Those vegetables you grew this year were the best your garden has ever produced. Could the seeds from the tastiest and most productive crops be saved and planted next year for another outstanding harvest? The answer is: It depends. There are various seed types that would determine your success in duplicating this season’s bounty.
Hybrid seeds are the most common type of seed and are easily found in catalogs or grocery, discount and gardening stores. Developed in the 1930s, hybrid seeds are produced by combining the pollen of two different plants of the same species, with the goal of improving yield, uniformity, vigor, superior taste, and disease resistance. They continue to be the product of ongoing research and development. Also, on the plus side, they are usually more predictable in terms of uniform growth and harvest quantity. However, one drawback of hybrid seeds is that when they are collected from a hybrid plant and subsequently planted, they will not produce a new plant that is identical to the parent. In other words, it’s a roll of the dice as to what you may get.
Heirloom seeds are seeds that have been saved for around 50 years or more. They produce crops that carry a taste of bygone years. However, they didn’t magically happen. They are more genetically diverse, evolving over time and being the product of generations of gardeners carefully harvesting the best the garden has to offer in terms of size, productivity, taste and disease resistance. They have been passed down through generations of friends and family. Their greatest gift is the superior quality and taste of their product. They are open-pollinated, meaning that the process of pollination happens through the intervention of Mother Nature. Pollen is transferred between plants by birds, insects or wind, many times even transferring within the flower itself. Heirloom seeds are increasingly popular, and many varieties can be found at retail outlets. The most popular open-pollinated crops for seed saving success are peppers, tomatoes, peas, beans and cucumbers. Commonly cultivated biennial garden crops such as beets, cabbage, onions, parsnips and carrots require two seasons of growth before seed heads develop for harvesting.
Harvesting and preserving seeds
Choose seeds from the most vigorous plants in the garden, inspecting them carefully to ensure that they are healthy and disease-free. One important point to remember about the process of saving seeds is that the drier the seeds are, the longer they will last in storage. Preservation methods differ slightly, depending on the seeds you’re saving.
Peppers: Allow peppers to stay on the plant until fully ripen. Remove the seeds and spread them on a paper towel or cookie sheet, allowing them to dry completely.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes should be fully ripe before harvesting. Scoop out the seeds, along with the locular gel (fluid surrounding seeds). Place the mixture in a jar and add some water. Stir the contents several times per day. The seeds will sink to the bottom after a few days, and the liquid can then be poured off. Rinse the seeds and spread them out to dry on a paper towel for one week.
Peas and Beans: Allow pods to completely ripen and dry on the plant. This may take two to four weeks past the harvest date. Remove the ripened pods and spread them out to dry several weeks before shelling.
Cucumbers: Slice lengthwise and scoop seeds out, along with the gelatinous substance surrounding them. Place the mixture in a lidded jar and keep it at room temperature for several days. The viable seeds will sink to the bottom, leaving the immature seeds floating on the top. Pour off the unusable seeds along with the water. Place the remaining seeds on a paper towel for several days or until dried.
Other seed preservation methods
For drying outdoors, spread seeds out on a cookie sheet and place them in a shady location on a warm day for about six hours, avoiding sunlight, which can be too strong. Collect and package them at the end of the day.
Seeds can also be oven-dried at temperatures not to exceed 100° for about four to six hours. This may be somewhat challenging because many ovens do not have a minimum temperature that low. However, ovens can be set at the lowest temperature and seeds can be successfully dried by leaving the door slightly ajar.
Another drying method is to package seeds in silica gel. Available online or at most arts and crafts stores, silica is an effective desiccant for seeds. However, it is recommended that seeds are not left in silica longer than several weeks, or they may be dried too much. After two weeks, separate seeds from the silica and package them. Silica can be stored in an airtight container and reused the following season.
Storing seed
The gold standard for seed storage is a glass jar with a tight-fitting, screw-on lid. Canning jars are perfect for this purpose. Multiple packets of seeds can be stored in a single large jar. Plastic zipper bags can also be used, but they are not as effective as glass jars in keeping moisture at bay. The ideal storage temperature is 40° or lower, with less than 8% moisture. A refrigerator, freezer or basement shelf is the perfect location for storage. Avoid places like garages that may shorten the life of seeds because they tend to have fluctuating temperatures. Package the seeds in paper envelopes or packets, folding over the top edge, and seal with tape. Be sure to label them with the type of seed and date.
Saving seeds and enjoying the resulting crops the following season can be a fun family activity. It can teach all of us about the miracle that is packed inside each tiny seed as we watch the products of our experiment bear fruit.
For a comprehensive list of popular garden plants and how they are pollinated, see: extension.colostate.edu/resource/saving-seed/
Judy Kunz is a Colorado master gardener with the Colorado State University Extension office.
