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For many gardeners, the garden actually begins in
January when the first seed catalog arrives in the mailbox. While
the cold wind howls outside, we retire to a cozy chair and leaf
through the catalog, carefully notating which varieties of lettuce
and tomatoes to try and wishing we had the space to plant each and
every flower so artfully displayed on its pages.
But have you ever wondered where your great-grandparents acquired
the seeds for their gardens, before there were seed catalogs and
fancy garden centers?
They saved seeds for the next year from their own gardens!
Saving seeds from your own flowers or vegetables is a wonderful way
to fully experience the cycle of plant growth. It’s also much less
expensive than buying seeds each spring, and seeds saved from your
plants will be well suited to the peculiarities of your own garden’s
growing conditions. Not only that, it’s also quite a simple process.
Save seeds only from vigorous, healthy plants. Some plant diseases
may be harbored in the seed where it will then be passed on to the
next generation of plants. So don’t save seeds from a plant that is
obviously diseased or has struggled all season. Collect seeds from
the plants that have the characteristics you desire, such as height,
hardiness, early or late ripening, flavor or vigor.
It is not recommended to save seeds from hybrid plants. Hybrids are
the result of crossing two genetically different parent plants, both
of which have been severely inbred to concentrate the desirable
characteristics. The first generation, referred to as an F1 hybrid,
is superior to the parents. But succeeding generations of plants
grown from seed saved from an F1 plant tend to randomly revert to
the characteristics of the original inbred ancestor plants.
Plants that are not hybrids are referred to as open pollinated. Many
seed catalogs will identify which of their seeds are hybrids or open
pollinated. If you intend to save your own seed, always start with
open pollinated seeds. Some of these may also be identified as
heirloom seeds. These heirloom varieties have been passed down for
generations, often saved within one family for many years before
becoming available to the general public.
Cross pollination is another concern for the seed-saving gardener.
Cross pollination often results in seeds which have a different
genetic makeup than that of the parent plant. Pumpkins, squash and
small gourds may cross pollinate with each other, resulting in seeds
that will grow to produce rather picturesque fruit. Sweet corn will
cross pollinate with field corn or popcorn, and your 6-inch
marigolds will cross with your neighbor’s 18-inch pompon marigolds.
However, crossing will only occur within a species. Cucumbers won’t
cross with squash, and cosmos won’t cross with pansies.
To avoid cross pollination, keep two varieties of the same species
separated by as much space as possible. Some species, such as corn,
are wind-pollinated and the pollen can travel great distances. These
plants must be pollinated by hand and kept isolated from other
varieties of their species. This can be done with corn, for example,
by tying a small paper bag over selected ears before the silk
emerges, then once the silk has appeared it is hand pollinated with
pollen from the same plant or its healthy neighbors.
Seeds should be collected on a dry, sunny day. Frost doesn’t hurt
most seed as long as the seed remains dry. Vegetables such as
cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes should be allowed to become slightly
overripe before their seeds are collected. Flower seeds and
vegetable seed such as lettuce should be collected after the
seedheads have become dry, but don’t wait too long, as many will
shatter, meaning they’ll be dropped from the seedpod or seedhead if
they remain on the plant too long.
Cucumber, squash and tomato seeds need an additional step before
they are ready for storage. First the seeds must be separated from
the pulp, then dried. Scoop the seeds from these vegetables, pulp
and all. Place the whole mess in a container of water and give it a
good stir, then let it settle a bit. The pulp will rise to the top
while the seeds will sink to the bottom. Carefully pour off the
pulp, and repeat the process until most of the pulp has been poured
off. Then strain out the seeds and set them on newspapers to dry.
Seeds should go into storage as dry as possible. Give all seed a
post-harvest drying period of at least a week, just to be sure
they’re dry. Spread them out on a paper plate or newspapers in a
warm area out of the sun while they dry.
It’s very important to keep the seed dry during storage. Store your
dry seeds in tightly sealed jars, metal film containers, or old
vitamin bottles. To save space, smaller quantities of several
varieties of seeds can be stored in separate envelopes inside a jar.
A cool, but never freezing, garage, closed-off spare room or cool
basement can all be good places for storing seeds. Or simply keep
your sealed jars of seeds in the refrigerator. Temperatures between
32 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal.
Be sure to label your jars and envelopes so when spring comes around
again you’ll know which flower seeds and vegetable seeds you’re
planting, and include the date the seeds were collected. Some seeds
will remain viable for several years, but most will grow best if
planted right away the following spring.
Try saving some vegetable or flower seeds from your garden this year
and grow them next season. This endless cycle can allow you to
realize the endless joy of gardening through all the seasons and all
the stages of a plant’s life.
Kathy Anderson is the author of this article. Kathy has many years
of experience growing organic vegetables and writing about
gardening. When she’s not out in the garden, Kathy is assisting Mike
McGroarty in his endeavors. Visit Mike’s most interesting website,
http://www.freeplants.com
and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter.
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