Let's Talk Cross Pollination and Toxic Squash (and the Plant Guessing Game) | VLOG

Hey ya'll, I'm Jess from Roots & Refuge Farm
Welcome to a place that feels like home. A small farm with a big family. We hope you'll pull up a chair, grab some coffee and visit awhile.
There was a time that all I wanted in the world was a little farm where I could raise my family and grow our food. Now, that is exactly what exists outside my door. In watching it unfold, a new dream was formed in my heart - to share this beautiful life with others and teach them the lessons we've learned along the way. Welcome to our journey, friend. I am so glad you're here.
*********************
WHERE TO FIND US (Some of the links here are affiliate links. If you purchase through our links we'll receive a small commission but the price remains the same - OR BETTER - for you! Be sure to check for any mentioned discount codes.)
- Our Website: rootsandrefuge...
- Sign up for our newsletter: rootsandrefuge...
- Join our Patreon to get early access to podcasts and other information, plus monthly LIVES with me and Miah: / rootsandrefuge
- Abundance+ (Grab a FREE 7-day trial): rootsandrefuge...
- Shop our Stickers & Shirts: rootsandrefuge...
- Order my first book, "First Time Gardener": rootsandrefuge...
- Order my second book, "First Time Homesteader": rootsandrefuge...
- Instagram: roots_and_refuge
- Facebook: / rootsandrefugefarm
- Email Us: [e-mail]
- To drop us a line:
PO Box 4239
Leesville SC 29070
- To have a gift sent to our house from our Amazon wishlist: www.amazon.com...
- To support us through PayPal: www.paypal.com...
**********************
PRODUCTS WE LOVE - You've probably heard me talk about these things a million times, so here's where you can order them (and get a discount with my code!):
- Greenstalk Vertical Gardens (Use code "ROOTS10" for $10 off your order): rootsandrefuge...
- Squizito Tasting Room (Use code "ROOTS" for 10% off your order): rootsandrefuge...
- ButcherBox: rootsandrefuge...
- Growers Solution: rootsandrefuge...
- Neptune's Harvest Fertilizer: rootsandrefuge...
#rootsandrefuge

[@elliedennis6538]

I have grown toxic squash! I actually have a funny story about it. Last summer I grew Delicata squash from seeds that I saved from a store bought fruit. Right away I could tell they were hybrids because they looked similar to the squash I saved the seeds from, there were definitely rounder in shape. Fast forward to their harvest; I have always heard toxic squash is so bitter that just barely touching your tongue to it is enough to tell. And I kept meaning to try it, but I never did. So then one day, I’m sitting in the break room at work trying to plan what I’m going to bring home for dinner, and I remember that I still have that squash but I still have tested it. So I call my boyfriend(while still in the break room, in the presence of other people) and proceed to ask him to please slice open one of the squash and lightly touch his tongue to it. He is used to unusual garden requests from me, so he wasn’t nearly as confused as my coworkers. Any way, he did what I asked and apparently it was so not pleasant. He said he couldn’t get the taste out of his mouth for an hour after. But he didn’t suffer any other I’ll effects and we obviously didn’t eat the squash. The moral of the story is yes toxic squash does happen (although this was the first time it has happened to me, and I’ve grown from saved seeds before), and yes it is very obvious. Thank you for reading the story of how I poisoned my boyfriend while my coworkers eavesdropped.

[@TheEmbrio]

Yes, you’re no hardened criminal, leaving witnesses around ;) Ps Jess does mention, crosses that have happened in your own garden (ifnyou don’t grow toxic decorative squashes) are safer. Store bought.... you’ve experienced it ! :)

[@seanh.1460]

Is this “Garden of Eden” joke?

[@BrutalPoppySeed]

Just commit to the Basil fields, my soul needs to see a ridiculous amount of Basil growing this spring 🌱

[@rebelchildshomestead]

Same!

[@Holly_at_gypsyhollergardens]

🌱🌱🌱🌱YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! 🌱🌱🌱 Cause there is no such thing as "too much basil" it's a myth 😂 , that's what I tell my hubs !

[@Brittany_McCollum]

Can you imagine the SMELL 😍😍

[@debrasaints3809]

LOL! I have volunteers popping up everywhere, too, especially Tulsi Basil and Anise!

[@hitthacienda]

I secretly want her to do this, too. A FIELD of Basil!!! Glorious

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

I cross pollinated a Seminole pumpkin with a butternut and got the perfect winter squash and I plant them out every year. I can even name my winter squash because it also crossed with a long island cheese. So I call it Mary's squash.

