How to Save Your Garden Seeds1588364
Most serious gardeners save seeds. It is simple, it's sensible, and it will save you some cash. Right here are a few saving suggestions:
Packaged Packaged seeds should be saved in their original packages. Merely fold the top or use a little bit of tape to secure the seeds in the packet. If the outer packet integrated an inner foil packet, shop 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 should, too.
The best location to store 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 food, 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 can't save the seeds from hybrids. (Nicely, you can save from hybrids, but they will not produce the same hybrid plant from which they came... you'll generally 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 should be relatively dry and totally free from as a lot 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. These from beans and most flowers do not need a lot unique therapy before packaging them.
Package in paper envelopes, being cautious to label the envelopes to determine 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 should be stored in a cool, dry location that is totally free from insects or rodents. A coffee can in the refrigerator is perfect.
Checking Germination You cannot figure out if a seed will germinate by searching at it. There are two ways for house gardeners to check the germination. (Germination means that they will sprout and develop the germination percentage is simply the percentage that are viable.)
1. Simply location 1 or two seeds in every cell of a six pack starter cell pack, and see how numerous germinate. Or, 2. Location ten to 20 seeds in between two or much more moist paper towels, and see how many germinate. The paper towel technique is used by virtually all laboratories but, care should be taken to keep the towels moist and warm. You can use a big plastic bag or cellophane to assist maintain 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.
