HOW TO COLLECT VEGETABLE SEEDS

Asparagus. Only female plants produce the berries which contain seeds. Harvest when berries turn red.

Beans & Peas. Leave the pods on the plant until dry.

Broccoli. Let buds flower and develop until pods form. Collect after the pods have dried on the plant.

Cabbage. This biennial sends up seed stalk which develops pods. Pick after pods have turned yellow.

Carrot. Seeds on this biennial ripen about 60 days after flowering. Carrots cross with the weed Queen Anne's Lace, so don't allow it nearby.
Cauliflower. Pick after pods turn brown.

Corn. Different varieties cross-pollinate. Keep them separated by at least 100 feet or cover ears with a paper bag before the silks emerge. Hand-pollinate by covering tassels with a paper bag to collect pollen, and then by sprinkling pollen over silks. Allow the ears to ripen on the plant. Husk corn, and hang it until kernels are dry.

Cucumbers. Different cultivars cross-pollinate, so isolate them. Pick after cucumbers turn yellow. Scrape out seed pulp and wash seeds.

Dill. Let seeds dry on plant.

Eggplant. Pick when fruit turns dull and wrinkly. Separate seeds from flesh.

Lettuce. Wait for the last plants to bolt, then let flower. Harvest when fluffy, white seeds form.

Melons. Harvest fruit when ripe, scrape out seeds, rinse, and dry.

Okra. Allow pods to ripen on plant.

Onion. Harvest flowering tops as soon as black seeds are visible. Dry for a few weeks, then gently rub off the seeds.

Peppers. Wait until the fruit has reached the appropriate color for its variety; most turn red. Cut off the top of the pepper and shake or scoop out seeds.

Potatoes. Seeds do develop, but planting from seed potatoes is easiest. Dig up future seed potatoes and let dry in the sun to improve storage. Never do this with eating spuds, because they turn green and bitter.

Pumpkins & Squash. Allow fruit to ripen fully and scrape out seeds.

Radishes. Let flower and harvest when seed pods are dry.

Spinach. Let seeds ripen on plants.

Sunflowers. Allow them to dry on the stalk. You may need to cover sunflowers to protect from birds.

Tomatoes. Pick overripe fruit; squeeze pulp and seeds into a jar. Allow to ferment at room temperature for three or four days. Stir daily and pour off any liquid and floating seeds. Keep only the seeds that sink; rinse and dry them.

Turnips. Dig up this biennial, and overwinter 1-year-old plants in a root cellar. Replant in spring for seed production. Harvest seed pods when dry.

Collecting Seeds

Once you have seeds, the next step is to gather and prepare them for storage. For most plants, it is critical to wait until the seeds are ripe before you harvest them. Failure to do so results in seeds with a low germination rate and poor vigor. Some exceptions are snap beans, lettuce, radishes, spinach, and tomatoes, which germinate fairly well when a little underripe. Although the seeds must be ripe, it also is important to make sure they are not yet rotten or expelled by the plant when harvesting. A dry, sunny day is perfect for gathering seeds or seed fruit.

The method of harvest depends on the type of plant. Many annual flowers, lettuce, and onions release their seeds as soon as they mature. Tie a small paper bag over the developing seed head to catch them as they fall. Wait until fleshy fruits, such as melons, tomatoes, rose hips, shrub berries, or tree fruit, are a little overripe to pick. Scrape the seeds from the flesh of the fruit, soak to remove any residue, and allow to dry completely. Some plants produce capsules or seed pods; snap them off, break open, and shake the seeds out over white paper.

The moisture content of stored seeds is critical to their viability. (Viability determines whether or not it will sprout.) Seeds must be kept as dry as possible. Spread clean seeds out on newspapers in a dry place for at least one week. Hang an incandescent lightbulb overhead to raise the temperature slightly and dry the surrounding air. Temperatures much over 100°F as well as any other factors causing the seeds to dry too quickly will damage them. Some seeds will dry just fine on the plant; poppy seeds and peas are good examples. An alternate method is to wrap the seeds in paper, and place in a jar with an equal weight of silica gel. Small seeds will dry in about ten days, while larger ones can take up to sixteen days. Test for dryness by bending the seeds. Those that snap back are not ready for storage, but those that break are ready.

Going to Seed

The first step in seed-saving is to let your plants produce the seed. Choose the very best example of each type of plant as the parent for the next generation. Look for good color, fine flavor, superior size, texture, or yield, and disease or insect resistance. In short, choose plants with unique qualities that set them apart from the rest. Never collect seed from diseased plants, because some diseases are seed-borne. Growing conditions during seed development affect the quality of seeds, so take good care of the expectant plants.

To set seed, the plant must be pollinated. Some plants, such as beans, lettuce, peas, and tomatoes are self-pollinating, which means the flowers on the plant produce and accept their own pollen. Others require pollen from a second plant, delivered either by the breeze or the bees. This can complicate seed-saving when related plants cross-pollinate, thereby affecting the seed crop.

In the garden, usually only plants of the same species can cross-pollinate. If you grow several varieties of a species, cover selected plants, or individual flowers, to prevent cross-pollination. For wind-pollinated crops, such as beets, chard, corn, and spinach, use muslin or spun-bonded polypropylene to keep away the tiny grains of pollen. For insect-pollinated crops, such as broccoli, carrots, or squash, cheesecloth will keep the bugs away from the flowers.

Once you cover plants that are normally pollinated by insects, you become responsible for their pollination. They can be hand-pollinated by gently stroking flowers with a fine artist's paintbrush.

