Become A Seed Saver

It's not difficult to get started as a seed saver. Saving seeds of special things to eat—heirlooms—is fun and deeply rewarding. Growing and preserving rare varieties not available commercially can give new purpose and meaning to life and help one to become more self-sufficient.

For information on where to obtain heirloom seeds and supplies for seed saving, please see Amy's list of kindred organizations here.

How to save seeds from Heirloom Watermelons or Squashes
How to save seeds from Heirloom Tomatoes

The way to maintain maximum seed purity is to control pollination. There are many ways to control pollination; some methods are more elaborate than others.

Start with Self-Pollinating Crops
The novice seed saver should start with crops that are mostly self-pollinating—tomatoes, peas or beans, for example. In the case of legumes, self-pollination often occurs before the flowers open so the risk of crossing is small.

Try an Isolation Garden
In an isolation garden, you can grow one variety each of many different species as long as they are isolated by distance (about one-half mile for many crops) from other varieties of their kind. Then wind- and insect-borne pollen cease to become a problem. In my isolation garden, I typically grow one variety each of tomato, pepper, eggplant, melon, runner bean, pole bean, garden pea, hard-shell gourd and squash. I know the seed I harvest and process is pure and will be true-to-type.

The more advanced seed saver uses techniques such as caging or hand pollination to grow pure seed especially when many varieties of a species are grown together. A pollination cage placed over a tomato plant during flowering will prevent crossing by insects and is removed after fruit set.

Storage: Follow the "Rule of 100"
Seeds are living, breathing organisms. Store thoroughly dried seeds in a cool, dark, dry place in moisture-proof containers to maintain viability and vigor. Temperature (degrees Fahrenheit) and relative humidity, combined, should not exceed 100. A freezer or refrigerator work best.

Where to Purchase Heirloom Seeds and Learn More About Seed Saving
You can purchase heirloom seeds from the most extensive seed savers network in the world: the Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) based in Decorah, Iowa. SSE is a non-profit membership organization. To learn about hand pollination and more visit the SSE website at www.seedsavers.org.

You can also purchase heirloom seeds through a variety of smaller seed companies and suppliers. For an easy way to reach these companies simply do an Internet search for "heirloom seeds." Many of these small companies allow you to order the seeds on-line. See the list of kindred organizations for more information.

Where to Purchase Heirloom Vegetables
If you're curious about heirloom vegetables, but simply cannot find the time or patience to grow them yourself, you can sample them at local farmers' markets. There are currently over 2,500 such markets in suburban and rural areas of the United States. Greengrocers and organic markets are common in urban areas. Many of them carry heirloom vegetables, and many restaurants now feature them prominently on their menus.