How To Save Tomato Seeds for Next Year | Seed Saving Tips Every Gardener Needs to Know

Описание: We're letting you in on a little secret! As a seed production company, this is what we do, and we're showing you how to do it at home.

0:20 Tomato seed basics
1:34 Replicating nature's process
2:25 Fermenting in our greenhouse
5:24 Decanting
6:11 Drying your seeds
7:13 Seed storage

It's September, and tomatoes are still producing at least a little bit for most gardeners, especially here in San Diego. They're one of the easiest crops that you can save seed from. Why?

1. It's easy to find the seeds
2. Modern tomatoes don't cross-pollinate easily
3. Even if they do, you might end up with a beautiful accident

If your tomatoes are getting a little soft or you left them on the counter too long, that's totally okay! In fact, that's what happens in nature, and that's the process that we want to replicate. When the fruit overripens and falls to the ground, it begins to rot.

When that happens, the slippery, gelatinous sack around the individual seeds will dissolve. That sack is a germination inhibitor preventing the seeds from germinating while still inside the fruit where it's moist and warm.

As a seed saver, your goal is to get that sack off of the seeds. We do that by fermenting!

If you have a greenhouse, you know that it's great to start seeds in the winter or spring. During the summer, though, it's way too hot for starting new plants. For us, it becomes our seed processing facility in the warmer months.

The fermenting process is easy! We just cut open the tomato and squeeze out the insides. You can toss the entire fruit in and let it do its thing; you do not need to add any water. After just a few days, it'll stink a bit, but it will also be ready at that time. This process also ensures a better quality of seeds by limiting seed-borne diseases.

We like to use our garden hose to separate the seeds. Not only does that separate the seeds from the sack & the rest of the fruit, but the seeds will also sink to the bottom. This is because they're heavy when the embryo has fully formed. Your reject seeds will float to the top. You can then use a sieve to skim all of the junk off of the top. Tip: you can also do the whole prcess this in a mason jar!

Your next step is decanting. Just pour out your water, and the seeds will pile up in the bottom of your first bucket.

Now that you have your best seeds separating from the rest of the fruit, you'll dry them. We set the seeds on some screen material inside the greenhouse with a fan blowing over them. Getting your seeds COMPLETELY dry is crucial. Any moisture will turn into mold and ruin your seeds. We keep them in this stage for 3-4 days, and then we place them inside jars with desiccant packs.

For seed storage, keep them out of direct sunlight. Inside in a cool, dark place is best (your garage or greenhouse will have big temperature swings).

We carry dozens of varieties of tomato seeds. Try out some new varieties next year: https://sandiegoseedcompany.com/produ...

KEEP LEARNING
Want more tips? Head on over to our site and the LEARN dropdown for things like our COOL SEASON GROWING section: https://sandiegoseedcompany.com/categ...

You can also sign up for one of our classes (go through it at your own speed). We have "Organic Gardening: Grow Your Own Food" and our famous "Seed Starting Academy" available now: https://organicgardening.teachable.co...

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