CORVALLIS, Ore. — As the gardening season winds down, let some plants go to seed and harvest them for planting next year.
Saving seed works best with open-pollinated or heirloom varieties, which produce offspring with the same traits. Hybrids are bred from two different varieties for qualities such as disease resistance or higher yield and will not come “true to type” in the next generation. Check seed packets or catalog descriptions so you know what you are growing.
Easiest crops for seed saving
The simplest crops to save are self-pollinating annuals.
- Lettuce
- Beans
- Peas
- Peppers
- Eggplants
- Tomatoes
Collect seed from the healthiest plants and allow it to dry. Lettuce seed is ready when the seed coat turns hard and dark. Peas and beans are ready when pods dry on the plant. Pepper seeds are ready when the fruit is fully mature and begins to wrinkle.
Annual herbs such as cilantro (coriander), arugula and calendula are also easy. Many will self-seed if you let the seed mature and fall to the ground.
Tomatoes need one extra step. Let the fruit fully ripen. Scoop out the seeds with the surrounding gel and place in a jar of water. Let the mixture ferment for up to five days until the seeds sink. Then dry the seeds on paper towels.
Crops that cross easily
Many brassicas — broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, collards, kale and mustard greens — are the same species and are insect pollinated. They are fairly easy to save but they cross readily, so you may get new traits.
Some crops are difficult to keep true in a small garden.
- Beets and Swiss chard are wind pollinated and cross with each other; they need about 3,200 feet of isolation.
- Corn is wind pollinated and hard to isolate without screening.
- Carrots are insect pollinated and cross with Queen Anne’s lace.
- Summer and winter squash are insect pollinated and need isolation to stay true; cross-pollinated squash can be bitter.
Store seeds correctly
Store seeds in tightly sealed glass containers in a cool, dark place. Label with crop and date. A small packet of silica desiccant or powdered milk in the jar will help keep seeds dry. Refrigerators and freezers work well for seed you collect and seed you buy. Put small seeds in labeled envelopes and place the envelopes in sealable freezer bags.
For information about starting seeds, refer to the Extension publication Propagating plants from seed.
Previously titled Seize some seeds from the garden for planting next year
