The first or earliest harvested mandarin orange is the Satsuma mandarin. Satsuma is a small bright orange mandarin with a delicate, sweet flavor. It is seedless and contains less acid than most other mandarins. If you have ever bought a can of imported mandarin oranges, you have probably tasted the Satsuma. At the farm market
Summer savory Trying to cut back on salt and pepper? Try savory. There are two varieties of the herb savory to choose from: summer savory—a fast growing annual plant, and winter savory—a shrubby perennial. Both savories have a bit of a peppery bite. Summer savory has a flavor reminiscent of thyme, mint, and marjoram. It
Cut chard leaf by leaf—cut the outer leaves first allowing the inner leaves to grow larger–or cut away the whole plant one inch (2.5 cm) above the soil. Chard leaves have a hearty, yet mild spinach flavor. Chard stalks have a delicate, celery-like taste and crunch. To get a bit of both flavors and texture
Most seeds need only moisture and warmth in order to sprout. But some seeds may have additional requirements. Check seed packets or planting guides for germination and cultural tips for the seeds you are planting. Light. Some seeds such as beans need darkness in order to germinate; other seeds such a lettuce need light. Seeds
Bean sprout When a seed fails to sprout there is usually a simple and easily correctable reason. Here are the most common reasons seeds do not sprout along with troubleshooting solutions. Soil is too dry. Small seeds sown very near the surface often fail from lack of moisture. They may have enough moisture to germinate
Seed vitality or shelf life is an important concept. If you saved seed from last season or the season before or if you’ve been given seed and are not sure how long it’s been around, you might want to perform a seed vitality test a couple of weeks before you plan to sow. Seeds more
Save seed only from open-pollinated plants. Plants that pollinate naturally without special manipulation are called open pollinated. Open-pollinated plants produce true-to-type seed–meaning their seedlings are like their parents. Open pollinated varieties are the result of the repeated natural selection of superior plants from the same strain or variety. Open-pollinated plants are essentially identical genetically through
Is the seed you have on hand still viable–will it germinate? A seed contains an embryo–a partly developed root and stem, a supply of stored food, and a protective coating. Seeds sprout through a process called germination. Germination–depending upon the type of seed–requires just the right conditions for growth–usually an abundant supply of water, an
September brings in spring and ends winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The first day of spring in the southern part of the world this year is September 22. On this day, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. The time between sunrise and sunset is exactly 12 hours. March
September is the ninth month of the year these days, but under the old Roman calendar, September was the seventh month. The Latin word for “seven” is septem. The autumnal equinox will arrive on September 22 this year in the northern half of the world, summer will end and autumn will begin. September is one
