There is something especially satisfying about growing a plant from a tiny seed. But there is another level of satisfaction that many gardeners eventually discover: growing a plant, harvesting from …
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There is something especially satisfying about growing a plant from a tiny seed. But there is another level of satisfaction that many gardeners eventually discover: growing a plant, harvesting from it, saving its seeds and then growing the next generation yourself.
Seed saving is one of the oldest gardening traditions in the world. Long before seed catalogs and garden centers, gardeners saved seeds from their best plants each season. They selected the tomato that tasted the best, the bean that produced the most and the melon that survived the heat. Over generations, those saved seeds helped create plants adapted to specific families, farms and regions.
And here on the Gulf Coast, where our gardens have to survive heat, humidity, insects, surprise freezes and approximately 47 seasons in one week, saving seeds from plants that perform well in your own backyard can be especially rewarding.
But before you start stuffing every tomato seed and pepper seed into an envelope, there are a few things you need to know. Not all seeds are saved the same way, and not all plants will grow exactly like the one you collected them from.
One of the most important things to understand before saving seeds is whether your plant is an heirloom or hybrid.
Heirloom plants are generally older, open-pollinated varieties that have been passed down through generations. The good news for seed savers is that heirlooms typically grow true to type. If you save seeds from an heirloom tomato and it has not crossed with another compatible variety, those seeds should produce plants very similar to the parent.
This is why heirlooms are favorites among seed savers.
Save seeds from a Cherokee purple tomato, for example, and you can generally expect the next generation to produce Cherokee purple tomatoes. Heirloom varieties also often come with a story. Maybe your grandmother grew that particular bean, or maybe a neighbor has been saving a tomato for years because it performs beautifully in our hot, humid summers.
When you save heirloom seeds, you aren't just saving plants. Sometimes you're saving history.
Hybrid plants, often labeled F1 hybrids, are created by intentionally crossing two different parent heirloom varieties. Plant breeders choose parents with desirable traits such as disease resistance, productivity or uniform fruit and cross them to create a new variety.
Hybrid plants can be excellent garden plants. Hybrid does not mean bad.
In fact, many hybrids are incredibly productive and useful, especially in challenging climates.
The issue for seed savers is that hybrid plants generally do not grow true from saved seed. You can absolutely save hybrid seeds, and they may germinate and grow just fine. However, the next generation may produce fruit that looks like one parent, the other parent or something completely different.
You might get a delicious surprise.
You might get a tomato that is tiny, bland and shaped like it lost an argument with gravity.
That's because the genetics of a hybrid reshuffle in the next generation.
This is one of the most common seed-saving questions.
You eat an amazing apple, save the seeds, plant them and dream about growing your own apples. Years later, your tree finally produces fruit that looks nothing like the apple you originally ate.
What happened?
Many fruits, especially apples, do not grow true from seed.
Apple seeds are the result of pollination between the mother tree and another apple tree. Each seed is genetically unique, much like a child is different from its parents. A Honeycrisp apple seed will not necessarily grow into a Honeycrisp apple tree.
This is why commercial apple trees are usually propagated through grafting. A piece of a known variety is grafted onto a rootstock so the new tree will produce the same type of fruit.
The same can be true for many grocery store fruits and vegetables. The original plant may be a hybrid, meaning the seeds will not reliably produce the same variety. Even if the seed is viable, the fruit may be different in size, color, flavor or productivity.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't experiment. Gardening is supposed to include a little experimenting.
Just don't plant a grocery store apple seed and immediately start planning your Honeycrisp orchard.
If you're new to seed saving, start with plants that make the process easy.
Beans and peas
Beans and peas are some of the easiest seeds for beginners.
Leave a few pods on the plant until they become dry, brown and brittle. Harvest the pods, remove the seeds, and allow them to dry completely indoors before storing.
Remember, you are not saving seed from the tender green beans you normally eat. You need to allow the pods to mature completely and dry on the plant.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes require a little extra work because their seeds are surrounded by a gel coating.
Scoop the seeds and gel into a small container with a little water, and allow them to ferment for a few days.
This helps break down the gel coating around the seeds.
Afterward, rinse the seeds thoroughly, and spread them out to dry completely.
Don't rush the drying process. Moisture is the enemy of stored seeds.
Peppers
Peppers are much easier.
Allow the pepper to fully mature, preferably to its final ripe color. Remove the seeds and spread them out to dry completely before storing.
Keep in mind that sweet and hot peppers can cross-pollinate, so seeds may not always grow exactly like the parent if multiple varieties are growing nearby.
Okra
Okra is one of my favorite plants for beginner seed savers.
Leave a few pods on the plant until they become large, brown and dry. The pods will eventually become woody and brittle. Harvest them, remove the seeds and allow them to dry if needed.
One or two okra pods can provide plenty of seeds for future gardens.
