Do you plan to save your seeds next season?
As our reference, we have used “How to save your own seeds” (available at GDDPC, 20$), because it’s really nicely made for both beginners and more advanced seed savers. Explanations, distance requirements and instructions are included to guide you in this rewarding activity. You will help preserve biodiversity, control your food supply, exchange your seeds with others and save money on your future orders of seeds!
To be able to successfully save seeds, you have to follow some simple rules. You need heirloom or heritage seeds which will produce exactly the same fruits or vegetables as their parents. Those terms mean they were not pollinated by other varieties for 50 years or more. Saving seeds is also possible with open-pollinated seeds which is the path to heirloom. You will find those specific terms on the package or on the producer’s website. You will find many who offer a wide choice of variety.
It's important to respect a distance between varieties, for example, if you plant tomatoes, you need to have 5 meters (15 feet) between varieties.
We have made cards to start your “production” of seeds. You can start seed saving with one or two vegetables and as you get more comfortable, you could add more the next year. These cards are just a brief overview of the more detailed explanations in “How to save your own seeds” compiled and published by Seeds of Diversity Canada.
| Card List | |||||
| Annual Vegetables | Biennials Vegetables | Technical information | |||
| 1 | Pea | 30 | Onion, Leek, Fennel | 100 | Cleaning your Seeds with screens |
| 2 | Chickpea | 31 | Carrot | 101 | Cleaning your seeds with wind column |
| 3 | Beans, Cowpea | 32 | Broccoli, Cabbage, etc… | 102 | Overwintering Biennials |
| 4 | Lettuce | 33 | Turnip, Rutabaga | ||
| 5 | Spinach | 34 | Parsnip | Grains | |
| 6 | Orache | 35 | Celery, Celeriac | ||
| 7 | Arugula | 36 | Beet, Swiss chard | 70 | Wheat |
| 8 | Sorrel | 37 | Daikon | 71 | Oats |
| 9 | Mustard | 38 | Salsify, scorzonera | 72 | Barley |
| 10 | Asparagus | 39 | Chicorée, Endive, curled, scarole | 73 | Rye |
| 11 | Radish | de Verone, Radicchio | 74 | Buckwheat | |
| 12 | Tomato | 75 | Sorghum | ||
| 13 | Tomatillo | Herbs | 76 | Quinoa | |
| 14 | Pepper | 77 | Lentils | ||
| 15 | Eggplant | 50 | Dill | 78 | Rice |
| 16 | Ground Cherry | 51 | Basil | ||
| 17 | Gumbo (Okra) | 52 | Chive | ||
| 18 | Watermelon | 53 | Coriander | ||
| 19 | Melon, Cantaloupe, | 54 | Parsley | ||
| Muskmelon, Honeydew, Casaba | |||||
| 20 | Cucumber | ||||
| 21 | Squash | ||||
| 22 | Gourd | ||||
| 23 | Amaranth | ||||
| 24 | Peanut | ||||
| 25 | Corn | ||||
| * | perennial plant |
| Flowers | |||
| 200 | Flowers in the garden | ||
| 201 | Stocks | B | |
| 202 | Sweet Pea | A | |
| 203 | Poppy | A | |
| 204 | Canna | A | |
| 205 | Pansy | A,B.P | |
| 206 | Snapdragon | A,P | |
| 207 | Petunia | A | |
| 208 | Calendula | A | |
| 209 | Dahlia | A | |
| 210 | Tobacco | A | |
| 211 | Pincushion | A | |
| 212 | Cosmos | A | |
| 213 | Marigold | A | |
| 214 | Cockscomb | A | |
| 215 | Love in the Mist | A | |
| 216 | Salvia / Sage | A | |
| 217 | Moonflower | A | |
| 218 | Tassel | A | |
| 219 | Nasturtium | A | |
| 220 | Four O'Clocks | A | |
| 221 | Morning Glory | A | |
| 222 | Celosia | A | |
| 223 | Spider Flower | A | |
| 224 | Carnation | P | |
| 225 | Hollyhocks | B | |
| 226 | Zinnia | A | |
| 227 | Castor Bean | A | |
| 228 | Sunflower | A | |
| A = Annual, B = Biennal, P= Perennial | |||
| Ressources: Seed to Seed; www.seedsavers.org, Suzanne Ashworth; The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds, Rober Gough and | |||
| Cheryl Moore-Gough; www.victoryseeds.com, Joshua Fietz; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Seeds of Diversity Canada; www.seeds.ca | |||
