saving tomato seeds ??
 

FamilyNet Newsgate

What is the most productive method of saving tomato
seeds from this years crop for next year's planting please ?

Ciao, Ack.

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THURSTON ACKERMAN wrote:

FamilyNet Newsgate

What is the most productive method of saving tomato
seeds from this years crop for next year's planting please ?

Ciao, Ack.


Squeeze the juice and seeds from a tomato or two into a jar or custard
cup. Cover loosely to reduce evaporation. Let the tomato juice rot for
a couple of weeks (it will be really nasty). Wash the seeds in a
fine-mesh tea strainer, and dry on a piece of filter paper or a paper
towel. When completely dry, transfer to a little envelope and mark with
the year and the variety.

Or, just leave some rotten tomatoes on the ground in your garden and the
tomatoes will come up on their own next year :-)

Bob

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...

What is the most productive method of saving tomato
seeds from this years crop for next year's planting please ?

Squeeze the juice and seeds from a tomato or two into a jar or custard
cup. Cover loosely to reduce evaporation. Let the tomato juice rot for a
couple of weeks (it will be really nasty). Wash the seeds in a fine-mesh
tea strainer, and dry on a piece of filter paper or a paper towel. When
completely dry, transfer to a little envelope and mark with the year and
the variety.

??? I just scrape some seeds out and wrap them in a paper towel for a week.
By then they're dry enough to store in an envelope.

THURSTON ACKERMAN wrote:
FamilyNet Newsgate

What is the most productive method of saving tomato
seeds from this years crop for next year's planting please ?



Remove seeds from tomato. Add water. Let sit for a few days to a week.
The resulting fermentation will remove the gelatinous covering of the
tomato seeds and make them easier to handle. It will not damage the
seeds. When it gets pretty scummy looking, dump them into a strainer and
wash them off. Then put them on a paper towel to dry. Don't forget to
label them.

StanB wrote:
"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...


What is the most productive method of saving tomato
seeds from this years crop for next year's planting please ?


Squeeze the juice and seeds from a tomato or two into a jar or custard
cup. Cover loosely to reduce evaporation. Let the tomato juice rot for a
couple of weeks (it will be really nasty). Wash the seeds in a fine-mesh
tea strainer, and dry on a piece of filter paper or a paper towel. When
completely dry, transfer to a little envelope and mark with the year and
the variety.


??? I just scrape some seeds out and wrap them in a paper towel for a week.
By then they're dry enough to store in an envelope.


That will work too, but the fermentation kills wilt bacteria (etc.) that
may be on the seeds, and it's supposed to increase germination.

Bob

".....What is the most productive method of saving tomato
seeds from this years crop for next year's planting please ? ..."

When I was young we would just squeeze the seed and pulp onto a sheet of
newspaper, let it dry then fold and store.
When it came to planting we would sow with paper still on, that saved having
to space the seed.


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

David Hill wrote:
...When I was young we would just squeeze the seed and pulp onto a sheet of
newspaper, let it dry then fold and store.
When it came to planting we would sow with paper still on, that saved having
to space the seed...



Nothing wrong with planting the newspaper along with the seed. However,
unless you put the tomato seeds onto the newspaper to dry at wide spaced
intervals you will be planting a clump of tomatoes. Tomatoes should
probably be more than 18" apart (depending on variety). Also, a typical
tomato produces far more seeds than the average home gardener wants. By
separating the seeds you can plant just what you need and save the rest
for future years. I generally mix several years worth of saved seed when
starting tomatoes, just in case the most recent year's crop has a problem.

Tomatoes benefit from early starting and transplanting. By starting the
saved seeds indoors you can get your tomatoes earlier. You can also
select the strongest seedlings to plant. I generally transplant my
tomatoes 3 times: seeding into a flat tray, transplanting into a 1"
cell, then transplanting into a 4" pot, then transplanting into the
field. The weaker tomato plants are discarded at each step. (I get
tomatoes from my compost pile also, where the discards go).

dps replied
"........Nothing wrong with planting the newspaper along with the seed.
However, unless you put the tomato seeds onto the newspaper to dry at wide
spaced intervals you will be planting a clump of tomatoes. Tomatoes should
probably be more than 18" apart (depending on variety). .........."

Here in the UK we have to start our tomatoes in seed trays so seed spacing
of half an inch is ample. Seeds move around easily when they are first put
onto the paper, and you can always cut the paper
--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...

??? I just scrape some seeds out and wrap them in a paper towel for a
week. By then they're dry enough to store in an envelope.


That will work too, but the fermentation kills wilt bacteria (etc.) that
may be on the seeds, and it's supposed to increase germination.

An easy way to increase germination is to save more seeds.