Saving Seeds from Plants to Grow MORE
Saving vegetable seeds is a great way to cut down on gardening expenses and ensure a continuous supply of fresh produce. In this blog, I'm going to share how you can save seeds from over 25 different vegetables.
From easy-to-save seeds like okra and peppers to leafy greens and eggplants, I'll show you how to harvest and store seeds from each plant. All you need to do is let some of the vegetables dry up on the plant, and then extract the seeds. It's that simple!
For example, with okra, you just need to let a couple of okras ripen up on the plant until they become woody and yellow. Then, you can snip them off and split them open to reveal the black seeds inside. These seeds are easy to harvest and store in a ziplock bag.
Similarly, you can save seeds from all sorts of peppers, cucumbers, green beans, peas, and eggplants. And with leafy greens like Swiss chard, kale, mustard, spinach, lettuce, and arugula, you can harvest seeds from the flowers and plant them right away.
Mustard is a wonderful plant that produces beautiful yellow flowers that are loved by bees. Once these flowers turn into seed pods, you can harvest them by letting the pods dry up and then breaking them open to extract the seeds. The same process applies to all leafy greens, such as arugula, which also put up a beautiful flower display.
Corn. You can let all the corn dry on the plant and then harvest the kernels to save for next year's planting. Broccoli is another cool-season crop that you can grow in the fall or spring. When the temperature rises above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, broccoli starts to produce beautiful flowers. Letting some of your broccoli plants bolt and go to flowers not only provides pollen and nectar for the bees, but also makes a beautiful display in your garden.
You can save seeds from root vegetables such as carrots, radishes, beets, and turnips. These vegetables are also cool-season crops that start to produce flowers when the temperature rises in the spring. Letting the seeds dry out on the plants is the key to saving them for next year's planting.
Tomatoes are another great plant to save seeds from. You can either let a tomato dry up on the vine or harvest a ripe tomato and scrape off the seeds from the inside. Squash and pumpkins can cross-pollinate with each other, so protecting the flowers from cross-pollination is important if you want to save seeds that are true to their variety.
Zucchini, one of the most popular summer squash varieties. After cutting open a zucchini, you will see a plethora of seeds inside. Scrape them out and dry them on a paper towel. Once the seeds are dry, store them in a cool, dark place, and they will be ready to plant next year.
Butternut squash is another plant that produces delicious squash and seeds. Once the squash is mature, cut it open and remove the seeds. Dry them on a paper towel and store them in a cool, dark place. Butternut squash seeds are larger, making them easier to harvest.
Pumpkins are a fall favorite, and saving pumpkin seeds is a great way to grow more pumpkins next year. Cut open a ripe pumpkin and remove the seeds. Dry them on a paper towel and store them in a cool, dark place. Different pumpkin varieties produce different sized seeds, so make sure to save seeds from your favorite types.
Gourds are another plant that produces a lot of seeds. Bitter gourd, in particular, is easy to grow and harvest. Once the gourd is ripe and yellow, harvest it and let it dry for a couple of weeks. Crack open the gourd and extract the seeds. The seeds are already dry, so they are ready for storage.
Potatoes are a staple crop in many households. After the plants become half dried, the potatoes are ready for harvest. Store them in sand until you are ready to plant them again. Sweet potatoes are also a popular crop. Harvest them at the end of the season and store them in a cool, dry place. Submerge the sweet potatoes halfway in water, and slips will start to grow. These slips can be planted to start a new crop of sweet potatoes.
Garlic is a great plant to grow for cooking. Once the garlic plants start to turn yellow and dry up, the bulbs are ready for harvest. Let them dry for a few weeks with the stem intact. Store the properly cured garlic for up to six months. Break apart the garlic bulb into cloves and plant the healthy ones to start a new crop of garlic.
Finally, ginger is a popular spice used in many recipes. Once the ginger root is mature, break off a piece of the previous season's harvest and plant it to start a new crop of ginger.
Saving seeds from your garden is not only a cost-effective way to grow your own food, but also allows you to preserve biodiversity in your garden. By following these simple steps, you can ensure a steady supply of fresh produce year after year. Plus, you get to help out the bees and enjoy the beautiful displays of flowers in your garden. Happy planting!