How to Save Your Garden Seeds3147377
Most severe gardeners save seeds. It's easy, it is sensible, and it will save you some money. Right here are a few saving suggestions:
Packaged Packaged seeds should be saved in their original packages. Simply fold the top or use a little bit of tape to safe the seeds in the packet. If the outer packet included an inner foil packet, store 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 very 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 many seasons. Remember 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 won't create the exact same hybrid plant from which they came... you'll usually get one of the parent varieties used 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 relatively dry and free from as much plant "litter" as feasible. 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 require much special treatment before packaging them.
Package in paper envelopes, becoming careful 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. Merely 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, house 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 can't determine if a seed will germinate by looking at it. There are two methods for home gardeners to verify the germination. (Germination means that they will sprout and develop the germination percentage is merely the percentage that are viable.)
1. Simply location 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 more moist paper towels, and see how numerous germinate. The paper towel technique is utilized 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 help maintain the towels moist.
Check germination several weeks prior to the time that you will require to start so that you can replace any cultivars that have extremely low or zero germination.
