how to save seeds

Ideally, save seeds from 20 or more plants to keep your variety from getting inbred. Seed saving can quickly become a hobby and you'll be in good company. Saving seeds from your own garden plants is a great old-fashioned way to save money in your garden, but the process of saving seeds from some vegetables isn’t always quite as simple as harvesting the plants at the end of the season and gathering the seeds. Ferment the seeds. Dry the seeds. The seeds will develop in that "eye" forming a seed head. It’s especially helpful if you have the ability to produce your own weed seeds. If the seeds are rock hard, they are ready for storage. Collect seeds from plants before frost or it rains. We are thinking of starting a seed bank. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not difficult to keep a cycle going. A dark closet in a cooler part of the house or a dry, cool basement are both good spaces to store seeds for a year or two. How to save seeds from fleshy fruits and vegetables. Be sure to label seeds with the type of seed and the date harvested. Don’t necessarily pick seed heads as soon as petals fade. Seeds from hybrid plants will not be “true to type”. Save vegetable seeds and you save money on gardening, become more food self-sufficient, create new, custom varieties of vegetables that grow best in your backyard and have fun in the process! Tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas are good choices for seed saving. Ground cherry seeds have a long shelf life. Heirloom Plants vs. The cosmos plant seeds from an heirloom, on the other hand, are ideal for this project. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Tip: When looking to save seeds, annuals are probably the easiest to grow. Ideally, save seeds from 20 or more plants to keep your variety from getting inbred. Saving Seeds and Storing Them. In the kitchen dill seed can be a flavorful seasoning for any soups and stews as well as pickled vegetables. Seeds are healthy if they plump up on the plant, which is also a sign that they’re mature. In the spring when I plant these, I could have hundreds of my favorite pumpkins. These tiny flowers produce very small seeds that are best harvesting by snipping the entire stalk. You can extend the life of your seeds by keeping them in a cool and dry place. Place seeds in paper envelopes, or for longer storage, store them in mason jars. Store seeds in a dark, cool, and dry place. Only save garden seeds from healthy plants that sprout during good growing seasons. When you save seeds, you are selecting which traits you want to continue. Saving seeds is a great way to cut costs when it comes to growing your own food and gardening in general. Saving seeds is key to creating a self-sufficient garden. Collecting and storing the seeds of your plants for later use is not only a very rewarding activity but it also ensures the life and vitality of your garden while saving money. 3) Package the Seeds. Finally, transfer the seeds into small envelopes or containers and keep them in a cool, dry place. Overharvesting wild seeds can lead to the endangerment of wild species, so regulations are often put in place to make sure that no more than 10% of the wild seeds are collected in any year. Saving seeds from fleshy crops entails three main steps: Scoop seeds out of the pulpy flesh. Wash seeds thoroughly to remove plant material. To save seeds from fleshy fruits, you’ll squeeze the juices and seeds into a small jar to about half full. If the seeds are small, cut the plant off with scissors and shake the seeds into a container to collect them. First of all discard any heads that are damp or moldy. Just as when you collect seeds, it’s important keep each different seed separate as you dry them for storage. You can also cut off stalks of plants and hang them upside down, which will helps release the seeds. When you buy seeds or seedlings for your garden, you’ll likely find that they’re either hybrids or heirlooms. As the melon seeds sit in water, they ferment. Winter Squash: Saving Seed. Depending on what seeds you’re collecting, the growing and seed harvesting season begins in March and ends in fall. How to Save Tomato Seeds. One of my earliest gardening memories is discovering that a dried marigold flower contains dozens of marigold seeds. Harvest seeds when the seeds are a good size and then let them finish maturing in a bag or on some newspaper in a cool place. If you want to be able to save seed in a crisis, start NOW! Remove the seeds from vegetables such as cucumber and tomato with a tool or your fingers. Seeds from biennial crops such as carrots or beets are harder to save since the plants need two growing seasons to set seed. I couldn’t believe my luck – free seeds! Other seeds, like bean seeds, though, are very simple to prepare because you only need to remove them from the shells and they don’t even need to be rinsed or cleaned. Know what you are collecting because some plants are dangerous or may cause allergies. Clean any clinging pulp from the seeds. It’s very important to have good air circulation when drying seeds so that you can store them. The cost of seeds has increased, while the number of seeds in pre-packaged envelopes has decreased. Select ripe fruits. Clean and dry the seeds. Many pre-packaged seeds aren’t harvested at the most optimal time and are also not necessarily stored in the proper way. Set aside some seeds to plant next year, and then share the extras in a seed swap or donate them to a local seed library. Always make sure you have proper permission or permitting to collect seeds. 2. If you want to be able to save seed in a crisis, start NOW! Choose Wisely! Put the seeds somewhere warm and dry for about a week. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b1\/Save-Seeds-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Save-Seeds-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b1\/Save-Seeds-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid677257-v4-728px-Save-Seeds-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"