How to Save Heirloom Tomato Seeds
To see more: http://gardentherapy.ca/saving-heirloom-tomato-seeds/
21 Comments
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This is wonderful. Great blog post! -
What is the story for bell peppers. Will they grow if you just plant the seeds or is there a certain way they have to be stored. -
Marlin, Peppers are much easier. Choose ripe fruit to ensure the seeds have matured, then scrape the seeds onto a plate and let dry. Store in paper packets or plant them. -
Thanks, Miriam!
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Thank you for this very useful posting and link!!! -
You are very welcome, Phil.
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This is really an interesting post, but I'm wondering why you have to ferment them before you save them to get them to be viable..... -
Hi Sharron, there is a bunch more discussion on fermenting in the original post (linked to above) - much more can be written there than here. But the quick answer is that fermenting seeds is copying the natural process the tomatoes would go through to reproduce. The membrane around the seeds prevents germination and can carry disease. By fermenting it, it sterilizes the seeds and gets them ready for winter storage.
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@GT Thanks for the short answer, and I really did go and read the blog, so was surprised by all the info on how to do it, without seeing (guess I just missed it); the info on "Why" LOL ...I'm an avid gardner....but not of the tomatoes....LOL that's my hubby's job and one he takes seriously...however after all these years of canning everything else...I finally learned that I can CAN tomatoes, without endangering the people I love and care about...and so NOW I'm pretty serious about those ...»
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Sharron, it's hard to say without knowing a bunch of factors like where you live and health of the plants, etc, but in general, fruiting plants will produce bigger fruit with more watering during the fruiting stage, and be smaller is the conditions are dry. But I'm really generalizing here. I'm not sure we will solve the he said/she said issue but I'm glad you are getting interested in growing tomatoes too - they are fun!
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Good point on the why question. I think I'll do an update on the post and include that.
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Now I know why just drying the seeds did not work. Thank you so much for this information. -
Great post! I may have to finally try saving seeds. Although, it's strange that several varieties of heirloom tomatoes I've planted have not done well. 2 varieties never bore any fruit! -
how do you know if you are buying heirloom tomatoes -
Great question, Jimmy. Ask the grower at the Farmer's Market which ones are heirlooms. You can also bring a seed catalog with you and double check the names while you are there.
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ok thanks... our closest farmers market is about 45 min away....i am assuming then you do NOT buy them at Walmart when you get tomatoes on the vine lol
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Jimmy, probably not. A trip to the market sounds like it's in the cards! Or you could buy heirloom seeds for next year, and save them for subsequent years from the tomatoes you grow.
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duh...that would be the easiest...of course I would want to eat them and forget about saving them....thanks for the info
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I scooped the seeds out of some of cherokee purples a friend gave me last year. All I did was put them in a strainer and washed all the goo off. After, I placed them on a paper towel till dry, then put them in an envelope at put them in my fridge. This year i placed the seeds in small planters to grow till they were big enough to put out in the garden. I have about 40 plants. Didn't hurt my seeds at all. By the way cherokee purples make great salsa. -
Hi Renee, did they germinate when you tried to grow them? Because the fermentation stage is necessary for tomatoes for the seeds to be able to germinate. Hopefully you got lucky though!
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yes Stephanie they did. But this yrs crop I will try them the way you talked about. Can never be too careful. Especially with heirlooms. I also have turkey craw greenbeans (heirloom) they are very hard to find, but for green bean lovers such as myself you can't beat the taste. Cook them up Tennessee style, yuuummmmy. To me they r better than Kentucky wonder.
