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| Basics Most plants
propagate by producing seed, and many produce an impressive amount. A single healthy lettuce, for example, can produce
enough seed to fill a garden with greens. Harvested seed usually remains
viable for several years if kept in cool, dry conditions. If frozen or
kept close to freezing (after drying sufficiently) seed can last
significantly longer. For details, consult the 'bible' of seed saving,
Seed to Seed, or one of the other excellent volumes on seed saving (see
sidebar). Hybrid seeds do not breed true, and are poor candidates for seed-saving. Any open-pollinated or heirloom seeds should breed true. Depending on the type of plant, separation of blossoming plants by a significant (e.g., 1/2 mile) distance might be necessary to avoid crossing of strains. So if space is limited, be aware of the crossing characteristics of your plants, and consider limited seed saving to one variety of any crossing type each year. Test a sample of your seed for germination, so you know what to expect. We have seen anywhere from thirty percent and one hundred percent germination from saved tomato or lettuce seeds, depending on the plant's viability, seed harvest timing, and the weather conditions during the seed phase of the plant. Supplies Seeds can be saved in glass jars or any other container that seals well. We use plastic buckets with sealing lids (available online or at most hardware/home stores). Desiccant (usually, the silica gel found with many products) is important to minimize the moisture in bags of seed or containers. For small quanitites, we use the packets found in many vitamins/herbs; for larger, color-indicator silica (color changes with moisture) is useful. All desiccants can be 'recharged' by drying for an hour or so in a low-temp oven or over a radiator or other low-heat source. Specifics Saving Tomato Seeds |
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