How to Save Your Garden Seeds2475882
Most serious gardeners save seeds. It is easy, it's sensible, and it will save you some cash. Here are a few saving tips:
Packaged Packaged seeds should be saved in their original packages. Merely fold the leading or use a little bit of tape to safe the seeds in the packet. If the outer packet integrated an inner foil packet, store any leftovers in the foil packet.
Some seeds are considerably more sensitive to moisture in the air... so, if the seed company took the time to wrap them in foil packets, you should, too.
The very best location to shop your packets is in a big jar or coffee can in the refrigerator. Keep them cool and dry, and most will final many seasons. Remember 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 won't produce the same hybrid plant from which they came... you will usually get 1 of the parent varieties utilized to make the hybrid.)
These 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 fairly 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 don't need a lot unique therapy before packaging them.
Package in paper envelopes, being cautious to label the envelopes to determine the contents as well as the year of harvest.
Flowers that readily self-seed as annuals, such as plume celosia, are ideal candidates for saving. Merely shake the dried flower heads in a big envelope or can and you will 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 place that is totally free from insects or rodents. A coffee can in the refrigerator is ideal.
Checking Germination You can't determine if a seed will germinate by looking at it. There are two ways for house gardeners to check the germination. (Germination indicates that they will sprout and grow the germination percentage is simply the percentage that are viable.)
1. Merely location one or two seeds in each cell of a six pack starter cell pack, and see how numerous germinate. Or, two. Place ten to 20 seeds in between two or much more moist paper towels, and see how many germinate. The paper towel technique is utilized by virtually all laboratories but, care should be taken to maintain the towels moist and warm. You can use a big plastic bag or cellophane to assist keep the towels moist.
Check germination several weeks prior to the time that you will need to begin so that you can replace any cultivars that have very low or zero germination.
