Due to neglect, most of my "Sweet Million" toms have split.
They are very expensive, £2.99 for 15 seeds so I would like to save my own
for next year.

How can I do this easily and without too much mess?

Thanks.
Baz

HI Baz

Not sure if it's the right way - but what we always do is scoop out the
seeds and spread them on a piece of paper kitchen towel.
Leave the in the air to dry, write the variety alongside the seeds,
store until Spring!
Works for us g - has the benefit that if you buy some particularly
nice toms you can grow them yourself next year!

Adrian

Adrian Brentnall wrote in news:j4tbdj$ta5$1@dont-
email.me:

HI Baz

Not sure if it's the right way - but what we always do is scoop out the
seeds and spread them on a piece of paper kitchen towel.
Leave the in the air to dry, write the variety alongside the seeds,
store until Spring!
Works for us g - has the benefit that if you buy some particularly
nice toms you can grow them yourself next year!

Adrian

Thanks, Adrian,
I will be doing that today.

Baz

"Baz" wrote in message
...
Adrian Brentnall wrote in
news:j4tbdj$ta5$1@dont-
email.me:

HI Baz

Not sure if it's the right way - but what we always do is scoop out the
seeds and spread them on a piece of paper kitchen towel.
Leave the in the air to dry, write the variety alongside the seeds,
store until Spring!
Works for us g - has the benefit that if you buy some particularly
nice toms you can grow them yourself next year!

Adrian

Thanks, Adrian,
I will be doing that today.

Baz

Has worked for us as well for the last couple of years when we found a very
nice tom. There doesn't seem to be any deterioration in the quality or
flavour from seeds taken from seed the following year either :-))

Mike

--

....................................

Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.

....................................

On Sep 15, 5:15*pm, Baz wrote:
Due to neglect, most of my "Sweet Million" toms have split.
They are very expensive, 2.99 for 15 seeds so I would like to save my own
for next year.

How can I do this easily and without too much mess?

Thanks.
Baz

So long as they are NOT F1 hybrid you can. Wash and lay the seeds out
to dry on a bit of newspaper. Store in a paper bag somewhere dry.

Baz wrote:

How can I do this easily and without too much mess?

Here's what I do, and it's a variation on what's done commercially:

Scoop the pulp and seeds out of the tomatoes and mix with an equal volume
of water; put in a jar for 2 or 3 days (if longer, some varieties may start
to sprout). The pulp will start to ferment, which helps break down the gel
around the seeds. Swirl the and shake the jar, then let stand a few
minutes. The good seeds will sink to the bottom. Pour off the pulp and
crud and add some water. Repeat a few times and you should have nothing
but clean seeds on the bottom. Spread these out in a fine sieve to dry; a
small fan speeds things up. You can break the dry seeds apart by rubbing
with your fingers.
The whole process takes very little actual work time, and you get nice
clean non-messy seeds. The fermentation is believed to at least discourage
some disease organisms.

--
Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

Here is an informative link to saving seeds generally.

How To Save Seed

adam-alexander wrote in
:


Here is an informative link to saving seeds generally.

'How To Save Seed' (http://tinyurl.com/36xgsl)



Thanks for the link. Save a small fortune and give some away as well.

If it works as nicely as it appears to, I wonder how the lots of seed
companies survive! No wonder they have to charge a fortune for theirs.

Thanks again
Baz

"Baz" wrote in message
...
adam-alexander wrote in
:


Here is an informative link to saving seeds generally.

'How To Save Seed' (http://tinyurl.com/36xgsl)



Thanks for the link. Save a small fortune and give some away as well.

If it works as nicely as it appears to, I wonder how the lots of seed
companies survive! No wonder they have to charge a fortune for theirs.

Thanks again
Baz

Same with us with Bay, Holly, Lily of the Valley and lots of shrubs and
hedge plants. Perhaps we should go into business and charge a fortune as
well.

Mike


--

....................................

Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.

....................................

On Fri, 16 Sep 2011 07:20:31 +0000, adam-alexander
Gary Woods;936621 Wrote:
Baz wrote:

of water; put in a jar for 2 or 3 days (if longer, some varieties may
start to sprout). The pulp will start to ferment, which helps break down the
gel


Just back from Harrogate Show. spoke to the gent from the heritage
seed bank, he had a display on just how to save Tomato seed, using
just this method, but he suggest a longer time in water, past the
mouldy stage, properly seven days in water. This he said can be of
benefit.
(Did ask if he had any Sacha's ' Jersey Gold', but no luck )

Sacha wrote:
Just back from Harrogate Show. spoke to the gent from the heritage
seed bank, he had a display on just how to save Tomato seed, using
just this method, but he suggest a longer time in water, past the
mouldy stage, properly seven days in water. This he said can be of
benefit.

Isn't 7 days going to make them sprout?

(Did ask if he had any Sacha's ' Jersey Gold', but no luck )
I sent them some two or three years ago so either it failed or they're
not selling it yet.

My label says Jersey Sunrise, not Jersey Gold. Are there 2 varieties, or
have I mislabelled?

Sacha wrote:
This is what I do - probably learned from urg! - and it works well. I
don't bother with the fan but just leave them to dry in the sieve
overnight and rest the sieve on some paper towel to absorb moisture. So
far, so good.

My dad always just dries his out on kitchen roll, doesn't seem to have had
any problems with it.

wrote in message
...
Sacha wrote:
This is what I do - probably learned from urg! - and it works well. I
don't bother with the fan but just leave them to dry in the sieve
overnight and rest the sieve on some paper towel to absorb moisture. So
far, so good.

My dad always just dries his out on kitchen roll, doesn't seem to have had
any problems with it.


This is what we do. Highly recommend the method.

Mike

--

....................................

Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.

....................................

On 18/09/2011 02:05, wrote:
wrote:
This is what I do - probably learned from urg! - and it works well. I
don't bother with the fan but just leave them to dry in the sieve
overnight and rest the sieve on some paper towel to absorb moisture. So
far, so good.

My dad always just dries his out on kitchen roll, doesn't seem to have had
any problems with it.

That is what I've just done with my tomato seeds. However, a number of
them tend to stick to the paper and are a bugger to remove without
tearing the paper.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

On 18/09/2011 09:47, David in Normandy wrote:
On 18/09/2011 02:05, wrote:
wrote:
This is what I do - probably learned from urg! - and it works well. I
don't bother with the fan but just leave them to dry in the sieve
overnight and rest the sieve on some paper towel to absorb moisture. So
far, so good.

My dad always just dries his out on kitchen roll, doesn't seem to have
had
any problems with it.

That is what I've just done with my tomato seeds. However, a number of
them tend to stick to the paper and are a bugger to remove without
tearing the paper.

Why bother removing them from the paper...?
Just fold the whole thing up & keep it 'til next planting season -
then simply cut out the little square of paper with the seed attached &
plant it. Simples! g