What better way to move towards sustainable gardening than to save your own seeds. Another plus is that as you save seeds from the best of the best in your garden you will be selecting the best for the micro climate in your garden. In a sense, you will be developing your own micro variety…in 50 years it will be your very own heirloom!

There are many methods for preparing your seeds from tomatoes but the most widely used method is the fermentation method.

Fermenting Tomato Seeds

Why bother with fermentation?

The fermentation of the tomato seed will aid in removing the gel sack around each seed
but more importantly – reduce the chances of seed bourne diseases and enhance germination.

Choose the right tomato

First, you must choose an open pollinated tomato or non-hybrid variety – most heirlooms fit the bill. If you don’t, this is what will happen
Second, pick the tastiest, largest heirloom tomato from your most healthy plant. (Of course, if it is a small variety pick the largest of these small fruit)

Saving Tomato Seeds

Saving your tomato seeds with the fermentation method

• Find a cup or recycled deli or yogurt containers. Mark on the container the variety of tomato.
• Take your tomato and cut in half across the ‘equator’
• Squeeze out the seeds as if you were squeezing a lemon into your container. If you don’t want to mangle your tomato you can dig out the seeds with the tip of a knife or small spoon.
• Add enough water to cover the seeds by about 1/2 an inch
• Loosely cover the top and place in a warm spot (70-80F) for a week
• Scoop off the moldy scum that has formed on the top and pour the seeds into a fine mesh strainer. Rinse with cold water.
• Shake off the excess water by tapping the bottom of the strainer on a dish towel.
• Invert the seeds onto a piece of waxed paper that has been labeled with the variety name. Don’t worry about spreading the seeds out too much as they will easily separate when dry.
• Let dry for at least 4-5 days.
• Store in a paper envelope labeled with the variety name and date.

Save to plant in the spring. These seeds should last quite a few years though the germination rate will decrease as the seeds age.

With the holidays coming up, seeds make nifty gifts for your gardening friends.

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Not only is it very economical to grow veggies from seeds, you also have access to much more variety. And, it’s not all that difficult to do.

The precise requirements vary from variety to variety so it’s important to check the seed packet for specific instructions.
Variations include how deep the seed should be planted, whether it should be pre-chilled or pre-soaked and any special temperature or light requirements.

Containers

There are two requirements for containers – they need to be clean and able to drain water.

You can buy seeding pots, reuse ones you have or use other containers such as small plastic food cups (yogurt, cottage cheese, ect), small milk cartons (cut off top), plastic, waxed or styrofoam cups.

You can also use larger containers for planting multiple seeds. (The seed packet will tell you how far apart to place them).

You want 2-4″ of height for dirt and holes in the bottom for drainage.

Soil

Or, more specifically soilless medium.
When growing seeds it’s important the growing medium is sterile and does not compact. Garden soil may have bacteria and weed seeds in it. It also will compact more making it difficult for the seed to sprout up. And, it (generally) will have nutrients, which seems like a good thing, but can actually “burn” seeds.

You can buy soilless potting mix or make your own with about 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 perlite and 1/3 sphagnum moss.
I generally just use regular clean and fresh potting soil.

Preparing the container

The soil medium needs to be moist. You can mix water into the soil in a mixing container and fill your pots from that, or fill your pots about 3/4″ from the top and water the soil through.

It’s preferable that the water be slightly warm and non-chlorinated. Most tap water has chlorine. If you fill a bucket or watering can and let it sit out for a day, the chlorine will dissipate.

Planting the seeds

You can put 1 seed in each container, or up your success with 2 or 3 seeds. If they all sprout, you can split them or thin them out.

Cover them with moist dirt…refer to the seed packet for seed depth. Generally it’s 1/4″ or 1/2″.
To moisten the dirt, either mix it with water, then pat it on. Or, sprinkle dry dirt over the seed and dribble water over it, taking care not to displace the dirt.

Last, you DO want to label them. I cut up plastic food containers to create a stick about 4″ high, 1″ wide. Then I write on it with a water proof marker. Not fancy, but it does the job.

Temperature, Moisture and Air

Your seeds are planted, now you want to get them to germinate.

The optimal soil temperature for most seeds is 60-80 degrees F (check your seed packet). You can put your containers in a plastic bag or under plastic wrap to keep the soil warm. If the soil is already too hot, naturally you want to move the containers to a cooler area.

Always keep the soil moist – but not soaking wet.
If it’s too wet you risk mold and root rot; too dry, the seed won’t sprout.
Also, be cautious when watering as it’s easy to displace the thin layer of soil.
You can also water from the bottom up… sit your pot in a container with about a 1/4″ of water and allow the soil to pull it in.

Be sure air can circulate around the container and the container can drain. This is also to prevent mold.

Seedlings

Once your seeds sprout and form leaves they’ll need two things:
light for photosynthesis and nutrients to support growth.

Light: most seedlings need 12-18 hours of light a day. That’s quite a lot especially as the days get shorter.
If they’re not getting enough you can use “grow lights” which are high intensity, full spectrum lights.

Nutrients: you can transplant the seedlings into clean potting “transplant” soil, or you can give them some liquid fertilizer. An all-purpose fertilizer is good.

