Harvesting Seed for Next Spring
Harvesting seed for next spring saves money as well as lets you enjoy the satisfaction of knowing your best flowers, fruits and herbs are continuing their life cycles. The propagation of plants by seed allows you to take an active part in helping nature complete her perpetual cycle of life. In addition, you know the quality of seed you are harvesting while purchased seed offers no such knowledge.
You must understand the flowering and seed producing cycle in order to understand the [harvesting]procedure. First, a flower blooms and the seed production begins. As the flower dies away, a fruit or a seed pod forms at the base of where the blossom existed. In some cases, the central part of the flower becomes the seed or seeds. If the seed is inside a fruit or pod, this is simply nature's way of protecting the seed. After the seeds form, they must mature and become ripe so they will be ready to germinate next spring.
Determine Best Time To Harvest Seeds
You must determine when the seeds are ready to harvest. In the case of seed pods, if the seed pod is green and moist, the seeds are not ready to harvest. As the seed pod changes colors, becomes dried out, or begin to open, the seeds are ready for harvesting. In many cases, you must watch carefully because the seed pods, if not harvested at the right time, will simply open and the seeds will be spread on the ground and lost.
In the case of many fruit or vegetables, the seed will mature inside the ripening fruit or vegetable. Tomatoes, pumpkins, and other seed-containing produce should have some of the seed removed and cleaned, then allowed to dry completely. Simply remove seed when preparing or eating the produce to propagate these plants.
In the case of flowers, you'll want to leave the blossoms on the stem on those blossoms you wish to produce seed. Do not "dead head" these stems. The blossom will either produce seed in a pod or will have seed in the center of the blossom. Some flower seed require quite a long period to mature while others mature quickly. Forget-me-nots, for example, require only about two weeks in order to become ready for harvest. Hollyhocks, on the other hand, flower in late spring but their seed are not ready for harvest until late summer or early fall. Watch the plants closely to spot when the seeds are first beginning to drop naturally and then harvest your seeds. Then air-dry the seeds on a flat cookie sheet, in a pie pan, or in a shallow cardboard box, covering if outdoors to prevent the wind from stealing your bounty.
Preparing Seeds For Winter Storage
Ideally, seed should contain about 8% moisture when placed in storage. This can be accomplished by placing the seed in a location that will reach about 100 degrees Fahrenheit for about six hours. On a hot summer or early autumn day, this can easily be achieved by placing the seed on a covered tray outdoors in the shade. Do not use a microwave or direct sunlight because it can kill the germ inside the seed.
After harvesting and drying your seeds, they are ready to prepare for winter storage. Choose containers to place each type of seed into. The container should be air-tight and moisture-proof and should be something you can easily label. Small food storage containers or food storage bags work very well.
Use a permanent magic marker or pen to label each container of harvest seed clearly. While you may think you'll recognize what seed each one happens to be next spring, it can be quite difficult to do in actual practice. So, take the few minutes required to label each seed packet as you place the seed inside. Include the date of harvest so you know the exact age of the seeds inside.
By harvesting seedfor next spring and storing the seed properly, you'll enjoy a new garden of beautiful flowers, herbs, or vegetables once again. You'll know you are part of nature's natural cycle and this provides a special sense of satisfaction.
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