GreenPiece

Saving the Seeds of Yesterday

October 2, 2002

Q: I have always wanted to save the seeds of my vegetables to grow next year. Every winter I buy seeds from a variety of companies, and it can cost a lot. Can you tell me when I should collect them and how they should be stored?

Sowing in Sherburne

A: Dear Sowing: Saving seeds is a great way to retain strains of heritage vegetable varieties as well as provide an extra please from gardening, growing your own seeds that you collected out of your garden.

The first thing to remember about collecting seeds is that next years plant will be a hybrid of the plant you own now, and whatever plant pollinated it. Don't worry your tomatoes will still be tomatoes, but your big boy's may or may not be big.

Know when to harvest the seed is the crucial element. With fruit, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, make sure the fruit is completely ripe but not rotting. Peas should be rattling around in their pods. Seeds from stalk and leaf plants should be hanging or starting to drop from the stalk.

Some plants require two years to harvest, such as some of the cabbage family and parsnip group. If you have a plant that you are unsure about, pick up a propagation book from your local library or bookstore.

Store all seeds in a cool dry place. As a rule of thumb, the larger the seed the longer it will survive in storage. To be sure most of you seeds will germinate, plant them within one year.

Q: I have had a hard time trying to know which perennials to cut back after they flower and which ones not to cut right away. Is there any simple rule of thumb?

Mary Quite Contrary

A: Dear Mary: Most perennials can be cut back to with in an inch of the ground in the fall. If the plant has a basal rosette, leave rosette intact and remove the dead leaves in spring. Also, many perennials have wildlife attracting seeds, so you can leave sturdier plants uncut until the spring to add interest and attract birds and wildlife. Leaving sturdy plants intact will also help to trap snow in your garden, which can help insulate and protect any not-so-hardy plants.

You can also cut back any non-sturdy perennials in the fall, such as hosta and day-lily. Or leave all of your cutting until the spring. The issue is still out for debate. The important thing to remember is that you need to clear the previous year's leaves before the new growth starts in the spring.

If you have any questions you would like to be answered by GreenPiece, please contact Rebecca Hargrave at 99 N. Broad St., Norwich, NY 13815, or call 607-334-5841.