by Mike Walters

Created on: May 10, 2010

Today, when many people read the phrase “seed saving,” they think of keeping little paper packets of store bought vegetable and flower seeds in their garage or storage shed. But this is not exactly what it means to save seeds. Saving seeds is the practice of removing seeds from your mature flower, fruit, or vegetable, then saving them in order to plant them the following season. That’s right, there’s really no need to purchase seeds, seedlings, or plants at the garden store each year. All you need to do is follow the following tips in order to successfully save seeds from your garden.

(1) Start with quality seeds:
Now obviously before you can start to save seeds from your vegetables, you do need to start somewhere. You’ll need to purchase high quality, open-pollinated heirloom seeds to plant in your garden. Why heirloom? Because this is the only way that you know what you are going to get when you harvest, save, then plant your seeds each year. Heirloom varieties are the only plants that grow true from seed. There is no use in saving and planting seeds from hybrid plants, unless you want to see something possibly quite different and unexpected pop up in your garden the following year. An excellent, trusted source for open pollinated heirloom seeds is the Survival Seed Bank. Again, remember that you want to start with the best quality seeds possible, because these seeds are the parents of all your plants to come.

(2) Harvest seeds from the healthiest plants:
When selecting the plants from which to harvest your seeds, always choose the plants that are in the best health. Harvest seeds from flowers, fruits, and vegetables that are vibrant, strong, healthy, and full of vigor.

(3) Timeliness is key:
You’ll want to keep a close eye on your plants in order to harvest your seeds when they are good and ready. When it comes to flowers, annuals the easiest variety from which to gather seeds since they flower and go to seed in just one year. Seeds are ready to be picked once the seed pods have naturally turned a bit brown and dried on the plant. Many seed pods naturally open and disperse seed when they are ready. To catch them, you can tie a small paper or cloth bag over the seed pods when they look like they are about to burst. For vegetables, it is best to harvest seeds when the veggie is nearly overripe, as this allows the seed to completely mature. For more information on harvesting seeds from veggies, click here to read “How to harvest seeds from vegetables you grow.”

(4) Avoid moisture during storage:
Make sure that your seeds are entirely dry before you store them. If they are exposed to any moisture at all, it will cause them to rot or become moldy, therefore rendering them unusable. When your seeds are dry, place them in a paper envelope, which will allow air to circulate and keep them healthy. Then, place the paper envelope(s) in an airtight container such as a jar or Tupperware. Don’t forget to label the envelope(s) with the name of the plant variety, and the date on which you placed the seeds in storage.

(5) Use seeds within a year:
Some say that you can store your own seeds for up to five years, however I recommend using them within one year. It also may be noted here that this is also highly contingent on the manner in which seeds are packaged. You’ll notice that the Survival Seed Bank may be stored for up to 20 years with no damage whatsoever to the seeds. This is highly dependent on its weather and moisture proof packaging. If you are just storing seeds in envelopes and jars, you are best off using them the next year.

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