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Plant the Change - The Orta Blog

Harvesting Zucchini Seeds

Harvesting Zucchini Seeds

To harvest zucchini seeds for next year's planting, you let the fruit ripen waaaaay past edible, collect the seeds, and then ferment and dry them...
Raising Caterpillars to Butterflies

Raising Caterpillars to Butterflies

Raising caterpillars to butterflies is a great activity for families, especially now as we parents try to figure out remote learning, inventing ed...
SSNO Part 4: Adapting Seeds to Your Microclimate

SSNO Part 4: Adapting Seeds to Your Microclimate

Wrapping up this 4-part series on seed saving, this last post focuses on how to save seeds that, over a few years, become adapted to the hyperlocal...
Seed Saving Nerd Out
SSNO part 3: Hand-Pollinating Zucchini for Pure Seed and Better Yields

SSNO part 3: Hand-Pollinating Zucchini for Pure Seed and Better Yields

If you remember from Seed Saving Nerd Out (SSNO) Part 2, two categories of plants require isolation for your saved seed to breed true:  Insect- and...
#plantthechange Seed Saving Nerd Out This Weekend
SSNO Part 2: Which Plants Are Best for Seed Saving?

SSNO Part 2: Which Plants Are Best for Seed Saving?

This is part 2 of the Seed Saving Nerd Out, SSNO for short.  Part 1 last week was a long description of plant reproduction to help you understand w...
Seed Saving Nerd Out
Seed Saving Nerd Out Part 1: Plant Reproduction

Seed Saving Nerd Out Part 1: Plant Reproduction

This is part 1 of a series that goes deeper than usual into the botany behind seeds to help you become a better seed saver. Mechanically speaking,...
Seed Saving Nerd Out
Tomato Disaster and Recovery (I hope)

Tomato Disaster and Recovery (I hope)

When we returned home from 2 nights of camping (the first time we've left home since February), the tomatoes had completely collapsed.  After about...
Deadhead to Increase Harvests and Prolong Flowering

Deadhead to Increase Harvests and Prolong Flowering

Deadheading is the single most important garden job to keep flowers blooming for as long as possible.  And it's really quite easy.  Snip off all o...
Zero-Waste Gardening Ideas

Zero-Waste Gardening Ideas

Orta has been zero-waste since we first started shipping seed pots in 2012.  In honor of Plastic-Free July, I've dug into the archives to bring you...
Seed Starting for Fall Veg and Perennial Flowers

Seed Starting for Fall Veg and Perennial Flowers

This post will help you figure out for yourself what to sow now for your fall garden:  veggies, herbs and perennial flowers. It does not have, I’m...
Bee Watching is a Thing

Bee Watching is a Thing

Have you ever had the experience where giving a name to something clarifies and legitimizes fuzzy mental notions?  Bee Watching has done that for ...
#plantthechange This Weekend
This Weekend: Save Seeds from your Greens

This Weekend: Save Seeds from your Greens

As summer hits its stride, many of the spring crops are going over, flowering and going to seed.  Now is a great time to save seeds to use for fall...
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