How To Save Seeds: 4 Tips
Peeking behind the yellow of this sunflower are hundreds of black sunflower seeds ready to be saved!
Nature doesn’t just stop when a flower dies or tomatoes stop producing. No, nature provides many, sometimes even hundreds, of seeds at the end of a growing season to help us grow even more flowers/tomatoes/lettuce/basil next season, free of cost.
One of the most satisfying things I do in my garden is saving seeds from the plants I have grown. It’s one of the most sustainable ways to run a garden (because I don’t go out and buy more seed, but rather use what I already have) and as a side benefit, it saves me $$$ too because I am a seed addict and want to grow a million things each year!
There are many ways to save seed and they are all very simple, but I go through how to save seeds from my perspective below. Seeds can last up to 2 years from when you collect them, so even if you don’t have plans to re-grow your garden straight away, it’s still a good idea. Happy seed collecting!
Some of the key steps in saving seeds (above) as shown by collecting sunflower seeds
How To Save Seeds | 4 Tips
Step #1 is to leave the plant you want to collect seeds from in the ground until it is drooping, dry and dead looking because this gives the plant enough time to develop new seeds. See the dropping sunflower above.
Step #2 is to collect the actual seeds. In a sunflower the seeds are behind the flower so you need to effectively wipe off the flower part to get to the seeds underneath and then empty the seeds out.
Step #3 is to dry the individual seeds for a few days. Seeds need to be bone dry because if they get damp they can develop mould and they will no longer be viable.
Step #4 is to store the now-dried seeds in a cool, dry spot. Make sure you label them and put the date so you don’t forget! As mentioned, seeds can remain viable for up to 2 whole years from collecting them (and in my experience, sometimes even longer).
Hundreds of saved sunflower seeds - which will all then go on to grow hundreds more sunflowers! #abundance
Looking for more information? Check out my take on Growing Flower Seedlings In A Few Easy Steps or Fergie’s Spring Courtyard Flowers (All Grown From Seed).