Once upon a time it was a fairly common practice for gardeners to save seed from year to year. This was done more out of necessity more than some thing to keep idle minds and hands busy. The modern horticultural age of F1 hybridizing has pretty much seen the end of successful seed saving. However in this new age of back to basics practical gardening and heirloom veggies filling spaces in many home gardens, so to has seed saving come back in vogue.

Why would you save seed you may ask? Simple. There is of coarse and obvious economic saving. If you save seeds from year to year there is no need to re buy seed packets or new seedlings. Also this practice allows you to save heirloom varieties. Some of these have been handed down from generation to generation. Saving seeds can also save plant species on the brink of extension. You can look no further on this than our native ash trees threatened by the introduced Asian Emerald Ash Borer.

I recently had the chance to have a chat with Mary Myer the interim director of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. She explained the University of Minnesota is actively collecting ash seed and storing the seeds in a gene seed bank as a "just in case program". This seed bank will allow the State to re introduce species native ash down the road if the need arises.

Seed collecting is in practice extremely easy to do and just about any seed can be saved. However before you start you'll need a quick 101 on the birds and the bees.

Seeds from Hybrid plants (F1 Hybrids, the horticultural practice of crossing specific plant parents this definition is usually on the plant tag), are usually sterile or seeds from their off spring will not be true to the parent plants. These seeds should be avoided if possible.
So what plants can you save seed from? Standard or heirloom varieties make good candidates. Many gardeners save beans, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and squash. These are all good to try for the novice seed saver.

Always harvest from healthy plants and always harvest mature seed. Wet seeds or seeds from fleshy pods like squash and tomatoes will have to be dried first before storing. Storing can be achieved easily in an air tight jar. Don't forget to label. All seed should be used the following season for best germination.

Not only is seed saving fun and gratifying with lots of rewards, it also adds new meaning to the phrase..... Knowing where your food comes from!