To Seed or Not to Seed

Gardening can be an expensive activity. After preparing my new garden beds this year I spent hundreds of dollars populating them with both perennials and annuals. It's easy to get into that pattern every year when the new plants appear in the spring. Spending money is not something I especially enjoy doing and, thankfully, gardening is a passion that is perfect for frugality.

I've blogged before about swapping seedlings and plants with gardener friends. I actually planted more gifts and contributions this year than the plants I paid for. As the growing season winds down and we look to next year, it's a great time to think about seeds. Seeds are a great gift to swap with friends and a great way to expand your garden with minimal cost and effort.

As you look at your plants and the fall garden cleanup, pause and think about the seeds you can harvest. Rather than toss everything into the compost pile, take a little time to pull off the dried flowers or pods that are still clinging to stems and stalks. This is especially important if you have a special plant that you'd like to propagate in the future.

Seeds are nature's way of continuing the species. In most cases, a plant produces seeds, they fall to the ground, and later begin growing a new plant to start the cycle all over again. All you need to do is intervene by collecting the seeds and placing them in the soil at a location of your choosing.

You do need to be aware of the problem with hybrids. A hybrid is a plant that was produced by selecting the male of one plant and the female of a different plant and cross-pollinating to produce an offspring with characteristics of both parents. That's how we get so much variety in flowers and fruits and vegetables. The problem is that the seed of the hybrid is unique and may not grow the same plant as the parent. If you plant the seed from a red, hybrid flower, you may end up with a white or yellow flower in the offspring; it doesn't produce true. For that reason, saving and planting seeds from hybrid plants is not recommended. You can usually tell if a plant is a hybrid by reading the label when you buy it.

However, non-hybrid plants, commonly known as "heirloom" varieties, will produce true, generation after generation. Red flowers produce red flowers, big tomatoes produce big tomatoes, and so on. These seeds will allow you to get the exact plant you want.

All of my green beans come from seeds that I collect at the end of each season. Every year I get the same six-inch long straight pods, perfect for pickling. I allow many of the pods to remain on the plant after my final harvest. They grow large and eventually begin to dry. When the weather gets cold and after the main plant has died, I pluck off the dry pods and place them in a paper bag marked with the year and type of plant.

I plant pumpkins from seeds I've saved. After the plant is fully mature, you open it up and scoop out the seeds. This usually coincides with Halloween. Place the seeds, with as much as the pulp removed as you can, on newspaper and let them dry. Put them in a marked paper bag and you'll be ready for planting next year.

Tomatoes are a little more difficult to process, but not hard, and many of the tomatoes we grow are hybrids. If you know you have an heirloom tomato, scoop out the seeds and pulp into a glass or plastic jar. Let it sit for a few days; the seeds will begin to ferment. Spray water into the container and the seeds will separate from the pulp and sink to the bottom. Scoop out the floating residue and place the wet seeds on a paper towel to dry. After they dry, put them in a clean, dry container, mark them and store in a cool place; the refrigerator or garage works well in the winter.

So why do I mention paper bags and such? It doesn't do any good to collect seeds and then not know what they are when it comes time to plant. Paper bags are easy to mark and easy to store. With big seeds like beans and pumpkins, a paper bag holds them well and helps them stay dry. Smaller seeds like tomato will get lost in the folds of the bag and should be placed in a smaller container. Paper bags work well for most flowers too. You can place the entire dried flower on a plant into the paper bag and then cut off the flower; it will fall into the bag and you'll save all of the seeds.

Regardless of the container, it needs to stay dry. A cool, dark location is ideal. You'll get the best results from seeds that are only one or maybe two years old. After that their viability won't be as good and they may not sprout when planted. By placing your seeds in separate containers, marked with the year, you'll always know which ones to plant.

I save many of my flower seeds like marigold, penstemon, hollyhock, poppy, and aster. As long as they're not hybrids, they'll produce more of the same plant. I let some of my vegetables go to seed and have had great success with radishes and rhubarb. Herbs are ideal for re-seeding; most of my cilantro and oregano comes from seeds from previous generations.

I'd recommend only saving seeds from plants that you like. If you don't want more of a particular flower, then it doesn't make much sense to collect the seeds unless you know someone who is looking for that specific seed. When you find a favorite plant, make every effort to collect the seed and propagate many more.

Also be aware that there are many copyrighted varieties of plants now. If the name of the plant you buy has a little copyright symbol (c), it is illegal for you to propagate it. True, the plant police will probably not march into your garden to destroy the plants, but some individual or company spent a lot of time and money developing that plant and they want to protect that investment. Besides, it's most likely a hybrid and won't produce true.

It may take a few seasons to discover which of your plants produce best from seed. After you've found your favorites, it will be easy to package them, give them as gifts, and share in your success. Yet again, you'll be spreading the joy of gardening.