Some seeds come from fleshy fruits and need to be cleaned before storage. These include tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons, cucumbers, squash and pumpkins.
The most important rule is simple: the fruit must be fully mature before the seeds are ready.
This can be confusing because we often harvest vegetables before their seeds are mature.
A cucumber you eat fresh is immature compared to a cucumber you would leave on the vine for seed saving. A zucchini grown for seed should be left until it becomes oversized with a hard skin.
Once the fruit is fully mature, remove the seeds and rinse away as much flesh as possible. Spread the seeds in a single layer and allow them to dry thoroughly in a warm, dry location with good air circulation.
Some plants make seed saving incredibly easy by doing most of the drying for you.
Beans, peas, okra, sunflowers, marigolds, zinnias, cosmos and many herbs produce seeds that can be collected once the flower heads or pods have dried.
Allow the seeds to mature on the plant whenever possible. Once flower heads, seed pods or stalks are dry, collect them and finish cleaning the seeds indoors.
Basil is another easy one. Allow the plant to flower, then wait until the flower spikes become dry and brown. Cut them and place them in a paper bag. Gently rub or shake the dried plant material to release the seeds.
Cilantro is also easy to save. Allow the plant to bolt and flower, and eventually it will produce coriander seeds. You can save some for planting and use some in the kitchen.
That's multitasking.
Bolting is when a plant shifts from growing the leaves or vegetables we normally harvest and starts producing flowers and seeds. For example, collard greens will eventually send up a tall flower stalk instead of continuing to focus on producing new leaves. The plant will flower, and those flowers will eventually produce seed pods.
While bolting can be frustrating when you're trying to harvest tender greens, it's exactly what you want when saving seeds. Let a few of your healthiest collard plants bolt naturally, flower and complete their life cycle so you can collect seeds for your next garden. This applies to all leafy green/ cabbage/ most herbs/ anything you typically harvest leaves from to eat. Then them get older and they will all shoot up a flower stalk you seed save from, bolting.
If you want your saved seeds to grow true to the original plant, you need to understand cross-pollination.
Some plants are mostly self-pollinating and are easier for backyard gardeners to save. These include tomatoes, beans, peas and lettuce.
Other plants are more likely to cross-pollinate with nearby varieties. These include squash, pumpkins, melons, cucumbers and corn.
You can reduce cross-pollination by growing only one variety, spacing compatible varieties farther apart or planting varieties at different times so they don't flower simultaneously.
For most backyard gardeners, you don't have to become a full-time seed scientist. Start simple and save seeds from plants that are easy and less likely to cross with nearby varieties.
The No. 1 enemy of stored seeds is moisture.
Seeds need to be thoroughly dry before storage. Spread cleaned seeds in a single layer on paper plates, coffee filters, screens or other dry surfaces.
Here on the Gulf Coast, humidity can make drying seeds a little more challenging. If the weather is especially humid, dry seeds indoors in an air-conditioned space with good airflow.
Do not use high heat to speed up the process.
You are trying to grow your future garden, not roast it.
Once your seeds are completely dry, store them somewhere cool, dark and dry.
Good storage options include paper envelopes, small jars, seed packets and airtight containers. Glass jars with tight-fitting lids are especially useful for long-term storage as long as the seeds are completely dry before sealing them inside.
Always label your seeds.
Write down:
• Plant name
For example:
• Cherokee Purple Tomato
You may think you will remember what those mystery seeds are six months from now.
You will not.
Store seeds away from heat, sunlight and humidity. Avoid hot garages, sheds and other places where temperatures fluctuate dramatically.
One of the biggest advantages of seed saving is being able to select plants that perform well in your own garden.
Don't automatically save seeds from the first tomato you pick.
Look for your best plants.
Save seeds from plants that are healthy, productive, disease resistant, heat tolerant and well adapted to your soil and climate.
Over time, saving seed from your best-performing plants can help you maintain varieties particularly well suited to your own backyard.
And that's where seed saving becomes more than just a way to save money.
It becomes a relationship with your garden.
There is something almost magical about holding a handful of seeds that came from plants you grew yourself. One dried okra pod can hold dozens of future plants. One bean left on the vine can become next year's crop. A single tomato can contain enough seeds for years of gardens.
So this season, let a few plants go a little wild.
Let the greens bolt.
Let the beans dry on the vine.
Leave a zucchini on the vine until it looks absolutely ridiculous.
Allow a few flowers to fade instead of deadheading every single one.
Then collect the tiny treasures they leave behind.
You might be surprised by how much of next year's garden is already growing in this year's.
And if you save something especially delicious, beautiful or tough enough to survive a Gulf Coast summer, save a few extra seeds for a friend.
After all, the best gardens don't just grow plants.
They grow stories, traditions and something worth passing along.
Happy gardening, and sow long, store well and don't forget to label those seeds before you forget what they are.
