Seed Saving

Saving Seed from vegetables and flowers

I’ve saved seeds of one type or another for a good number of years. The resulting crops or flowers that come from these can be a bit unpredictable, sometimes good, sometimes a disaster. That’s the main reason that I only set aside small areas for this type of production, leaving main crop vegetables to the professionals and shrubs I find do better from cuttings. I don’t let that fact deter me though. Here are a few pointers I follow for getting the best out of the valuable seed crops at the end of the growing season.

Hybrid plants

I went to a hybrid growers set up a few years ago and they take great lengths to keep any unwanted cross pollination away from their vegetable and flower specimens. Great sealed mesh cages are used in case pollen blows in. The plants have their own sealed units with only filtered air. These hybrid vegetables and flowers can be wonderful but the seed is often sterile or does not reproduce true to the parent plant. Therefore if you do save the seed, don’t expect miracles. If they grew true to type the hybrid growers would be out of business.

Open pollinated

Some plants’ flowers are open pollinated by insects, wind or people. These plants include, beetroot, broccoli, , celery, cauliflower, cucumbers, cabbage, chard , kale , melon, , mustard , , parsley , spinach, squash, radish and onion. These plants cross with others within their family. The only way to keep the original variety is to grow them really far apart, so it’s not really practical.

Disease

Some seeds may transmit certain diseases. A disease that infected a crop at the end of the growing season may do little damage to that crop. However, if the seed is saved and planted the following year, the disease may severely injure or even kill the young plants.

What can you save?

Standard types of seed that have been traditionally pollinated (wind, insects) or heirloom varieties that are not cross-pollinated by nearby plants are good candidates. Many gardeners successfully keep beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers. Plants you know are heirloom varieties are easy to save.

What are heirlooms?

Heirloom varieties are usually vegetables that have been grown in isolation in a particular area, and have been selected over generations (of people and plants) to produce the best crop in that area, the strongest most healthy plants are saved and these seeds go on to be grown the following year. Heirloom varieties sometimes do better in their native growing places but they will adapt well to different locations over a few years. Again cross-pollinating with other compatible varieties causes the plants to wander away from their true type.

How to harvest?

Like with the heirlooms, harvest from the best plants. Choose ones that are disease-free with qualities you are looking for such as large ornamental flower heads or tasty vegetables.
Harvest mature seed. For example, cucumber seeds when we eat them are not ripe and won’t germinate if saved. Allowing the fruit and seed to fully mature ensures that they will grow. Waiting until nearly the end of the growing season to save fruit for seed will also mean they have more vitality.

When to harvest?

Plants with pods, like beans, are ready when the pods are brown and dry. When seeds are ripe they usually turn from white to cream colored or light brown to dark brown. Collect the seed or fruits when most of the seed is ripe. Do not wait for everything to mature because you may lose most of the seed to birds or animals. Some seed heads tell us when they are ready, the poppy sounds like a rattle when you shake it. This tells us the seed are dry and ready for collecting.

Storing seed

Dry cleaning

The drying process is spreading the seed on a screen or tray in a single layer in a well-ventilated dry location, hot presses are ideal. As the seed dries the chaff or pods can be removed or blown gently away. An alternative method for extremely small or lightweight seed is putting the dry seed heads into paper bags and giving them a good shake. Beans, peas, onions, carrots, corn, most flowers and herb seeds are prepared by a dry method. Allow the seed to mature and dry as long as possible on the plant.

Wet cleaning

Fleshy fruits benefit from the wet method of storing seed. Scoop the seed masses out of the fruit or lightly crush fruits. Place these in warm water in a bucket or jar. Let the mix ferment for a few days. The fermentation process kills viruses and separates the good seed from the bad seed and fruit pulp. The seed will separate from the pulp. Some say that the bad seeds float and the good ones sink. This can be true, but not always. You will tell by looking at the seed if they are healthy or not as poor ones will lack the shine of the viable ones. Tomatoes, melons, squash, cucumber and roses are prepared this way.

Storing the seeds

Dry seeds will stay fresh and healthy; if they are moist when stored they could go mouldy. Place the well dried seed in glass jar or envelopes. Label all the containers or packages with the seed type or variety, and date. A hot water treatment can be given to certain seeds such as cabbage, turnip or tomato to kill off diseases they might be carrying. Immerse them in water held at a constant temperature of 50° C for 25 minutes. Small grubs, hidden inside the seed shells can be killed by freezing the seeds for a couple of days, but only after they have been properly dried. The seeds can then live happily in a cool dark place such as the fridge. When taken out, allow them to return to room temperature before opening. The container or water could condense on the cold seeds and activate them.

How long can I keep the seed?

Seed viability decreases over time. Parsley, onion, and sweet corn need to be used the next year. Most seed should be used within three years although they have been known to live for thousands of years.