Saving vegetable seeds can cut the cost of growing vegetables but there are some things that you must do and others that you must avoid to be successful. Most vegetables are annuals and will produce seed that can be saved. In general, you allow the plant either to go to seed or the fruit to become mature. You extract the seed, prepare them for drying and store them preferably in a cool place over the winter. You will want to start with open pollinated variety seeds. Heirloom varieties will work since they are open pollinated with a known origin. You should not use hybrid seeds since they will produce unpredictable results. The plants will have characteristics inherited from both of the parents that produced the hybrid.
You should not plant more than one variety of a specific vegetable in an area. Otherwise, they will cross pollinate and you can end up with hybrid seeds with unknown charteristics. The distance between varieties to avoid cross pollination varies based on the primary method of pollination, i.e. self-pollination, insects or the wind. Most vegetables produce heavy and sticky pollen that requires assistance to deliver it to the female flowers, so they are pollinated primarily by insects and animals. Vegetables with light easily blown pollen can be pollinated by the wind. They require the most distance between varieties to prevent cross pollination. Vegetables that are self-pollinating require the least distance. Self-pollinating plants produce both male and female flowers on a single plant or even as a part of the same flower. However, they are still susceptible to some cross pollination with other varieties due to wind and insects. In general, if you are willing to tolerate some hybridization, separating varieties by several rows should be adequate. You can always save seeds from the best plants each year, reducing the negative impacts of cross pollination. The following describes how to collect and save seeds from some common vegetables:
TOMATOES
Method of Collecting Seeds: Select a few tomatoes with the most desirable characteristics and pick them after they are completely ripe. Slice them and remove the tomato seeds into a strainer. Wash the seeds by running water over them for several minutes, until most of the material coating the seeds is removed. The more material removed, the less likely they will mold and the easier it will be to break the seeds apart later. Take a paper towel and cut a piece of clear plastic wrap and place it over the towel. Empty the strainer onto the piece of clear plastic wrap. The plastic wrap prevents the seeds from sticking to the towel. Place them in an open air location to dry. Once they are thoroughly dry, break them apart and put them into a baggie with a label to store over the winter.
Pollination: Self-pollinating
CORN
Method of Collecting Seeds: Saving corn for seed is simple and easy. Allow a few ears of the best corn to mature and partially dry on the stalk. Once the shucks have turned brown and the kernels are hard, pick the ears, shuck them and put them in a safe place away from animals to finish drying. Make sure the corn is completely dry so it will not mold. It will take several weeks. Shell the corn and put it in labeled baggie for storage.
Pollination: Wind
CUCUMBERS
Method of Collecting Seeds: Allow a few cucumbers to mature and turn yellow. Slice them open and remove the cucumber seeds into a strainer. The seeds will be covered with a clear slimy substance. Wash the seeds in the strainer to remove most of the slimy substance. Empty the strainer onto a piece of clear plastic wrap over a paper towel. The plastic wrap should allow the seeds to dry without sticking to the towel. Place them in an open air location to dry. Once they are thoroughly dry, they will break apart easily. Put the dried seeds into a baggie with a label to store over the winter.
Pollination: Insects
BEANS
Method of Collecting Seeds: Allow some of the bean pods to dry on the vines. Put the pods in a mesh bag and hang them up preferably in the sun away from animals to dry more. Shell the beans and place them in an open air container for a week or so to finish the drying process. Place the thoroughly dried beans into a baggie with a label to store over the winter. You may want to put a very small amount of garden dust in the bag with the beans to prevent weevils from hatching and damaging your seed.
Pollination: Self-pollinating
OKRA
Method of Collecting Seeds: Allow some okra pods to get hard and begin to dry on the plants. Cut the pods off the plants and finish drying them by placing them in a mesh bag and hanging them up preferably in the sun to dry more. Separate the section of the pods to remove the seeds and place the seeds into an open air container for a week or so to finish the drying process. Place the thoroughly dried okra seeds into a baggie with a label to store over the winter.
Pollination: Insects
SQUASH
Method of Collecting Seeds: Allow a few squash to become over mature for eating and begin to turn yellow. Pick the squash and keep them far a few days. Slice them open and remove the seeds into a strainer. The seeds will be covered with a substance that must be washed off. Running water and rubbing them, remove the substance. Empty the seeds from the strainer onto a paper towel and let them set for a couple of weeks to dry. Once the seeds are thoroughly dry, they will break apart easily. Put the dried seeds into a baggie and label it to store until spring.
Pollination: Insects
MELONS
Method of Collecting Seeds: Save watermelon seeds as you eat the melon. Place them on a piece of paper and allow them to dry. After two or three weeks, they are ready to be placed into a baggie, labeled and stored. Saving seed from other types of melons, e.g. muskmelons, require washing before drying. The easiest way is to place them in a strainer and run water over them.
Pollination: Insects
PEPPERS
Method of Collecting Seeds: Let a few selected peppers remain on the plants after they are mature and until they change colors. Most peppers will turn red and start to shrivel up given enough time. Pick them off of the plants, cut them open and remove the seeds. Place the seeds on a paper towel to dry. Keep them in an open container for about three weeks. You want them to be thoroughly dry to prevent mold. Place the dried seeds into a baggie and be sure to label it with the variety and the year.
Pollination: Insects
MUSTARD GREENS
Method of Collecting Seeds: Late in the growing season, mustard greens will go to seed. A stem will form in the middle of the mustard plant and blooms will appear. Small seed pods will form. Wait until the pods turn brown and are partially dry before picking them stem and all. If you pick them too soon, the seeds will not be mature. If you wait too long, the pods will open and the seeds will fall to the ground. Place the stems with seed pods attached in an open container that will catch any seeds that fall from pods which open on their own. Once the pods are thoroughly dry, mash up the pods with your hands, releasing the seed into the container. Pick out the stems and empty seed pods. Pour the seed into a baggie and label it. Don’t worry if some of the seed sheaf remains with the seeds.
Pollination: Insects
SUN FLOWERS
Method of Collecting Seeds: Allow the seed head to stay on the stalk until it begins to turn brown. You may have to put a mesh bag over it to protect it from the birds since they start eating the seeds before the seeds are ready to harvest. Don’t wait too long to harvest the head or it will start to rot. Once the seed head is cut from the plant, hang it up in a protected area to dry. If you leave them stacked in a basket, they will most likely rot. Wearing gloves, remove the seed and place them in an open container to dry further. After a couple of weeks, they should be ready to bag and label. It is wise to put a very small amount of garden dust in the bag with the sun flower seed to prevent weevils from hatching and damaging them. Take care to not mix them up with sun flower seeds that you saved for eating.
Pollination: Insects
RADISHES
Method of Collecting Seeds: Radishes start going to seed early. A stem forms in the middle of the plant and blooms appear. Shortly after that seed pods develop which contain a few seed each. When the pods dry and turn brown, it is time to pick them. Let them finish drying before mashing up the pods. It is difficult to separate the seed from the mashed up pods and there is no reason to do so. Pour the mixture of seeds and mashed up pots into baggies and label it.
Pollination: Insects
