Seed Saving

I’ve been seeing lots of elderly greens out in the garden. If your greens have started to flower or if your peas are rough and dry, don’t fret! Consider letting your plants go to seed and saving the seeds for next year. Though seed saving can be complicated for professionals (who work hard to avoid cross-pollination with related plants and want to ensure a seed “true” to its parent), it can be fun and easy as a hobby. The basics of seed saving are this: after plants flower, they produce a seed. Let the seeds fully develop and dry (either on the plant or on a dry rack) and then store them in a cool, dry place until next summer. A few easy plants to start with are lettuce and peas.

For lettuce, just let it go! Lettuce will bolt when the weather is hot and create a flower head. The seeds look white and fluffy, like dandelion seeds. When there are a bunch of fluffy seeds on the head, take a grocery bag or ice cream bucket and shake the flower head in the bag. For the next few days, come back and shake the flower heads again. The seeds can be stored and planted as is, or you can spend the time cleaning them by rubbing them between your hands, then lightly blowing the chaff off with your breath or by winnowing the seeds by lightly tossing them in the air. The fluff should fly right off!

Peas are equally as easy. Peas and beans can be left on the plant until they are brown and crispy. Pick the pods and remove the dry, wrinkly seeds.

I’m others in the community garden have saved seeds too. What advice do you have for save seeds from other plants?

--by Britt Carlson