How to Save Your Garden Seeds5922228
Most severe gardeners save seeds. It's simple, it's sensible, and it will save you some cash. Right here are a couple of saving suggestions:
Packaged Packaged seeds should be saved in their original packages. Simply fold the top or use a small 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 business took the time to wrap them in foil packets, you ought to, as well.
The very best location to shop your packets is in a big jar or coffee can in the refrigerator. Maintain them cool and dry, and most will last 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 can't 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 generally get 1 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 totally free from as much 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 special treatment prior to 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. Simply shake the dried flower heads in a big envelope or can and you will gather 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 free from insects or rodents. A coffee can in the refrigerator is perfect.
Checking Germination You can't figure out if a seed will germinate by looking at it. There are two methods for house gardeners to check the germination. (Germination means that they will sprout and develop the germination percentage is merely the percentage that are viable.)
1. Simply place 1 or two seeds in every cell of a six pack starter cell pack, and see how many germinate. Or, two. Place 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 keep the towels moist and warm. You can use a big 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 extremely low or zero germination.
