Gardening - How to Store Your Own Seeds For Next Year
One of the most terrific things about maintaining your own garden at home is that it is entirely self-renewing. Once you have purchased seeds once, there is no need for you to ever spend money on seeds again. All you need to do is remove seeds from some of your harvested flowers, fruits, and vegetables, and plant these very seeds the next year. Here is your guide to harvesting and storing seeds from your garden to plant the next year:
(1) Start with quality seeds- Yes, it is true that once you have planted a garden, you will never have to buy seeds again. However, you must start somewhere, right? It is integral that when you purchase seeds for the first time, you buy quality heirloom open pollinated seeds. The reason this is so crucial is because most seeds that you buy from a seed catalog or in your local garden store have been hybridized. Hybrid seeds are common because they have been bred in order to possess certain qualities, such as frost resistance in tomatoes. However, if you harvest seeds from the hybrid tomatoes, then plant these seeds, you really don't know what you will get.
Seeds harvested from hybrid tomatoes may grow tomatoes that possess qualities from either parent plant. It is very unlikely that your second year tomatoes will be the same as the first ones. You may end up with a plant that is undesirable, or doesn't even bear fruit. This is why it is imperative that you begin with heirloom seeds if you intend to harvest seeds from your garden. Seeds from heirloom fruits and vegetables are the only ones worth saving and planting because it is the only way you will end up with plants that are the same as the parent plant.
(2) Harvest seeds from the healthiest plants- When selecting fruits and vegetables from which you will harvest your seeds, always choose ones from the healthiest plants. Choose plants that are strong, vibrant, and full of vigor.
(3) Keep a close eye on your plantsTimeliness is key when harvesting seeds from your garden, so you'll want to keep a close eye on your plants. With flowers, annuals are the easiest variety from which to gather seeds since they flower and go to seed in just one year. Seeds are ready to be picked once the seed pods have turned brown and dried up on the plant. Many seed pods naturally open and disperse seed when they are ready.
To catch them, you can tie a small paper or cloth bag over the seed pods when they look like they are about to burst. For vegetables, it is best to harvest seeds when the veggie is nearly overripe but before it starts to rot, as this allows the seeds to completely mature. For example, a tomato should be left on the vine until it is large, overripe, and very soft. An eggplant should be left to completely mature and fall to the ground. Snatch your veggies up as soon as they reach this point, lest the insects reach them.
(4) Separate the seeds from the flesh- With pod vegetables and flowers, this can be done very easily. Simply open up the dry, mature pod and remove the seeds. With firm veggies such as eggplants, cucumbers, and zucchini, cut the vegetable in half lengthwise and pull the seeds out with your fingers. With pulpy fruits such as tomatoes, gently mash up the flesh to separate the pulp from the seeds.
(5) Soak the seeds- Once you have extracted your seeds, you will need to soak them in plain water for a full 48 hours. After 48 hours, remove all of the seeds that have floated to the top of the water and discard them. If seeds float, this indicates that they are dry and infertile. Retain only the seeds that have sunk to the bottom. Then, drain the water and spread the seeds out on a layer of paper towels to allow them to dry.
(6) Avoid moisture during storage- If there is one key to storing your seeds for the next year, this is it. Your seeds must be kept free of moisture. If they are exposed to moisture, they will become moldy and rot. So before placing your seeds in storage, make sure that they are completely dry. Then, place each type of seed in a labeled paper envelope. You'll notice that seeds are usually stored in paper rather than plastic because this allows air flow and therefore keeps the seeds healthy and fertile. Once your seeds are in paper envelopes, place them in an air tight container, such as a Tupperware or jar. Don't forget to clearly label your containers with the type of seeds they contain and the date you stored them.
(7) Plant your seeds the following year- The fertility of seeds is highly contingent upon the manner in which they are stored. For your own home-harvested seeds, it is best to store them for only one year; two years maximum. If you wish to keep seeds in long-term storage, it is best to seek out seeds that have been packaged especially for this purpose. The Survival Seed Bank, for example, may be stored for 20 years with no damage to the seeds.
Resources: http://www.ecofruits.es/ http://ezinearticles.com/?Gardening---How-to-Store-YourOwn-Seeds-For-Next-Year&id=5284946
Happy gardening!