Seed dryer

Silica Gel

Charlie

As usual Right On.

Bill

What sort of seeds are you wanting to dry?

I just leave seeds on my kitchen bench on a piece of paper towle or even just in a small glass bowl to dry before I store them.

It's easy to put a 75-watt bulb a few inches over a tray, or you can but an electric blanket under a tray.

Mostly I am drying flower seedheads and vegetable seeds. Flowers include Coreopsis, Asters, Shasta Daisy, Heliopsis, Marigold, Zinnia and Gallardia. Vegetables include Tomato, Summer Squash, Peas, Radish, Eggplant and Peppers.

Unless you live in an extremely humid area, why do you need a seed drier?

As I mentioned, my kitchen bench works fine for drying the seeds I keep or indeed, the plant itself where I leave a lot of seed heads to mature because I figure nature knows best how to do it and why should I interfere given that I can just harvest the seeds when dried.

I mention humidity because that can certainly spoil some seeds but in most circumstances, anywhere that you can survive, your seeds will too until you are ready to store them.

I save my tomato seeds by fermenting them for a few days in an old jar with some water, then run them under running water and then dump them out onto a piece of kitchen paper towel adn then leave them on the bench till the paper towel and the seeds are dry. I then just roll up the paper towel and store the whoel thing till time to plant when I just either peel the seeds off the paer towle or tear the towel into tiny bits and plant the seed on the towel.

Since I've never had any problems with seeds drying on the kitchen bench and especially the tomatoes which are sodden when I lay them out to dry, I'm wondering why you'd go to the expense of buying a seed drier?

I should have further explained...

Weigh an amount of silica gel equal to the weight of your seeds or whatever you are drying and place one or the other in something to keep them separate and place all in an airtight container....ziploc or whatever...for *seven* days.

Remove and store in airtight container.

Silica gel can be rejuvenated and used forever.

Suzanne Ashworth is the definitive voice with regards to seed saving and methods of seed propagation. "Seed to Seed" is the Holy Writ.

You can also follow the advice of others and get good results, but if you want seeds prepared for long term storage and that will maintain their viabilty and high rates of germination, this method is primo.

Storing seeds prepared this way, and then stored in the freezer will maintain them for a long long time. I have seeds that have been in the freezer for ten years that I planted this year and germ was as good as new.

Charlie

Or on a few layers of paper kitchen towel over a layer of washing powder.

Ed

I'm sure that what you are proposing will work, but I'd like to dry the seeds faster than I believe it can be done on my Kitchen counter etc.

Thanks

EJ in NJ

I understand the reference to silica gel, and it looks attractive.I do not know what washing powder is. Is it baking soda?

Thanks, EJ in NJ

Charlie,

Thanks for the great explanation.

EJ in NJ

"Each to their own", said the old woman as she kissed the cow.

I find that book irritating and always reach for "The Seedsavers Handbook" by Jude Fanton (sp?) in preference. "Seed to Seed" is for me, like Eliot Coleman.

I use Silica Gel to dry flowers and herbs from the garden. I get mine from

I use "Saving Seeds" by Marc Rogers. It seems OK to me. EJ in NJ

Thanks for the lead. Looks like good stuff. EJ in NJ

Ernie Willson wrote in news:4a4f8ff0$0$3540 $ snipped-for-privacy@news.newshosting.com:

EJ in NJ

I use the paper towel, newspaper method, and while it can work, frequently the seeds will not germinate, so faster drying may be the key. Tomato seeds work well, but pepper seeds less so. This could also be due to hybrid seeds, right?

-Darrell Ulm