How to Save Your Garden Seeds5664293
Most serious gardeners save seeds. It is easy, it is practical, and it will save you some cash. Here are a couple of saving suggestions:
Packaged Packaged seeds should be saved in their original packages. Merely fold the top 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 considerably 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 shop 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 food, and improper storage will invite all kinds 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. (Nicely, you can save from hybrids, but they won't create the same hybrid plant from which they came... you'll usually get one 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 ought to be fairly dry and totally 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 need a lot unique therapy 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. Merely shake the dried flower heads in a big envelope or can and you'll collect hundreds, if not thousands, that can be used in your gardens or shared with buddies.
As with commercially packaged seeds, home packaged ought to be stored in a cool, dry place that is free from insects or rodents. A coffee can in the refrigerator is ideal.
Checking Germination You cannot determine if a seed will germinate by searching at it. There are two methods for home gardeners to check the germination. (Germination indicates that they will sprout and develop the germination percentage is merely the percentage that are viable.)
1. Merely place one or two seeds in each cell of a six pack starter cell pack, and see how numerous germinate. Or, two. Location 10 to 20 seeds between two or more moist paper towels, and see how many germinate. The paper towel method is utilized by practically all laboratories but, care must be taken to maintain the towels moist and warm. You can use a large plastic bag or cellophane to assist keep the towels moist.
Verify 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.
