How to Save Your Garden Seeds7124247
Most severe gardeners save seeds. It is easy, it's sensible, and it will save you some money. Here are a couple of saving tips:
Packaged Packaged seeds should be saved in their original packages. Simply fold the leading 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 significantly more sensitive to moisture in the air... so, if the seed business took the time to wrap them in foil packets, you ought to, too.
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 numerous seasons. Keep in mind that seeds are meals, 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. (Well, you can save from hybrids, but they won't produce the same hybrid plant from which they came... you will generally get 1 of the parent varieties used to make the hybrid.)
Those 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 relatively dry and 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. Those 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 well as the year of harvest.
Flowers that readily self-seed as annuals, such as plume celosia, are ideal candidates for saving. Simply shake the dried flower heads in a large envelope or can and you will gather hundreds, if not thousands, that can be utilized in your gardens or shared with buddies.
As with commercially packaged seeds, house packaged ought to be stored in a cool, dry place that is totally 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 ways 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. Merely location 1 or two seeds in every cell of a six pack starter cell pack, and see how numerous germinate. Or, 2. Place ten to 20 seeds between two or more moist paper towels, and see how many germinate. The paper towel technique is used 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.
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.