Gardening can be an expensive activity. After preparing my new garden beds this year I spent hundreds of dollars populating them with both perennials and annuals. It's easy to get into that pattern every year when the new plants appear in the spring. Spending money is not something I especially enjoy doing and, thankfully, gardening is a passion that is perfect for frugality.

I've blogged before about swapping seedlings and plants with gardener friends. I actually planted more gifts and contributions this year than the plants I paid for. As the growing season winds down and we look to next year, it's a great time to think about seeds. Seeds are a great gift to swap with friends and a great way to expand your garden with minimal cost and effort.

As you look at your plants and the fall garden cleanup, pause and think about the seeds you can harvest. Rather than toss everything into the compost pile, take a little time to pull off the dried flowers or pods that are still clinging to stems and stalks. This is especially important if you have a special plant that you'd like to propagate in the future.

Seeds are nature's way of continuing the species. In most cases, a plant produces seeds, they fall to the ground, and later begin growing a new plant to start the cycle all over again. All you need to do is intervene by collecting the seeds and placing them in the soil at a location of your choosing.

You do need to be aware of the problem with hybrids. A hybrid is a plant that was produced by selecting the male of one plant and the female of a different plant and cross-pollinating to produce an offspring with characteristics of both parents. That's how we get so much variety in flowers and fruits and vegetables. The problem is that the seed of the hybrid is unique and may not grow the same plant as the parent. If you plant the seed from a red, hybrid flower, you may end up with a white or yellow flower in the offspring; it doesn't produce true. For that reason, saving and planting seeds from hybrid plants is not recommended. You can usually tell if a plant is a hybrid by reading the label when you buy it.

However, non-hybrid plants, commonly known as "heirloom" varieties, will produce true, generation after generation. Red flowers produce red flowers, big tomatoes produce big tomatoes, and so on. These seeds will allow you to get the exact plant you want.

All of my green beans come from seeds that I collect at the end of each season. Every year I get the same six-inch long straight pods, perfect for pickling. I allow many of the pods to remain on the plant after my final harvest. They grow large and eventually begin to dry. When the weather gets cold and after the main plant has died, I pluck off the dry pods and place them in a paper bag marked with the year and type of plant.

I plant pumpkins from seeds I've saved. After the plant is fully mature, you open it up and scoop out the seeds. This usually coincides with Halloween. Place the seeds, with as much as the pulp removed as you can, on newspaper and let them dry. Put them in a marked paper bag and you'll be ready for planting next year.

Tomatoes are a little more difficult to process, but not hard, and many of the tomatoes we grow are hybrids. If you know you have an heirloom tomato, scoop out the seeds and pulp into a glass or plastic jar. Let it sit for a few days; the seeds will begin to ferment. Spray water into the container and the seeds will separate from the pulp and sink to the bottom. Scoop out the floating residue and place the wet seeds on a paper towel to dry. After they dry, put them in a clean, dry container, mark them and store in a cool place; the refrigerator or garage works well in the winter.

So why do I mention paper bags and such? It doesn't do any good to collect seeds and then not know what they are when it comes time to plant. Paper bags are easy to mark and easy to store. With big seeds like beans and pumpkins, a paper bag holds them well and helps them stay dry. Smaller seeds like tomato will get lost in the folds of the bag and should be placed in a smaller container. Paper bags work well for most flowers too. You can place the entire dried flower on a plant into the paper bag and then cut off the flower; it will fall into the bag and you'll save all of the seeds.

Regardless of the container, it needs to stay dry. A cool, dark location is ideal. You'll get the best results from seeds that are only one or maybe two years old. After that their viability won't be as good and they may not sprout when planted. By placing your seeds in separate containers, marked with the year, you'll always know which ones to plant.

I save many of my flower seeds like marigold, penstemon, hollyhock, poppy, and aster. As long as they're not hybrids, they'll produce more of the same plant. I let some of my vegetables go to seed and have had great success with radishes and rhubarb. Herbs are ideal for re-seeding; most of my cilantro and oregano comes from seeds from previous generations.

I'd recommend only saving seeds from plants that you like. If you don't want more of a particular flower, then it doesn't make much sense to collect the seeds unless you know someone who is looking for that specific seed. When you find a favorite plant, make every effort to collect the seed and propagate many more.

Also be aware that there are many copyrighted varieties of plants now. If the name of the plant you buy has a little copyright symbol (c), it is illegal for you to propagate it. True, the plant police will probably not march into your garden to destroy the plants, but some individual or company spent a lot of time and money developing that plant and they want to protect that investment. Besides, it's most likely a hybrid and won't produce true.

It may take a few seasons to discover which of your plants produce best from seed. After you've found your favorites, it will be easy to package them, give them as gifts, and share in your success. Yet again, you'll be spreading the joy of gardening.