How to Save Your Garden Seeds9336850
Most severe gardeners save seeds. It's simple, it's sensible, and it will save you some cash. Here are a couple of saving suggestions:
Packaged Packaged seeds should be saved in their original packages. Simply fold the leading 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 should, 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 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 produce the same hybrid plant from which they came... you'll usually get 1 of the parent varieties utilized 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 should 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. Those from beans and most flowers don't need a lot special therapy before packaging them.
Package in paper envelopes, becoming 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 perfect candidates for saving. Simply shake the dried flower heads in a big envelope or can and you'll gather hundreds, if not thousands, that can be used in your gardens or shared with friends.
As with commercially packaged seeds, home packaged should be stored in a cool, dry place that is totally 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 ways 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. Simply location 1 or two seeds in each cell of a six pack starter cell pack, and see how numerous germinate. Or, two. Location ten to 20 seeds in between two or more moist paper towels, and see how many germinate. The paper towel technique is used by practically all laboratories but, care should be taken to maintain the towels moist and warm. You can use a big plastic bag or cellophane to assist maintain the towels moist.
Verify germination several weeks prior to the time that you'll need to begin so that you can replace any cultivars that have very low or zero germination.
