Saving seeds is a good way to practice sustainable gardening. It means saving money as we don’t have to keep buying seeds.
If we select strong healthy plants to save seed from, we are also producing plants that will thrive in our own environment. Some easy crops to save seeds from are:
Beans, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Peas, Pumpkin, Cucumber, Zucchini, Coriander, Sunflowers, Marigold
Seed Saving: Lettuces, coriander, marigold, peas and beans
- Choose strong healthy plants to save seeds from.
- Make a sign to put beside the plants to show it is to be left to go to seed
- Harvest the seeds when the seed heads (for lettuces, coriander, marigold, sunflowers) or pods (for peas and beans) look dry
Note: Seeds heads on lettuce need to be broken up so that the seeds are separated from the stalks
Lettuce: (seed heads form after flowering): Bean (or pea): dried in pod, then seeds removed
Tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin
- Choose a healthy fruit/vegetables.
- Cut open and remove seeds.
- Seeds will need to be carefully washed. It is best to use a sieve to do this.
- Select the best looking seeds, place on a paper towel and set out to dry away from direct sunlight. Remember to write the variety of seed on the paper towel.
- Once dried, place into a paper envelope, label outside of envelope and store in a cool, dry place
(note - due to pollen travel sometimes the cucumber, pumpkin or zucchini seeds may turn into different plants to your parent plant)
Dried tomato seeds on paper towel:
