Since lockdown is over but level 3 continues, now is the perfect time to start a small garden to produce your own fruit and veggies; and there is no better way to do this then to stay at home and use the seeds you can get from the fruit itself.
If you have a tomato or any fruit in your fridge that you want to grow, then saving seeds from already ripe fruit is perfect for you.
What is saving seeds?
Saving seeds is when you collect the seeds from ripe fruit and save them and then plant them to cultivate a new crop. Not many people realize that they can use the seeds right from the fruit they have in their kitchen instead of going out and buying seeds.
However, before you start the process, make sure your fruit is healthy and disease free so that they grow effect and healthy plants.
What can I save?
Peppers, beans, peas, tomatoes, squash, Radish, Spinach, Asparagus, melons, watermelon, cucumber, lemon, orange and many more.
How do you save seeds?
The process varies slightly with each different fruit and vegetable but the steps are mostly the same.
Step 1: Start off with a ripe fruit or vegetable and extract the seeds by scooping them out with a spoon and putting them in a bowl.
Step 2: Put seeds on a paper plate
Step 3: Separate the seeds out of the pulp if the seeds come in a fruit or veggie with pulp. An example of this tomato seeds. Leave the seeds on the paper plate and leave drying in a warm dry spot. Do not put in direct sunlight.
Step 4: Once your seeds are dry you can store them in a glass jar or container with a tight lid. Store the jar or container in a dark, dry place so the seeds aren’t stimulated by light and begin to germinate. Label your seeds so you can keep track of the different types you have dried out.
Step 5: When the fruit or vegetable is in season, plant the seeds. Remember different fruit and veggies have different planting seasons.
