Benefits of Seed Saving
Saving seeds reduces costs, adapts varieties to local conditions, and preserves genetic diversity. Over generations, saved seeds develop traits suited to your specific farm environment and management style.
Selecting for Quality
Choose superior plants for seed production. Select for vigor, disease resistance, productivity, and desired characteristics. Avoid saving seed from weak, diseased, or atypical plants.
Understand your variety type - open-pollinated varieties breed true from seed, while hybrids do not. Focus seed saving efforts on open-pollinated and heirloom varieties for consistent results.
Isolation Distances
Maintain adequate isolation between varieties within the same species to prevent cross-pollination. Distances vary by crop and pollination method - wind-pollinated crops need greater isolation than self-pollinated crops.
Temporal isolation works when varieties flower at different times. Physical barriers like greenhouses or bagging individual flowers ensure purity for small-scale seed production.
Harvest and Processing
Harvest seeds at proper maturity - fully developed but before shattering or weather damage. Dry seeds thoroughly before storage, typically to 8-10% moisture content.
Wet seed processing for tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons involves fermentation to remove pulp and inhibit seed-borne diseases. Dry seed crops (beans, lettuce, brassicas) require cleaning and sorting to remove debris.
Storage Conditions
Store seeds cool and dry to maintain viability. Most seeds last 2-5 years under good conditions. Label clearly with variety name, harvest date, and relevant notes.
Test germination rates before planting large areas with saved seeds. Soak and sprouting tests reveal viability so you can adjust seeding rates accordingly.