I have been so busy with harvest this season that I have had little time to write, but I wanted to share a bit about something extra special I have been harvesting this fall–seeds.
Seeds have grown so expensive over the years. Last year, we spent about $250 getting all of the seeds for our homestead. It all adds up–the lettuces, spinach, beans, carrots, melons, and so many tomatoes. I have always saved a few seeds in the past, but I have never had good rigor or organization in my process. Let’s just say I have been more than a little scattered when it comes to my seeds. Sometimes, I when spring comes around, I can’t even remember where I put some of the seeds, and I haven’t had a good track record in saving all the seeds I could during harvest season. Some years, I manage the green beans. Some years, I manage the tomatoes. This year, I have been saving them all!
I still do not have the skills to save carrot seeds, but I learned how to save spinach seeds this year. I have also saved green beans, two types of melons, three types of peppers, and five types of tomatoes. The squash is still coming, and I couldn’t save our corn because Ron got hybrid seeds this year (a delicious hybrid, I might add). I think when I get the squash seeds finished, I will have saved about 2/3 of our seeds for next year. That’s a pretty big savings! Plus, these seeds are free–just looking at me every time I cut open a pepper or a melon reminding me they are there for me. It just started to feel so wrong to throw them away. And I have saved so many seeds that I have plenty to give away as gifts. I brought some little envelopes for the seeds, and I have been in the seed business all fall. This year, I am organized!
I wanted to share some strategies for saving seeds because it is really pretty easy and can save a lot of money. And, truly, it’s just so satisfying. I hope you find these tips helpful, and I hope you’ll save some seeds this year!
Spinach
I always thought it was tricky to save spinach seeds until Ron accidentally replanted the spinach from seeds after he mowed down the spinach that had bolted. Essentially, you just let the spinach bolt and go to seed. When the seeds are developed, cut the plants and hang them upside down to dry. When they are dry enough, remove the seeds and store in a cool, dry place. I also read you can store them for the winter right on the stalk.
Melons
Melons are so easy. When you cut open a melon, they are just right there for you to save. The only trick is just getting the seeds separated from the mushy insides. I spread the seeds on a plate and remove as much of the slime as I can and then rinse. There will still be a little slime, but progress is good. Then, you just let everything dry for a couple of days on the plate. At this point, the seeds are easier to remove from any leftover pieces of melon. The seeds will still need to dry a little longer before being put away. Let them dry a few more days, and then they are ready to be put away until next year. Just store them in a cool, dry place, as you would any seeds.
Green Beans
To save green bean seeds for next year, just leave several beans on each of your plants to grow big at the end of the season—the more plants, the better the genetic diversity. When the beans are big and lumpy and start to yellow, they are easiest to save. Just shell them and put them in a cool, dry place to dry.
Peppers
Peppers are the easiest! When you cut open the pepper, the seeds are already clean and pretty dry. Just pluck them from the inside core of the pepper and place them on a plate to dry. In a few days, they are ready to be put up for the season. After saving pepper seeds this year, I cannot imagine ever again having to buy pepper seeds.
Dry Beans
Dry beans are the easiest because you are going to get them into shape for saving and storing anyway. After you harvest your beans, make sure you have a cool, dry place for your beans to dry out. Also, make sure you give them enough space. Mold is the enemy here. Once the pods start to feel a little bit dry, you can shell the beans and then spread them out to continue drying. Don’t put them away until the beans are completely dried. As an alternative, instead of picking the beans and then drying, you can also just hang your plants to dry and go from there.
Squash and Pumpkins
When you cut open your squash and pumpkins in the fall, simply remove some of the seeds for saving. Wash them to remove strings and such and then let them dry on a towel for about a week. Once they are good and dry, they can be stored in a cool, dry place, just like other seeds. Just be aware, if you have planted multiple types of squash near each other, you may not get pure seeds. Squash seeds, if stored well, can last for several years.
Tomatoes
To save seeds from your favorite tomatoes, all you have to do is choose some tomatoes that are big and scoop out the seeds with the little jelly that comes with them. If you are looking for saving tomato seeds that will be good for several years, you should use the fermentation method. Add water and the squished tomatoes to a glass jar. The water helps the seeds separate from the tomato. Then, place the jar in a warm spot for a few days. You should see a layer of moldy stuff start to form on the top of the mixture. Once you see the mold at the top and seeds at the bottom, you can remove the icky mold and run your mixture through a strainer to wash your seeds. Be sure to clean your seeds well and let them dry on a towel for several days. Then, just store your seeds in a cool dry place like your other seeds.
I have also learned from an interview with The Heirloom Gardener, if you are planning to use your tomato seeds the next year, all you have to is wipe the seeds from your favorite tomatoes onto a paper bag. Let them dry for a couple of weeks. Then, you can just fold up the paper bag and store the seeds in a cool, dry place.
Corn
Corn is also easy to save. You just have make sure you have heirloom corn seeds. So many corn seeds are hybrids. There is also the issue that hybrid corn is often sweeter and tastier, but heirloom corn seeds still make delicious corn. Plus, you get the benefit of being able to seed save. Just save several ears of corn from your harvest and hang the ears in a cool, dry place to dry. Once they are dried, you can just wiggle the seeds loose and save your seeds for next year. The one issue I had when I first started saving corn seeds is that I didn’t save my seeds from enough different plants, so I wasn’t getting good genetic diversity. Still, even my beginner attempt provided us with corn seeds for three years before we decided to start fresh with new seeds. But it’s best if you can save seeds from at least ten different ears of corn. I had been using three or four.
*Some of this content was originally published in Volume II of the Farmer-ish Print Annual.
top photo credit: Yuliia Huzenko, Unsplash
Hi Crystal when you say to just wipe the tomato seeds onto a paper bag do you mean after the fermentation process?
Peta, no, just fresh from the tomato! I learned this from The Heirloom Gardener. He said his dad would take a bite out of a tomato, and if he really like it, he would wipe some seeds on a paper bag to have them for the next year!