Seed-Saving 101: How to Save Seeds

While saving seeds isn’t difficult, it’s important to know a few harvesting basics so your seeds will germinate.

A couple of quick pointers:

*Save heirloom seeds. Hybrids may be sterile in the second generation, like mules.

*Choose seeds from your healthiest, best, favorite, tastiest fruits.

*Save seeds from diverse varieties of the same type of plant (if you can).  In case of climate changes, diseases, or unexpected pests, it’s nice to have options; one variety of squash may prove more resistant to the crazy hungry beetles wandering through your garden than other varieties.

Learn how to save seeds with these videos:

Saving tomato seeds

Saving Oak Leaf Lettuce Seeds

Saving Globe Artichoke Seeds

Saving Parsnip Seeds

Saving Heirloom Pepper Seeds

Saving Bean Seeds

One perspective on cross-pollination in the backyard garden

Seedsavers Exchange : find answers to your seed-saving questions here.

For information about my book:“The Apothecarys Song”

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