Seed Library: Saving Seeds

Text Transcript:

Seed Saving Tips

String Beans: Let pods age on the vine until brown. You can also store the entire plant upside down in a warm area until pods dry out. Cross -pollination could affect the purity of the bean seeds in the future. Pole beans are more likely to cross.

Cantaloupe: Collect seeds when fruit dies and when the fruit separates easily. Remove the membrane of the seed by rinsing and gently rubbing with fingers.

Cucumber: Harvest seed when cucumbers are fully ripe and yellow.

Peppers: Collect seeds when plant begins to shrivel. Dry out seeds. Peppers from the same species could cross.

Sunflowers: Most sunflowers are hybrids. Save heirloom seeds if you want flower to stay true. Hang flower heads upside down by short length of stock in a cool, dry place. Once dry, remove the seeds and keep dry until planting.

Lettuce: Let seed pods dry on the plant. Bag the plant to capture the seeds because they will progressively fall off from the bottom to top. Do not save seeds from plants that bolt too soon because the seeds may produce future plants that go to seed prematurely.

Pumpkin: Remove seeds 3 weeks after harvesting. Varieties within the same species could cross. Rinse off membranes and dry well.

Tomato: Save seeds when fruit is full color and firm, but still tender to the touch. Remove the protective cover covering the seed. Cross pollination may occur with wild or currant tomatoes, but most popular types will not cross.

Squash: Harvest seed when squash has a hard skin and is too ripe to eat.

Peas: Collect seeds when plant dies. Peas do not cross-pollinate.

Watermelon: Remove fibers and membranes by rinsing. When dropped into a glass of water, viable seeds will sink to the bottom. Seeds that float may not germinate well.

Tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, and lettuce are good choices for trying out seed saving.

Quick tips:

• Identify the best plants in your garden
• Save a few fully ripe fruits
• Review one of the seed saving charts below with info on how and when to harvest seeds
• Save and label different varieties of seeds in different storage containers or packets
• Store in a cool dry place
• Share with your friends, family and the MCC Library!

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