Gaining seeds: harvesting seeds yourself

Like the seed, so the harvest: we will show you how you can use your favorite plants to produce seeds for the coming year.

If you want to harvest, you first have to sow - but do you really have to buy new seeds every spring? No, seeds can also be obtained in your own garden, and very easily. We will show you how you can take seeds from a wide variety of vegetables and flowers and store them for the following years.

Obtaining seeds: which plants are suitable for producing seeds?

Seeds can only be obtained from vegetable plants, summer flowers and also perennials that produce fertile flowers. These flowers, in turn, need to be pollinated, so the presence of insects as pollinators is often a requirement. Double or sterile flowers as well as flowers of exotic plants are not pollinated in the first place and therefore do not produce any seeds. All plants that were harvested before they bloom - such as lettuce or cabbage - cannot produce seeds either. If you still want to gain seeds from these plants, you do not harvest individual plants, but wait for flowering and seed formation.

There is also the special case of hybrid seeds: hybrid varieties often produce seeds, but they do are not stable to seeds, so that the resulting offspring are very different from their mother plants can.

Tip: Hybrid varieties are given the suffix "F1" on the seed package. Offspring of hybrid plants are not uniform, only half of them have the same genetics as the mother plant. The other half can have very different properties.

Harvesting seeds: step-by-step instructions

In principle, the harvesting of seeds is very similar for all plants. So you should first find healthy, strong plants and collect only from these seeds. Sick plants should not be harvested: On the one hand, the seed quality is often significantly poorer and, on the other hand, some diseases are transmitted through seeds. If you sow these out, the small plants can quickly become sick and die. Once you have selected the ideal plants, they should be well cared for and supplied with nutrients, because flowering and seed formation cost the plant a lot of strength. The use of a high-quality organic fertilizer is an important maintenance measure. You can find out everything about in our special article Vegetable fertilizer, its properties and benefits.

In order for the seeds to develop fully, you should definitely wait until the fruit is ripe or the seed heads turn brown and dry. Now you can remove the seeds, clean them and remove any pulp. Check that the seeds are really clean: Any contamination can later lead to the seeds becoming moldy or diseases being passed on to the new generation.

Obtaining seeds from your own garden: instructions

1. Fertilize and care for plants well.
2. Wait for flowering and seed formation.
3. Allow fruits or seeds to fully ripen and only collect from strong, healthy plants.
4. Separate seeds cleanly from pulp and other impurities.
5. Seeds dry, fill and label.
6. Store in a dry and cool place, and sow again within the respective lifespan of the seeds.

Harvest vegetable seeds yourself

Depending on the type of plant, vegetable seeds form in fruits, pods, pods or freely on the inflorescence. The extraction of seeds is accordingly different. We go into the individual types of vegetables and explain how you can obtain seeds from them yourself.

tip: If you are not sure which group you will find your vegetable in, have a look at our article Division into the different types of vegetables past.

Fruit vegetables

These include the plant families of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and the pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae), in which the fruits are consumed.

Among the nightshade family we find the tomato as a representative (Solanum lycopersicum), Paprika (Capsicum annuum), Physalis (Physalis peruviana) and eggplant (Solanum melongena). They are largely self-pollinators, making it easy to maintain the variety. To support self-fertilization, it is worth shaking the open flowers of the Solanaceae in the morning to distribute your own pollen on the stigma. From August the fruits of this vegetable family ripen and can be harvested. For seed production, soft, ripe fruits are harvested from the middle of the season. The seed quality is best for the fruits that are neither the first nor the last to ripen.

Because of their gelatinous shell, tomato seeds are soaked in water for two to three days and rinsed daily until the seeds are freed. This is followed by drying on paper. Paprika, physalis and eggplant seeds can be spread directly onto a paper towel and dried in this way.

tip: A detailed guide on the subject of "Gaining tomato seeds“Can be found in our special article.

If pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.), zucchini (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo convar. giromontiina), Melon (Cucumis melo) or cucumber (Cucumissativus), the seeds of the cucurbits are always surrounded by a tasty fruit. The seeds can be obtained together with the ripe fruit. Cucurbitaceae, however, are strict cross-pollinators. They form individual male and female flowers, which bumblebees and bees like to visit. Unfortunately, the eager insects do not differentiate between the species they pollinate. So in the next generation, mixed breeds of pumpkin and zucchini quickly emerge when plants are close together.

