Gardening Seed

Gathering seeds from your garden

and saving them for the following

year is a great cost saving tool for

gardeners. Collection methods vary

with different plant varieties.

Collecting, drying, and Storing Seed from Annual Garden Plants:

When you see the seed pod, let them turn brown and die, then remove them from the plant. Put the pods on a tray with paper or paper with wax paper underneath it.  (Wax paper is  used to locate  smaller seeds when they come out of the pods.) Let the pods  dry thoroughly in a cool, dry place. When the pods have dried completely, carefully shake them on to the paper to make the seeds fall out. Remove everything but the seeds. Store the seed in an envelope. Don't use a plastic bag. The seeds will sweat and germinate prematurely.  Label and date the seed envelops and keep them in a cool, dry place for next season.

Collecting, drying  and Storing Seed from Perennial Garden Plants:

Gathering seed from perennial plants is easy. Seeds can be collected from the pods or from the fruit.

Seeds for perennials that are in pods are only ready to collect when the pod opens. Otherwise the seeds will not be mature.  If you wait too long there is a chance the seed might drop and germinate. So it is a good idea to pick the pods before they open.

You can gather seeds from fruit trees by taking seeds from the ripe fruit and letting them dry. Let the seeds dry completely. Now  they are ready for storing for the next season. Remember to use envelopes and not plastic bags. Don't get seeds from the fruit bought at the market.  These seeds won't produce the same kind of fruit. Most of the fruit we buy comes from plants that have been grafted. (Grafting is fusing two plants together.)

Usually seed will store for a few seasons, but it is better to use your hand picked seeds the next season.

Vegetable Garden