Seed Saving Basics

It’s that time of year when gardens are starting to slow down or have stopped producing altogether. Winter garden cleanup is taking place. And many gardeners are collecting seeds to save for next years garden. They would have planted extra crops specifically for this task. If you’re one of those folks, you get a gold star and can move to the head of the class. Because you, my friend, are already ahead of the game for the next growing season!

Why should you save seeds?

Let me count the ways! First, it’s fun! Second, it’s a great way to save money. You don’t have to worry about stocking up on seed packets or purchasing plants for the next growing season. Third, seed saving gives you control over what you grow and feed your family. You don’t have to wonder about the quality because you KNOW what’s in it. You KNOW how it was grown.

Seed saving also gives you control over when and how much you want to grow. That can be a great source of comfort during these uncertain times.

This includes flowers…

Seed saving is not limited to just vegetables. Flowers can produce A LOT of seeds. For FREE!  So if you have flowers that you really enjoy, either for beauty, aroma, pollinating ability or medicinal purpose, you should be saving those seeds! Just think of all the flower gardens you could have if you saved seeds from your favorite flowers!

Most annuals, like zinnias, sunflowers, marigolds and calendula, grow well from saved seeds. Seeds from perennial flowers can be saved but keep in mind that they may not bloom the first year after planting.

Many flower seeds can be planted in early spring for a summer or fall showing. Others may need to be planted in fall for a spring or summer showing. It’s important to know about the seeds you are collecting as well as any special requirements for planting.

 

A word about “hybrids”:

Hybrid is a term used to describe a plant that has been cross-pollinated with another parent plant. Hybrids are usually grown to encourage a certain characteristic like a larger sized fruit, disease or pest resistance or early yield. Plants at a nursery or garden center should indicate on the label if it is a hybrid.

Seed packets will be labeled with an F1 or F2 to identify them as a hybrid variety. Collecting seeds from a hybrid plant is generally not recommended. Doing so will likely produce a Frankenstein-type of plant or fruit that bears no resemblance to the plant the seeds came from.

The good news about pollination:

Seeds collected from open-pollinated plants will produce fruit that is similar to the parent plant. This includes plants that are self-pollinating, such as tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas. That’s why these particular plants are best for a beginning seed saver. There’s no fuss or extra work involved.

Cross-pollination happens between male and female blooms like those found on squash and pumpkin plants. And it’s interesting to note that cross-pollination can happen even between plants that are not related.

Pollination is usually done by bees or by the wind. If you’ve grown zucchini or summer squash that didn’t produce very well, it’s usually due to lack of pollination from other squash plants.

The bad news about pollination:

Unfortunately, cross-pollination also makes it harder to keep these particular plants pure for seed saving. If your zucchini is being pollinated by a melon plant, you’re going to end up with something that resembles neither squash or melon. If it produces anything at all!

While it doesn’t affect the parent plants, seeds saved from these cross-pollinated plants may not produce the kind of fruit or plant you were hoping for. It’s rare that you end up with a new, prize-winning breed of plant. More often than not, plants grown from the seed of a cross-pollinated plant will have ugly, misshapen fruit. Chances are also good that the fruit will taste as bad as it looks!

 

How to avoid cross-pollination:

You can avoid cross-pollinating by planting only one variety of a particular plant. If you must plant more than one variety, make sure they’re not planted right next to each other. Otherwise, those sweet bell peppers planted next to your hot tabasco peppers may have more of a kick than you really want. Opposite ends of the garden should be sufficient enough to avoid cross-pollination.

The same thing can happen to flowers. Cross pollination can produce seeds that may grow a totally different color of flower or fragrance than you had intended.

If opposite ends of the garden isn’t going to be sufficient, cover the blooms with muslin or paper bags.  Of course, this means you’ll have to pollinate by hand if you expect anything to grow. You can use a small paint brush or Q-tip to transfer pollen from the male bloom to the female bloom. Just be sure to cover the blooms back up when you’re done. This may need to be done more than once until you see fruit developing. At that point, you can remove the covering.

 

How to save vegetable seeds:

 – Let the fruit mature completely before harvesting

Picking too early could result in seeds that may not germinate when planted. You can also collect seeds from plants that have bolted. For beans or peas, this means leaving them on the vine until they are dry. When you can hear the seeds rattling inside the pod, they’re ready for harvest.

For peppers, wait until they’re mature and slightly shriveled.

Tomatoes can be picked a day or two past normal harvesting.

 – Remove the seeds from the fruit

Beans and peas are easy to remove from their pods. Peppers can be cut open and the seeds shaken or scooped out. Tomato seeds can be squeezed or scooped out with a spoon.

 – Dry the seeds

For “dry” seeds, make sure they are free of dirt, leaves and other debris. Seeds like beans, peas and pepper are easy to dry. Just spread them out on a paper towel or plate to dry completely…even if they look dry already. Trust me on this! I’ll explain why in a minute.

