Organic Seed Saving
A guide to saving seeds from your own garden to maintain an organic seed supply for future planting. It includes steps to select, harvest, process, and store seeds effectively.
Step 1: Plant Selection
Identify healthy, non-hybrid (open-pollinated) plants with desirable traits from your garden. These will be your seed sources.
Step 2: Seed Harvesting
Carefully collect the seeds at the right time, which varies by plant species. Some seeds may be dry-harvested while others may require wet-harvesting.
Step 3: Seed Cleaning
Remove the seeds from the surrounding plant material and clean them to promote good storage conditions. This may include techniques like threshing, winnowing, or washing.
Step 4: Seed Drying
Spread the seeds out in a warm, dry place away from direct sunlight to thoroughly dry them. This process can take several days.
Step 5: Labeling
Label your seeds with the plant name, variety, and date of harvest to keep track of your inventory.
Step 6: Seed Storage
Store seeds in a cool, dry, and dark place in properly sealed containers to maintain viability for future planting.
General Notes
Seed Viability
Not all seeds have the same shelf life. Check the viability period for each variety to optimize your planting schedule.
Cross-Pollination
Be mindful of the possibility of cross-pollination, which can affect the purity of the seeds. Use strategies like buffer zones or timing techniques if necessary.
Local Adaptation
Over time, saving seeds from plants that do well in your local conditions can lead to a seed stock that is better adapted to your specific environment.