Newbie question on seed saving.

Karrr_Luda · May 4, 2015

I have a small garden where all my tomato varieties grow together, and when I save seeds from my good tasting tomatoes, I assume, most will be crosses and will be very different from the original tomatoes. So that makes my seeds not suitable for sharing? Unless I do some hand pollination manually and pray that particular fruit is not going to be eaten by woodchuck or squirrels? How do you save your seed and what result you have gotten from using your own saved (which wasn't hand pollinated) seed?

**Lee** · May 4, 2015

Tomatoes are self-pollinating.
Unless you have bees around during pollination, you will not get crossed varieties no matter how close they grow together.
I observe the pollinator activity in my garden and save seeds from fruit when pollinators are either not out or are visiting other sources of pollen.
This has been my recipe for successful seed saving.
If you have lots of pollinators, then you can use tulle bags to cover your flowers (before they open) to prevent crossing.

I would say my success rate is 99%+ with this method.

Good luck!

Lee

Karrr_Luda · May 4, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee

Tomatoes are self-pollinating.
Unless you have bees around during pollination, you will not get crossed varieties no matter how close they grow together.
I observe the pollinator activity in my garden and save seeds from fruit when pollinators are either not out or are visiting other sources of pollen.
This has been my recipe for successful seed saving.
If you have lots of pollinators, then you can use tulle bags to cover your flowers (before they open) to prevent crossing.

I would say my success rate is 99%+ with this method.

Good luck!

Lee

Thanks Lee, i do have a lot of bees (all kinds) and they love my tomatoes, flowers and herbs that grow everywhere, so I guess I need to get some tulle bags to get true to type tomatoes. I already saved many seeds (now plants) that I am planting out this week along with some originals, wonder what I'll get. (never shared those seeds with anyone though, and usually mark the plants as "...saved")

**carolyn137** · May 4, 2015

I'd like to give you two links that discuss the many variables that are involved in seed saving.

The first is a FAQ from Garden Web, now bought out by another company and I see there are a few pictures missing, but it's the article itself that I think is excellent. At the bottom of the article you'll see some user names you might recognize since they are here at Tville,

http://faq.gardenweb.com/discussions...ss-pollinating

The second link is to an article written by Dr. Jeff McCormack when he owned SESE and he discusses many more variables that can impact X pollination. I think some of his islolation distances are on the conservative side, but at the time he was producing seed for SESE so that makes sense to me.

http://www.southernexposure.com/isol...es-ezp-35.html

Hope that helps,

Carolyn

Karrr_Luda · May 4, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I'd like to give you two links that discuss the many variables that are involved in seed saving.

The first is a FAQ from Garden Web, now bought out by another company and I see there are a few pictures missing, but it's the article itself that I think is excellent. At the bottom of the article you'll see some user names you might recognize since they are here at Tville,

http://faq.gardenweb.com/discussions...ss-pollinating

The second link is to an article written by Dr. Jeff McCormack when he owned SESE and he discusses many more variables that can impact X pollination. I think some of his islolation distances are on the conservative side, but at the time he was producing seed for SESE so that makes sense to me.

http://www.southernexposure.com/isol...es-ezp-35.html

Hope that helps,

Carolyn

Thank you so much Carolyn! The first article grom Garden Web answers all my questions. And as you said, it is excellent and explains everything in great detail. The SESE article is fantastic source of information as well.

ermentrude · May 11, 2015

This is a fantastic post as I am equally new and asking the same question. The links were quite informative.

May 4, 2015	#1
Karrr_Luda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: USA NJ zone 6B Posts: 228	Newbie question on seed saving. I have a small garden where all my tomato varieties grow together, and when I save seeds from my good tasting tomatoes, I assume, most will be crosses and will be very different from the original tomatoes. So that makes my seeds not suitable for sharing? Unless I do some hand pollination manually and pray that particular fruit is not going to be eaten by woodchuck or squirrels? How do you save your seed and what result you have gotten from using your own saved (which wasn't hand pollinated) seed? __________________ (:>=

May 4, 2015	#2
Lee Tomatopalooza™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NC-Zone 7 Posts: 2,188	Tomatoes are self-pollinating. Unless you have bees around during pollination, you will not get crossed varieties no matter how close they grow together. I observe the pollinator activity in my garden and save seeds from fruit when pollinators are either not out or are visiting other sources of pollen. This has been my recipe for successful seed saving. If you have lots of pollinators, then you can use tulle bags to cover your flowers (before they open) to prevent crossing. I would say my success rate is 99%+ with this method. Good luck! Lee __________________ Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. Cuostralee - The best thing on sliced bread.

May 4, 2015	#4
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I'd like to give you two links that discuss the many variables that are involved in seed saving. The first is a FAQ from Garden Web, now bought out by another company and I see there are a few pictures missing, but it's the article itself that I think is excellent. At the bottom of the article you'll see some user names you might recognize since they are here at Tville, http://faq.gardenweb.com/discussions...ss-pollinating The second link is to an article written by Dr. Jeff McCormack when he owned SESE and he discusses many more variables that can impact X pollination. I think some of his islolation distances are on the conservative side, but at the time he was producing seed for SESE so that makes sense to me. http://www.southernexposure.com/isol...es-ezp-35.html Hope that helps, Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

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May 11, 2015	#6
ermentrude Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Charleston SC Posts: 34	This is a fantastic post as I am equally new and asking the same question. The links were quite informative.