The garden offers a rewarding way to replenish itself at the end of its cycle. It produces seeds that can be collected, preserving and establishing a sustainable practice to follow which is beneficial economically and helps to ensure a rewarding planting season for the future. Whether your interest is growing vegetables, herbs or flowers being able to preserve each specie is beneficial for each season. This guide will cover seed collection and storage which will eventually lead to its preservation and longevity. Understanding the difference between open-pollinated, heirloom and hybrid seeds are important for making the garden effective for it's production.
Open-pollinated, Heirloom and Hybrid Seeds
Open-pollinated seeds are produced when plants are naturally pollinated by insects, birds, wind or self-pollination. This excludes human contact with cross breeding. There is no interference of humans, but the seeds are produced naturally. Once they are placed in a growing medium, they will produce an offspring that is close to the parent plant. This is also dependent on whether the pollination is influenced by plants that are in close proximity.
The Process Involved in Pollination
The process of pollination is necessary for the reproduction of plants. Some plants have the capability to transfer pollen within the same plant. This allows the plant to produce fruit of the same kind.
Cross pollination
These are plants which are dependent on pollinators like squash which relies on pollinators, birds and other insects along with wind to transfer the pollen from one flower to the next. This can also lead to alterations producing genetic variations.
The Benefits of Open-Pollination
This type of pollination is generally the best because it produces the same specie without any cause to be alarmed. Barriers can be used as a methods of preventing an occurrence of cross-pollination. A good distance is also recommended to avoid this from happening. One of the simplest method is to use human hand pollination to preserve the specie which is very effective.
Heirloom Seeds
Heirloom seeds are open-pollinated seeds that have been handed down for generations. They are selected on traits, flavour, hardiness and for their cultural significance. It is possible that their history can be traceable. They are grown because they have original flavours that have not been manipulated throughout their history. They are known to be reliable and will produce fruit like their offspring. A good way to keep them as heirloom is to isolated them and avoid any interference from other species. Heirloom plants helps to continue its history with diversity and preservation. Some examples are Brandywine tomato or golden bantam sweet corn and candy stripe beets.
Hybrid Seeds
Hybrid seeds are a method used by plants breeders to combine traits between two genetically distinct parents lines. They are usually cross-bread to combine desirable traits like disease resistance, yield and vigor to produce the specie. While these seeds seem to be able to produce and perform well. It is possible to end up with a variety of plants often different from the original hybrid. This could mean some may be better than others. There is no guarantee with these and are risky and have a history with commercial growers. Mainly because they can be used to increase production.
Seed Saving Tips
· Choose open-pollinated or heirloom varieties this should be clearly stated on your instructions when packaging.
· When harvesting hybrid seeds be aware for planting the next year with the expectation that it may not produce the same variation.
· Use isolation by creating physical barriers or hand-pollination to allow the seeds to avoid cross-pollination.
· Keep a diary with labels to state clearly the years collection with traits and anything that is relevant for the next years planting season.
How to Collect Seeds from the Garden
It is important to emphasize that the timing of collecting seeds is essential. In the long run, this will result in the type of crop that will be produce in the next season. Seeds should be collected from fully mature plants. Avoid any that has been eaten by animals. By harvesting seeds in this manner plants should be dry or turning a brown colour. Crops like peas or okra are examples that will look like they are wrinkled, or other plants especially flowering specie will have a fluffy and dry head. This is the moment to take advantage of their ensuring their vitality.
Another way to determine that they are ready is to shake the pods which will be crispy and you should hear a rattling sound that they have become dry and are loose on the inside. You can open the pods and complete the process by placing them in a dry paper bag. My experience unfortunately was done incorrectly by not waiting for the seeds to fully complete their drying process this resulted in mould and they had to be discarded.
Other vegetables like cucumber, tomato or peppers may need additional attention to remove the flesh around the seeds. Rinse thoroughly and leave to dry. Or another technique is to leave them in a jar of water for a few days then rinse and dry. This is the fermentation technique which is helpful for germination to become more successful. Herbs with tiny seeds like basil, remove the seeds when the plants have begun to fade. Then dry and shake to separate the seeds and store.
