Harvesting Seeds

[Anna Hart]

I harvested some of my seeds for the first time. I was told to keep them in the freezer so that is where they are. I am wondering if I should buy back up seeds. Do harvested seeds work? Is it risky? I don't want to take any chances.

[Gina]

What seeds did you harvest? That can make a big difference.

Some of the veggies I grow are from seed harvested year after year after year. Others I buy. I keep all my seeds in the fridge - many are still germinating well after a decade or more. Of course some things naturally remain viable longer than others.

[Brian]

You could test a few by sprouting if you are concerned.
Collected seeds have worked for me for a few diff reasons. Local vegetables and fruits that are endemic or acclimatised best can only be had by harveting seeds from produce bought at the stalls or exchanged with neighbours. Back in mainland, to get early greens we would mulch swiss chard and other greens in the fall, so a quick crop the next spring but being second year they would bolt to seed by summer and since away for most, just fine with us to come back to a few greens and seed heads. Mini tomatoes would give bonus plants every year, mulched late veg such as brussel sprouts would bolt to seed as swiss chard. Clearly this does not work for hybrid seeds.

[kevinw1]

Storing seeds in the freezer is only a good idea if they are really dry (so they shatter when you hit them) before they go in. So, do some germination tests before you rely on them.

It's not necessary to freeze seeds for normal storage. Cool and dry are the necessities. Even if they don't get that, some kinds will last for years. Others are very short lived even in good conditions (eg onion family, parsnips).

[Anna Hart]

I harvested bean, pepper, cucumber, and pumpkin seeds. I may not have dried them as well as I should have. I don't think I will rely on them. I will do a test run this year.

[Tiam]

What I found this last season was that the seeds I harvested did not produce well, because they were hybrid plants or flowers that I took them from. The Marigold had consistently half developed flowers, the squash was less vigorous, and the cherry tomatoes, well I got some from each parent apparently where one was a high producer and sweet, and the other was a lower producer and more tart. I think if you are harvesting off of true, or heirloom plants you can do quite well.

Freezing is something that can be necessary for certain kinds of plants that need a freeze during dormancy, like perennial flowers and some trees and shrubs. Cold stratification mimics the natural seasonal changes of seed ripening during summer or fall, then the cold temperatures of winter followed by seed germination in the spring. Cold stratification can be accomplished by placing the seeds in damp medium and storing them in a cool place to chill for the recommended time, usually between 3 and 8 weeks for perennial flowers although some seeds need an even longer period of cold treatment.

[Gina]

The best veggies seeds for saving are those that are not hybrid varieties. You can tell hybrid seed by the packet either saying 'hybrid' or 'F1' on it someplace. If you don't see either designation, you stand a good chance of being able to save the seed.

Of course there are many otehr variables. :)