:QUOTE [quotetype:personal]
A seed contains everything the plant knows. Saving it is the most conservative act in gardening.


:INFO
Why Seed Saving Matters
Saving seed closes the loop of the garden — plants grown from saved seed are locally adapted to your specific conditions, microclimate, and soil over successive generations. Heritage and open-pollinated varieties are the only ones worth saving: F1 hybrid varieties do not reproduce true to type. The technique varies by plant: dry-seeded crops (tomatoes, peppers, beans) are the easiest; wet-seeded crops (squash, cucumbers) require fermentation cleaning.


:COUNTER.half
Below 50 F and Dry

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Identify Your Best Plants for Seed
Save from the most vigorous, true-to-type, disease-free plants.
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:INFO
Identify Your Best Plants for Seed
Mark seed plants early — before harvest pressure tempts you to pick everything. Choose plants that show the best characteristics of the variety: size, earliness, flavor, disease resistance. Do not save from the first or last plants to mature — save from the peak of the harvest. Let seed-designated fruits stay on the plant longer than you would for eating.


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Harvest and Clean Dry-Seeded Crops
Beans, peas, peppers, and flowers: dry on plant, shell, and finish drying inside.
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:INFO
Harvest and Clean Dry-Seeded Crops
Beans and peas: leave pods on the vine until dry and rattling, then shell and dry indoors for 2 weeks on a screen. Peppers: allow to fully ripen and wrinkle on the plant, cut open, scrape seeds, and dry. Most flower seeds: allow seed heads to dry fully on the plant before cutting. Screen dry for 2 weeks at room temperature before storage.


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Ferment and Clean Wet-Seeded Crops
Tomatoes and squash require fermentation to remove germination inhibitors.
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:INFO
Ferment and Clean Wet-Seeded Crops
For tomatoes: scoop seeds and gel into a jar of water. Ferment at room temperature for 2 to 3 days until a layer of mold forms on top. The mold breaks down the germination-inhibiting gel. Add water, stir, and pour off mold and debris — viable seeds sink. Rinse thoroughly and dry on a non-stick surface for 1 to 2 weeks.


:CHECKLIST
Storage Supplies
[ ] Paper envelopes or small paper bags — not plastic (causes condensation)
[ ] Silica gel desiccant packets for storage jars
[ ] Glass jars with tight lids for storage container
[ ] Labels with variety name, year, and source
[ ] Cool, dark storage location — cellar, refrigerator, or freezer for long-term

:NOTE
Test Germination Before Committing to Planting
Before relying on saved seeds for an entire planting season, test germination: place 10 seeds between two damp paper towels in a warm location. After the expected germination period, count how many sprouted. Below 70% germination rate means planting at higher density than normal to compensate.


:QUOTE [quotetype:personal]
The seed you save this year plants next year's garden without you asking it to.


:LINK
https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/seed-saving-basics
Utah State Extension — Seed Saving Basics: Complete Reference