Remember the lesson of the birds and the bees? If you're a home gardener, you know that this describes the process of open pollination and the natural perpetuation of plants, preserved only by seed saving.
But over the past few decades, the trend in gardening and commercial growing has been to use hybridized seeds. Hybrid seeds are bred to produce a uniform fruit or vegetable that can also be bred to resist certain diseases and to maintain certain flavor characteristics.
Plants grown from hybrid seeds, however, cannot reproduce themselves and can only be perpetuated by more hybrid seed. Widespread use of hybrid seeds has led to the loss of thousands of varieties of fruits, vegetables and flowers, and left us with plants that are less hardy and more vulnerable since they cannot evolve. Some plants have even been bred to not produce seed at all, like seedless grapes.
Seed saving is the practice of saving seeds of open pollinated plants, plants that reproduce through natural means. Open pollinated plants evolve rapidly to adapt to changing conditions and produce an ever-abundant variety of yields. This genetic diversity is necessary for the continued survival of plants.
For the home gardener, seed saving will perpetuate plants that have adapted to the growing conditions in your backyard, getting better over time.
Seed saving has also become increasingly important to the self-sustainability of small farms around the world and to maintaining the planet's biodiversity.
Every different type of seed requires a different method of harvesting and saving. Detailed instructions for just about every type of popular fruit or vegetable plant is available from the International Seed Saving Institute online.
Since tomatoes are among the most popular home-grown product, and among the easiest seeds to save, tomato seed saving is common. To save the seeds from a tomato, remove the gelatinous substance from the inside of a fully ripe tomato and soak it in a dish of water at room temperature for about three days. As mold begins to appear, scrape the mold off the water's surface while adding more water. Repeat until the seeds are fully exposed and clean. Let dry at room temperature, then store in an airtight jar.
Practicing seed saving for your home garden will preserve your favorite produce with improved yield from year to year.
 | Get a jump start on this year's planting by starting your plants from seeds instead of purchasing a more-expensive mature plant during growing season. Starting plants from seeds is easy to do as long as you provide the necessary environment. |
 | Seed germination means that a seed is revived from its dormant state to begin the process of root and leaf production. Seed germination sounds impressive, and it is. |
 | Known for their variety and great taste, heirloom garden seeds have been passed down from generation to generation. |
When you soak seeds, you allow water to fully penetrate the hull of the seed, nourishing the germ that will bloom into a plant. Seeds will get food from the nutrients in the soil surrounding them once they are planted, but to flourish they need plenty of water. |
There is a concept in coaching called seed planting. It means that it takes time for new ideas and suggestions to be embraced. There are clients that take hold of a new idea and run with it, some take a little more time to allow the idea to grow while others can take years before the idea sprouts. |
