Community ClicksCollecting vegetable seeds from your garden is a satisfying activity that can save you money. Saving seeds from varieties with desirable traits such as pest resistance, cold hardiness or great taste also contributes to biodiversity. You should only save seed from open-pollinated (OP) or “Heirloom” varieties since the offspring of hybrids, often labeled as “F1” or “Hybrid,” do not breed true to their parents. Common open-pollinated plants include but are not limited to lettuce, beans, peas, tomatoes and some herbs. You cannot legally save seed from plants listed as “patented” or “plant variety protected (PVP).”
Here are a few tips for saving seeds:
<<< Collect seed only from healthy plants.
<<< Dry seeds indoors during cool, moist weather.
<<< Discard any seeds that show fungal growth.
<<< Once dried, put the seed in an envelope and place the envelope in a tightly sealed jar; placing a small cloth bag of powdered milk in the jar under the seed will help control moisture.
<<< Label the jar with the plant variety and the date saved.
<<< Store the jar in a cool (less than 50 degrees) dark place at less than 50 percent humidity; an ideal location is in the refrigerator.
Tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas and lettuce are the easiest seeds to save and are a good start for the beginner. To save tomato seeds, select a few fully ripe disease-free tomatoes from your favorite plant. Mash the tomatoes and allow the seeds to run into a clean glass jar. Pour off the excess liquid leaving about ½ inch of liquid and the pulpy mass of seeds. Allow the liquid to ferment for up to a week, stirring three times a day to break down the jelly around the seeds. During this process the viable tomato seeds will sink and the non-viable ones will float. Remove the floating seeds with a spoon and pour the remaining liquid into a fine sieve. Gently wash the seeds to remove any remaining pulp and spread them onto a paper towel.
Leave the seeds at room temperature to dry thoroughly. Once dry, store as described above.
Eggplant seeds can be saved using a method similar to tomatoes but leave the eggplant on the vine until it is well past the stage when you would pick it for eating purposes.
Pepper seeds can simply be removed and dried for two weeks.
For beans, peas and soybeans, harvest the pods when they are dry and rattle. Open the pods, remove the dry seeds and spread them on a plate for a day or so to be sure that they are completely dry. Put the dried seed in the freezer for 30 hours to kill any weevil larvae and then store in glass jars as described above.
Lettuce forms a dandelion-like seed head that can be rubbed between the fingers to separate the seed from other plant parts. Allow the seed heads to dry for two to three weeks before collecting the seed.
Give these easy-to-save seeds a try; as you gain experience you can try to save more “difficult” seeds such as cucumber, pumpkins, carrots, beets, cabbage, onions and squash.
Bob Cain is a certified WSU Clallam County Master Gardener.
For more gardening information, attend the Green Thumb Gardening Tips Brown Bag Series at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St. in Port Angeles. These free educational events are held at noon on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. On Sept. 22, Master Gardener Pam Larsen will talk about organic gardening.
