How To Save Seeds

Many seeds may be saved simply by collecting them and drying them on a plate. Beans and peas fall into this category. The picture is a King of the Garden bean which is starting to dry on the plant. The pod is just tturning brown so its a good time to pick it for drying as the seeds will be fully formed.

Others are best dried on the plant, although you then run the risk of the seed falling to the ground before you get to it, or birds eating it. Lettuce, spinach, radish, and basil are all of that type. For these, once the plant flowers and you see seed pods, tie a little bag over the seed pod. Paper or cloth is best; plastic is not good - too damp inside and the seeds will rot.

Others need to be fermented to be viable the next year. To save tomato seeds, you squish the seeds and juice into a jar, let ferment for three days and if stuff is floating on the top it is ready to dry. You then add water and stir madly. This will make sure the seeds aren't sticking to tomato flesh. Pour off the top water and floating seeds. Floating seeds are dead seeds. Repeat as many times as you need until all you have in your jar is seed at the bottom and clear water. Strain it and dry it on a plate.

Most flowers can be saved by collecting the seed pods and then drying them.

I have covered a few types of plants but the best thing is to read up on each before you try to save the seed.

When you save seeds there is the risk that another variety may cross with the one you want to save. So if you really like one type of tomato and want to save it, the type next to it may have crossed without you knowing it. This may be fine, you could create your own variety. But if you want your variety to remain pure, you must worry about cross pollination. To avoid this you can choose to grow only one variety or you can create a barrier between the variety you want and all others. This can be done by putting a bag over the type you want and hand pollinating or by caging a group of plants. If you cage you must cover your cages in either screen or remay depending upon how that plant is pollinated -by wind or insects.