How to Save Your Garden Seeds9776926
Most serious gardeners save seeds. It is easy, it's practical, and it will save you some cash. Right here are a couple of saving tips:
Packaged Packaged seeds should be saved in their original packages. Merely fold the leading or use a small bit of tape to secure the seeds in the packet. If the outer packet integrated an inner foil packet, store any leftovers in the foil packet.
Some seeds are significantly more sensitive to moisture in the air... so, if the seed business took the time to wrap them in foil packets, you ought to, as well.
The best place to shop your packets is in a large jar or coffee can in the refrigerator. Maintain them cool and dry, and most will final numerous seasons. Keep in mind that seeds are meals, and improper storage will invite all sorts of pests to your basement or pantry.
Home Harvested You can harvest and save from open-pollinated cultivars but, you cannot save the seeds from hybrids. (Well, you can save from hybrids, but they will not produce the same hybrid plant from which they came... you'll usually get one of the parent varieties used to make the hybrid.)
Those harvested from open-pollinated varieties of flowers and vegetables can be harvested when the fruits or flowers are mature, or even beyond maturity. They ought to be relatively dry and free from as much plant "litter" as possible. You can rinse tomato and pepper seeds in a colander and dry them for a day or two on paper towels or cookie sheets. Those from beans and most flowers don't require much special treatment before packaging them.
Package in paper envelopes, becoming cautious to label the envelopes to identify the contents as nicely as the year of harvest.
Flowers that readily self-seed as annuals, such as plume celosia, are perfect candidates for saving. Simply shake the dried flower heads in a large envelope or can and you'll collect hundreds, if not thousands, that can be utilized in your gardens or shared with friends.
As with commercially packaged seeds, home packaged ought to be stored in a cool, dry location that is free from insects or rodents. A coffee can in the refrigerator is perfect.
Checking Germination You can't determine if a seed will germinate by searching at it. There are two methods for home gardeners to check the germination. (Germination means that they will sprout and grow the germination percentage is simply the percentage that are viable.)
1. Simply place 1 or two seeds in each cell of a six pack starter cell pack, and see how many germinate. Or, 2. Place ten to 20 seeds in between two or much more moist paper towels, and see how numerous germinate. The paper towel technique is utilized by practically all laboratories but, care should be taken to keep the towels moist and warm. You can use a large plastic bag or cellophane to assist keep the towels moist.
Check germination several weeks prior to the time that you will need to start so that you can replace any cultivars that have extremely low or zero germination.
