How to Save Your Garden Seeds2814690
Most severe gardeners save seeds. It's easy, it's sensible, and it will save you some money. Here are a few saving suggestions:
Packaged Packaged seeds ought to be saved in their original packages. Simply fold the leading or use a small bit of tape to secure the seeds in the packet. If the outer packet included an inner foil packet, shop any leftovers in the foil packet.
Some seeds are considerably much more sensitive to moisture in the air... so, if the seed business took the time to wrap them in foil packets, you should, as well.
The best location to store 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 meals, and improper storage will invite all kinds of pests to your basement or pantry.
House Harvested You can harvest and save from open-pollinated cultivars but, you cannot save the seeds from hybrids. (Nicely, you can save from hybrids, but they will not produce the exact 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 do not need a lot special treatment before packaging them.
Package in paper envelopes, being cautious to label the envelopes to identify the contents as well 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 big envelope or can and you will collect hundreds, if not thousands, that can be used in your gardens or shared with buddies.
As with commercially packaged seeds, home packaged should be stored in a cool, dry place that is free from insects or rodents. A coffee can in the refrigerator is perfect.
Checking Germination You cannot determine if a seed will germinate by looking at it. There are two ways for house gardeners to verify the germination. (Germination indicates that they will sprout and develop the germination percentage is simply the percentage that are viable.)
1. Merely place 1 or two seeds in every cell of a six pack starter cell pack, and see how numerous germinate. Or, 2. Place 10 to 20 seeds between two or much more moist paper towels, and see how numerous germinate. The paper towel method is used by practically all laboratories but, care must be taken to maintain the towels moist and warm. You can use a big plastic bag or cellophane to help keep the towels moist.
Check germination a number of 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.
