Gardening and DIY: Save seeds (and dosh)

Photo / Paul Thompson

SAVE SEED AND SAVE MONEY NEXT SPRING

Saving seed is an easy way to generate a whole new harvest from season to season -without spending any money.

When first introduced to fertile, damp soil - an inbuilt mechanism is initiated in every seed that is geared towards ensuring the continuation of its kind. Many plants (such as strawberries, tomatoes and peas) are grown for the ripe, seed-filled fruits they produce. Others are harvested for their roots or succulent foliage before plants get to maturity. In each case, if we allow our plants to grow past harvest (be they fruit, vegetable, herb or companion flowers) they should produce seed. This seed source can benefit our gardens in several ways:

1. We can allow plants to 'do it themselves' - to self-seed and let the resulting seedlings grow to maturity in the garden during the following season.
2. We can allow plants to self-seed around the garden and lift young seedlings before re-planting them where we would prefer them to grow.
3. We can allow plants to set seed before collecting and saving that seed to start a new crop in the following season.
4. We can save and dry seed for use in the kitchen. Fennel, parsley, coriander and poppies for instance all produce seed with culinary uses.
5. Letting plants set seed provides a valuable food source in autumn and winter for birds and wildlife that are an important part of maintaining a healthy natural balance in a garden.

N.B. All seed should be used as soon as possible.

Seeds are designed to germinate in the following season and it pays to keep to this natural timetable.

If you store them for longer than this, they may lose its viability and germination could be random at best.

Save seed from fully ripened, healthy plants for best results. Store seed in a cool, dry room in paper bags or envelopes that will not trap moisture.

Adding rice grains to stores of smaller seeds helps to keep them dry.

Practical:
How to save seed from plants that produce seeds in a fleshy or pulpy, edible fruit.

Pumpkins and squashes produce a large number of seeds in a dryish pulp at the center of each fruit. These are easily removed by hand and can be rinsed in a sieve before placing on a plate or chopping board and left in a sunny dry spot until they are dry.
Store in bags or envelopes.

Cucumbers and melons produce seeds inside a jelly-like pulpy coating. Scoop out seeds and pulp and place in a large jar of water. Stir to release seeds from pulp.

Any floating seeds are immature and should be removed. Leave seeds in water for 2 to 3 days by which time the pulp surrounding them will have fermented and fallen away from the seeds. Pour contents of jar through a sieve and rinse before placing on a plate or chopping board and leaving in a sunny dry spot until they are dry. Store in bags or envelopes.

Tomatoes, tamarillos, cape gooseberries and tomatillos have fairly small seeds in a gelatinous pulpy coating. Scoop out pulp and seeds and spread across absorbent kitchen paper. Leave to fully dry. Seeds can then be picked off paper - or you can tear paper into pieces with seeds stuck to it - and then stored in envelopes

Check out more info on seed saving from Pod here.