One of the very terrific things about maintaining your own garden in the home is it is entirely self-renewing. Once you have purchased seeds once, there’s no need for you yourself to ever purchase seeds again. Whatever you have to do is remove seeds from some of your harvested flowers, fruits, and vegetables, and plant these very seeds the next year. Listed here is your guide to harvesting and storing seeds from your own garden to plant the next year:
(1) Start with quality seeds- Yes, it’s true that after you have planted a garden, you will do not have to purchase seeds again. However, you must start somewhere, right? It is integral that after you acquire seeds for the first time, you get quality heirloom open pollinated seeds. The reason why this is so crucial is basically because most seeds that you get from the seed catalog or in your neighborhood garden store have been hybridized. Hybrid seeds are normal because they’ve been bred to be able to possess certain qualities, such as frost resistance in tomatoes. However, in the event that you harvest seeds from the hybrid tomatoes, then plant these seeds, you actually don’t know what you should get. Seeds harvested from hybrid tomatoes may grow tomatoes that possess qualities from either parent plant. It is very unlikely your second year tomatoes could be the same as the first ones. You may get a place that is undesirable, or doesn’t even bear fruit. how long bean germinate For this reason it’s imperative that you start with heirloom seeds if you wish to harvest seeds from your own garden. Seeds from heirloom fruits and vegetables are the only real ones worth saving and planting because it’s the only path you find yourself with plants which can be just like 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 which can be strong, vibrant, and high in vigor.
(3) Keep an in depth eye on your plants- Timeliness is key when harvesting seeds from your own garden, so you’ll want to keep an in depth eye on your plants. With flowers, annuals are the simplest variety where to gather seeds simply because they flower and go to seed in only one year. Seeds are ready to be picked after the seed pods have turned brown and dried on the plant. Many seed pods naturally open and disperse seed when they’re ready. To catch them, you can tie a small paper or cloth bag over the seed pods if they look like they’re about to burst. For vegetables, it is best to harvest seeds once the veggie is almost overripe but before it starts to rot, as this allows the seeds to completely mature. Like, a tomato must be left on the vine until it’s large, overripe, and very soft. An eggplant must 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 start the dry, mature pod and eliminate the seeds. With firm veggies such as eggplants, cucumbers, and zucchini, slice the vegetable by 50 percent lengthwise and pull the seeds out along 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 have to soak them in plain water for a full 48 hours. After 48 hours, remove all the seeds which 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 which have sunk to the bottom. Then, drain the water and spread the seeds from a coating 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 should be kept free from moisture. If they are subjected to moisture, they will become moldy and rot. So before placing your seeds in storage, make sure that they’re completely dry. Then, place each form of seed in a labeled paper envelope. You’ll notice that seeds are often stored in paper as opposed to plastic because this allows air flow and therefore keeps the seeds healthy and fertile. Once your seeds have been in paper envelopes, put them within an air tight container, such as a Tupperware or jar. Don’t forget to clearly label your containers with the sort of seeds they contain and the date you stored them.
(7) Plant your seeds the next year- The fertility of seeds is highly contingent upon the manner in which they’re stored. For your own home-harvested seeds, it is best to store them for only 12 months; couple of years maximum. If you wish to keep seeds in long-term storage, it is best to search for seeds which were packaged specifically for this purpose. The Survival Seed Bank, for instance, might be stored for 20 years without harm to the seeds.