Seed Saving
Harvesting Seeds
First, know that each plant has a unique seed and with it, a different recommended┬аmethod of collecting that seed. Second, be aware that when you collect seeds, thereтАЩs a good chance that the plant that grows from it will be different from the plant you harvested the seed from. And third, understand that with some plants (lettuces, for example), youтАЩll have to choose between eating the lettuce or saving the plant for seed, so itтАЩs best to grow some extras тАЬjust for the seeds.тАЭ
Crops are either dry fruited or wet fruited, with different ways of harvesting seeds from each type:
- Dry Fruited Harvesting: Crops like beans, lettuce, grains, and many herbs have seeds that dry right on the plant itself. This means that youтАЩll need to let some of your these plants remain in the garden after their prime so that they will тАЬgo to seedтАЭ тАФ plant a few extra just for this purpose.
When you notice the flowerheads or seed pods have dried up on the plant, go outside with a paper lunch bag and place it over the top of the stem, securing it with a twist tie a few inches below. Cut the stem a few inches below the twist tie, then tie a string to the twist tie and hang it all upside down in a cool, dry place for a week. The pods will dry up, pop, and release seed into the bag.
- Wet Fruited Harvesting: Other plants like tomatoes, berries, and squash have membranes around each seed to keep them from germinating inside the plant. In order to save them for future sowing, you need to remove that membrane through some fermentation. Remove the seeds and place them into a sieve or a very fine colander, rubbing them gently under running water to remove as much pulp as possible.
Now place the seeds in a jar with about a cup of water and seal with a lid, placing the jar in a cool, dark place for a few days. Every day or so, give the jar a gently swirl and, after about one week, youтАЩll notice bubbles forming тАФ thatтАЩs the fermentation we talked about above. At this point, the seeds that are at the bottom of the jar are viable and can be stored; the floating seeds are not viable and should be discarded.
Storing Seeds
- Place harvested seeds in a small paper envelope, and label the envelope with the seed variety and the date it was harvested.
- Place the envelope in a glass jar and secure with a lid.
- Place the glass jar in cool, dry place in a part of your house where the temperature remains even. Temperature fluctuations and high humidity or moisture are the nemesis of seeds, so be sure you keep their environment stable.
- If┬аstored properly, most seeds will remain viable for 2-3 years, but there are always exceptions to the rule. Onion, parsley and parsnip seeds tend to only last about 1 year, while cauliflower, Swiss chard, eggplant, tomato, pumpkin, and squash seeds can still be viable at 4 years. But the award for the longest viability goes to watercress, collards, endive, lettuce, and cucumber тАФ their seeds last a whopping 5 years!