Frugal and Fruitful Seed Saving!

The most important lesson I continue to learn as my gardening skills improve it just how little I know.    That means I'm constantly reading, and asking questions, and experimenting.  Fortunately, for me, the Master Gardener group in my county is very active, so I have a trug-full of expertise within arm's reach.



Gardeners are, by nature (pun definitely intended!), a frugal lot, and this frugal and fruitful suggestion comes from Master Gardener Amy:

A way to save money for next year's planting season is to save seeds.  Seeds can be dried and stored for next year's crop as long the plants are heirloom plants (not hybrids).

  

Tomato seeds "smeared" on newspaper

Two of the pictures enclosed are seeds saved from Cherokee Purple tomatoes.  When I used a tomato last year, I put the seeds as well as the pulp and dried the whole lot on either a paper towel or newspaper.   

Seeds smeared on paper toweling

Once everything was completely dried, I rolled the towel or newspaper up, stored it a brown paper sack and placed the sack in a nice dry/cool place.  

This winter I took small pieces of the paper towel/newspaper (they are biodegradable) and planted  the whole thing in a peat pot.  

Waiting for their new home!

Once the seeds germinated and sprouted, I thinned the plants.  Now my plants are growing and anxiously awaiting their new home outside.

Thank you, Amy!