[@agardengrowsinbrooklyn141]

Thats pretty cool! I once planted a big yellow variety of tomatoes and sweet cherry tomatoes and the the yellow ones grew lookjng like yellow grape tomatoes, it was the cutest thing.

[@jenniferchristiansen2040]

That's fantastic!

[@Holly_at_gypsyhollergardens]

😆 ...arm pit hair !!! I adore that child 💙 My vote ...let the basil grow 🌱🌱🌱

[@AtlantaHospiceRN]

I can’t pull out volunteers either ❤️❤️❤️I’m a hospice nurse. My brain must see the plants live always.

[@lornabaker4039]

Brussels sprouts are grown in armpits! 😂 That explains so much!

[@lizatrue7543]

Benjamin's growing up to be quite the gardener. So cute! "We wet you until next time." 😂 Ty Jess. I always learn something from you.

[@littlecountrykitchen]

Agree Ben is adorbs! ❤ Curious which way is south on your property? 🤔

[@beetee3272]

😂

[@deewinston5651]

Thank you Jess for being such a balanced gardener. I think some people over complicate things that some might be so intimated, that they’re so afraid of doing it wrong, they don’t try. I don’t think our ancestors had time to be afraid to grow. They just planted things and hoped and prayed the Lord would bless the harvest. They needed to feed their families.❤️✝️

[@HeatherNaturaly]

Take the Basil to be microgreen and toss it in your next salad. Not wasted!!😊

[@dancnluc1]

Ben is so cute. At work today, I caught the Produce Manager grabbing a Basil plant to take to the back to throw away. I said, "Can't you mark it down. He says well if I do, will you buy it. I said all it needs is watering. He marked it to 96 cents. I got it home and watered it, and it already perked up.

[@sheriwilliamson6811]

Brussel sprouts are armpit hair! New shirt design??? Maybe a sticker?

[@debbiebolman2705]

I started out with 6 kinds of winter squash 2 years ago. Last year I ended up with a spaghetti squash volunteer. It was hyper productive, grew without being watered, and was the sweetest bright orange spaghetti squash ever

[@circlecityseeds]

Promiscuous pollinators 🤣 that’s a new term for me. Thank you so much for all the seed saving education that you do.

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

I think another reason the "you can't save seeds from hybrids " myth is out there is for commercial production. To sell seeds as a certain "variety" one must be able to guarantee the plant features. To do that, isolation of heirloom varieties is a must. Hybrid varieties require hand pollination to insure the blend of two known heirlooms. But that's only for commercial quality assurance of plant genetics

[@RTCPhotoWork]

It probably also secures seed sales if people are afraid to save their own seeds and have to buy them as a result.

[@kristinkujda826]

I had the "toxic" squash last year. It was awful but looked super pretty over my trellis 💁🏽😂

[@Michelle-ky8tn]

So I had to go to the store and when I started my self-checkout, I saw some papers sticking up out of the side of my purse, not knowing what it was, I pulled them out ~ lo and behold I had purchased some seeds a few weeks back and totally forgot about them 🤦🏻‍♀️ I literally just busted out laughing, my husband asked me what I was laughing about, I said “I’m a true Roots and Refuge fan now, I did a Jess and have been toting seeds around in my purse” he just looked at me and shook his head and told me I had a problem 😊 thanks for the laugh Jess, hope you had a great Mama’s Day!

[@galeharris6696]

You made me laugh when you said you had to step up and be a gardener, because if pulling volunteers is the criteria for that, I fail over and over! I literally had almost a hundred sunflower volunteers last year, and we ended up moving them all over my farm, so this year we'll probably have a thousand. Eek! I can't pull them, they're so brave.

[@tiffanymarie2097]

I always have a ton of sunflowers pop up all over the farm. I let them grow wild. Such a happy flower! I love it!!

[@AmandainGeorgia]

I have a cross between spaghetti squash and either butternut or acorn that has added sweetness to the spaghetti squash but still retained the stringy noodle-like texture that I absolutely love. I have had bitter zucchini come up, but after one taste, you know to pull that plant before it can continue. And after years of saving squash and pumpkin seeds, I’ve only had that one instance of bitter fruit. And there’s no way anyone would eat enough of it to become sick. So I feel very confident myself in saving squash seeds.

[@samanthathomas4327]

Your garden videos with Ben are my favorite. He’s so smart and sweet and you can see how patient and intentional you are with him. 🥰

[@linsanders3984]

"Brussel Sprouts are armpit hairs!!!" LMAO 😂🤣😂 Funniest thing ever. So cute 💚

[@Stoiccappy]

Landrace Gardening is a great book that addresses cross pollinating for stronger plants.

