Open-Pollinated vs. Hybridized Seeds

Above, I briefly mentioned open-pollinated plants, which differ from hybridized seeds. Both seeds are useful and provide delicious fruits and vegetables. Still, it would be best to collect only from open-pollinated varieties when it comes to saving seeds. Open-pollinated seed plants are the ones that are going to be pollinated by bees, butterflies, or even the wind. These plants are going to produce seeds that are hereditarily consistent with their parents, meaning you could expect an offspring similar in shape and flavor. Plants in nature function this way and optimally provide the best seeds for their climate to ensure their longterm survival. 

Seed companies breed hybridized plants to possess favorable traits specific to modern agriculture, and not general resilience. By choosing particular characteristics from the parents (like fruit size, uniformity, storage length, etc.), growers spend years breeding the plants to pass the traits along to the offspring. Growing seeds collected from a hybridized plant may not produce fruits or vegetables similar to the parents. Instead, that genetic lottery may yield features closer to that of the grandparent varieties. And these plants often don't have many favorable characteristics, meaning you run the risk of your collected seeds resulting in weak or ill-producing crops.

Ultimately, both seeds work for your garden, but it's best to only collect from non-hybridized plants for the next year.

Dry Seed Storing

Peppers need to remain on the vine to ripen fully. Once it begins to wrinkle, you know you can harvest the pepper for seeds. No fermentation required. Simply cut the pepper and remove the seeds. Finally, spread them out flat and leave them until dry.

Peas and beans also need to be left to ripen on the plant until the very end. Wait until the pods have begun to brown, and the seeds rattle. Remove the pods from the plant, but let the seeds continue to dry indoors for an additional two weeks before shelling.

Now not all pods will remain in perfect form for you to harvest. If you have a plant with seed pods that are prone to bursting before you can gather the seed, consider tying a paper bag around the plant. When it is time, the pods will break into your container, making it easier for harvest.

Check For Seed Maturity Often

Once you start harvesting seeds, be sure to check back every couple of days to ensure you are catching plants at peak maturity. Every day you wait, the better chance an insect or animal will get to it before you. Collect from your healthiest plants with only the ripest fruits and vegetables. Avoid any cracked seed hulls because these will not last.

How Do I Know When a Seed Is Ready?

Not every plant produces seeds yearly. Before looking at when to harvest your seeds, begin by asking yourself whether your plant will go to seed this season. 

The Importance of Labelling

Regardless of what seeds you are harvesting, label your packages first before storing a crop. Labeling cannot be stressed enough, because once the seeds are out and dried, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify them. Telling a pepper from a bean is easy enough, but brassica seeds are a different story. Consider labeling packets with details that may help you next year. By keeping track of the type of fruit or vegetable and variety, you will remember which were your favorite foods.