What You Need To know About Seed Saving

Even though the technique of seed saving might be relatively new to most people, the truth is that seed saving is an old tradition just like gardening. Some gardeners consider seeds obtained from their most favorite plants as treasures that are worth saving for years. Nowadays, seedlings and seeds are quite inexpensive, and you might be left asking yourself while you still need to save seeds after all. However, as you shall soon realize, seed saving comes with a plethora of benefits that you should take full advantage of.

Why save seeds?

To start with, seed saving gives you an opportunity of being able to keep on hanging on your most favorite seed variety. In addition, it will also help keep money in your wallet since you don’t have to keep buying a new stock of seeds every season. While seeds are of course not expensive as such, buying them regularly might end up costing you a lot of money in the long run. If there is a plant that you really love, you will be able to grow it again and again from your original seeds which you have saved.

Such could probably be a champion pumpkin, a deliciously tasting tomato or the blue Campanula. This will save you from surprises of knowing that your local seed company has discontinued your most favorite seed in their efforts of paving way for a new variety. In the unlikely event that this happens, your saved seeds will give you a guarantee that you will continue planting and harvesting your most favorite seeds.

Which seeds can you save?

Not all seeds can actually be saved and it is essential that you know what can be saved and what can’t. Self pollinated plants, the so called open pollinated plants or Heirloom are the only plant varieties which truly grow from seeds. This means that their seedlings are usually exactly the same like their parents and such seeds are worth saving. When it comes to hybridized seeds, these ones tend to grow into a large variety of plants that depict characteristics of either of the parents or both of them at times. Most of the plants being sold today are actually hybrids. Hybridizing helps in creating plants that have desirable traits and this can really give the seed company some job security.

For hybrids, seed saving isn't really an option as such unless if you are a researcher and are interested in discovering something new. In addition, wind or insect pollinated plants might be cross pollinated with other plants when growing and this means that saved seeds might not grow true. If you really need to save seeds of such plants, you will need to do it a little carefully to ensure that you get the best results. Self pollinated plants like tomatoes, lettuce, beans, endive, chicory and peas are the easiest types of plants to save. Seeds of most heirloom flowers can also be saved such as cleome, hollyhock, foxgloves, sweet pea, zinnia and nasturtium.

How to time and save seeds

When you want to save seeds, always pick plants, vegetables, flowers and fruits of the best quality only. Make sure that you look for plants with seeds that are disease resistance, those with a great flavor, enhanced productivity and vigor. Keep in mind the fact that the plants that you sow next year will be as good as the current year’s seeds. Harvest seeds for saving once the seed pods are dried completely for plants like lettuce, beans, broccoli and flowers. Always keep checking the pods and harvest the seeds after they have started turning brown. In most cases, seed pods send to open and then disperse all by their own without needing any intervention.

If you are saving seeds of vegetables, do after the vegetable has ripened fully in case of eggplant, squash, tomatoes and peppers. Such vegetables will already be past their acceptable edible stage and the seeds will be ready. In most vegetables, you just need to scoop the seeds out and then dry them for saving. As far as saving potato seeds is concerned, a wet method of processing is required.

How to store saved seeds

Saved seeds must be stored in the best environment possible to ensure that they remain in the best condition possible. To start with, ensure that the seeds you intend to save are dry completely otherwise it will just mold or rot in storage. Make sure that you remove chaff from the seeds and remove as much of it as possible. Store the seeds in a clean paper envelope that is well labeled with the year and seed variety. The envelopes containing the seeds need to be saving in air tight containers like a canning jar. Store them in a place that is dry and cool. Don’t store them for too long and ensure you use them the next year.

Saving seeds can become one of your best hobbies sooner than later particularly if you do it on a couple of times. Adopting the practice of growing plants that come from saved seeds will assure you plants that are adapted uniquely to your garden and your seeds will even become much more valuable after time. Remember that the quality of seeds you save will be reflected in the quality of plants that you will be seeing in your garden next year. It is thus important that you select only the best quality seeds for saving.

If you plan to collect seeds this year for saving, make sure that you start with the varieties and species of seeds, which offer you the best chance possible of success. When saving seeds, make sure that you use open pollinated or heirloom varieties, and you will be assured of the best results when you plant the seeds in your garden. Most plants will grow true upon planting saved seeds and plants like beans, tomatoes and chicory will assure you a great yielding success from your saved seeds.