There are many highlights of the year between March and September, including a lovely and flowering garden.You can save your seeds from your garden to enjoy from year to year, whether you are an enthusiastic gardener or just getting started with plants.Collecting and storing the seeds of your plants for later use is a very rewarding activity that ensures the life and vitality of the garden while saving money.
Step 1: There are many reasons to collect seeds.
There are many reasons to collect and save seeds, from saving on the cost to having backups if your favorite plants die.Knowing the advantages of seed collecting will help you decide if you want to start your own seed bank.The cost of seeds has increased, while the number of pre-packaged envelopes has decreased.If any of your favorite plants die, you have backups by collecting and storing seeds from your own garden.You can control the quality of your seeds by collecting and storing them.Many pre-packaged seeds are not necessarily stored in the right way.
Step 2: Know when to pick up seeds.
It's difficult to know when to harvest seeds.Having a few basic facts at your fingertips will help guide you through the process of collecting seeds.While they swell into full size in the seed coat, seeds need the living plant to give them sustenance.If it rains, collect seeds from plants.The ability to properly grow seeds is damaged when they absorb moisture, swell and crack.The growing and seed harvesting season begins in March and ends in the fall.The peak season is late summer.Plants should be checked regularly for fading flowers and seeds.This is a good time to collect seeds if plant heads are turning brown.You can collect seeds if they are still green, but you should let them mature in the seed head.When the seeds are a good size, you can harvest them and let them mature in a bag or newspaper.As the petals fade, don't pick seed heads.If you want to know if a plant is mature, wait until the visible seeds have plumped up.
Step 3: Only healthy seeds can be collected.
If you want your seeds to yield the best plants, make sure they are healthy and ripe.You can store them for a longer period of time if you ensure that they bloom beautifully.Garden seeds can be saved from healthy plants.Extreme changes in temperature can crack the hull of seeds that have been exposed to significant swings in the weather.If the seeds plump up on the plant, that is a sign that they are mature.
Step 4: It's time to get your seed collecting kit ready.
If you plan to collect seeds throughout the growing season, it is a good idea to keep a seed collecting kit ready so that you can nip plants as soon as you notice that the seeds have matured.A few items from your home can be used to make a kit.A good seed collecting kit will have a small pair of scissors or pocketknife to nip the plants, paper envelopes, plastic bags, and a pen or marker to label the seeds as you gather them.Small tins and prescription bottles can be used to save seeds.Bamboo skewers can be used to remove sticky seeds.
Step 5: There are seeds in plants.
It can be difficult to identify the seeds of plants, especially for beginners.It is possible to identify where the seeds are by learning a few basic facts about plant shapes.The largest family of flowering plants are called Compositae and include flowers such as sunflowers, black-eyed Susans, daisies, and zinnias.Many of these flowers have a green, yellow, brown or black "eye" in the center which produce both the flowers and seeds.The seeds will form a head in that "eye".Sometimes the "eye" looks like a button and other times it can be a cone.Some Compositae flowers, like those of marigolds, have tight bunches of petals, with no eye, but the seeds develop in the center.The easiest way to sow these seeds is to break apart the button and sow them directly in the ground.Plants in the mint family grow flowers along a stem.The best way to harvest small seeds from these flowers is to cut the entire stalks.The seeds of vegetables and fruits are inside the plant.A fruit with seeds on the surface is an example.
Step 6: Take the mature seeds or plants.
Check to see if the plants have matured and are ready to harvest.If they are, you can either remove the seeds or cut the flowers to prepare them for storage.You can harvest the ripe seeds with the scissors, knife or bamboo sticks from your kit.If you are dealing with plants with small flowers such as basil, you should cut the entire stalks to allow the seeds to fall into an envelope or container.Put seeds in the bags or envelopes from your kit.You can hang plants upside down if you want to release the seeds.Place plants in final storage containers if you want to keep them separate.If you put too many plant stems or seed heads into your container, they will not have enough room to dry properly.Keep your collection organized by keeping different kinds of plants and seeds separate.
Step 7: Save and store your seeds.
After you harvest your seeds, it is important to prepare them for storage.You can save your seeds for longer periods of time if you keep this in mind.It is important to separate the different seeds as you dry them for storage.It is important that you have good air circulation when drying seeds.The best way to dry out the seeds is to spread them out on sheets of paper.There are days.The growth of mold or fungus can be promoted by drying seeds in plastic.
Step 8: The small seeds are inside the Pod.
For plants from the Compositae and mint families, it is best to remove as much of the stems and leaves as possible and then place them upside down in large paper bags and envelopes to dry them out.The seeds will dry out evenly if the bag is shook so that they don't clump together.
Step 9: The vegetable seeds should be washed and dried.
Many plants, such as tomato and cucumber, have seeds in their flesh.You will need to wash and remove them before you can dry them.You can remove the seeds from vegetables with a tool.Dry them on paper after washing them to remove plant flesh.
Step 10: You can transfer seeds and label packets.
Transfer the seeds to small containers or envelopes when they are dry.If you want to find seeds for planting in subsequent growing seasons, you need to label each packet with the type of plant and date of seed harvest.Once your seeds have dried, transfer them to small envelopes or containers such as a clean Altoids tin.They will stay dry and last as long as possible with this.Don't mix seeds from different plants if you transfer one type of plant at a time.If you want to find seeds for swap with friends or use in your own garden, label each of the envelopes with a pen or marker so that you can easily find them.
Step 11: A seed bank can be created in a jar.
You can make a seed bank in a jar or another container after you transfer the seeds.This will make it easier for you to use your seeds whenever you please.Desiccants can help keep your seed bank moist.
Step 12: Store seeds in a dry place.
In order to use your seeds in subsequent growing seasons, you need to store them in a cool and dry place, such as a kitchen pantry.When you finally plant them, they will yield the best plants.There is a limited shelf-life for all seeds.You can store seeds from annual, perennial and biannual plants.Fruiting trees, shrubs, and tropical plants are less optimal for seeds.It is possible to extend the life of your seeds by keeping them in a dry place.You may want to check your seeds regularly to make sure they haven't been damaged.