Plant Seeds – How to Handle Them

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The garden plants we know and love are naturally multiplied by seeds. Taking care of the plants may come naturally to many of us but taking care of the seeds is an entirely different matter. Some seeds are easier to collect than others and knowing the logical steps can be very helpful.

plant seedsFor the tomatoes you would need a very ripe fruit. You should squeeze the seeds inside a paper towel or pass them through a sieve. Leave the seeds at the room temperature until they are completely dry, and store in a very dry place.

As peppers go, you should pick a mature pepper, preferably turning red and leave it until the red color has covered it completely. Collect the seeds and leave to dry at room temperature.

With the eggplants and garden blueberries, things are a little more complicated. Separate the seeds from the very ripe fruit and dry them at constant temperature.

The beans family as well as soy and peas are better dried inside the pods on the strains. Depending on the species the pods dry faster or slower; so they should be carefully monitored.

The dried pods should be picked and stored in dry rooms with very good ventilation. When the pods are completely dry, and open when pressed, the seeds are ready to be collected. In order to prevent pest infestations the seeds should be kept in the fridge for 24-30h.

Gathering seeds from the lettuce is not an easy task. You should let a plant or two to grow and result a strain with flowers and seeds. The lettuce flower resembles a tiny dandelion and the seeds are hidden among the dried petals. You should separate them by rubbing the flowers between your palms.

Probably the hardest seeds to obtain are those from cucumber, pumpkin or squash. Usually very few gardeners take the trouble to gather them because during pollination the species can get mixed up. If you still insist upon doing it you need to mark the flowers you choose and pollinate yourself.

The fruit must be very ripe for the collected seeds to germinate correctly. The seeds must be separated from the pulp and dried at room temperature.

The biannual plants – carrots, beetroot, onions and cabbage relatives create seeds only in the second year of their lives. So it is better not to take on this task. You can purchase the seeds from the specialized stores.

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