Saving seeds

[Ottawa]

I am new to gardening. For the first time in my life I planted some cherry tomatoes, big boy tomotoes, bush beans, eggplant and zucchini. All in pots as my wife doesn't want to dig up our yard. Anyhow, this year I bought most of my plants and transplanted them into the pots. I also grew some tomatoes and bush beans from store bought seeds though. If I wanted to somehow save the seeds from these plants to replant next year, how do I go about doing it? Thanks

[simy1]

1) you use only varieties that are OP (open pollinated). You can't save big boys because they are F1 (hybrid, will not come true). Many of the cherry varieties are OP. 2) you google "saving vegetable seeds" to find out how to preserve each type of seeds. Tomatoes need a little work, beans and zucchini are a snap. You always dry them thoroughly before putting away. You keep them all in a ziploc bag in the freezer to make sure they last a long time. I am still planting savoy cabbage from 2000.

I plant everything from seed. I find it an enjoyable part of the work, not to mention it brightens those dreary late winter/early spring days. Most garden centers have the trays to start seedlings.

[Gary Woods]

Go to your favorite online bookseller and get "Seed to Seed," by Suzanne Ashworth. Available quite reasonably used, and not horribly expensive new.

The short form: tomatoes in general don't readily cross-pollinate, so if different varieties are a few feet apart, they are generally OK. Seed is readily cleaned by scooping the pulp out of ripe fruit, mixing with water and letting ferment for a few days. The good seed will be on the bottom, and you can float/rinse the dross off.

HOWEVER: Many tomatoes are hybrids, so you may or may not get something like your plant in the next generation.

Have a look at

as well....

Danger: It's an obsession. Probably less harmful than drink or gambling, but I'm not even sure about that.

Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

[Dominic-Luc Webb]

The tomato has been with us humans for thousands of years. This is perhaps partly because it sustained us very faithfully throughout these years.

The seeds are quite hardy. It is known that they do best when first dried. They do not need to be vernalized (i.e., exposed to Winter conditions before growing), although, as a new gardener, you should familiarize yourself with the fact that other seeds depend on this.

In getting your seeds to sprout, they will need heat. Somewhere around

75/95 degrees F (let us say 30 degrees C) would be optimal. Do not fear! These seeds will do very well until next year, and when the time arises, if you give them these temperatures, they will faithfully begin to furnish the next generation.

Later we can discuss fertilizers.

Dominic-Luc Webb Near Uppsala Sweden, where tomatos are always a challenge.

[Dominic-Luc Webb]

Wow, this is true.... I stand partially corrected... however, I have not had any problems saving tomato seeds, in general. The drying thing is helpful, although, I must say, I have seeds that I planted directly from the fresh fruit that grew very well. Published statistics say drying first is better.

Dominic

[Jim Carter]

On Fri, 3 Jun 2005 22:20:00 +0200, Dominic-Luc Webb wrote in rec.gardens.edible:

I had an extra package of 45 Moskvich seeds which I gave to a friend to plant on her farm because I did not have space for even one more tomato plant. She planted 15 seeds in each of sheep, emu and llama, er, fertiliser. We intend to see which tastes best, if any.

Greetings from Perth, near Ottawa.

-- Gardening Zones Canada Zone 5a United States Zone 3a Near Ottawa, Ontario

[Ottawa]