Attention: Even worse, cross-breeding in the next generation can lead to the synthesis of bitter substances, the so-called Cucurbitacinswhich, if consumed in excess, can lead to cramps and worse. Anyone who uses seeds from cucumbers, pumpkins, melons and zucchinis that they have collected themselves should use the resulting seeds So it is essential to pay attention to fruits whether they have a very bitter taste - and if in doubt, prefer them dispose.

With pumpkins, the time to collect seeds is simply the harvest time in autumn, with zucchini and cucumber, on the other hand, you have to take a little longer Wait than usual: Both fruits are often harvested before they are fully ripe, as they then taste better, are still tender and hardly have any seeds contain. Leave the fruit on the plant longer than usual into autumn. It is best to leave the fruit hanging at the end of the season for seed production, otherwise the plants will produce significantly less fruit overall. To obtain cucumber and zucchini seeds or pumpkin seeds, cut open the fruit, remove the seeds with a spoon and rinse them vigorously with water. Once all of the pulp has loosened, place the seeds on paper towels to dry. After a few days, the seeds can be bottled and stored. The seeds of tomatoes and bell peppers can germinate for five to ten years, those of pumpkin, zucchini and the like for about four to five years.

Root, leafy and bulbous vegetables

These include the families of the onion family (Amaryllidaceae), the umbelliferae (Apiaceae), daisy family (Asteraceae), and cruciferous or cabbage family (Brassicaceae). All of these plant families are cross-pollinating and can interbreed with other varieties of their kind.

The onion family, such as onion (Allium cepa) and leek (Allium porrum), usually only bloom in the second year. So if you want to get seeds, they shouldn't be harvested. In the summer of the second year, several long, leafless flower stalks with spherical, white-green flower heads form. After pollination by insects, black, wrinkled seeds are produced that quickly fall out when ripe. Therefore, the entire inflorescence is harvested when the bracts around the seeds are dry and left to dry for about ten days at room temperature. Bulb seeds can only germinate for about a year.

Root and tuber vegetables from the umbelliferae family, such as carrot (Daucus carota), Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and celery (Apium graveolens) mostly bloom in the second year, carrots sometimes even in the first year. In the spring of the second year, elongated, umbel-shaped inflorescences form, which bloom inconspicuously green or white. Insects like to pollinate the flowers and seeds quickly form, which ripen in autumn. The sickle-shaped to round seeds fall down quickly when it is dry, which is why the umbels are cut as a whole in the early morning hours and dried in the house. The seeds of carrots, parsnips and the like can germinate for around two years.

The widespread daisy family, to which black salsify (Scorzonera hispanica) and chicory (Cichorium intybus), but also the salad (Lactuca sativa), bloom partly in the first, partly in the second year. They are also cross-pollinators that can cross between different varieties within the species if the varieties are about 3 km apart. In October, the pollinated flowers ripen into achenes, which, like the salsify, have a kind of parachute, the pappus, for the wind to spread. Here the seeds should be harvested as soon as the white pappus unfolds, which happens between September and October. These seeds are also dried in the house at room temperature for one to two weeks. Incidentally, when preparing the seeds, the pappus is removed so that it will be easier to sow next year. The composites germinate reliably for about four years.

The popular cabbage family, to which arugula (Eruca sativa), but also leaf charcoal such as palm kale (Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia) belong, usually bloom in the second year. Some species like radishes (Raphanus sativus) partly bloom in the first year. For the kitchen, they are all harvested and consumed in the first year. So these crops have to stand for another year and may not be harvested. During the flowering period, bright yellow, cross-shaped flowers are formed here, which provide nectar to insects and are therefore popular with visitors. However, this also means that all of the named plant families and their representatives are cross-pollinated and the varieties are often subject to change due to non-varietal genetic material of the same species. In the cabbage family, elongated pods with round, black seeds form in them. From mid-September the seed heads can be cut off and dried in the house. To do this, remove the seeds from the pods and let them air dry. Cabbage plants germinate reliably up to four years after harvest.

