Best Ways to Save Seeds?

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Permalink Reply by lillah cruce z9/10 Fl. on May 13, 2009 at 7:03pm

I am an avid seed saver. the best trick I have learned is don't put them in plastic baggies the static kills seeds for some reason. I have saved seeds year after year. I would use them with in a year. although I have had seeds that were 3 or 4 years old grow into wonderful plants their germination rate is awful after a year or so.

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Permalink Reply by Joanne Davis~~top of Z6/IL on May 16, 2009 at 6:38am

I agree, the airtight plastic bags kill the seeds, probably by holding in moisture too. I use small white paper envelopes which can be written on and labeled. Many times I can use them after one year, though not as many germinate. Also, I bring them indoors through the winter, not letting them freeze outside during the winter. Although some seeds need the winter temps, like Cleome (spider plant).

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Permalink Reply by Laura Ricketts Z7a/MD on May 17, 2009 at 11:02am

Can you save seeds in jars? Once you save them in your envelopes, where do you store them? I've been collecting marigold seeds for years, but I've been storing them in baggies. I've collected them, but have yet to use them...don't know much about growing from seed. Guess I need to learn, huh?!

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Permalink Reply by Carolyn Wildwood on May 17, 2009 at 11:26pm

For some reason I put seeds in the refrigerator in envelops and I don't know why now. What does anybody think about that?

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Permalink Reply by liz joseph on June 17, 2009 at 7:53pm

last year i saved my seeds in brown paper lunch bags. i wrote the type on the bag itself with a sharpie. it worked great. i also saved seeds in plastic ziploc bags, but i put paper towel in with them. that saved them from getting soggy. all of my seeds are nice plants now, from both types of bags!!!! i did find, however, that when the brown bags get a little too much action (they are all crumpled up cuz i've taken them in and outside with me so much) the seeds 'leak' from the bottom. i had to put that bag into another brown bag. i didn't lose many of the little guys, though, and i had some very small ones. hope this helps!!! the paper towel should work out!!! plastic bags don't have folds in them that turn into cracks for sneaky seeds to escape from! i'd use those!!!

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Permalink Reply by Barb z6 MI & z10 FL on June 18, 2009 at 7:09pm

The biggest trick I have for saving seed is make sure the plant is not a Hybrid (i.e. tomatoes) because your offspring will could be any characteristics from the parent plants. MOST plants I save I just harvest fully ripe seed and put into envelopes and empty perscription bottles...these store great and can be labeled and dated easily....I keep my seeds in a cool dark place and try to use my seeds each year as germination goes down each year. If you save Heirloom tomatoes it is best to ferment the seeds by putting them in some water and letting them ferment for a couple of days...then rinse, dry and store...MY tomatoes worked great and germination was better than store bought!

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Dent on July 14, 2009 at 7:13pm

Did anyone give you a responce on why you refrigerate your seeds. How do I know when to pick them?

Carolyn Wildwood said:

For some reason I put seeds in the refrigerator in envelops and I don't know why now. What does anybody think about that?

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Dent on July 15, 2009 at 9:04am

What a wonderful idea. i donate empty pill bottles to our church, but I will keep a few for seeds.

Barb Abar z6 MI said:

The biggest trick I have for saving seed is make sure the plant is not a Hybrid (i.e. tomatoes) because your offspring will could be any characteristics from the parent plants. MOST plants I save I just harvest fully ripe seed and put into envelopes and empty perscription bottles...these store great and can be labeled and dated easily....I keep my seeds in a cool dark place and try to use my seeds each year as germination goes down each year. If you save Heirloom tomatoes it is best to ferment the seeds by putting them in some water and letting them ferment for a couple of days...then rinse, dry and store...MY tomatoes worked great and germination was better than store bought!

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Permalink Reply by Ilse Daniel on July 15, 2009 at 5:35pm

On the Frugal Gardening group Ken Ferguson has published an excellent design for making seed packets. Have a look there and see if you'd like to download it. You print the design onto slightly heavier paper than ordinary bond from his software design. You can use the packets to store seeds or to give to friends as presents.

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Permalink Reply by Lora Fleming on July 20, 2009 at 9:05am

Go to http://www.seedsavers.org/ ... THE authority on saving seeds! I learned how to ferment tomato seeds from them and my germination rate went up dramatically! Basically, you take the seeds and pulp from VERY ripe tomatoes, put it in a jar, cover it with water and let it fester for a few days ... pour off the liquid, refill with clean water and wash the seeds. Then dry them on paper toweling. Very easy and should be done with tomato seeds. Any seeds you want to save should be from the best specimen from the garden and it should be overly ripe. Go to their site, you'll be there for hours poking around! Oh, and they are the only place I order from now ... both plants and seeds. Extremely fast service, big healthy plants and they are a non-profit organization of gardeners dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Check them out! And no ... I do not work for them nor am I affiliated in any way with them ... : ) Just an extremely satisfied customer!

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Permalink Reply by Ken Ferguson z7B NC on July 23, 2009 at 4:19pm

Hello - new to the board.

I keep my seeds in plastic sandwich bags in the butter dish of the fridge.
The caveat is that the seeds must be really dried, or they will mold or rot. I have dry seed kept in bags that have germinated after over 5 years of cold storage.

Some of you have asked, "Why the fridge..." What the cold does is trick the seeds into thinking they overwintered. Last year I lost a entire seed collection of a new iris simply because I didn't chill them... just kept them at room temp, dark and dry. After researching, this particular variety REQUIRED a deep chill. Will let everyone know if this process works in the next planting season.

In general, make sure your seed is thoroughly dry before putting it in anything. Paper "breathes" a bit, but I think if you packed seeds too soon, you still might get hit with mold, mildew, or rot, before you tried to plant them the following season.

Also, before you plant.... if your seeds are really, really, dry... soak them in water for a day or two before planting next season.
AND, some seeds need to be mechanically scored, or roughed up enough to allow the tender sprout to emerge. Lotus is a good example of this.

Dig (no pun intended) into some research on the seed you want to save and plant.
The strangest one I have ever heard of is a pine tree native to the West Coast... The pine cones mature and fall every year without opening. It takes a forest fire to heat the cone up to a temp that they will open and drop their seeds. After a fire, this pine tree is one of the first plant seeds to germinate in the warm ash on the forest floor [from my Dad who was a USDA Forester on the Left Coast for most of his life].

Look forward to dialogue on this board!

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Permalink Reply by Ken Ferguson z7B NC on July 23, 2009 at 4:23pm

Here is a picture of how I dry seed pods on a windowsill that catches afternoon sun. Make sure the top of the bag stays open.

A clue that it is not breathing will be water droplets forming on the inside of the bag.

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