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Re: seeds

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

In a message dated 99-06-17 21:45:42 EDT, you write:
<< Can anyone tell me the best way to perserve seeds from the vegetables that 
 you grow? Thanks , urb2165 >>

     Well, it depends on which plant you're saving seeds from and whether or 
not you've grown F1 or F2 hybrids, or open pollinated types (and also kept 
them from cross-pollination).
     If you're growing OP seeds, most seeds are just collected from mature 
(not mature to eat but *totally* mature) veggies. After removing the seeds 
from the vegetable, they should be rinsed and allowed to dry in a warm, dry 
place for about three weeks, and then stored in paper bags/envelopes or jars 
with a small pack of silica dessicant. 
     Tomatoes are a little different. These, too, need to be absolutely 
"close to rotten" ripe. But, it's not as simple as just rinsing the seeds. 
Cut the tomato across the middle and squeeze out the juice, seeds, and slimy 
stuff into a jar. Cover with a cloth and let sit for 3-4 days. A little mold 
will start to grow on the top of the mix. This is good....it will free the 
seeds from their gelatinous coating and also do a lot to kill bacteria and 
other pathogens that may be present. Then, after 3-4 days of "fermenting," 
rinse and dry as any other seeds. They will stick together as they dry and 
need to be separated and made sure they're completely dry on both sides 
before you store them. All seeds should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place.
     To ensure no cross pollination, grow a late and an early corn so they 
are not pollinating at the same time. Technically, if any other corn is grown 
within a half mile your's will be cross pollinated (corn is wind pollinated). 
You can try to prevent that by hand pollinating and then covering the ears 
with paper bags. Squash and pumpkins also easily cross...and the results 
aren't usually too pretty (or edible). Again, you can hand pollinate (and 
it's easier for squash/pumpkins than corn) the vegetables you want to store 
seeds from. Tomatoes are not too prone to cross pollination and separating 
different varieties by 5-15 ft should be enough. All legumes are self-fertile 
and are generally already pollinated by the time they bloom. These don't need 
to be separated from each other at all. For other veggies, grow just one 
variety to ensure no crossing...and that's pretty easy with cukes, eggplant, 
etc.
     So, first you need to decide if you have seeds you really want to save 
(seeds from hybrids will not produce the same plant as they came from). Then 
prevent cross-pollination, make sure the vegetable is completely ripe....then 
wash (or ferment first with tomatoes), dry, and store.  
     The book, "The Seed Saver's Handbook," has much more info than I can 
give here on saving seeds.

Lisa Viger


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