How to Save Your Garden Seeds7171137
Most severe gardeners save seeds. It's easy, it is sensible, and it will save you some money. 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 integrated an inner foil packet, store any leftovers in the foil packet.
Some seeds are significantly much 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. Keep 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.
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 create the exact same hybrid plant from which they came... you'll 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 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. These from beans and most flowers don't require much special treatment prior to packaging them.
Package in paper envelopes, being careful 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 ideal candidates for saving. Merely shake the dried flower heads in a large envelope or can and you will gather hundreds, if not thousands, that can be used in your gardens or shared with friends.
As with commercially packaged seeds, house packaged should be stored in a cool, dry location that is totally free from insects or rodents. A coffee can in the refrigerator is ideal.
Checking Germination You can't figure out if a seed will germinate by searching at it. There are two ways for house gardeners to check the germination. (Germination indicates that they'll sprout and develop the germination percentage is merely the percentage that are viable.)
1. Merely place 1 or two seeds in each cell of a six pack starter cell pack, and see how numerous germinate. Or, two. Place 10 to 20 seeds between two or much more moist paper towels, and see how many 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 assist keep the towels moist.
Check germination a number of weeks prior to the time that you'll need to start so that you can replace any cultivars that have very low or zero germination.
