Saving Spinach seeds

[midtnmama]

Although I save a lot of seeds, I don't know when to harvest spinach. I see pods, but they don't look dry. I also know that spinach is male and female? What?

Help!

[feather]

I've never heard of that. But I had to look it up.
"Spinach has male and female plants, and, as you might expect, only the female plants produce seeds. In order to identify the female plants, look for round green balls under the leaves (male plants have yellow balls under their leaves)."
uh huh, how interesting.

I had no idea. I found out recently the asparagus is male and female, so the male produces slightly more stalks than the female but the female produces seeds on the fronds. Hardly worth mentioning which is better or to cull or not to cull female asparagus which is, I guess, a thing.

Our onion plants have sent up stalks for flowers, for seeds, and we just hope they don't get broken by the rain or wind or hail, if that comes our way.

[midtnmama]

Ok, that helps, but how do you know if the balls are yellow because they are females that are drying up?

Thanks, Feather. BTW this isn't the thread I was mentioning that I'd like you, and others to think on. I'm still percolating.

[feather]

midtnmama, I'm not a specialist in balls, maybe we need to ask some ball specialists for information?

[mogal]

DH just asked me what I was laughing at. Not sure I'll tell him as it would precipitate all sorts of comments.


I heard this as a college freshman in a biology class. I have a strong feeling the professor told it at the beginning of each term.

How do you tell a boy chromosome from a girl chromosome?

Pull down their genes.

Okay, I can hear the groans.