best way to get your seeds is to harvest your own! That way, you can also ensure the quality of the seeds you use year after year. You can also guarantee that your seeds are free from pesticides or chemicals.
Looking for an easy seed to get started with? Beans are very simple to harvest, and they have a high germination rate compared to other seeds. If your garden doesn’t include beans, you might want to consider adding them, because their roots harbor many helpful bacteria that naturally add nitrogen to the soil.
Harvesting beans for the dinner table is a different process from harvesting beans for planting. For one thing, you want to give seeds plenty of time to mature. Allow them to grow on the vine for about six weeks longer than you would if you were going to eat the beans.
If your beans are threatened by flood or frost, pull the entire plant from the ground and move it to a protected place until the beans are dry and brown. If the beans are unripe when you pull the plant, simply hang the plant upside down and keep it warm and dry. Most dying plants will focus their final efforts on finishing their seeds.
When the pods are brown, they will tend to split on their own and release the beans. If that doesn’t happen, you can easily pry the pods open with your bare hands. For large groups, you can lay the bean pods on a hard surface and separate the seeds from the chaff by thrashing them with a stick or rake. Remove the seeds from the pods, and place the beans in a dry, cool place until you’re ready to plant them. Sealed plastic containers are a good way to keep insects away, but make sure that the beans are completely dry before sealing them up. Even a little bit of moisture can cause rot or early germination.
That’s it – harvesting beans is about as easy as harvesting peas and only slightly harder than harvesting tomato seeds.
Photo courtesy of loxosceles at Flickr.com.