“Wet” seeds, like tomato seeds, should be placed in a jar with a little water and left to ferment for a few days. The fermentation process releases the tiny seeds from their gelatinous prison. Scum will develop on the water’s surface. Good seeds will sink to the bottom. Bad seeds will float in the scum. Scrap out the bad seeds and scum, strain the good seeds and rinse in cool water. Spread them out to dry on a paper plate or towel. This technique doesn’t look or smell great, but it’s the easiest way to deal with slippery seeds.

 – Test your seeds for dryness

Most seeds will take a couple of weeks to dry completely. Test them by pushing a fingernail into the seed. If it leaves a mark or gives way, it’s not ready for storage. Larger seeds will require a longer drying time. Storing seeds before they are completely dry will cause them to mildew. This will affect the rest of the seeds in the container. After all the work you put in, don’t risk next year’s crops just to save a little time. I can’t stress enough how important it is to make sure your seeds are completely dry prior to storing them. When in doubt, smash a seed with a hammer. If it shatters, they’re ready. If it smushes…more drying time is needed.

 – Prepare your seed storage

You don’t need anything fancy for storing seeds. I like to use a clean, dry, glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Others use a plain mailing envelope. Either one will work just fine. I know a nice lady who keeps her seeds in envelopes inside an old recipe file. Whatever works for you and makes the most sense.

 – Store your seeds

Seeds can be stored in a cool, dark place such as a basement, root cellar, under a stairwell or in the fridge or freezer. If the location is a little on the humid side, add a desiccant or dry powdered milk to the container. And don’t forget to label your seeds with the type/variety, date and any other information you might find helpful. Do it before you put your seeds away. You don’t want to leave it to memory!

Choose only the best and healthiest plants to collect seeds from. Otherwise, you risk planting seeds that may not grow or produce as you expected. Collecting seeds from an unhealthy plant carries the possibility of that disease living inside the seed. That disease is then passed on to the next generation of crops.

Remember, quality in = quality out!

Properly stored seeds will remain viable for 2-3 years or longer. The rule of thumb is the bigger the seed, the longer you can keep them. Imagine…if you save seeds at the end of every garden season, you’ll never have to buy seeds again!

 

 

Can you save seeds from store-bought vegetables?

Here is my take on this…you don’t know if the vegetables you bought at the store are hybrids or not. The clerk working in the produce section probably doesn’t know either. Personally, I wouldn’t waste my time or energy messing with it.

However, this would make a great science experiment for the kids. So, if you have the time and the inclination, go for it! Just be prepared to grow something totally different than what the seeds came from.

How to save flower seeds:

– Most flower seeds are ready for harvesting about a month after blooms are spent. As with vegetables, you’ll want to make sure the plant is healthy and mature. The seed head should be brown.

–  If the seeds are large, like sunflower seeds, harvesting should be fairly easy. For small seeds, wrap the flower head in muslin or a small paper bag and shake gently or let the seeds fall naturally. You can also cut the stems, cover the flower head with a paper bag and hang to finish drying.

– Flower seeds, even if they look dry, should be spread out to dry further. Remember, seeds that haven’t dried completely can ruin the entire collection of seeds.

– Place dry seeds in your container of choice, label and store in a cool, dry location. As with vegetable seeds, a desiccant or powdered milk can be added to combat humidity while in storage.

A final thought:

If you’re ready to become a seed saving hero, you’ll want to grow extra plants specifically for the harvesting of seeds. Since you’ll be harvesting crops that will be past their maturity date, you may not be able to use them for anything else once seeds are removed. Bottom line…you shouldn’t count on these plants to provide inventory for your pantry. So plan accordingly.

Need more reasons to save seeds?

– Saving seeds from your own crops means they are already adapted to your particular growing conditions. So you shouldn’t have to do any tweaking to get them to grow and produce.

– You don’t have to worry about stores not having the seeds you need when it’s time for planting. Nor do you have to worry about delayed or cancelled seed shipments during these uncertain times.

– Start planting seeds on your schedule…not the garden center’s.

– Seed saving enables you to be a part of the complete life cycle of the plants you grow. How cool is that!

– Saving seeds, besides being a cost-effective way of growing a garden, is also good for making your own snack food or craft project. Popcorn anyone?

– You can have a part in passing on “heirloom” seeds to the next generation of gardener. In case you weren’t sure, heirloom is a term used to describe open pollinated plants whose seeds have been passed down year after year. I know folks who have passed down tomato and bean seeds for more than 150 years. What a legacy!

– If you have extra seeds, consider a seed swap! It’s a great way to meet like-minded people and try a new plant or variety that you might not have considered or been able to purchase.

I hope you found this information helpful and that I answered your questions about seed saving. If I missed something important or you have a tip to share, please leave a note in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,

lisa

 

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