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Seed saving can be so much fun! Here are some things you need to know:
· Collect seed only from the healthiest and most disease-free plants.
· Select seed from plants that have good characteristics such as tastier fruit, most productive, good flowering, foliage color, or more compact growth habit, etc.
· Most seeds of Annuals and Perennials are best collected when the plant is ready to drop it naturally, if collected too early the seed may not mature enough to germinate when sown.
· General indicator for collecting seed is when the seed head dries out, becomes brown and may slit open
· To keep the seed pure, plant only 1 variety of the vegetable at a time or space at least 10 feet between different varieties. Some sources say 1 mile spacing.
· Saving tomato and cucumber seeds have a different procedure for collecting than most vegetables.
· The seed itself often darkens as it dries.
· Cut the dry seed heads off and keep them in a paper bag in a dry location until the seed heads are completely dry.
· When they are dry, tip the bag out onto a flat surface and separate the seeds from the casing and debris.
· Look out for small insects and make sure they do not get into the stored seed.
- Remember to keep the different varieties separated and label them with the name of the variety while drying.
There are several good books at the local library if you would like to read more about seed saving. Make sure you consider the source and look for things that work well in central Oklahoma. Find me at the county fair next week if you have questions!
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