[@vivianyerton7937]

I had my pumpkin cross with my zucchini, they were tasty but I call them ugly squash bumpy with orange and green

[@sallyboothe911]

I planted sweet banana peppers last year… when they bit into them part of them we’re HOT! It’s discouraging when you buy quality seeds and they’re mixed. The garden is looking great 👍🏻

[@jeas4980]

My little gardening buddy is off to college and living their best life right now. I miss him. Cherish this time because the memories are absolutely priceless. 💚🙏

[@missouribroad978]

Mushroom compost is such a great idea. We always have times when we find mushrooms that are about a day past their prime. I’m going to add them to the compost pile. I like to take spore prints and then scrape the spore print into a bucket of water which I then load into my water gun. I then spray areas in my woods where that particular mushroom does well. The guns that load themselves when you stick them into a bucket of water work great!

[@sarahsweeney7048]

What a great idea for spreading mushrooms!

[@cajuntc74]

❤Benjamin is a gem! I just love him!!!

[@hickoryhillinthebigwoods-r759]

I learned to NOT save seed from an organic squash bought at the store. I ended up with those fancy looking fall gourds that were two colors, hard, and curled necks.

[@janelleroads6011]

When I was a kid, my mom eould tell us to " eat your little cabbages" when we had Brussels Sprouts. She'd say, " eat your little trees" when we had broccoli. To this day I say that to myself before having them! I'm 65 yrs old! Memories!

[@shamancarmichael5305]

My best childhood summer memories are of all the neighborhood kids playing in the hose at each other's houses! We were soggy half of the summer! 😁

[@takishasage-freebeautyzone]

"We wet you until next time" 🤣. You've got yourself a gardening comedian on your hands 😂.

[@bethpotts-mee8730]

I think Ben is a hoot! He loves being in the garden with you to work or not. "We wet you until next time" is solid comedic ad-lib. I recall his response to the baby pig peeing on him "oh that's okay I'm a farm boy" if it icked him out he did not show it! ❣You are a great Mom raising 5 boys & being step Mom to 1 girl. You are becoming a more confident teacher in your Vlogs & Community work. I love seeing your growth. Bright Blessings of Love!❣

[@dottiewelch6964]

I just purchased some kajari melon seeds My first time growing them and I’m very excited 😊

[@angelabain7974]

If I had that basil issue I would scoop it up and set out on the back boarder of garden would smell wonderful and when blooms the bees will be happy happy. They would transplant very well pretty much drop scoop and water. Done.

[@tonijurkones8373]

Good morning 🌞

[@dawnjackson6741]

So happy you showed the other pond! Although there may not be a lot of activity it is nice to see.

[@dawna-bethmcdonald6260]

I loved what you said about GMO seeds and survival situation too. You're quickly becoming one of my favorite garden channels.

[@KnitAdjacent-ln2rx]

almost fell out of my chair laughing so hard when Ben said, Brussel Sprouts are armpit hair! 🤣🤣🤣😜

[@beckysheetz4343]

Your channel brings me so much joy. Thank you.

[@gailrothermund9209]

Armpit hair.. Ben is smart and inquisitive! ❤ this kid!! I agree.. let the basil grow!

[@reginagibson1908]

Hope you had a very good Mother’s Day Jess. Benjamin is so cute 🥰

[@heathermiddleton4958]

Jess, I'm in Canada and we've heated with wood for years. Our wood burning cook stoves always had an oven, cooktop, water resevoir and warming/proofing cabinet up top.

[@wreathsandroses]

The basket into the pepper cage made me LOL. Having 4 small kiddos myself, the struggle is real 😂

[@lisakennedy]

Also called ‘land race’ gardening 😊👌

[@maggiechrisman]

Keep the basil! Imagine how heavenly it will smell!

[@jackcsaffell5641]

Hi Ms. Jessica. You trying to pronounce the botanical name of the squash made me giggle. Not for how you sounded but for how I sounded in front of a handful of well-educated landscapers. At my past job we were asking the landscapers if we could plant (coton-easter?) I pronounced it "COTTON EASTER." They had no idea what I was talking about. I described it and said it's growing right near the gas station. Remarkably they did not laugh out loud but I did see some smiles. "Oh, do you mean KA-TONE I-ASTER?" Mortified doesn't even begin to explain how stupid I felt. Oh well, first mistake I ever made. "That's my Dad's favorite saying and he lived to be 87. God bless this homestead-garden.

