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Members of our network have written some articles for Sustain magazine on seed saving techniques. If you missed the magazine items here they are again.
Saving Tomato Seed - from Sustain, Summer 08
Saving Pumpkin Seed - from Sustain, Autumn 08
Some of our members have hunted down information on various vegetable and herb varieties. Most of this information is available elsewhere on the Internet, we've just collected information we find helpful for our local seed saving efforts.
Capsicum and Chilli Information
Pumpkin and Squash Information
Onion, Garlic, Chives and Leek Information
Carrots
Select the best carrots from your crop and replant into the garden. Chose a location where they can remain undisturbed. As biennial plants carrots won't flower and set seed until the following growing season. Discard any plants that bolt to seed in the same season they were originally sown from seed as you don't want to select for this trait.
For small amounts of seed, hand pick each umbel as it dries brown. Large amounts of seed can be harvested by cutting entire flowering top as umbels begin to dry. Allow to mature in cool, dry location for an additional 2-3 weeks.
Controlling Pests in your Seed The following method of killing any pests and their eggs is easy for most householders as it doesn't require any chemicals. Step 1: Make sure you seed is completely dry. For example, beans should crack when hit with a hammer, not squash or bend. If you aren't absolutely sure your seed is dry enough put it in an envelope or paper bag and leave it indoors in a dry spot for another week or two. Step 2: Put your seed into an airtight container. A glass jar with a twist-top lid is good. Just put your envelope or bag straight into the jar. Step 3: Put your airtight jar of seeds in the freezer for 48 hours. Step 4: Take your seed container out of the freezer, but DO NOT open it. Leave it to come to room temperature before you open the jar. For this process to be safe for your seed it needs to be dry enough that the moisture in the seed can't expand enough when frozen to damage the cells in the seed. However, you also don't want to freeze dry the life out of the seeds so keeping them airtight in the freezer is important. You also don't want the seeds to absorb the moisture that forms as condensation when you remove them from the freezer, so wait until the droplets on the outside of the container disperse before opening it. That is all there is to removing the pests that can damage your seed while it is being stored. Our pests and their eggs can't stand 48 hours of minus 18 degrees Celsius, but all our common vegetable seeds can if this procedure is followed. Now just store your seed in a cool, dry, dark place. If you want to keep your seed in the fridge or freezer for the long term, be particularly careful to use airtight containers. Glass jars are best as most plastic is slightly gas permeable. If your seed is stored in a plastic container in the freezer for long periods it is likely to suffer the drying effects of freezer burn, which will effect its future viability.
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