Seed vegetables: the legumes

These include legumes from the family of the butterflies (Fabaceae), as well as a wide variety of maize varieties (Zea mays), which belong to the sweet grasses (Poaceae).

Who among the butterflies like lens (Lens culinaris), Sugar snap peas (Pisum sativum) or bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) If you want to gain seeds yourself, it is not difficult. These vegetables bloom and produce fruit in the same year of sowing. Legumes are self-pollinators, so the respective variety can always be safely preserved in the next generation without cross-breeding. After flowering from May to August, small green pods form quickly, which quickly become larger, fibrous and finally brown and dry. Leave the pods on the plant until they turn brown, dry up, and begin to rustle. The seeds inside become hard as they ripen towards late summer to late autumn. At best, wait until the end of the season, otherwise the bean or pea plants will produce less yield for the kitchen. The dry pods are removed from the now dead plants and dried a little in the house. In winter you can get the now dry seeds out of the pods, fill them and store them. Peas, beans and the like can germinate for around two to four years.

In the case of sweetgrass maize, fertilization, harvesting and drying are somewhat different. Here the male flower is formed on the maize plant and the female flower is formed on the future cob; it is pollinated by the wind. But this also means that a nearby corn field or corn plants of other varieties can easily interbreed and thus change the sown variety with its genetic makeup. If you want to keep your own variety yourself, you put a bag over it shortly before the female flower and thus protect it from foreign pollen. This can be recognized by the light green stylus threads that peek out of the piston cladding leaves. When the flag, i.e. the male flower at the top of the shoot, starts dusting, the pollen is collected for example on paper by shaking it and then transferring it to the female stylus threads.

Put the bag back on and wait for the flask to form underneath. The two to six cobs per plant ripen in October, while the maize plant itself dies. If the bracts have also dried out, the whole cob can be harvested and re-dried in the house. After one to two weeks at room temperature, the seeds can be rubbed off the spindle and stored in a dry and cool place. Corn seeds can germinate for about four years.

Harvest flower seeds

Sterile and double flowers, such as double-blooming hollyhocks, do not form seeds, they cannot be used for seed production. Otherwise, the seeds of many flowers and perennials ripen in autumn and can be harvested. In many plants the flower seeds sit in small heads, for example in the composites such as marigold (Calendula officinalis) or sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Obtaining flower seeds is very easy, the whole seed stand, whether spherical or elongated, as with lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), cut off and dried in the house. The seeds are easily detached from the seed heads when they are completely dry. Remove any remaining parts of the plant and store the seeds in labeled bags or jars. Most flower seeds can germinate for around two to five years.

tip: Seeds of hardy perennials often need a cold stimulus or other treatment to germinate, which leads to the dormancy. This so-called “stratification” can be carried out individually on the different seeds - this is something for real experts. Easier, but with a lower success rate due to hungry pests, is to harvest the seeds and sow them again outside. In this way, the seeds normally receive exactly the right stimuli to be stimulated to germinate. It is not unusual for germination to take place next spring.

Drying harvested seeds

Seeds should be dried well before storage. This is done in a warm, dry place in the house, as it is often too humid and cool outside by the time the seeds are harvested in autumn. Flower seeds are dried as a whole seed stand, from which they later come off easily. Seeds from fruit vegetables should be free of pulp residues, while pods and pods can be dried whole. At room temperature, seeds take about a week to be dry enough to be stored. Moist or immature seeds take longer to dry, otherwise mold can form quickly when the seeds are stored.

Store seeds properly

Dry seeds are best stored in a dry, dark and cool place. A paper envelope or a closed glass vessel is best for this. With the latter, however, the seeds have to be really dry, as residual moisture quickly leads to mold formation. Enclosed in airtight containers, seeds keep best in the cellar and remain viable for a long time to germinate. Too much heat, on the other hand, significantly reduces the germination capacity and lifespan of the seeds. Depending on the species, seeds remain viable for 1 to 10 years and should move back into the garden within their respective lifespan.

The popular seed bombs can be formed particularly well with flower seeds. In our article we clarify the origin of the trend and give instructions for it Production of seed bombs with simple ingredients.