Saving Seeds and Herbs

I just now stuck mine in their seed packs in a brown paper bag an placed them on the topper utmost shelf of the closet.

Parsnip isn't on there. But it has pretty much a 1 year viability and is underplayed in most cuisines. One, er I, ponder what our ancestors saw in it. Aside of course for it's rick, kind of nuttiness with an amazing aroma. It's a simple, yet tricky plant. Adds delight to anything stew like. I've not much else with it. Aside from a salad where it was shredded very fine and it was 'unique' tasting.

LOL, had another power outage. Lots of awesome and needed rain.

Thanks for all the new data and the seed storing chart!

Aw the splendors of life. I do love the thunder

I usually buy my seeds at sustainable seeds and get heirloom. Recently, they have sold to true leaf market. Haven't tried the new company out, but their prices are good. You can get in quantity and they ship to US and Canada...

Here is an example of heirloom squash for 1 lb (3,440 seeds) for $29.61. They sell up to 25 lbs in bulk. Beats buying them in seed packs at the local store...

[link to www.trueleafmarket.com (secure)]

doublepost

Last Edited by DuckNCover on 07/04/2022 01:13 AM

Thank you. I see they sell tobacco seeds. I've never tried growing tobacco but that might be interesting.

We grow, harvest and dry our own pipe and incense mix: Mullein, Osha, Horehound, Willow bark, Olive Leaf, pinch of Lemon zest.

It's good for drying up a wet cough and binding airborne bacteria - and it tastes/smells good too.

If you don't have a lot of space. These are really compact and hey, they've got a pedigree.
[link to www.saltspringseeds.com (secure)]
It's the curing that is the tough part. Raw tobacco is good in a blend but not on its own. [link to www.seedman.com (secure)]
Already gave the main link to the site. But most won't go through it, so I'll save those one click wonders a break and provide it!
[link to www.seedman.com (secure)]

I save all of my seeds as well. I only use heirlooms and just wanted to point out that you will get cross pollination. It has normally worked out to my benefit. I had some melons cross pollinate and I had the most amazing melon I’ve ever had in my life from one of these “hybrids”! A beautiful musk melon that had the best flavor! I saved the seeds and grew the same thing the following year. I also had a spaghetti squash cross that came out and it was a HUGE squash that was grey but inside it was yellow and spaghetti squash with excellent flavor! These guys were literally 2 ft long and a good 8” around!
Sadly I had water get into my seed storage and lost most of seeds to mold. I use a plastic file box that locks and has a handle. I have arranged my seeds in folders by varieties like herbs, flowers, cucumbers, melons, peppers, tomatoes, etc. works pretty well!

I think that the best and quickest way to start saving seeds is to purchase packs of commercial seeds, heirloom and hybrids, preferably non treated with venom of course.

They are cheap and professionally packed, and last years at room temperature. They will last longer in the fridge and much longer in the freezer.

Then you may begin saving seeds from your harvest.

Meanwhile you may save seeds from some vegetables purchased in the supermarket as well. Even if some of them are hybrids, most are stable hybrids, and will sprout and grow well.

Since the person presumably will be growing these seeds, there is no need for a huge stockpile of seeds neither the concern that the seeds will last longer than their normal life shelf, which is already years, and even if expired, some still sprout.

Then the person may start saving seeds from her own's crop.

The Tobacco Seeds Company

"...a collection of over 60 of the world's finest varieties of tobacco seeds for you to grow at home."


[link to www.tobaccoseed.co.uk (secure)]

WOW! Thanks! Will try this one! Sounds great!

I just dry a slice of tomato and cut it off the next season to smaller pieces and bury it (make sure each piece has some seeds on it). The seeds sprout easily and no need to ferment, etc. Not sure why people try to make a procedure out of everything!?

Ok. I wanted to know that. However my fridge at this time might have moisture. So I am just going to keep them as I have. I have some experience with chilling seeds before planting. I admit, I have a green thumb and if I want to grow something, it usually grows, but I have never been faced with today's circumstances and don't want to keep seeds for emergency purposes and fail them . I feel all deaths. I have now about 60 seed packets. I need to get more herbs. And strawberry and such. I am stocking seeds .. that is all right now.

Exact, there is no need to complicate the issue.

I save my favorite tomato variety just making a cut and squeezing it on a paper napkin. It dries naturally. Once I sowed seeds saved this way 5 years old and kept at room temperature and they sprouted well.

When I store seeds in the fridge, I put the seeds in several plastic bags and within a tupperware, involved in several plastic bags as well.

Fridge is good but has this problem, it may be damp.

Appreciate you. Rock on.

Regarding strawberry seeds, I just cut a slice of the the skin, where the seeds are, and put it to dry on a paper napkin, like I do with tomato seeds.

When sowing seeds saved on the napkin, I just cut a piece of the napkin containing seeds with a scissors and bury it.

I just don't have any yet. Maybe tough. I need real strawberries. I will manage.

Yes. That would be good preventing harm to the seed.

I have a line of hooks above the dining room window. That's where I dry herbs. I just bunch them together, tie em up, and hang them upside down. It looks very pretty!

We haven't bought potatoes in over a year because I just replant the sprouted ones.

I fermented last year's tomato seeds and have them growing now. I'm letting some of my carrots go to seed.

I have been watching a lot of videos about seed saving. I really do believe that the average home gardener will play a very important role in the near future because stores will run out of seeds. We should save all we can so we can share. Seeds from a couple gardens could feed your neighborhood.

Yep. Plants and fish love me.

I think this thread would appreciate this wee bit of writing

QUOTE
My brothers and I grew up in a small California town with abundant open space, some large lots and horse pastures. Down the road from our place lived a man we called Crazy John who had a modest house on a big lot packed with unusual trees he had collected from around the world - almost a jungle. John also had a small nursery where our parents would occasionally take us to buy trees for the yard.

Sometimes John would give us kids a big sack of seeds to plant. Big seeds. Weird seeds. More like curiosities than seeds, really. He told us to plant them somewhere, but I don't think we ever did. Years later when we were into plants, fruit trees, and exotic stuff, we noticed some really eye-catching things here and there around town. We would stop and talk to people and they would invariably say, "Well, you know, there used to be this guy..."

Most people thought John was a bit "touched" because he often carried on about international conspiracy theories and the like. And his place definitely didn't fit in with the suburban landscape growing up around him. But people didn't mind his eccentricities. He had good plants and trees, he knew about microclimates, and he made a difference.

If you want to make a positive impact on the world as John did, I encourage you to start a home nursery. Spreading useful plants is a good thing, and you will learn and grow tremendously from doing it.
END QUOTE
[link to www.permacultureportal.com (secure)]

the technique is quite different. plants provide the fruit for seeds to start the germs-free germination. the fruit has many sugars in it and ethanol producing fungus/yests consume it so the seeds have the protection to sprout.

to make it artificially you can try a bottle filled with water a bit of yeasts and sugar. add seeds for a few days and it will sprout.

it doesn't work for every plan seed.
this guy is using it for seeding mushrooms in his backyard


and the results

and that is a porcini mushrooms

[link to images.app.goo.gl (secure)]

Great thread! Please keep it "growing!" ;)