This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
There are all kinds of harvests from a garden: beyond the traditional fruits, vegetables and fine herbs, let’s note bouquets of cut flowers and… a panoply of seeds. By knowing how to harvest them, we realize that vegetable gardens and landscaping are full of seeds that can be used for the garden and vegetable garden next year. Geneviève Daoust, a passionate gardener for almost ten years, shares her learnings with us.
Seed saving is not something that is taught from an early age on school benches. You learn through sharing the knowledge of experienced people, through reading, and through trial and error.
The first tip for collecting seeds is to select and save only the best specimens of your favorite strains. But it is also necessary to opt for seeds that are harvested, stored and preserved quite easily. Note, for example, those of lettuce, ground cherries, peppers, peppers, coriander, dill, zinnias, cornflowers, pansies and nasturtiums.
Whether it is a fruit or a vegetable, we will choose the one that has the best characteristics of taste, texture, preservation, shape, productivity, hardiness and resistance to disease.
Seeds, which are the seeds produced by the plant to reproduce, take different forms. For example, for herbs, they are found in flowers that “go to seed”. For tomatoes, the seeds are the small seeds found inside the fruit and for beans, beans and peas, the seeds dry directly on the plant. In this case, it is necessary to identify those which are the most dominant by their dark color and those which seem the largest and firmest to ensure a better rate of success. Before harvesting the latter, the vegetables must be allowed to dry well on the plant. The pod will crack under the fingers when it is ready and we can thus harvest the seeds.
Then, it is better to focus on seeds with open pollination (which result from the crossing between two plants whose pollination is done naturally, by the wind or animals for example). You will thus be sure of a result identical to the initial plant over the years, unlike that of seeds of hybrid varieties easily recognized in supermarkets thanks to the mention “F1” on the bag.
Beginner’s seeds
To start your experiments, annual or perennial flowers as well as fine herbs such as dill, coriander or basil are quite accessible, as well as certain fruits and vegetables whose seeds are found directly inside such as tomatoes, peppers , peppers, eggplant and ground cherries. Let’s add some other plants that need to dry directly on the plant, including beans, lettuce, spinach and mustard. For example, to locate the seeds of a lettuce, all you have to do is let it complete its life cycle: its head will bloom, then seed. One plant will produce hundreds of seeds. Other plants need to mature beyond the edibility threshold. To do this, specimens must be selected from the start of production and harvested at the very end of the season, as is the case with cucumbers and courgettes, which are left to turn yellow so that the flesh is almost liquid and the seeds come off easily.
Finally, one last piece of advice: be sure to properly dry, bag and store your seeds to conclude this meticulous work of harvesting. First clean the seeds in a sieve and let them dry completely on a paper towel away from light before putting them in individual sachets, then in airtight jars which will be stored in a cool and dry place. ‘shadow. Take the time to properly identify the bags with the name of the plant and its variety, as well as its year of production. For example, if you collect different basil seeds, write down its exact name to be able to tell them apart. Would it be Genovese, lemon, Thai, purple or holy basil? This will help you find your way around, as some seeds will keep for several years. Others will remain viable, but their germination rate will decrease.
All that remains is to bring them out a few months later to produce your own seedlings indoors at the end of winter or to plant them directly in the garden in the spring.
Now is the time to see your vegetable gardens with new eyes! Discover seeds of all kinds. Most importantly, broaden your horizons. See a heirloom tomato variety at your local market and love it? Are you under the spell of a flower in a landscaping on the public space? Collect a few seeds and you will have the satisfaction of reproducing them on your own the following year. Happy exploring!