Shirley's Vegetable Garden™  

If you didn’t use all the seeds in the packages, store the packages in a snap-top plastic bag (paper packets tend to collect moisture & get moldy).  Seeds from one year will still be good to plant the next year if stored properly.  Then put all the plastic bags in a coffee can or plastic box with lid and store in a cool, dry area.  It’s not cold but heat that destroys germination.  You can save seeds for planting next year from squash and pumpkins.  When you cut open a squash or pumpkin, remove the seeds and the thin outer membrane from each seed.  Wash them in lukewarm water and rub the tissue off them and rinse several times.  When completely clean, spread them on a paper towel-lined cookie sheet in one thin layer.  It will take quite a while for them to dry.  When completely dry, store them in plastic bags that are labeled and dated.  Next spring you won’t have to buy any squash or pumpkin seeds.

Sometimes gardening tools get overlooked at the end of a busy fall harvest.  When spring comes you will be glad that you took care of your tools.  Scrape off any dirt and spray the metal tools with WD-40 to prevent rusting before putting them into storage.  If you used a tiller, follow manual instructions for storage.

Don’t throw away that dented, hard to clean cake pan.  Save it to start seeds in next spring as it’s just the right size.  A later column will give directions how to use it.   One- gallon plastic jugs are great to cover young vegetable plants (tomato, pepper & cabbage) in the early spring.  But they become a storage problem.  So, tie a long thin rope to one handle and keep adding jugs to it.  Then hang them from the ceiling in your basement or garage.

Have a nice rest and be thankful for how many vegetables you receive from just a few small seeds!