SEED SAVING STEPS SECURE SATISFYING SEQUELS Grow those same delicious vegetables next year!

Mae Smith Self-pollinated plants are easiest Did a friend give you tomato because they require no separation seeds that grew the best heirloom to- and will have the same traits year matoes you have ever eaten? Saving after year. Most of the “easy” plants the seeds enables having those deli- above are self-pollinating. Special cious tomatoes again next year. measures such as bagging and hand- Saving seed can be fairly easy or pollination can be taken if varieties quite complicated depending on the are closer than recommended. plant. As a beginner, easy vegetables Collecting seed from bien- to start with are bean, lettuce, pea, nial plants is much more difficult. eggplant, pepper, and tomato. Once Biennials require two years before the art of seed saving is mastered, producing seed. Plants must be left you will be a pro at the more diffi- in the ground or dug, stored, and re- cult vegetables like beets, broccoli, planted in the spring and will produce and cabbage, or even wildflowers, seed that second year. Some of these grasses, nuts, and trees. vegetables include cabbage, kale, Swiss chard, and root vegetables. Demystifying Seed Saving Decide what seeds to save for The Process next year and get to know the plant a There are probably characteris- little. You’ll need to know if the plant tics you like best about the particu- is a hybrid, if it self-pollinates, is an lar varieties you’ve selected to save, annual or biennial, or if the seeds such as disease and pest resistance, come in fleshy fruits, pods, or heads. large fruits, early fruiting, bright color, Hybrid seeds should not be saved or flavor. Pick the fruits, and therefore because they will not exhibit the the seeds, that exhibit those char- same traits as the parent. Check the acteristics. If you want spinach that label for “F1 Hybrid.” Crosspollination bolts later, don’t collect seeds from can be a big problem when trying to the first plant to bolt. The plants on save seeds that will produce a plant which you are going to let seeds ma- with characteristics of a particular ture will produce less fruit because of variety. Wind-pollinated plants need the resources used for the ripening. as much as 1 mile of separation For leafy greens, limit the harvest on between varieties, while insect-pol- plants you want to use for seed. linated plants require ¼ mile or the Seeds are harvested when ma- resulting plants will have mixed traits. ture, which is usually after the point

FALL 2014 23 dried to between 5-8 percent mois- ture content (some seeds need a higher moisture content and require special handling). Drying is usually not a problem in Wyoming’s dry climate. Spread the seeds on paper towels or a screen to dry or place in a paper envelope such as a coin envelope. In Wyoming’s climate, seeds can usually be stored in the paper envelopes in a dry, cool, and dark place. Placing the envelopes in a plastic freezer bag or an air- tight jar will ensure they do not rehydrate. In a more humid climate, silica gel can keep seeds dry. For longer term storage, seeds contained in plastic freezer bags can be placed of being too ripe for eating. in the refrigerator or freezer. Some • Pod crops are left on the vine After you’ve saved those seeds store and remain viable for until the pod dries and seeds turn seeds … see “Starting longer periods. Make sure to label brown. plants from seed indoors the seeds, including variety date and • Squash is left on the vine until other notes – don’t let your hard work the skin is hard and then allowed – the basics” in the be wasted. another several weeks for seed Winter 2014 Barnyards & Seed Testing ripening. Backyards magazine. Come planting time, you may • Tomatoes and peppers should be want to test germination rates to see allowed to fully ripen on the vine how well the seeds fared in storage. is more difficult. Cut the fruit in half and harvested before rotting. Place 100 small seeds or 25 large and scoop out the seeds. Place the seeds on a paper towel. Roll it up like Collect the seeds before they seeds and an equal amount of water a jelly roll, moisten the towel, and disperse or are eaten by birds or in an uncovered container out of direct wring out excess water. Place in a other animals. If the seed is not quite sunlight for three to six days. Stir this plastic bag in a warm place out of di- mature but in danger of being eaten mixture twice a day and change the wa- rect sunlight. After a week, unroll and or dispersing, the whole plant or stalk ter as needed to prevent fungal growth. count the germinated seeds. Planting can be collected and allowed to dry The fruit material will ferment, and the rates (and amount of seed collected until the seeds mature. viable seeds will sink to the bottom. next year) may need adjusted if ger- Alternatively, remove as much mination rates are low. After Harvesting pulp as possible and rinse the seeds Saving seeds is an ancient art Clean seeds after harvesting. in a strainer. The germination will be that has, for the most part, been Bigger seeds are usually better and lower because non-viable seeds have replaced by the commercial seed in- produce the most vigorous seedlings. not been removed. For dry seeds, separate the seeds dustry; however, seed saving can be from the chaff, hulls, and other impu- Seed Storage very rewarding, allowing gardeners to rities. Separating seeds from fleshy Moisture is the biggest enemy cultivate the best crops and express fruits, such as tomato and cucumber, in seed storage. Seeds need to be some creativity in the selections.

We’re not sure if Mae Smith ate her vegetables while growing up, but we’re pretty sure of her vegetable growing skills. She is the University of Wyoming Extension educator based in Big Horn County but also serving Fremont, Hot Springs, Park, and Washakie counties and the Wind River Reservation. She can be reached at (307) 765-2868 or [email protected].

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