How to Save Your Garden Seeds7501003
Most serious gardeners save seeds. It is easy, it's practical, and it will save you some money. Right here are a couple of saving tips:
Packaged Packaged seeds ought to be saved in their original packages. Simply fold the top or use a little 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 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, too.
The best location to store your packets is in a large jar or coffee can in the refrigerator. Keep them cool and dry, and most will final many seasons. Keep in mind 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. (Nicely, you can save from hybrids, but they won't create the 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 fairly 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 do not require much unique 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 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 used in your gardens or shared with friends.
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 methods for home gardeners to check the germination. (Germination means that they'll sprout and develop the germination percentage is simply 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 many germinate. Or, two. Location 10 to 20 seeds between two or more moist paper towels, and see how numerous germinate. The paper towel technique is used by virtually 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.
Check germination several weeks prior to the time that you will require to begin so that you can replace any cultivars that have extremely low or zero germination.
