Never too early to start seed saving!

June 27, 2023

Never too early to start seed saving!

An allotment mate gave me some peppers yesterday, both chilli and long sweet Italian peppers. Both were really tasty so decided to save the seed for next season. For seeds from peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, squash etc. I just remove the seeds, wash if retaining any of the umbilical or flesh then lay them on dry paper and leave them at room temperature for 24 hours or longer if necessary. Once dry, I use Lunch Money Envelopes which are really inexpensive compared to proprietary seed envelopes and do the job nicely. Paper envelopes allow the seed to breathe, unlike plastic bags which can cause them to rot if not totally dry. Label and date then I store in my box of seeds in a cool dark place.

If saving seeds from plants you’ve grown for next season then here is my method. Allow the parent plant to mature fully and flower. Once the seed is set leave it on the plant as long as possible to allow the seeds to mature and become viable. This can mean that once ready they all are thrown to the wind as part of the natural process so once you find them drying and nearly ready to harvest take a small paper bag and cover the seed head then tie it on with some string or an elastic band. The paper will allow the natural drying process to continue with the benefit of catching the seed once ready. Then give a shake every so often and if you hear the seeds in the bag, remove the whole stem then hang in a dry place from the stem base allowing the last of the seed to dry and fall into the bag. Once done remove the bag and pour the seed into a labelled envelope, seal and store it in a cool dry place.