Tweet
I want to save my own tomato seeds. The other day I squeezed some seeds into a jar, put the top on loosely, and left it for 3 days. Then I filled the jar with water, stirred it around, and drained it through a nylon sieve. I put the seeds on a glass dish and left it in a warm place for a few days. The seeds are now dry, but don't look like they do when you get them from a packet - they have a dark coating on them, not the usual smooth tan color. Have I done something wrong? There are a few tomatoes I'd like to save seed from, so I want to get this right. Please help.
-
Hill of Beans updated April 18th -
They probably just need to dry out a bit more. -
I usually put water in the jar with them, then shake them every day until they're all sunk to the bottom and the scummy stuff is floatingComment
-
They need to be IN water for the 3 days, not just in a jam jar. The colour is probably from the jelly that has set on the outside.
Comment
-
Ah, in the water for 3 days...oops. So should I throw out those seeds and just start again?Hill of Beans updated April 18thComment
-
My tomato seeds have been in a jar of water for a while now and I have just put them out on a plate to dry, removing any pulp left. They are a range of colours - some quite dark orangey brown and others a pale colour. I noticed that was what they were when I took them out of the fruit - which was a white oxheart tomato, ripened to a yellow colour. It may just be that is how the tomato seeds are!Whooops - now what are the dogs getting up to?Comment
-
No - I'd just put them in water for 3 days and start the process again.Originally posted by gan heather View Post
Or just dry, bag and tag the ones you have done.
The water starts the jelly fermenting, so you end up with lovely fluffy tomato seeds, and not hard stuck to kitchen towel tomato seeds.
Comment
-
I do all mine like that, out of tomato, straight into paper, cut up kitchen towel into bite sized pieces and just sow next year like that.Originally posted by zazen999 View Post
Works for me!
Means I don't have jars of rotting tomato pulp sitting round, when I forget to empty them out after 3 days too.
"Orinoco was a fat lazy Womble"
Please ignore everything I say, I make it up as I go along, not only do I generally not believe what I write, I never remember it either.Comment
-
I just put the seeds onto a paper towel, spread them out and drag one across the dry part of the towel with my finger.
The dragging pulls the membrane off the seed and it is intantly dry and free of the rest of the tomato.
I just leave them somewhere warm overnight and the put them in an envelope the next day.Hi. Hi. We've removed your signature. If you have any issues with this, please contact one of the Moderators.Comment
-
Those ones work just fine.Originally posted by zazen999 View Post
I never wash mine, just straight onto towel, on window ledge for a few days to dry then tipped off into an envelope.Comment
-
I know they work just fine; but if you are saving to swap it just looks better if they are done properly.Originally posted by nomis View Post
I once had a swapper PM me complaining about the bits of paper stuck to the tomato seeds and have done it the water way ever since.
Comment
-
"Orinoco was a fat lazy Womble"
Please ignore everything I say, I make it up as I go along, not only do I generally not believe what I write, I never remember it either.Comment
-
After reading this thread I've started saving my first seeds, they're in a a jar in the airing cupboard.Location....East Midlands.Comment
-
I saved them two years ago by washing the seeds through a sieve, drying on a plate and then kept them in a brown envelope - shaking whenever I thought about it to make sure they were not sticking. They germinated fine and produced fruit.
This year, though, I think I'll try the water method as it seems to have been good for many people here - thanks all, I hadn't heard of the whole 3-day thing before.My hopes are not always realized but I always hope (Ovid)
www.fransverse.blogspot.com
www.franscription.blogspot.comComment
-
My seeds are now drying on a plate after my second attempt (this time using the water method). They look better this time, more like ones that come in a packet from the store. Let's hope it works!Hill of Beans updated April 18thComment
Comment