Seed Saving Information

Seed Saving Basics

Labelling

Labelling seeds and plant material is an essential function of our local seed network.

Seeds and plants need to be labelled right through the seed production process from germination to seed drying and storage. Make sure you have clear labels in your garden and that this information is transported with harvested seeds to the seed drying, cleaning and storage areas.

It is always important to label seeds and plant material with at least this basic information:

• Varietal name
• Who produced the seed
• Location
• Harvest date
• Plant description, especially whether it is a bush or climbing plant
• Warnings, if applicable

Unlabelled and unrecognisable seed must be either thrown away or grown out to determine its identity.

It is best to use the generic form provided by Bellingen Seed Savers. Fill-in as much information as you can provide, especially plant description and uses. There are links to the form on the web site and on all newsletters. Look for SEED SAVING DETAILS towards the bottom of every newsletter. Fill-in the editable PDF form. Or print it out and fill it in by hand. Blank forms are also available with the sign-in sheet at all Bellingen Seed Saver gatherings.

Seed Selection

The best seeds typically come from the best plants. Be discerning with your seed plants. Observe plant characteristics through the growing season. Select seeds from disease-free plants that have desirable qualities. Qualities can include flavour, plant size, fruiting abundance, harvest time and resistance to pests and disease.

Be patient and wait for maturity. Seeds must be mature if they are going to germinate. They are mature when flowers, stems and pods have faded to a straw colour and are dry. Leave pods / heads with dry seeds on plants until they reach full maturity. In the case of fruiting bodies, a good rule of thumb is that when fruit is ripe or over ripe the seeds are ready to be collected. Fruit stem-colour and dryness can be a good indicator of maturity. Look for yellowing, straw, brown coloured dry stems. Try to harvest on a dry day. If bad weather looms, pull the entire plant and bring it indoors to ripen. Plants that crop over a long season produce their best seeds in mid-season.

Seed Cleaning

Ordinary kitchen utensils are suitable for either wet-cleaning or dry-cleaning seeds.

Fermentation and Wet Cleaning is used for seeds that come from moist fruiting bodies, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and melons. Scoop seeds and flesh into a container. Add a little water and leave to ferment at warm room temperature for a few days. This action helps rid seed of disease and dissolve the surrounding gelatinous pulp. Empty seeds onto a kitchen sieve and rinse with plenty of water. Spread seeds out in a thin layer on non-stick paper or a large sieve to thoroughly dry. For a quicker process, leave out the fermentation step. However, fermentation produced cleaner seed.

Dry Cleaning is used for seeds maturing on a dry seed head or in a dry receptacle – capsule, case, husk, pod or shell. Gently roll or crush heads / pods in an old pillow slip to separate seeds from other plant material. Empty onto a suitable-sized tray or sieve to remove debris by using winnowing, sieving and sorting methods.

Refer to the Seed Savers’ Handbook by Michel & Jude Fanton for further detail. This is an essential reference book for all seed savers. Contact our seeds coordinator if you want to buy a copy.