I’m certainly not trying to rush summer. But with Labor Day’s arrival and the cooler weather it brings, it’s time to start thinking about next year.
Before we talk about how to save seeds from your current plants, let’s talk about the leftover seeds you purchased this spring. You don’t need to buy all new seeds next spring. Seed can remain viable for several years if stored correctly.
We store seed at Cornell AgriTech for long periods of time and still get good germination. First, keep the seed in its original packet if you can. That way you will have the variety clearly marked as well as the date it was packed.
If you don’t have the original packet, place in paper envelopes, bags or even Mason jars with the date and variety clearly marked. Add some silica gel or a couple of tablespoons of powdered milk in a tissue or paper towel to absorb moisture.
Store the seed in a cool, dry place such as a refrigerator. Ideal temperatures are 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Try to avoid garages (too cold) or basements (too humid). Of course, if you had poor germination this year, it won’t get any better next year. In that case, buy new. Depending on the vegetable, well stored seeds can stay viable for three to five years.
But can’t you just save the seed from your garden’s tomatoes, cucumbers and squash? Sure, sounds simple enough and think of the money you could save. It can be done, but there are some serious issues to consider.
Some plant diseases will survive on the stored seed. Because we live in a more humid environment, diseases tend to thrive here. That’s one of the reasons that most seed companies grow their stock in dryer climates.
A second issue is whether the seed will "breed true," giving you a plant that will be similar to the one the seed came from. Vegetable varieties are often hybrids, and plants grown from seeds saved from hybrids won’t produce similar plants in the next generation.
Hybrids are created by deliberately crossing two inbred parents. One might be disease-resistant and the other high-yielding or good-tasting. The resulting hybrid seed that you planted this year combines these traits. But saved seed from a hybrid produces plants next year across the spectrum.
Many of you are likely growing “heirloom” or nonhybrid varieties. These are seeds that have been selected and passed down for many years and can give you a similar plant to the one grown the previous year. But not all heirlooms are created equal. Some vegetables, such as squash, cucumbers, melons and sweet corn, can easily cross- pollinate within the same species.
So, if you loved a zucchini this year, you have to hope that a bee did not bring pollen from a pumpkin or other squash. The saved seed will produce a plant that looks nothing like what you grew this year. The only way to prevent this from happening is to pollinate the flowers yourself using pollen from flowers on the same plant. Too late to do that this year.
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and beans tend to self-pollinate. Assuming it’s not a hybrid, chances are that saved seed from these crops will produce plants similar to the parent. And saving seed is fairly easy in these crops.
Make sure you harvest mature fruit. For peppers, cut them open and scrape out the seeds and place in a dry area with low humidity, and temperatures of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. For tomatoes, scoop out seeds and gel. Put in a container with equal amount of water and stir daily. After five to seven days, pour off liquid and the viable seeds are on bottom. Rinse and spread to dry.
For beans, ripen on the plant until completely dry and pods are browning. Hang plants in a warm dry place, then shell the beans, removing the dried pods. Store as you would store-bought seed.
This week in the garden
Lower night temperatures – below 55 degrees Fahrenheit – can cause tomato flavor to decline. Throw a sheet over plants on cool nights to keep temperatures higher. That also reduces morning dew on the fruit, which can lead to some cracking and spotting.
Steve Reiners is professor/chair in horticulture at Cornell AgriTech.
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September 05, 2020 at 04:00PM
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Saving vegetable seeds for next year - Democrat & Chronicle
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