Seed Saving
Seed saving is the process of collecting, drying, and storing seeds for future planting. It allows gardeners to preserve and share different varieties of plants.
You can get started seed saving in just a few steps!
A 6 Step Guide to Seed Saving
1
Choose the right plant
Look for open-pollinated, or non-hybrid plants for seed saving. Not all plants are suitable for seed saving. For example, hybrid varieties may not produce seeds that are true to the parent plant.
2
Know when to harvest
Harvest time will depend on the plant and the region you live in. Follow this link to find specific growing and harvesting instructions for each plant, tailored directly to Vancouver’s climate.
3
Collect the seeds
Make sure to choose healthy, disease-free plants. Use clean, dry hands or tools to avoid contamination. Seeds can be collected by shaking seed heads or pods over a container or by picking the fruits and separating the seeds.
4
Clean the seeds
Remove any non-seed material from the seed. You can do this by gently washing the seeds with warm water in a mesh strainer. Cleaning seeds is essential to make sure your seeds will not mold in storage.
5
Dry the seeds
Seeds can naturally air dry on a plate or dish kept at room temperature. Avoid airtight containers to ensure airflow for your seeds.
If your seeds are more than 1 layer deep when drying, make sure to mix the seeds once a day for quick and even drying.
6
Store the seeds
Put seeds in a glass jar or paper envelope and store in a cool, dry place. Make sure to label the container with the plant name, variety, and date of harvest. If stored properly, seeds can be stored for several years!
Easy Seed-Saving Plants
If you're a beginner and want to try your hand at saving some seeds, start with beans, peas, tomatoes or lettuce!
Contributing to the Seed Library
Our library has high standards of seed quality as much of our inventory are farm-grown seeds. But as with any library, if you borrow, we hope that you also return. We need your help to maintain the quality of our seeds season after season.
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You can help us by ensuring donations of returning seeds are accurate to the original parent seed, are unhybridized, and maintain the same quality as the parent seed for the next person who may use the seed. This means only saving seeds from unhybridized, open pollinated plants, choosing the healthiest plants to collect seeds from, and filling out the seed return form when you bring seeds back to the library.
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If you have questions about seed saving and/or return, Village Vancouver would be happy to help. You can contact us at seeds@villagevancouver.com with any questions or concerns you may have.