The process becomes simpler if you grow only one variety of each plant, or if you don't mind the effects of crossing two cultivars.

Often a cross between two types, say of tomatoes or carrots, doesn't result in any tremendous surprises. But let two cultivars of the species Cucurbita pepopumpkins, zucchini, scallop, crooknecks, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and some gourdsmingle, and you could find some real oddballs in next year's pumpkin patch.

Understanding Free Seeds

Compared to the overall cost of gardening, seed is really a bargain. But why pay for them when they are all around you for free? If you have plants, you have seeds. You should know, however, that seeds from hybrid plants don't produce plants just like their parents. Hybrids are the result of cross-fertilization between two or more species. Open-pollinated plants, on the other hand, are fertilized naturally"in the open"and are likely to produce offspring similar to the parent plant. If you plan to collect seed for future seasons' plantings, you will have better results if you choose seeds or plants that are labelled "open-pollinated" or ''OP" in a catalog or nursery.

The seed-saving process is simple and basically the same for all seed-bearing plants.

Annuals are the easiest plants from which to collect seed. Start with them if you are new to the practice. Many perennials are also easy to propagate from seed. Since biennials don't flower or set seed until their second year, they may require protection over the winter to stay alive long enough to yield seed.

Step 1: Let one or more plants of a chosen variety go to seed. First the plant must flower, then fruit, such as a tomato, pea-pod, rose-hip, apple, or seed head will form. Leave on the plant until it is past ripe or about to fall off.

Step 2: Pick fruit or seed head. Remove seeds.

Step 3: Dry seeds thoroughly before packaging in envelopes or airtight containers.

Step 4: Label and store seeds in a cool, dry place.

Step 5: When ready to use, test seeds for germination.

Step 6: Sow.

What to Look for in Used Gardening Tools?

Ask yourself some general questions when looking at a used machine. Does it appear to have been well-maintained? Is it reasonably clean? Ask the seller to check the oil, and other applicable fluids or lubrication points. This will show you if the machine is currently in good condition. Also if a seller is not familiar enough with the machine to do this for you, he probably didn't perform routine maintenance. Ask for a "test drive." Evaluate how easily it starts, how comfortable it is for you to use, and how efficient the machine is for the type of job you have at home. Ask where you can take the machine for servicing, if necessary. This applies for new or used equipment, since not all places that sell garden equipment service what they sell. For specific tools, new or used, look for the following characteristics.

Chipper/shredders. Consider maneuverability, balance, the clutch system, and ease of feeding material into it. You don't want to lift heavy materials or shovel loads over your head to use the machine. A grate to regulate the size of material as it comes out will eliminate running material through twice.

Rototillers. Rear-tine machines are generally the easiest for most people to operate. After test driving, does the machine leave a well-prepared, fluffy seed-bed?

Lawn mowers. Variable speed drive offers a choice of working conditions, which is valuable because grass and mowing conditions vary. Opt for a mulching type of lawn mower if possible. Not only are they the most efficient, but they also are the most environmentally responsible. If looking at self-propelled mowers, try to find one with at least a five-horsepower motor. For the difference in price, it will last a lot longer than a smaller engine. For machines with baggers, test the bag. Look for ease of handling, removing, and emptying when full. If your yard is fairly even and free of debris, consider a push-reel mower.

String Trimmers. Try one long enough to determine if it is comfortable for you to use. Is it well balanced or too heavy? Correctly match the machine to your job at home. For grass edging, a small, curve-shaft trimmer should suffice. A mid-size trimmer will be more effective for weeds, but clearing the back forty acres may require a heavy-duty, two-handled model.

Hedge Trimmers. Make sure the tool can be sharpened; many cannot. Consider how much it weighs. Is it too heavy for you to operate comfortably for extended periods of time?

Leaf Blowers. Air speed and the volume of air the machine moves are equally important. Check the consistency of the sweep. Does it move material equally well at the edges and the center? If the machine has a vacuum attachment make sure material is not forced back through the fan blades.

What to Ask about Used Equipment

The gamble of buying used equipment is you may just be getting someone else's headache. Without being too intrusive, you may want to approach this by asking if the seller still plans to garden. If so, then either the equipment no longer suits his purposes, or the gardener's sick of it!

Get as much information as possible from the seller about a piece of equipment you're considering buying. Following are some good questions to ask.

1. What is the make, model, and year of the machine? A used machine may have a warranty in effect.
2. What was the maintenance schedule?
3. Has the machine been adjusted or repaired?
4. Where can you take the machine for service when needed?
5. Why is the equipment for sale? (You may even get an honest answer.)

After you have gleaned as much information as possible from the seller, call a local dealer. Grill the dealer for information, especially on potential problems of that particular machine. Ask about specific things to look for in a used model.

Buying New or Used Gardening Tools

If you have a Sunday newspaper handy, check the classified ads for used gardening equipment. From chippers to string trimmers, used equipment is a respectable market. Also look at yard sales and estate sales for used equipment.

When should you consider buying used equipment? The answer is if you are in the market for an item, and you find that the same investment will buy a better quality used machine than a new one. This is not all that unusual. Ask why the equipment is for sale. Two common reasons are the owner has either given up on gardening, or has purchased a more advanced model of machinery. Neither means there is anything necessarily wrong with the machine for sale.

NEW
Advantages
Warranty.
Broad choice of machines and
options.
No wear on working parts.
Clean and shiny. Looks great.
Service available when needed.

Disadvantages
Expensive.


USED
Advantage
Cheaper.

Disadvantages
No warranty.
May be worn out.
May need repairs.
Will have to find someone to
service it.