22 | HealthLinksSC.com “Growing food in a home garden is such a rewarding experience,” said Parker. Most seeds can be collected from mature fruit. After being cleaned and placed to air dry on wax paper for several days out of direct sunlight, they can be stored away for next year’s planting. Lott shared some words of advice: “It’s best to stick to self-pollinating vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas, as the outcomes are more predictable. If you’re growing a hybrid tomato, you’ll probably want to skip saving those seeds since the offspring won’t necessarily have the desirable characteristics of the parent. Unless you enjoy experimenting, it’s probably wise to skip saving seeds from vine crops as they can cross pollinate with members of the same species. Depending on what you’re growing as well as what’s growing nearby, you could end up with a strange combination such as an acorn squash-zucchini hybrid.” Rather than jumping into a full-tilt garden, Saud mentioned many of her friends have taken the approach of potted plants for growing food, flavor and household flare. “I have been looking at growing cilantro, parsley and mint – I’m just trying to figure out where to put the pots where the cats can’t get to them,” Lott said. After all, whether your plants are growing outside or in house, the chances of a produce predator are never zero. Nevertheless, no matter how you grow your own produce, you’ll be sure to enjoy the freshness of good food with these tips and tricks. For more information on all things plant health and preservation, Clemson Extension’s Home & Garden Information Center, at hgic.clemson.edu, has a multitude of fact sheets on gardening, food safety and nutrition. In addition to web-based resources, extension agents are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 888-656-9988 or [email protected].
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