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Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend August 10, 2006 Seed collecting pays dividends in future By JOYCE SCHILLEN One of the neatest things about harvest time is collecting seeds. From a plant's perspective, those beautiful flowers, fruits, and vegetables are merely the means to an end, which is perpetuating the species. When you save seeds, you end up with superior performers for future gardens. Through natural selection, seeds adapt to areas where they are grown through succeeding generations. The strongest for your conditions will grow best, the weaklings will decline. Here are the basics: Save seeds from non-hybrid plants only. Hybrids are usually listed in seed catalogs as F1. Unfortunately, seeds saved from hybrid plants do not always breed true and often reverts back to undesirable traits from the parents. Advertisement On the other hand, it can be quite an adventure to plant seeds saved from hybrids, just to see what happens. The results may not be edible, but then again you might just discover a new epicurean delight. Collect seed from plants that are robust and disease-free, plants that have vibrant foliage, colorful flowers, the tastiest fruits and vegetables. Flower seeds are ready to harvest when the seeds or seed pods turn dark and dry. Some seeds, like calendula and cosmos, cling to the flower head. Some such as poppies develop inside pods. Still others drop to the ground or have the exciting habit of exploding to scatter the seeds. Capture seeds by tying a paper bag over the seedheads before maturity. Vegetable seeds should be collected from most vegetables while they are at their peak, before the fruits begin to deteriorate. Beans are ready to harvest when they are dry enough to rattle in the pod. Tomato seeds benefit from a fermenting process that controls disease organisms and improves germination. Put the seeds and pulp in a jar and set it out at room temperature. No need to add water. Stir this mess for several days, pouring off the liquid that forms and any seeds that float to the top. Dry the remaining seeds on paper towels for a week. Want to save seeds from an exquisitely sweet watermelon? Even the so-called "seedless watermelons" make seeds. Those tiny, soft edible seeds will mature, finally, at the end of the season. Leave a "seedless watermelon" on the vine as long as you can, harvesting before it begins to rot. You should find some mature (dark) seeds waiting inside. After gathering mature seeds, give them additional drying time before storing them away for next year. Lay them out on paper towels or cookie sheets and keep them in a warm, dry place away from sunlight for a few days. Coin envelopes work great for storing seeds, or you can save empty film canisters and pill bottles for this purpose. Label them with the variety and date, because many seeds look remarkably alike. If you use paper envelopes, place several together inside a tightly sealed jar. Moisture is the biggest enemy of seed viability. Silica gel packets saved from vitamin bottles can be placed with seeds to absorb environmental moisture or any moisture remaining in the seeds. Store seeds where the temperature remains stable and cool. Sams Valley gardener Joyce Schillen is author of "The Growing Season," a book on organic gardening. Her e-mail address is [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Advertisement s Advertisement