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What Is Seed Saving?
For hundreds of generations, farmers and gardeners have practiced the tradition of seed saving to cultivate a wide array of flowers, herbs, vegetables and grains for sustaining their farms and gardens.
Seed saving is the age-old practice of collecting, preserving, and storing seeds from plants grown in a garden or farm. These saved seeds are used for replanting in subsequent seasons, ensuring the continuation of specific plant varieties and promoting self-sufficiency.
Seed saving allows you to cultivate locally adapted, resilient plants and preserve heirloom and rare varieties, contributing to biodiversity conservation and sustainable food production.
Why You Should Save Seeds?
Seed saving empowers you as a gardener, connects you to nature’s wisdom, and plays a vital role in promoting sustainability and biodiversity for a greener and more abundant future.
Seed saving is not just about next year’s crop, it is about leaning into the rhythm of nature. By saving seeds we become stewards of the land, guardians of biodiversity, and curator of resilience for future generations.
These seeds carry stories of adaptability and history. By saving and sharing them, we honor the past and sow hope for the future. Let us find joy and purpose through seed saving and sow the seeds of a greener, more sustainable future for generations to come.
Seed Saving Is A Must For Several Reasons:
- Self-Sufficiency – Saving seeds allows you to cultivate your own supply, reducing dependence on commercial seed sources and ensuring a stable food source for the future.
- Biodiversity Preservation – By saving and sharing seeds, you contribute to the conservation of heirloom and rare plant varieties, safeguarding biodiversity and cultural heritage.
- Adaptation to Local Conditions – Saved seeds adapt over time to your specific climate and soil, resulting in plants that thrive naturally in your environment and are more resilient to challenges.
- Cost-Effectiveness – Seed-saving can significantly reduce gardening expenses, making it a budget-friendly and sustainable practice.
- Seed Security – Saving seeds provides a safety net for food production, enhancing resilience in times of uncertainty or crisis.
- Customization and Heirlooms – Saved seeds offer the opportunity to cultivate unique heirloom varieties with distinct flavors, colors, and traits.
- Learning and Sharing – Seed-saving is a continuous learning journey, fostering a sense of community as you share seeds and knowledge with fellow gardeners.
Seed Organizing container
The perfect place to organize and store you seed envelopes!
Preserve Heritage, Not Hybrids: Save Heirloom Seeds
In the world of seed saving, it’s essential to understand the different types of seeds available – hybrids, heirlooms, and open-pollinated plants. Each carries unique characteristics that impact the garden’s sustainability, diversity, and long-term success.
When you are just starting out saving seeds, it is important to learn if the plant you want to save seeds from is an open pollinated, heirloom or hybrid plant. Let’s explore these seed types to make informed choices when selecting seeds for your garden.
take note,
You only want to save seeds from open-pollinated and heirloom plants.
Don’t bother saving seeds from hybrid.
Open-Pollinated Seeds
Open-pollinated (OP) plants are those that are pollinated naturally by wind, insects, or other means, without human intervention.
While all heirlooms are open-pollinated, not all open-pollinated plants qualify as heirlooms. Heirlooms represent only a small fraction of plants.
The seeds produced by open-pollinated plants, whether through self-pollination or cross-pollination with pants of the same variety, will usually, but not always, yield offspring with traits similar to those of the parent plant. These seeds tend to be genetically stable and can be saved and replanted year after year while, for the most part, maintaining their characteristics.
As a result, open-pollinated plants are excellent choices for seed savers who seek to cultivate self-sustaining and locally adapted crops.
Heirloom Seeds
–Heirloom Seeds are true gems of agricultural heritage. These seeds come from plants that have been passed down through generations, preserving their unique traits and flavors. To be classified as heirloom, the plant variety must have a history of at least 50 years. Gardeners and seed savers play a vital role in preserving these precious varieties for the benefit of future generations.
Hybrid Seeds – Controlled-Pollinated Seeds
Hybrid seeds are the product of controlled pollination between two distinct parent plants. The goal is to combine desirable traits from both parents, such as disease resistance or improved yield. However, the seeds produced by hybrid plants are genetically unstable, meaning they will not consistently replicate the same characteristics as the parent plants in the generations to follow. As a result, gardeners need to purchase new hybrid seeds each year from seed companies.
Examples of Hybrid Tomatoes
-Better Boy, Beefmaster, Big Boy, Lemon Boy, Sun Sugar, and Early Girl
Cross-Pollinating vs. Self-Pollinating
Vegetables and other plants are pollinated two ways: self-pollinating and cross-pollinating. This is important to understand when choosing which seeds to save from which plants.
Some plants produce full flowers with both male and female parts within the same flower. These types of plants can easily self-pollinate and typically do. A good example of plants with full flowers are tomatoes.
Self-pollination is pretty straight-forward, the pollen from that plant pollinates that same plant.
While other plants have incomplete flowers and produce a male flower and a female flower. These plants have a greater chance of cross-pollinating. Pumpkins are a good example of these types of plants.
