Seed Saving: Squash, Tomatoes

Well folks we have had a crazy two weeks and it's not done yet. I might do another post on that. We were off grid for a few hours so our friendly local electrician could replace the breaker box so it was more of a controlled grid down situation. And it is likely we will have another one. But I suppose most of you celebrated Halloween. What are you doing with your beautiful pumpkins and gourds? In our household, the answer is quite simple: we save the seeds and plant them again next year! 

Before I continue I need to tell you this technique works on cucumber, tomato, and squash as well. Be aware if you are trying to grow plants that are true to the parent plant. If your parent plant is a hybrid, it likely won't be true to the parent plant, if it grows at all. If you want to save seeds that will be true to the parent plant, it's always best to use heirloom plants and seeds. We will talk about that in another post. However, if you want to experiment, it won't hurt to try.

With pumpkin and squash, you basically remove the fleshy inside of the fruit. Just think about what happens when you carve a jack-o-lantern, and you have the idea. With tomato, you're removing the gel portion containing the seed. Remove the seed and use the flesh as intended.

Next, you will need to gather your supplies, if you haven't already done so. You will need some paper towels (or a plate if you're saving tomato seeds), a large bowl of water, and a strainer or colander. If you are saving pumpkin or squash seeds, try to pull as much flesh off of each seed as possible. If you can't, don't worry. The next phase will help with that. Tomato seeds can be left as they are.

Next, put the seeds in the water. Two things will happen in this process. One, this often  separates good seed from the bad. Two, it kills any bacteria that might be present on the seed. Let it set about 2 days. Some people report that this process creates smells and you might want to put a cheesecloth or netting over it to keep insects away. After a couple of days, pour this into a strainer or colander and rinse your seeds. Finally, spread the seeds out on a paper towel or plate and let them dry for about a week (I turn mine daily to prevent sticking) at room temperature. At this point they are ready for use or storage (if you store them, I continue to monitor them for mold). Some people separate the good seed from the bad but I usually mix them in together if it's going in the ground as it will help the soil. 

As a side note, there are other methods. This is just the method that works for me on these specific plants. I'll talk about other methods with other plants if possible. You can always Google seed saving methods (that's what I did for this several years ago). You can also contact your county extension service. Happy gardening!