Saving Seeds

The herb grower, who decides to save seeds, is one who looks to plan for the future. Saving your own seeds could also give you an element of surprise you may find what you thought was a certain herb or colour, could end up having variations of its own.

Benefits that can be sought from seed saving include:

·         Increasing Yields – we have over the years chosen to save our garlic bulbs that give us good size garlic plants. The same can happen with seeds. Choosing to save seeds of your best and most flourishing herbs, will help to ensure that your plants will continue to flourish. A consistent selection from seeds your most outstanding plants will give you an improved strain that has better qualities than your original seeds that you started with.

·         Saving Costs – Saving your own seeds is a way to help reduce costs. Home saved seeds will cost less, sometimes nothing, only your time, storage and supplies.

·         Plants adjusting to local conditions – After a few years of selecting your strongest seeds, the plants that you grow from these seeds will be mostly suited to your environment and micro-climate. These plants might be most suited to the dry, hot, wet, cold or frosty conditions of your garden. This could also turn out to be a negative point, if sending or selling seeds elsewhere.

·         Untreated Seeds – when you harvest your own seeds, there is no need to treat them.

·         Heirloom strains – many heirloom strains of flower, seeds and herbs are often only perpetuated by home saved seeds. Many strains of vegetables have been kept alive by isolated families growing and saving these strains. Planting the seeds every second or third year will help keep strains alive, as long as they are stored adequately.

·         Open pollinators – the majority of people prefer open pollinated varieties. Often these varieties can contain more protein, it comes from a more diverse heritage line, it is less likely to be wiped out by diseases.

·         Self-reliance – well chosen, correctly stored garden seeds will help feed a family year after year. No matter what happens to prices of fuel, housing, postage and food, you will always have your own food sources.

·         Pride – growing your own herbs and veggies from seeds will give you s sense of pride.

Selecting Your Seeds to Save

When choosing which plants to save your seeds from, qualities you may want to consider are :

1.    The colour of the plants

2.    The resistance to disease and insects from the plant, ie a plant with a good vitality.

3.    Early or prolific bearing plants

4.    Plants that germinate and thrive in extreme hot and cold weather

5.    Plants that are resisitant to different conditions.

6.    Storage life, harvesting ease or any other special qualities.

7.    Plant texture, tenderness, juciness, seediness etc.

8.    Plant vigour and yield

When to Collect Your Seeds

Seeds need nourishment to carry them right through to their growing season. Seeds that are harvested too early may look the same as other seeds, though they might not have the endosperm or food source to carry them through. They may also lack embryonic development and may be immature in some way. These immature seeds will deteriorate in storage. If these seed do survive they will produce inferior plant stock.

Plants that Shatter

Seeds need to be collected when they have completely dried and before they rot or shatter. This can make timing critical for plants that have seeds pods that shatter, as the time frame for harvesting these seeds can be within 2 weeks only. In some cases you will need to visit the seeding plants daily. Some herbs can allow you to tie a small paper bag over them and allow the wind to shake the seeds into the bags.

Fleshy Fruit Seeds

Fleshy seeds found in fruits like cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers are best harvested from over-ripe fruits. Ideally you would not be wanting to eat the fruit as it is to ripe. Some fruit like tomatoes are best left to start the rotting process and pepper are left to shrink and wrinkle. Do not allow the fruit to rot, otherwise the seeds could be damaged in the heat of decomposition. Scoop out the seeds and then spread them over something like newspaper or kitchen paper and allow them to dry. When I plant these seeds, I just tear off parts of the newspaper and plant it with the seed.

Edible Seeds

Plants with edible seeds such as corn or cereals will retain their full maturity for quite a while. The seeds on cereals and certain beans can be left on the plant for a few weeks, until you have the chance to collect them. The seeds can then be pulled from the plant and placed in a dry place to cure further. Seeds can then be threshed out.

If possible collect seeds on a warm sunny day when the seeds are few from dew, frost or wet. Frost is not too much of an issue as long as the seeds are dry, moisture is the thing that needs to be avoided.

The other important thing to do when collecting seeds is to label them. It is not easy to identify seeds when you have them all mixed up. Many sees can look similar to others. Put the herb, plus date on your seeds and t\you will be able to rotate old stock and keep healthier and more viable seed.

If you would like to buy dried herbs online, you will find them here Dried Herbs Online

Happy Herbing 

Louise Plant