how to save seeds

[hesco]

   How do you save seeds, anything special about drying them out, storing or freezing them so they will germenate, how many years can they be saved, just regular garden seeds, greenbeans, squash, corn, watermelon, tomoatoes, ect.....

[squirrellluck]

Don't know all the particulars but be sure you use heirloom seed and not hybreds. Hybreds may or may not germinate next year.

[ohio_boy]

I've saved some, mainly from beans, and peppers.  But, squirrellluck is right, hybrid seeds do not produce true.  Use heirlooms for any seeds.  For beans and peppers, you need to make sure the fruit has completely matured, and are ready for seeding.  I usually let a row or two of beans to dry out in the fall, and harvest the dry pods.  Then, split them open, and save them.  Peppers, I take the seeds out once the fruit has matured completely, and dry them out on a newspaper in the sun.  Most seeds will last a couple of years, as long as you store them correctly.  I stick mine in the fridge in the crisper drawer.

[ShadowMover]

One problem with saving seeds is you don't know what pollinated the plant you are getting the fruit from. Yes it could be from the identical plant next to it, but it also could be from a hybrid or different variety growing next door, or a volunteer down by the mulch pile. If you are going to make a serious effort to save heirloom seeds, try to isolate your plants, both in distance and with a screen to keep out bees from cross pollinating them.  Planting one variety a year will help keep the strain pure.  I've had some serious cross pollination disasters with melons, gourds and cucumbers. The truth is I don't know what they were, and they tasted like crap.

Just a thought. I have a rather small garden, so it's easy for things to get mixed.

[BIG Dog454]

Store them in a dry place, not where they will be in front of a heat vent. DO NOT STORE in a plastic container, the seeds need to breath. If you do store in a plastic container, to keep mice etc out. make sure that there are plenty of air hole for circulation.

[JonD.]

Tomatoes are easy to save. Just put them in a coffee filter and let dry a few days. Roll them up in a paper towell and put in a cabinet. Sow them the next year(around here 'bout the first week of April, depending on temps.)about 1/4"deep and they'll come up. I found some seeds one time that Dad had put back before he died. When I found them, they were 7 years old. Enough came up to keep the seed line going, and 5 or 6 years later we still have tomato seeds out of this line. If you have several different varieties that you are saving seeds from, it's a good idea to write on the filter what kind of seeds you put in it before you store them.

[gypsyman]

I can remember my mother putting seeds into envelopes, she would write on the front what vegtable they were. Never sealed the envelope, just folded the top in. The coffee filter sounds like a good idea. gypsyman

[bilmac]

Seed savers exchange  and Heirloom seeds are two websites that sell heirloom seeds. Whether you buy from them or not they have a lot of information. If you do get your seeds from them. the packets have good information specific to what you buy.