Seed Saving Basics

This is what I posted in responce to Fritz Monroe;

We have read about how you have to ferment tomatoe seeds to make them useable. You know what we have never done this. We just let a tomatoe get really ripe on the vine take the seeds out and let them dry. They still have the outside casing on them but every year we have a ton of tomatoes. We do the same thing with all the rest of our seeds as well. We kind of like the KISS method of doing things around here.

K eep
I t
S imple
S tupid

OGM

 

Yep, what OGM says is true... we've been collecting our own seeds for ages now and WE HAVE NEVER FERMENTED THEM (<-tomato seed) prior to storage. There are a lot of recommendations out there which aren't necessarily true and folk keep on passin' and passin' and passin' it all along because they hear it, but have never found out for sure for themselves. The reason why they say to do it is because of the outer casing covering the tomato seed. But to me the main issue is to make sure you walk through your garden and "PICK OUT THE BEST", after that mark it some how (<--I usually tie an old tore up sock or piece of rag from the rag box for identification purposes. That means NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO TOUCH IT OR THEY WILL DIE!LOL Then we let it MATURE OUT staying on the vine/plant as long as possible, for later collection. I just cut open and squeeze out all of the juice/seeds into a strainer/pick out and dry on a cookie sheet, or what have you. It works like a charm and has for years now, just make sure that they are DRY before storing in a jar or else you will be in trouble. You can also soak 'em prior to planting and the outer coating will be is a non-issue. Best of luck to all... & I think KEEPING IT SIMPLE works out just fine. Some seed places just like to justify their outrageously high asking price for seeds currently by dragging it out and making it all sound like some loooooooooooong process worthy of paying for!?!? I think not...

~W~
(who has a very GREEN THUMB & likes to FIND OUT things for myself)

 

When it comes to seeds the K.I.S.S. method works best. If it was complicated nature wouldn't be able to keep up.

 

I'm just starting my 10 year old out on planting tomato plants, for Christmas his grandma got him a starter kit, last week the tomato seeds went in, have the first row of sprouts starting, not bad seeing that it's still below zero at night. Of course they are sitting on my kitchen table in a little grow box Carrots are next.

They are just getting the seeds out by us, and they don't have many out yet

 

I got excited about the garden this year and saw that tomatoes and peppers should be planted between 6 & 8 weeks ahead of the last frost. Well, last week we planted them and while we were at it, we also started the lima beans and snap beans. Everything took off real well and we have some pretty decent plants going now. We should have waited for the beans, but since we didn't, we will just see how things grow now. Hopefully we will get a good early harvest.

Here's a pic from last weekend.



In the seed starter behind are the tomatoes and peppers. To the right is a "cactus kit" that the kids wanted to grow.

 

Here are my son's tomatoes and peppers, there is one pepper plant starting to sprout the rest are tomatoes. The seeds were put in last week, so I think were off to a good start,

 

Took the tomatoes 2 weeks to sprout. It took the peppers 3 weeks to sprout.

 

I just started my seeds today. I know I should have waited two more weeks but I just couldn't do it. If they have to go in pots for a little while, so be it. I am really missing the fresh vegie's.

 

I have plenty of garden space, after reading this, I feel I should get off my lazy buttocks (owed to Gump) not to sound too dumb, whats wrong with store bought seed?
; }>

 

Winter still hasn't let up on its grip. We got another 3 inches of snow last night with more on the way. When we see signs of spring then we will start the preps. .

 

Can seed be stored long term vacuum sealed with dessicants? Is freezing necessary?
I have begun "collecting" many different varieties of fruit and veg seeds and need a good long term storage solution? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I have been stocking up on non-hybrid seed from a well respected company. They also send some literature out with thier seeds. Heres what it says on storage:

To ensure the seeds stay dry I add a couple of desicant packets to the waterproof container as well.. I started this just over a year ago, and so far 99% of all the seeds that have come out of cold storage have germinated sucessfully.

I plan to have seeds collected from at least three different years as a guarentee (if there is such a thing...) that a good proportion will germinate, should the oldest seeds fail.

 

can anyone elaborate on plants that grow food that can be grown totally indoors?
i was under the impression that unless pollenated, no fruits or vegetables could be produced - am i mistaken?

the reason i ask is that i have quite a strict homeowners association and plants/trees that produce fruit (and i am going to assume vegetables) are not allowed to be planted - even in pots outside the home so i want to be a bit sneaky and start growing indoors!

 

Off topic and not very helpful:
Starting a fruits and nuts revolt?? I'd be chafing raw under that kind of assumed "tin horn authority"...

Campbells/mountain house/delmonte,I'd keep the seeds stored away if tshtf they can argue about the garden over the barrel of your rifle...

 

There are some small potted trees you can grow inside that produce a little fruit but basicly unless you build a 'sun room'/gren house you would be pretty well SOL as far as growing food inside I would say. I think my choice would be to either tell the HOA (if you didnt sign any contracts with them/join them) to go pound sand or else to move some place where I owned my own property. Since I didnt even like codes and couldnt tell the city to pound sand while I lived there, I chose the later and got a place in the country in a county with no zoneing/codes so I actualy own my property and can do with it as I please, a lot cheaper property too.

 

i don't so much mind the restrictions - as the house is close enough to the city to allow suitable employment.

i do however want a "piece" of my own to grow whatever the heck i want, but that's a tad down the road - i gotta get my business established to the point that i can find someone else to do the work and i just maintain the books! once that happens, i can move anywhere i want! preferrably some place with some running water to start micro hydro!

and that's a bit too far off topic - so let's regroup

so, am i correct in my assumption that unless things are pollenated they will not produce fruit or veggies? things like perhaps an avacado tree? how about tomato plants?

i think i can manage enough sun in one of my rooms that faces south so that i can actually grow something, but that's going to have to be an experiment in its own!

if things need pollenation, does anyone know how to hand pollenate???? i saw something on a tv show a bit ago about a lady that was hand pollenating her corn to create a hybrid of her own - i just don't know how to tell which is the male part - i assume the female part is the bloom of whatever, fruit, corn, other veggies?