Where whimsy, art and heirloom seeds grow together...
Illustrator & Author Rebecca Stouffer
Seed Saving Tips
from Wild Green Onion
While there is no way to cover all seed saving tips for the different varieties, I have tried to touch upon a few of the more difficult ones. Also, I will try to have more general seed saving tips on the heirloom vegetables soon. This page will continue to grow!
Enjoy collecting & saving your own seeds!
Saving Tomato Seed...
Purple Coneflower 'Echinacea purpurea'
It was an epiphany when I finally realized what these seeds looked like and how to find them! It's no wonder that goldfinch with their sharp beaks are usually the benefactors of the herb seedheads in wintertime.
Step 1: Wait until the flower heads (spikes) turn almost black in color.
Step 2: With gloved hands take your thumb and rub the blackened spikes. Once you get some of the chaff and seeds to fall away, you should be able to easily remove all the seeds away from the cone. See picture 2.
Step 3: Picture 3 shows the difference between the light colored, triangular seeds on top and the darker brown loose chaff on the bottom.
Step 4: Lay the seeds on a plate to completely dry, then put in a glass jar and store in a dark cool place.
Golden Marguerite 'Anthemis tinctoria'
Tiny, oh so tiny are some seeds! This is a variety that is hard to tell what's seed and what's chaff... I finally discovered the truth.
Step 1: Wait until the flower heads dry completely. They will be a dark brown color.
Step 2: Probably the easiest way to collect the seed is to cut the individual seed heads off. See picture 2.
Step 3: Picture 3 shows the difference between the seed and chaff. A few of the triangular seeds have been separated to the left of the mixed seed and chaff pile. Since it's nearly impossible to separate the two, simply rub the seedhead to remove both and don't bother separating. The chaff will not interfere with germination.
Step 4: Lay the seeds on a plate to completely dry, then put in a glass jar and store in a dark cool place.