Instructions on saving tomato seeds

[BestoFour]

Help.

[MinnMike]

Look on youtube, thats where I found a lot of info. It's actually pretty easy. First squeeze the seeds and jell into a jar then add water and shake it up, cover and let it ferment for a few days to a week shaking it now and then, it will look nasty but don't worry,seeds will settle to the bottom, carefully pour mold and as much juice as you can off and add more water "rinse and repeat" when rinsed clean pour them out on a coffee filter spread them out and let them dry--easy peasy !

[spuds]

Aug 1, 2014 16:29:59 GMT -6 BestoFour said:

Help.

I squeeze out the seeds,clean them under running water gently in a small wire collander,then put them on a napkin to dry.

When I plant I tear off a couple seeds still attached to napkin,and plant that seed side up.Have had great success with that method.

[spuds]

howtosaveseeds.com/index.php

Tomatoes

Lycopersicon lycopersicum

Almost all modern tomatoes can be safely grown without isolation and will not cross—'currant' tomatoes (such as Cherry Tomatoes), and 'potato-leafed' tomatoes (such as Brandywine) are possible exceptions and may cross other currant or potato-leaf varieties. Grow as many standard tomatoes as desired, but grow only one currant tomato or one potato-leaf tomato at a time to ensure purity (or cage them, or separate varieties by 500 feet). Currant and potato-leaf tomatoes will not usually cross with common tomato varieties.

It's best to not plant all a valuable variety's seeds in one season until you are sure it doesn't cross with any other varieties you grow.

Allow tomatoes to ripen thoroughly on their vines to at least the eating stage before harvesting them to collect their seeds. Upon harvesting, tomato seeds are best fermented in order to remove a germination-inhibiting gel which covers the seeds, and to kill diseases. In nature, fermentation of fallen ripe fruits removes this gel, and this process is imitated when preparing tomato seeds. See Fermenting Seeds and follow the directions.

If fermenting tomato seeds seems too much trouble, they will still germinate if the slippery gel surrounding the seeds is carefully rubbed off while you're cleaning them. Seeds treated this way will germinate, but they will not have had the protection of the fermentation process killing disease organisms. If you noticed any problems with your plants (leaves spotting or dying, inexplicable wilting, etc.), the extra trouble of fermentation will be well worth the effort.

Dry your tomato seeds on a piece of glass or a shiny plate—the wet seeds will stick to paper and be difficult to remove without damaging them.

Tomato seeds will store safely for 4 or more years after being properly dried and stored.

Back to Top

[BestoFour]

thank you all. What about squash seeds? They don't have the gel stuff.

[BestoFour]

Read the link now I'm good to go with tomato and squash seeds.

[Wrennie]

I've never had much success with tomato seeds. Mebbe now I'll give it a try. Squash/pumpkin etc I find easy to save.
Haven't figured out lettuce yet.

[trudy]

at one time I had a photo of instructions on this, Phil may have deleted it by now, idk.

[w8in4dave]

Yea I remember. It's not that hard. I rinse mine in a wire colander kinda gently rub them to get the gunk off then lay them out to dry. Some people let them almost ferment in a cup with water first. I skip that part.

[BestoFour]

I'm skipping the fermenting part too because the seeds don't feel like seeds anymore after that process. Only time will tell.

[Penny]

I am starting on tomato seeds today, the damn squirrels have been munching on tomatoes that aren't quite ripe, so I'll be fermenting those for seeds, since we cant eat them now.

[w8in4dave]

Oh dang! So sorry Penny!!!

[Penny]

I know eh, I picked about 20 beefsteaks today and only 8 were ok, no teeth marks or huge splits

[Penny]

Last of my tomato seeds are fermenting....speckled romans.

[trudy]

them squirrels no what is good, lol

[Penny]

Great to see you back Trudy!!