Seed Cultivation Part 2: Saving Seeds and Ensuring Genetic Diversity

Introduction
Once you've successfully grown your garden, the next step in the seed cultivation journey is to save seeds for future seasons. At From Scratch Farm, we love the full-circle nature of seed saving—it's like preserving a little piece of the garden’s magic for the next year. Not only is saving seeds a rewarding practice, but it also ensures that your garden remains sustainable, cost-effective, and adaptable to your unique conditions.

In this blog, we’ll explore the art of saving seeds, why genetic diversity is important, and how From Scratch Farm incorporates these practices to keep our garden thriving. Grab a jar, a marker, and your gardening gloves—it’s time to save some seeds!

Why Save Seeds?
Saving seeds isn’t just a practical way to reduce costs; it’s a powerful way to keep your garden healthy and resilient. Here are a few reasons why we believe in saving seeds:

1. Adaptation to Your Environment
   When you save seeds from the best plants in your garden year after year, those seeds gradually adapt to the specific conditions of your garden. They become better suited to your soil, climate, and the unique challenges your garden faces. At From Scratch Farm, we’ve seen our own seed stock adapt to Colorado’s unpredictable weather, resulting in hardier plants that thrive in our conditions.

2. Preserving Genetic Diversity
   Saving seeds—especially from heirloom varieties—is also a way to preserve genetic diversity. Commercial seed production often focuses on uniformity, which means that many unique varieties are at risk of disappearing. By saving seeds from diverse heirloom varieties, we help keep these precious genes alive, which is crucial for maintaining resilience in the face of changing environmental conditions.

3. Cost Savings and Self-Sufficiency
   Seeds might be small, but they can add up when you’re buying them every year. Saving seeds helps reduce costs and contributes to greater self-sufficiency—something we value deeply at From Scratch Farm. Plus, there’s something incredibly satisfying about growing plants from seeds you’ve saved yourself—it’s like your garden is taking care of its own future.

Which Seeds to Save?
Not all seeds are equally easy to save, and some require more careful handling than others. Here’s a quick overview of some of the easiest and most rewarding seeds to save:

1. Tomatoes
   Tomatoes are an excellent plant to start with if you're new to seed saving. Tomato seeds are easy to collect and process, and many heirloom varieties are open-pollinated, which means the seeds will produce plants that are true to type. At From Scratch Farm, we save seeds from our tastiest tomatoes, ensuring we can enjoy the same amazing flavors year after year.

2. Beans and Peas
   Beans and peas are also great for beginners. Simply let a few pods mature on the plant until they dry out and rattle when shaken. Once fully dry, the seeds can be removed, stored, and used for next season. Plus, beans and peas are wonderful for replenishing nitrogen in your soil, making them a double win.

3. Herbs like Dill and Basil
   Herbs such as dill and basil are easy to let go to seed. After flowering, they produce plenty of seeds that can be collected once they’ve dried. We often let our basil flowers bloom for the bees before collecting the seeds—this way, we support our pollinator garden while also saving seeds for next year.

How to Save Seeds
Seed saving involves a few simple steps: harvesting, cleaning, drying, and storing. Let’s break it down:

1. Harvesting the Seeds
   The first step is to collect seeds from healthy, mature plants. Choose the plants that are the most productive, disease-resistant, and tasty. If you’re saving seeds from vegetables like tomatoes or cucumbers, wait until the fruit is fully ripe. For flowers and herbs, let the seeds mature on the plant until they’re dry.

2. Cleaning the Seeds
   Some seeds, like those from tomatoes or cucumbers, need to be cleaned before storing. For tomatoes, scoop out the seeds along with the gel and allow them to ferment in water for a few days—this helps remove the gel that inhibits germination. After a few days, rinse the seeds and let them dry completely. Other seeds, like beans, can simply be shelled and cleaned of any debris.

3. Drying the Seeds
   Properly drying seeds is essential for long-term storage. Spread seeds out on a paper towel or mesh screen and allow them to air dry for at least a week. The goal is to get them completely dry, as any residual moisture can lead to mold or spoilage. At From Scratch Farm, we take our time with this step—we call it the "patience practice" of seed saving.

4. Storing the Seeds
   Store your seeds in a cool, dark place. Glass jars, paper envelopes, or airtight containers work well. Be sure to label them with the plant variety and the date collected. Seeds can last for years if stored correctly, but most are best used within a year or two for the highest germination rates. We love having jars of seeds lined up on the shelf—each one a promise of next season’s abundance.

Ensuring Genetic Diversity
Genetic diversity is key to maintaining a resilient garden. Here are a few ways to ensure your garden remains diverse and adaptable:

1. Save Seeds from Multiple Plants
   When saving seeds, try to collect from multiple plants rather than just one. This helps maintain genetic diversity within your garden population. At From Scratch Farm, we save seeds from several tomato plants rather than just one, ensuring that we have a robust genetic pool for the next season.

2. Cross-Pollination vs. Self-Pollination
   Some plants, like tomatoes and beans, self-pollinate, meaning they’re more likely to produce seeds that are true to the parent plant. Others, like squash or corn, are cross-pollinated and can easily mix with other varieties. If you’re saving seeds from cross-pollinated plants, be aware that the resulting plants may not be identical to the parents. This can be a fun experiment, but if you want consistency, consider isolation or hand-pollination techniques.

3. Try New Varieties
   Don’t be afraid to mix things up and add new varieties to your garden. Swapping seeds with friends, joining a local seed exchange, or buying a new heirloom variety each year helps keep your garden diverse and your seed collection vibrant. At From Scratch Farm, we love participating in community seed swaps—it’s like a treasure hunt for new flavors, colors, and surprises!

From Scratch Farm’s Seed-Saving Practices
At From Scratch Farm, seed saving is an annual tradition that connects us to the cycle of the seasons. We save seeds from our favorite heirloom vegetables and flowers, keeping the lineage alive while adapting them to our unique growing conditions. It’s a practice that makes our garden more sustainable and more special.

We also share seeds with our CSA members and workshop participants. There’s something magical about passing on seeds that have been nurtured here at the farm—each one carries a little bit of our soil, our care, and our commitment to growing with love.

Tips for Successful Seed Saving at Home

1. Start Small
   If you’re new to seed saving, start with easy plants like beans or tomatoes. They’re forgiving and straightforward, and success with these will build your confidence.

2. Label Everything
   It’s easy to forget which seeds are which, especially if they look similar. Label everything as soon as you collect it—trust us, it’ll save you a lot of guessing later on!

3. Store Seeds in Cool, Dark Conditions
   Heat and moisture are the enemies of seed storage. Keep your seeds in a cool, dark place—like a pantry or a basement—to ensure they stay viable.

Conclusion
Seed saving is a practice that brings the gardening cycle full circle, connecting one season to the next. By saving seeds from your own garden, you’re not just preparing for the next growing season—you’re preserving genetic diversity, creating resilience, and fostering a deeper connection to your garden.

At From Scratch Farm, we cherish the tradition of saving seeds and passing on the magic of gardening to others. By incorporating these practices, you too can take control of your garden’s future—saving seeds, preserving stories, and growing from scratch with confidence and care.

So, as your garden grows and blooms, think ahead to what you’d like to carry into next season. Save a few seeds, tuck them away, and know that when spring comes again, you’ll be ready to bring a little piece of this year’s magic back to life.