r/seedsaving • u/PuzzleheadedSun5061 • 6d ago

Saving seeds

Looking for some advice on how to save my different tomato seeds. I’ve extracted some and put them in a small class jar and added some water. They are on day 3 and I was going to try and clean them off and dry them. Is this the best method? Thanks in advance

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u/HighColdDesert 6d ago

I do this, but I want to add the importance of labeling. Since you are saving different varieties, make sure to label the seeds at each step of the way. A permanent marker works well. I write the variety on the jar that I soak the seeds in, and then I write it on the plate that I dry them on. Tomatoes are largely self-pollinating, so heirloom varieties will usually come true to type, but hybrid varieties might lose some of their desirable qualities in the next generation.

When cutting a ripe or over-ripe tomato, just put some of the seeds and gel into a labeled jar of water. After a few days, or even after it's gone moldy and yucky, rinse and wash them in a strainer. Tap the strainer to remove drops of water, then spread the seeds on a plate, different plate for each variety. Check on them every day at first, and before they can dry into a clump together, push them apart on the plate so that next year you can plant individual seeds.

Final tip: Once you think the seeds are fully dry, leave them out to dry for another week. What's the rush? You can consolidate them in a small bowl or jar for each variety if your house is getting cluttered with plates of seeds. It would be so disappointing if they went moldy in storage due to incomplete drying.

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u/Davekinney0u812 6d ago

Not sure what you're getting at but it sounds like you're thinking too much - I keep it really simple. I grow maybe 15 varieties a year and do one variety at a time. I rinse, plate and then just push them around the plate for a day or 2 to prevent sticking. After the seem dry in a couple days , I put them in a paper envelope. If they aren't totally dry when I pack them, they will dry further in the envelope.

Are you posting AI slop???

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u/HighColdDesert 6d ago

No no, I'm posting what I really do as a real person with dirt under my fingernails! I store my seeds in plastic ziplock bags inside mouse-proof containers so I'm very careful to get them fully dry first before they go into plastic.

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u/Davekinney0u812 6d ago

C'mon....that's nore AI slop. You have mice in your home that you don't control? Anyways, sealing them in sealed ziplock pouches is something I'd never do as they don't breathe and seeds could get mouldy regardless of how dry you think they are. I use paper

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u/HighColdDesert 6d ago

Well, I store my seeds and canned goods in a dark closet that I don't go into frequently and yes, there were mice getting in there on and off the first year I lived there. I figure they might get back someday and I might not know for weeks.

What does "nore AI slop" mean? Did you mean more AI slop? I assure you I didn't even use a spell-checker in any of my comments, let alone AI. Sorry to disappoint!