Cross-pollination happens when the pollen of one plant is transferred to another plant, either within the same species or between related species. This natural process occurs with the help of wind, insects, birds, etc.
For instance, sweet corn, where the seeds are the edible part, can cross-pollinate, resulting in entirely different varieties than initially planted. Being aware of cross-pollination tendencies allows you to choose which plants are best for saving seeds.
Which Vegetable Seeds Should You Save?
Certain crops are more beginner-friendly when it comes to seed saving. For a smooth start, we suggest focusing on self-pollinating vegetables that need no special treatment, including:
- Beans (Examples: Kentucky Wonder Bush Beans, Tenderettes, Climbing French Bean, Blue Lake)
- Tomatoes (Examples: Amish Paste, Brandywine, Yellow Pear, Cherokee Purple, German Johnson)
- Peppers (Examples: California Wonder, Poblano, Pepperoncini, Sweet Banana)
- Peas (Examples: Amish Snap, Sugar Snap Pea, Champion of England, Green Arrow)
take NOTE,
When saving seeds, Biennial plants can be a little more difficult; these include cabbages, beets, carrots, cauliflower, onions, and turnips, as they take two seasons to set seed.
What time of the season is the best to save seeds?
Mid-summer is the best time to collect seeds. The first fruits and vegetables of the season are usually small and not fully mature. As a result, their seeds are also not fully developed and mature. In contrast, late season fruits and vegetables have had more of a chance for cross-pollination from other varieties and crops. This may result in unintentional hybrid seeds saved.
Seed Ripeness: When to know seeds are ripe for collecting?
Seed ripeness is one of the most important things to understand to successfully save seeds that will be mature enough to germinate when planted . The perfect harvest time varies for different crops. So, recognizing the signs of seed ripeness is key to preserving the genetic integrity of future plantings.
Whether it’s peas and beans reaching maturity when their pods turn brown and shrivle, or peppers revealing their readiness through vibrant colors and wrinkling, each crop offers distinct cues. Tomatoes, cucumbers, winter squash, summer squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe all have unique indicators of seed ripeness.
Additionally, it is important to know if your plants are wet seeded plants or dry seeded plants.
Wet seeded plants have seeds that are enclosed within the juicy flesh of fruits, like tomatoes, watermelons, squash, and peppers. To collect these seeds, the fruit must reach full ripeness, or even become overripe.
On the other hand, dry seeded plants mature within dry and brittle seed heads. Some examples of these are; corn, peas, beans, and lentils.
Both types have different telltale signs of seed ripeness and each requires unique techniques for collecting and saving seeds.
How To Save Seeds From Beans and Peas
Bean and pea seeds are super simple to save and a great first place to start for a beginner seed saver.
- First, ensure that the seeds your wanting to save are from a non-hybrid plant. Next, remember to choose seeds from the healthiest plants, around mid-summer.
- Allow the pods to mature on the plant, well after the time you would normally harvest them for food. The seeds will fill the pods and the pods will begin to shrivel, turning a yellow/brown color. Patience is key; this drying process can extend from four to six weeks.
- Once the bean pods are completely dry, gently gather them from the plant. The pods will feel delicate and papery. Bonus points, if the seeds rattle in the pod when shaken.
- Next, gently open the pods to remove the seeds. Arrange the seeds indoors for drying, ensuring good air circulation without direct exposure to sunlight. (Avoid using a dehydrator, as the elevated heat could affect germination rates.) To gauge their readiness, press a seed with your fingernail; if the pod doesn’t dent, it’s good and dry.
- Once dry, the bean or pea seeds are ready to be stored away for next season!
How To Save Seeds From Tomatoes
- First, make sure the seeds your wanting to save are not from a hybrid plant. Next, ensure you are choosing seeds from the healthiest plants, around mid-summer.
- Allow the tomato to ripen fully on the vine.
- Then, simply slice them open and extract the seeds along with the pulp surrounding them.
- Add the pulp and seeds to a glass jar with some water and cover with a cloth or paper towel to keep any bugs out.
- Gently stir or swirl the mixture twice a day for five days. This allows fermentation to occur and the good seeds will settle to the bottom by the end of those five days. (Any seeds that remain floating are considered not viable and should be discarded.)
- Finally, drain the remaining liquid, rinse the seeds, and lay them out on a paper towel to dry before storing them away for next year’s garden.
How To Save Seeds From Peppers
- First, ensure those seeds your wanting to save are from a non-hybrid plant. Next, make sure the seeds your choosing are from the healthiest plants, around mid-summer.
- Allow some of the peppers to fully ripen on the plant.
- Once the peppers begin to wrinkle on the plant, they are ready to harvest.
- Simply, remove the seeds from the peppers and spread them out on a paper towel to fully dry before storing for next season!
How To Save Seeds From Cucumbers
- First, make sure the seeds your wanting to save are not from a hybrid plant. Next, ensure you are choosing seeds from the healthiest plants, around mid-summer.