Drying and Cleaning the Seeds
Drying is an important method for preservation and to avoid mould. These methods can include using a paper towel, mesh, trays or silica gel packs. It is important to remove all the moisture for mould prevention and to control longevity. Any moisture trapped in the seed will cause rot, or premature sprouting and fungus. After this process is completed label clearly to avoid any confusion before the next planting season.
Organizing your Seeds
There is nothing more confusing than to begin the garden season not knowing which seeds to begin with first especially if they are unorganized without labels. It may seem very daunting to be putting tags thinking that you will remember what they are when collecting them, but as the next season comes you may forget and end up having a surprise and unexpected garden. Use these techniques to help with the next planting period.
· Place seeds by plant family which can be helpful for companion gardening.
· Label the seeds using envelops, boxes, jars or containers.
· Keep a log of your inventory either manually or create a spread sheet with Ai, this can include any notes that will help with its gemination and history.
· Make notes referring to which seeds work well and others that didn’t germinate.
· A good note tells whether the fruit was productive or needed improvement.
· Allow for options using Ai tools to help with germination and disease control.
· Be prepared to harvest seeds that have been very productive when seeds are completely mature and at the peak of their growth.
· Allowing the dry season to harvest is an advantage to avoid moisture from damp periods.
Interesting Fact
An article written by the National Geographic explains that researchers were able to germinate seeds from an excavation of the Judean date palm. The age is approximately 2000 years old at the time of the discovery. They were also able to germinate it in 2005. The name given was Methuselah which is derived from the Biblical character of the longest person who ever lived. It proves that with the right techniques with dry conditions seeds can be preserved and will serve in helping to preserve the species. Moisture control is essential for preservation. While we still have a long way to go in learning about seeds and their growth. It is remarkable that centuries later we can see what these trees looked like and gives us a glance into the past and its history.
Easy Method of Germinating Seeds
Once the seeds are carefully sealed and preserved for the next planting season. Some of the quickest methods to activate germination which involves bringing them back to life can be done using these techniques :
· The paper towel method- Gather paper towel, a resealable plastic bag and a location indoors that has warm temperatures.
· Next use a damp paper towel and place the seeds on one side. Next fold over and place into a plastic bag allowing for a bit of airflow and place them in a warm place.
· Keep checking every few days to see if germination has begun. When they have fully sprouted with roots attached then they will be ready for planting.
· Create a mini greenhouse- Fill a container with soil and plant seeds directly into the soil.
· Cover with a plastic wrap by creating a small airspace above the seeds.
· Add water and wait for them to germinate. This method allows you to see directly when the seeds have sprouted.
· Pre-soaking the seeds – This method allows the seeds to be soaked in water for a few hours. Once they have absorbed the water then plant immediately.
· Germination using grown lights- Using this technique is also helpful and can speed up the germination process. As the light will act as direct sunlight and allowing the plants to sprout quickly.
Some plants can take a longer time to sprout than others the key in having a garden is to recognize that it takes patience to be able to keep it producing and being productive. Some gardeners will have their own preferred method, and it is all up to your own preference.
A Gift that Continues to Produce
Have you considered that seeds are a gift that continues to produce for many years and replenishes after each season. It continues to give even after the fruit bearing period and can produce enough produce to feed your family and others by various methods of farming techniques. Each seeds carries with it its history and the promise of new life and harvest to reap from the future. Once they are preserved properly, they have the potential to be handed down to the next generation of cultivators. A glimpse of the past yet they also take us in the future. By gathering and saving these seeds this allows us to preserve and keep the history of small beginnings of backyard gardens into massive farms where production is capable of feeding a vast number of people. It is a legacy that continues to bloom and grow with each new coming year.
Image generated with the help of AI using ChatGPT by OpenAI.