I thought this would be a good place to document the "how to", success, failure, and interesting hybridization from your seed saving attempts. I'll add to it as time and interest allows, but... feel free to add your own info.
Storing seed: Be sure it is very dry. Label it. Store it in paper, or if completely dry, in an appropriate sized jar. I save all silicone packets (come in pill bottles, shoe boxes, some clothing pockets) and put those in every seed jar or envelope. Store seeds in cool dry place.
Lettuce: Super easy. When the lettuce plant bolts, just let it go. It will grow about 3' tall, and put out a multi branched flower stalk with yellow flowers. It's best to wait till those flowers all mature, and put out what looks like short white dandelion fuzz. You can then pull the plant, and lay it where you want next year's crop to be, pull it and hang it to dry, then knock the seeds off. Last year, I just put all the dried heads in an old pillow case, and hung it for the winter. Stomped on it to release seeds in the spring, and simply broadcast the seeds and chaff. Lettuce usually breeds true.
Beans: Super easy. Beans are self fertile. So, unless you have a hybrid, it should breed true. Leave some of the pods on your best plants until they are brittle and dry, or at least yellow and leathery. You can then pull the entire plant and hang it to finish drying or pull individual pods to finish drying inside. I usually pull pods and dry them inside to be sure they don't mold in the fall rains, or have issues with frequent freeze/thaw cycles. When the pods are brittle, you can then thresh the seeds. I usually don't have a lot, so simply crack the pods, and remove the seeds by hand. Keep them in a dry place till a seed smacked with a hammer shatters. Discard any seeds with mold, or with "pink eyes". Favorite variety is Fortex pole. Grows up to 10" long, before the seeds get big, stringless, good quality.
Cucumber: Super easy. Be sure you have a heirloom or non hybrid cultivar. My all time favorite is Suyo Long. Burpless, produces a very tender cuke with small seed cavity. Still tender and good eating quality at 10 - 12" long. Needs to be trellised or it will not be straight. Let some fruits from your best plants mature until they are very big, yellow and a bit soft. I like to set them aside until they soften even more, then cut lengthwise and scoop the seeds out onto an old window screen. Rinse the goo off them. Dry in the sun for a few days. Discard any seeds that are not fertile or well developed. (they will be flat) I only grow one variety of cuke/season so the seeds will breed true.
Dill: Super easy. Allow the seed heads to mature, and they will self sow, or you can harvest. Plant it once, have it forever. Attracts beneficial insects. I have found that Bouquet and Dukat do not breed true. Any seed saved will produce VERY TALL plants.
Parsley: Biennial. Must survive the winter and will produce seed the following spring. Nice to have fresh green parsley in early spring. The flowering plant attracts lots of beneficial insects to the garden. Readily re-seeds so you can just let it do it's thing if you don't want to harvest the seed.
Storing seed: Be sure it is very dry. Label it. Store it in paper, or if completely dry, in an appropriate sized jar. I save all silicone packets (come in pill bottles, shoe boxes, some clothing pockets) and put those in every seed jar or envelope. Store seeds in cool dry place.
Lettuce: Super easy. When the lettuce plant bolts, just let it go. It will grow about 3' tall, and put out a multi branched flower stalk with yellow flowers. It's best to wait till those flowers all mature, and put out what looks like short white dandelion fuzz. You can then pull the plant, and lay it where you want next year's crop to be, pull it and hang it to dry, then knock the seeds off. Last year, I just put all the dried heads in an old pillow case, and hung it for the winter. Stomped on it to release seeds in the spring, and simply broadcast the seeds and chaff. Lettuce usually breeds true.
Beans: Super easy. Beans are self fertile. So, unless you have a hybrid, it should breed true. Leave some of the pods on your best plants until they are brittle and dry, or at least yellow and leathery. You can then pull the entire plant and hang it to finish drying or pull individual pods to finish drying inside. I usually pull pods and dry them inside to be sure they don't mold in the fall rains, or have issues with frequent freeze/thaw cycles. When the pods are brittle, you can then thresh the seeds. I usually don't have a lot, so simply crack the pods, and remove the seeds by hand. Keep them in a dry place till a seed smacked with a hammer shatters. Discard any seeds with mold, or with "pink eyes". Favorite variety is Fortex pole. Grows up to 10" long, before the seeds get big, stringless, good quality.
Cucumber: Super easy. Be sure you have a heirloom or non hybrid cultivar. My all time favorite is Suyo Long. Burpless, produces a very tender cuke with small seed cavity. Still tender and good eating quality at 10 - 12" long. Needs to be trellised or it will not be straight. Let some fruits from your best plants mature until they are very big, yellow and a bit soft. I like to set them aside until they soften even more, then cut lengthwise and scoop the seeds out onto an old window screen. Rinse the goo off them. Dry in the sun for a few days. Discard any seeds that are not fertile or well developed. (they will be flat) I only grow one variety of cuke/season so the seeds will breed true.
Dill: Super easy. Allow the seed heads to mature, and they will self sow, or you can harvest. Plant it once, have it forever. Attracts beneficial insects. I have found that Bouquet and Dukat do not breed true. Any seed saved will produce VERY TALL plants.
Parsley: Biennial. Must survive the winter and will produce seed the following spring. Nice to have fresh green parsley in early spring. The flowering plant attracts lots of beneficial insects to the garden. Readily re-seeds so you can just let it do it's thing if you don't want to harvest the seed.
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