- Next, allow the cucumbers to ripen on the vine well after the time you would harvest them for eating. They will be large and begin to soften and turn yellow/orange when they are ready to harvest for seed.
- Once harvested, simply slice them lengthwise and scoop out the pulp and seeds.
- Add the pulp and seeds to a glass jar with some water and cover with a cloth or paper towel to keep bugs out.
- Gently stir or swirl the mixture twice a day for five days. This allows fermentation to occur and the good seeds will settle to the bottom by the end of those five days. (Any seeds that remain floating are considered not viable and should be discarded.)
- Finally, drain the remaining liquid, rinse the seeds, and lay them out on a paper towel to dry before storing them away for next year’s garden.
How To Save Seeds From Biennial Plants
Remember, biennial plants can be a little more difficult; these include cabbages, beets, carrots, cauliflower, onions, and turnips, as they take two seasons to set seed.
Biennial plants require two growing seasons, so in the first year they will produce the roots, stems, and leaves, and then in the second year they will begin to flower and go to seed. They need to go through vernalization, a cold period, in order to produce seed.
Overwintering your biennial plants can be done one of two ways; by leaving the plant in the ground or by harvesting and storing for winter then replanting in the spring.
Once replanted or left until spring, the biennial plant will then flower and go to seed by late spring or early summer and you will be able to gather their seeds!
more from the blog
How To Properly Store Seeds
- Dry Seeds Thoroughly: Ensure seeds are completely dry before storing to prevent mold or decay.
- Label and Date: Clearly label each seed variety and note other important information.
- Cool, Dark Location: Store in a cool, dark place, away from sunlight and temperature fluctuations.
- Regular Check: Periodically inspect seeds for any signs of moisture or deterioration.
By following these steps, you can maintain seed viability and quality for future planting seasons.
Seed Saving FAQs From Beginners
How do I keep seeds from getting moldy?
To prevent seeds from getting moldy during storage, follow these steps:
- Properly Dry Seeds: Ensure seeds are fully dried before storage. Moisture promotes mold growth, so let seeds air dry in a well-ventilated area until they’re completely dry.
- Use Dry Containers: Store seeds in moisture-resistant, airtight containers. Glass jars or sealed plastic bags work well to keep out moisture.
- Add Desiccants: Consider adding silica gel packets to your seed storage containers. These help absorb excess moisture and maintain a dry environment.
- Cool, Dark Location: Store seed containers in a cool, dark place. Avoid areas with high humidity, like basements, as humidity encourages mold growth.
- Regular Inspection: Periodically check your stored seeds for any signs of moisture or mold. If you notice any issues, remove affected seeds immediately.
By ensuring seeds are thoroughly dry and stored in a dry, cool environment, you can greatly reduce the risk of mold growth and preserve the viability of your saved seeds.
How Can I Test Seed Viability?
You can test seed viability using a simple germination test. Here’s how:
- Preparation: Place a few damp paper towels on a plate.
- Seed Placement: Place a specific number of seeds (e.g., 10) evenly spaced on the damp paper towels.
- Covering: Gently cover the seeds with another damp paper towel.
- Warmth and Moisture: Keep the plate in a warm area (around 70-75°F or 21-24°C) and ensure the paper towels remain consistently damp.
- Observation: Check the seeds daily. After a few days to a week, you should see germination (the emergence of sprouts).
- Counting Germinated Seeds: After the designated time, count the number of seeds that have successfully germinated.
- Calculate Germination Rate: Divide the number of germinated seeds by the total number of seeds tested and multiply by 100. This gives you the germination percentage.
Generally, a germination rate of around 80% or higher is considered good for most seeds. If your germination rate is lower, you might consider planting more seeds to compensate for lower viability.
This test helps you assess how viable your stored seeds are before planting, ensuring a successful and productive growing season.
If you have less than 80%, you may want to check to see what mistakes may have been made. You Should Grow has a great article, 5 Fatal Mistakes For Germinating Seeds, to help you troubleshoot!
How Long Do Saved Seeds Last?
The longevity of saved seeds varies depending on the type of plant and how well they are stored. Generally:
- Short-Lived Seeds: Seeds from plants like onions, parsnips, and leeks have a shorter viability, usually around 1-2 years.
- Moderate-Lived Seeds: Seeds from plants like tomatoes, peppers, and beans can last around 3-4 years if stored properly.
- Long-Lived Seeds: Seeds from plants like cucumbers, squash, and melons can remain viable for 5-10 years or even longer if stored under optimal conditions.
Proper storage greatly affects seed longevity. Keep seeds in airtight containers, away from moisture and temperature fluctuations, in a cool and dark environment. Regularly testing germination rates can help you determine if older seeds are still viable before planting.
Remember that while germination rates might decrease over time, even older seeds can still yield some successful plants, making them worth experimenting with in your garden.
The Farmer’s Almanac breaks it down even further here.
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