Garden Doctors: Save seeds for future planting

Margo H. of Santa Rosa asks: I would like to save some seeds of my vegetables I grew this year. There are a few vegetables that I won’t be growing for the next few years, and a few that I will be growing next year. What is the best way to store them?

Make sure that all the seeds are dried completely. The seeds that you will be sowing next year, or even the following year, can be stored in a cool, dry place. If you have visitors (rodents), then you’ll want to store them in a sealed glass jar. If not, then in an envelope would be fine.

Saving seeds in the freezer will increase the life expectancy for many, many years. For those who want to preserve a specific heirloom or a hard-to-find variety, freezing the seeds is the way to go. The seeds can be stored in an airtight jar. Jars with rubber seals work best.

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Sally P. of Windsor asks: I have an evergreen shrub that has outgrown its container, but I don’t want to put it in a bigger one, as this container fits perfectly where I have it by the front door.

Is it possible to prune the roots a bit to make them smaller so it can still stay in that container, or will I kill the plant?

Yes, you can do some “root pruning” to the plant so it can stay in that container and continue to grow. Make sure the soil is damp, and not dry or soaking wet before you pull it out of the container. The soil is easy to work with when it’s not too wet or dry. Slide the plant out of the container and leave it on its side. Do not prune back more than one-third of the entire rootball. In other words, look at the whole rootball from all sides, estimate where you need to “slice off” or “trim off” all around the rootball. Being careful, with a very sharp knife, slowly slice away, like you would slice off a piece of cheese. Trim all around the rootball, including the bottom.

Empty out the soil left in the container and replace it with new soil. Put the plant back into the container and add soil all around the edges. Be careful to leave a few inches from the top of the container to allow for water.

Keep the soil damp, taking care not to let it dry out or be too wet for too long. New roots will slowly start to grow and your plant will be happy for at least another year or two in its original container. Fertilize only when necessary.

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Cathy J. asks: I love rhubarb and would like to grow my own. Is it easy to grow and if so, how do you grow it?

Rhubarb is relatively easy to grow. It is a large, vigorous, clumping perennial grown for its tart, yet sweet, long-leaf stalks. Only the leaf stalks are edible as all the other parts of the plant are poisonous.

Rhubarb grows best in a well-draining soil with lots of compost worked in. Depending on where you live, it can tolerate full sun or partial sun, but will do and look its best with some reprieve from the hot, late-afternoon sun.

You can buy rhubarb roots in winter, during bareroot season. Let the plants grow for the first year without harvesting the stalks. This will help them develop a good strong root system. Harvest the leaf stalks the second spring, leaving enough leaves for the plant to continue to grow through the season. Prune off the flower stalks when they appear. The plant spreads by new roots growing from the main root.

Dana Lozano and Gwen Kilchherr are garden consultants. Send your gardening questions to The Garden Doctors, at pdgardendoctor@gmail.com. The Garden Doctors can answer questions only through their column, which appears twice a month in the newspaper and online at pressdemocrat.com.