Other good nutrients for seedlings are Kelp and fish emulsion. These add trace minerals and micro-nutrients. Use them in combination with an all purpose fertilizer that supplies the macro-nutrients.

You still want to keep their growing medium moist, not over wet.

And you want the air temperature 50-70 degrees F and soil temperature 65-70 degrees F.
If the air temperature is too hot, the seedling will grow fast, but weak. Too cold and the seedling will grow more slowly or fail to grow.

Potting up

When the seedlings are 6-8 weeks old you can transplant them into larger pots or into your garden.
When planting them in your garden be sure to “baby” them a bit for a couple weeks as they’re still weak. Shade them if the sun is too strong and be sure to feed with fertilizer.

The seed packet will tell you how long it takes to sprout as well as when they can be planted in the ground.
Start with the garden planting date and count your way backward to determine when you should get your seeds going.

We’re working on our fall crops.
I seeded 2 rows of dwarf pak choi (shown in the picture), some purple mustard greens, red winter kale, chard, bloomsdale spinach, sorrel and red beets.

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One place to start is to know your “growing zone”. The USDA has a Plant Hardiness Zone map.

This is a de facto standard reference used for matching up specific species to your area as well as when they should be planted.

This map was published in 1990 using data from 1974-1986. (There are earlier versions of the map).

It divides the country in to 10 different zones based on “average annual minimum temperatures”… each zone being a 10 degree Fahrenheit range.
The zones are further sub-divided for a 5 degree range: A is the lower 5 degrees, B is the higher.

We’re a 9B.

It’s a general guide. It only uses the average minimum temps.

Sunset magazine went a few steps further and created a 24-zone map which incorporates length of growing season, timing and amount of rainfall, winter lows, summer highs and humidity.

We’re a 14 on their map.

Another thing you want to know for Fall planting – when is the first frost. Not a crystal ball exercise. Here’s a nifty site based primarily on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data. (Normalized data from 1971-2000).

It charts out your high & low temps and marks off your early & late frost.
You can also get a precipitation graph and a Daylight (hours of sun) graph.
Very nice.

And here’s a great chart of veggies, herbs & flowers by season, with planting referenced to the first frost.
For instance, you should get your Swiss Chard in 8-10 weeks before the first frost.

So now you can pencil out what you want to grow and when you need to start your seeds.
Botanical Interests has organic and non-GMO seeds.

The seed packets themselves are little garden mentors… they tell you interesting things about the species, what growing conditions it needs, how to avoid pests and diseases, how to start the seeds indoor and even harvesting tips and recipes.

There’s an easy to cut out plant tag with quick, at-a-glance critical growing details and a seedling drawing on the backside.

The packets also have nicely done artistic drawings… beautiful enough to frame. Shipping is extremely reasonable and the packaging quite special… sort of a gardener’s version of the iconic blue Tiffany’s box.

We’ve planned out what we’re growing and gathered up our seeds.

What about you?

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Since we’re trying to up our production, planning ahead is essential so I heeded the recommended Fall planting schedule for our growing zone – 9 – and started to sprout seeds for broccoli and chard.

Previously I didn’t have much luck sprouting my starts from seed – most of the time they didn’t seem to sprout or when they did the next day they would be nibbled to stubs or if they survived infancy they would look ‘leggy’ and fall over.

But since we’re trying to be more self sustaining, I researched the proper way to sprout seeds.

So my near proper way:
I started with clean sterile soil – in this case American Soil Local Hero.
I put the soil into my sprouting container – about 6 inches.
Sprinkled in my seeds, covered with a thin layer of soil and watered.

To keep my sprouting container from becoming a vermin buffet, I put a screen over the top.

A week or so after I planted the broccoli seeds

You see, last year, inspired by Robin who planted dozens of broccoli starts I decided to plant a few that I purchased.

Each day on my garden rounds, I would check on their progress. Each day they would grow and even started to bud! …until one morning I went out and each broccoli was nibbled down to a little stem sticking out of the ground!

Argh! Birds? Squirrels? Snails? Munching Bugs?
I didn’t know but curses! Foiled again!

As my seeds sprouted and started to grow into healthy broccoli starts I was more determined that ever.

Wow! using clean fresh soil helps – look at how healthy those look! Beats a handful of dirt full of weed seeds.

About 3 weeks after seeding

Time to plant the starts into their Fall and Winter home.

We created some new planting space from discarded recycle bins. The soil is dark clayish top soil mixed with lots of well composted horse manure. I topped with some straw mulch to keep it moist and warm.

This year, my aim is to outsmart!…
outwit!…
I shall prevail!
I have an opposable thumb and I know how to use it!

Our recycle bin planters lined up along the fence

Into the garage I marched. Drill – check; screws – check; level – check; deer netting – check; stakes – check…; oh and wooden clothes pins…you really need opposable thumbs to operate those

Before planting the seedlings I gathered up all my supplies to vermin proof the planters.

New home for broccoli and chard

I took the screws and attached them to the fence with a little gap to easily hang the deer netting.

Stakes prop up the other side for the netting to drape over.

Then clothes pins to keep the netting closed.

I planted the broccoli and chard resting a little easier at night…but who knows? Time will tell but so far so good.

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