[@jenniferferdinand7347]

I would love to spend time with you. I have been watching you for awhile and I'm mesmerized by all you've learned and now...all you are doing. So beautiful ❤️

[@godsconstruction]

Awwww your little garden helper its always lovely to be in ypur classroom #blessings

[@susanrichards4844]

Gotta love gardener Ben! 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

[@donnaingle391]

Amazing information

[@catharinab8860]

Benjamin is such a joy

[@dragonflyacrylics2542]

Mushroom mulch is all I plant in…it’s plant crack👍👍👍

[@kele1264]

Watching that special sunflower Steve sunflower you pointed out will be very interesting!

[@ah3ll0]

Ben has his daddy’s sense of humor lol.

[@PackRatManiac]

My second year gardening I grew Husky cherry tomatoes and my daughter would pick them. I ended up with some volunteer tomatoes sprinkled throughout the backyard and decided to plant the healthiest ones. Those plants produced the most fruit and were the hardiest out of all the other plants that I started from seed or bought. Husky cherry tomatoes are hybrids and they did grow true to type. I didn't save seeds but I do have some whole cherry tomatoes in my freezer. I might try starting a few from them since they'd be second generation yard tomatoes lol. It's pretty funny the volunteers from the yard looked so much healthy and grew better than the ones I grew in organic potting soil and fussed over.

[@terresiagregg9326]

Good morning Jess your garden is looking awesome love watching your videos

[@rooteddinfaithjourney]

Jess..I am trying Cushaw Squash as alot of folks say taste better then pumpkin pie punkins for pies so am seeing if I can grow them..Patricia

[@transplanted.homestead]

Great explanation on saving seeds and cross pollination!

[@aileenbell6750]

Growing some banana peppers in honor of Ben in my own small garden. He is quite the gardener! 👍

[@janenichols3880]

I am growing scarlet runner beans that totally came up volunteer. They’re growing better than last year’s and are lovely now that they are really blooming. Impressed that volunteers are more hardy! Blessings!

[@nicoledavidart9569]

I once planted a butternut squash and watermelons close together. My butternut was rounder and fruitier, we loved them.

[@christinadeckard2722]

Happy Mother's Day!

[@ramonajolley1966]

I miss that age. Thank you for the information.

[@jskingfamilyfarm1386]

That boy warms my ❤️

[@jadeinthewoods]

My goodness, Ben is the sweetest!! ❤❤

[@nameless4411]

"Brussel sprouts are arm pit hair." 🤣🤣🤣 It's nice when he is with you gives a real beginner perspective. 🤗❤

[@dhansonranch]

Excellent!

[@vynedvyne59]

He’s so cute looks more and more like his Dad ❤ Blessed quiver

[@chezelleconroy2951]

Oh man, I fair dinkum love that boy! Ben just makes us all smile ❤

[@cookingsherry8784]

You are blessed with such abundance on your farm! It would be awesome if you let people come in and repot volunteers to use in their own gardens. When one basil plant costs $5 or more, it becomes cost prohibitive to have as much as I need. I started seeds last year then didn't have all the bed space I needed to plant them all and put a bunch in pots. Unfortunately, I was sick a lot during January and February this year so did not get my seeds started. I have one lonely basil plant growing in a container, but I will probably get more to go in the tomato bed.

[@joanneganon7157]

Great Job identifying Ben 👍. GOSH do i know how Ben felt. When I was a Journeymen I spent 2 yrs in VA. I had never ever had a Hot Pepper! The Guys at the local Restaurant hid the Jalapeños under my cheese on my Nachos😝. Oh how they laughed at the Yankee. Me not so much😡. I hope you had a wonderful Mothers Day surrounded by your Boys❤. JO JO IN VT 💞

[@jessicaeggleston8033]

Oh wow I never heard about toxic squash seeds thank you for sharing and setting the record straight!!

[@jenniferkessener1111]

You two make me smile. Thanks for the encouragement. We had funny squash out of the compost heap. My husband planted them in the garden, and they ran all over. They were not toxic, but not tasty either. They did last well, and provided a lot of Fall/winter decor. The squirrels liked them, so we may grow more by their doing.

[@kathyaakananabluebird]

Let the smaller boys pot up your walkway Basil, they can grow it on. Then they can sell it one day lemonaide stand style on the side of the road downtown when you adults are all down there working nearby on the coffeeshop/store project.

[@deannewilliams3321]

Beautiful plants Ben! I love your shoes!! Thanks for the garden tour yall! Rainy here today 🌧🥰🌱

[@tammy2423]

CONGRATS ON 600,000 SUBS! U ROCK!

[@Homestead-ish]

I love this. Stress free growing :)

[@Randomconsiderations]

I would buy the "Brussel Sprouts are arm pit hair" tshirt. Just putting that out there to the powers that be.

[@thinkketo9202]

Thank you for another informative video. Promiscuous pollination, I love that term! I save my squash seeds every year and have never had an issue. Currently watching a monster squash my compost volunteered for me trying to figure out what it is.

