It Takes as Long as it Takes
“It takes as long as it takes,” was an expression I started using after I had my son. Like my mother, I’m a busy person, and am always multi-tasking. But, putting a baby down for a nap or bedtime is a whole different deal. It takes supreme focus and patience, and a floor that doesn’t creak when you are tiptoeing out of the room. When it seemed like he would never fall off to sleep, I released myself from worrying about the ten other things I needed to be doing by saying, “It takes as long as it takes.”
Radish seed pots, seeds, empty hulls
That phrase was going through my head last night when I was saving radish seeds. Each individual pod must be pierced, preferably with a relatively short thumbnail (which tends to get a little tender after a couple hours of this activity), just enough to get inside and not enough to slice through a seed.
One of the larger seed pods and it’s contents
And this has to be done over and over and over. And you could say to yourself, it would take about 30 seconds to order a pack of radish seeds over the internet, but you don’t, because you went to the trouble to save and dry those pods in the first place. Which included doing battle with the Southern Green Stink Bug who wanted them fresh.
Tangle of dried radish seed pods
The variety of size and shape of pods and seeds is remarkable. You can’t discount the short little pods, because they could have one lovely seed inside. I use the sharp point of a pod to nudge out the seeds.
A long and a short radish pod
Which ones will actually become a radish? I don’t know. And very likely seeds from a seed company would be more viable, because when you look closely at this collection, you see such variety. But, I do know that even though I spent about two hours on what amounted to less than a tablespoon of seed, I’m very proud of myself. Firsts are important, and this was my first time.
Less than a tablespoon of radish seed
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Category: Seeds
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And the rewards are great if you do this yearly. Over time you develop that variety of vegetable or green that is perfectly suited for your soil and climate.
I really enjoyed this one Kaye as i have experience growing radish seed and know they are difficult to extract the seed . I save daikons and grow them in my winter garden . They self sow in the greenhouse when I pull the seed stalks. I pull the pods, put them in a feed sack and stomp them well on the concrete floor and wack the sack against a tree . Most of the seed falls to the bottom of the bag and the chickens get the rest or I toss out the chaff into the garden when any missed seeds will sprout and grow in the fall. I don’t offer the seed because I don’t get large quantities . I thought the tip might help when you save the seed in the future .
I am hiding from the heat and humidity by cracking and picking out a bushel of black walnuts meats and juicing the tiny buggy apples from my tree also tedious work but good use of time when its so hot. :)SHaron