Save, store and test suitable seeds

When to do it

At seed maturity, then before relying on an old seed packet.

What you need

• Paper bags and labels
• Dry trays
• Sealed storage container
• Moist paper for a germination test

How to do it

1. Start with a correctly identified healthy open-pollinated crop that is simple to save, such as peas or beans. Hybrids and cross-pollinating crops may not reproduce the parent; use fresh known seed for cucurbits if parentage is uncertain.
2. Let selected pods mature and dry on the plant when conditions permit. Collect before they split, keeping varieties separate.
3. Shell and dry seeds thoroughly in an airy shaded place. Label species, variety, date and origin, then store dry and cool in a sealed container. Do not eat treated seed.
4. To test an older batch, place a counted sample, for example ten seeds, on damp paper in a ventilated or loosely enclosed container at the crop’s germination conditions.
5. Keep moist and count normal seedlings over the expected period. Record the proportion germinated; a small sample is an estimate. Sow within the correct window and replace a weak batch if reliability matters.

What success looks like

• Stored seed stays dry and its identity is clear.
• A test produces a recorded germination estimate.

Watch out for

• Sealing damp seed.
• Expecting every saved seed to be true to type.

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