[@mistyfrogskiss4614]

Those "toxic" squash are usually a cross with the gourd that grows on the side of the road in AZ, CO and ?? But it's not an issue with normal eating varieties. Thank you for sharing!

[@lynnbetts4332]

I love lemon basil, but it is coming up EVERYWHERE. I always get tons of volunteer Texas Wild tomatoes. They are a currant style tomato that are sweet as candy and produce even in 90 degF temps. This year, I had to take that step and pull most of them out. Saved a few for my plant swaps. I still have too many for the bed, but I'm balking at pulling the extras out. Convincing myself that I need to do it to allow the new grape variety the room to grow over the cattle panel arch. Had one volunteer tomato come up right next to the old tomato bed. If it is that determined to live, I'll leave it and see what I can get. It looks to be similar to the Early Girl that was over there last year. I'm further south and harvest has started. Just picked a tub of green beans off my other arch. Yellow squash is coming off and need to finish digging my red potatoes. The remaining sweet peas are going to seed, and then the cucumbers will have more room. Red onions are drying, and sweet potato slips are in water. Giving them a week before they go in the ground, now that beets and carrots are harvested.

[@gabriellegermain3266]

Hi! I just want to clarify something about the gluten free Orange Juice; if they can print it on the bottle its because thejr facility is certified Gluten free. That means there will not be any cross contamination. Even if there is no peanut, gluten, soy, etc in a product doesnt mean they can't have particules of it in them, because they can be made in the same factory as other products that do contains those allergens. Also, for someone with allergies, it is sooo much easier to just look at the main label rather than looking throught the ingredients to see if there is an allergen or not. So thats it :) I hope it helps!

[@mariannereno-db4db]

Thanks Jess.💖 Beautiful gardens.

[@kathylane5934]

He is the sweetest

[@michepatrick]

next t-shirt design...brussel sprouts are armpit hair! I would totally buy that!!!

[@jennifernunez1528]

I’m pretty sure Ben needs his own channel now! ❤ also happy Mother’s Day Jess, you don’t know this and I am positive I’m not the only one, but I confided you my momma gardener it’s because of you I started a garden ❤

[@Smashlynne13]

The wit on that boy!! Oh man I love me some Ben ❤

[@farmer-red488]

Here I am struggling to grow enough basil and it's taking over your walkway hahaha... I'm determined though!! Planted probably close to forty or fifty plants hoping to get a decent harvest haha! Well done young sir naming the plants! Happy Mothers day Jess!

[@jcgirl3]

Lovin' your cut and dry mindset.

[@angelinasaavedra5850]

I received my tee shirt order yesterday, and I happen to be wearing the same print and color! They are very soft and cooling 👍🏼😊

[@turtle2212]

Hi Jess, so true what you just said about cross pollination! I recommend the booklet Landrace Gardening from Joseph Lofthouse. It is a complete guide to seed collection.

[@isoprosperity2589]

I planted store bought grocery yellow potatoes last year that had started growing eyes.... Harvested what was more like a russet. Still great! But not the yellow we were hoping for. Oh well!

[@zuzauramek9850]

Grow some bigger basil and then pull them and dry them for winter tee.

[@joannsudderth664]

We bless you back❤❤❤

[@LorieRoebuck]

I’m so excited 😊 I’m getting a greenstalk for Mothers Day ❤❤❤ it’s late obviously, but I’m so ready to plant my garden in that planter!!!! The trick will be to keep the deer and rabbits away lol they’ve already devoured my first set of tomatoes 😢😂 it’s frustrating but cute at the same time. Lol

[@luisviera3482]

What a cool mom

[@georgemilligan3341]

I had some volunteer squash come up and I left them to grow, they grew great and made tons of yellow squash on them but they hade little green spots on them. I cooked some up and they were awful ,tasted like bitter soap taste. I don’t let volunteer squash grow any more and I buy new seed because that taste made a lasting impression . Just my experience

[@beverlyattfield-melcher5952]

I love Bens comment. Brussel sprouts are arm pit hair. I think that needs to be on a t-shirt.

[@nanablue3748]

💚💚💚 beautiful

[@dawnmorris3252]

We Wet You Til Next Time 😂oh sweet Ben we so dearly love you💚

[@jackslynn]

So glad Ben was there to ask for me what varigation is 😂

[@lisalink6976]

I see a ‘Brussels sprouts are armpit hair” sticker in the future.

[@suzanneparamore7033]

I love watching when Ben and you do a garden tour. Can you tell me what are the names of the strawberries you are growing in your Green Stalks?