The Joy of Seed Saving: Connecting with Your Garden and Preserving Diversity

Seed saving is a great way to preserve your favorite plants for future seasons! Why should you save seeds? Saving seeds saves you money on planting while ensuring your food source. You’re also growing plant diversity. Seeds saved from the garden can adapt over time to your specific climate and soil conditions, resulting in stronger, more resilient plants. Many heirloom varieties have stories and history attached to them. Saving these seeds helps preserve cultural practices and traditions. Seed saving can foster a deeper connection to your gardening practices, giving you more control over your food sources.  

How do I seed save? Make sure you choose the right plants. Open-pollinated varieties will produce seeds that grow true to type. Avoid hybrids if you want consistent results. Heirlooms are a great way to get consistent results. While heirlooms are usually open-pollinated, open-pollinated seeds are not necessarily heirlooms; open-pollinated varieties are still being developed.

Timing is important to seed saving. Make sure to harvest at the right time. Wait until seeds are fully mature. For many plants, this means allowing fruit or seed heads to dry on the plant.

When collecting seeds use scissors or pruners to avoid damaging the plant. Some seeds can be easily gathered once the flowering bloom has dried. Collect by removing plant material and removing the “chaff”. If seeds are in a fruit, remove the seeds and rinse them. For seed heads, allow them to dry thoroughly.  Some seeds such as tomatoes or cucumbers have to undergo a  fermentation process to remove gel coat or pulp protecting the seed. To start the fermentation process, place seeds and pulp in a container. If the seed/pulp mixture is too thick to stir, you can add a little water. Place the container in a warm location (72-86 degrees F) and stir the mixture 2-3 times per day. Fermentation takes between 48 and 72 hours.

I typically air dry my seeds prior to storing.  Spread seeds out on a paper towel or screen in a cool, dry place for a few days to ensure they are fully dry.  If all moisture isn't removed they may grow mold during the storing process. 

 When storing seeds it is essential to keep seeds dry and cool so that they will remain viable until the next spring. Ideally, they should be stored in tightly sealed glass containers. Keep seeds out of direct sunlight in a cool spot that maintains a fairly consistent temperature. Consider a cold closet or a basement. You can refrigerate seeds.

Vegetable and flower seeds may be kept for one year without decrease in germination. Storage may be extended to 10 or more years under proper conditions. Seed moisture and storage temperature are the most important factors in determining how long seeds can be stored.

If you’re unsure the seeds are any good or sterile due to cross pollination you can do a germination test. You can test a small number of seeds by placing them on a damp paper towel and  keeping them warm in a dark place. Check for sprouting after a week or so.

I hope these tips and information helps you enjoy seed saving. It can be a fun hobby when harvest comes.

Stevie Van Halen is a Master Herbalist who has an educational background in Nursing and Holistic Health. She enjoys researching data and articles on health, whole food, herbs, and gardening. All articles on this blog are written by her. All information and resources are cited and referenced.  Juniper Rose Garden and/or Stevie Van Halen owns this intellectual property and use or copy is prohibited unless with written permission and consent. 

All health content on juniperrosegarden.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local healthcare provider.