Saving seeds - late

[Wi-sunflower]

This isn't my recommended time or method, BUT, if you missed getting seeds from some tomato that you really want seeds from, don't give up until the old plants are in the compost or plowed under.

For the last 2 years now, we got snow and other ugly weather before I had picked all the tomatoes I wanted seeds from. But around February, we usually get a warm spell that melts off the snow for a while. 2 weeks ago we picked up 25 varieties I hadn't been able to get and this week another 6.

As I process my seeds out in an unheated barn, I need to do that on days when the temp is around 30* or above. Yes it's cold, but I finished up all the seeds this afternoon.

Now the seed collected this way is NOT any seed that I trade or sell because the germination rate will only be in the 20-25% area. Not good at all. BUT last year I managed to save a couple of varieties that I would not be able to replace, even from here.

Even at 20% germination, 1/4 oz or more of seed will give several hundred or more transplants so you will be able to grow it again and hopefully save proper seeds the next year.

I know there are some other problems doing it this way, but as a last resort, it's better than nothing.

Carol

[kygreg]

Thats interesting and good information. Thanks

[Ruth_10]

That's a good idea. How are you processing them? Just collecting the seeds?

Judging by the bloom of volunteer tomato seedlings I get in the spring, those old, dried out, faded ghosts of past tomatoes do a pretty good job of keeping their seeds viable.

[Wi-sunflower]

Hi Ruth,

After picking up the old dried up mumified shells of the tomatoes, I do process then as soon as I can. I was in a bit of a hurry when I made that first post as Hubby asked me to do something right after I started the post.

The tomatoes will sit out in the barn in bags with the variety name on them. Depending on the weather, I sometimes can't work on them for a week or 2. The temp needs to be close to if not above freezing as I process with a lot of water and I'm working without heat at all. Just well dressed for cold.

I process out in the barn because we have a larger 3 bottom sink that drains directly into the cow gutter. When I've done a bit of processing in the house, my sink drains get clogged up even if I try to catch most of the crud.

Basically I dump a variety into a 6 gal bucket, 1/2 fill with water and mix with a drill and a "paint mixer" attachment. Mix well, fill with more water, dump out and catch thru a sieve the first time. Put back into bucket and repeat the mixing. This time tho, after the mixing, let the seeds settle for about 20-30 seconds and then carefully pour of most of the water and crud.

This is the same method I use for my fresh saves except that after the first mix on the dried tomatoes, I usually don't need to use the drill any more for seperating the seeds from the crud. The pressure of the water coming out of the hose does a decent job of mixing everything up. Keep repeating the water mix, settle, pour off crud till you have mostly just the seeds in the bottom.

Then I add about a cup +- of bleach to a 1/2 gal +- of water and let the seeds sit in that for a few minutes to sanitize from any seed borne diseases. Add more water to rinse a time or 2 more and dump thru a sieve. Rinse off with some more water to flush out any sand, dirt or small weed seeds that may still be there. Dump onto a labeled saving plate.

I used to use paper or plastic plates when I was saving small quantities of seed and that worked OK. But when I started doing larger amounts, the seeds held too much water and I lost some to sprouting before they dried.

So I have made some "drip-thru" plates out of replacement plastic screening and the largest "caulk backing" foam "rope" I can find. I cut the rope and hot glue it into a circle. Then I cut a square of the screening to fit the circle and hot glue it to the rope circle. I have about 50 of them in assorted sizes now and I haven't lost any seeds since I made them.

It takes me about an hour or more to process a 5 gallon bucket of fresh tomatoes and I'll usually get at least an ounce of seed +- depending on how seedy a variety is. It will take me only about a 1/2 hour to process a variety of the old dried tomatoes. I will usually only have about 1/3 or less of a plastic grocery type bag but a lot of dried tomatoes fit in there and you will get a surprising amount of seed from them IF most of the husks aren't broken.

My germination rate on fresh processed tomatoes has been in the 90-100% rate the last couple of years. Doing these dried tomatoes last year, the germination rate was only 25% at best and the worst variety was only about 10%. I haven't tested this year's yet as they are all still drying. I'm sure the number of freeze / thaw cycles and how much snow was on and off of them will affect the germination.

Some of the other downsides of doing this is the fact that you have to have stuff well marked so you can find those you want. A few of my markers this year had broken or the cards had been torn off.

The other thing is that unless you have been monitoring the tomatoes as they were growing, you won't know when you pick up the dried husks if they are the RIGHT tomato for that variety. About the best you will be able to determine is if a small variety isn't or if a big variety isn't.You have to know what you have been doing during the year.

As I said in the beginning, this late saved seed isn't what I would use for trades or definately for selling. But last year I was able to save a couple of varieties that are no longer in catalogs at all. I grew out plenty of plants and saved a decent amount of good seed this fall.

This all happened because with selling for markets, the fall can be a busy time for me and it can be hard to find enough time and energy to collect all the seeds I really want before the weather gets really ugly here.

I turned 60 this month and have arthritus and mild fibromyalgia so some days are really achy and hard to work up enough ambitition to go out in the cold. But since hubby lost his job over a year ago, we have had to make the farm work for us more than we had to before. The seeds are becoming a bigger part of that.

Carol

[Ruth_10]

Carol, thanks for the reply. As someone who harvests her carrots just before the heavy freezes set in, I know what you mean about working with cold water.

Your method is a great way to make the best of a bad situation, i.e., rescuing some viable seed from an otherwise irreplaceable variety.