Hello Folks,
I’ve been saving seeds for well over a decade and today I’m sharing a bit with you about how to save your own seeds. I’ve got a few quick suggestions for everyone below to get you started, but paid subscribers can get my video walking you through how to save seeds as well as well as my quick read seed saving guide.
If you’ve never saved your own seed, here’s the fast version: start with beans, tomatoes, or lettuce. They’re self-pollinating, easy to process, and nearly foolproof for beginners.
The one thing to check first: look at your seed packet. If it says “Hybrid” or “F1,” skip it, those seeds won’t grow true next year. You want “Open-Pollinated” or “Heirloom.”
Quick how-to:
Beans: let pods dry brown and rattly on the plant, then shell into a jar
Tomatoes: scoop seeds + pulp into water, let ferment 2–3 days, rinse, dry on a plate
Lettuce: let it bolt, shake the fluffy seed heads into a paper bag
Store everything somewhere cool and dry, and label with the variety and year (future-you will thank you - don’t skip this)!
This week’s task: if anything in your garden is starting to dry out or bolt, let it go to seed instead of pulling it.
Happy saving,
Gretchen
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