My Dad was a big believer in saving seeds. Our basement furniture, such that it was, was covered with newspapers and assorted seeds, supposedly drying out. I don’t know if Daddy thought that his seeds were better somehow than new Burpee’s or if he was too cheap to buy new ones, but he saved all sorts of seeds, and for the most part, his garden flourished each summer.
We have also saved a few seeds for replanting, mostly seeds from our Doorknob Peppers, but only because we can’t buy those seeds or plants from local garden centers. It seems like we have to plant 100 seeds to get a single sprout, but somehow the strain continues.
I now have a dozen or so “Dino” seeds on the kitchen windowsill, hoping to grow a few Dino melons this summer.
The Pros say that the best way to save and store seeds is in tightly sealed glass containers. You can store different kinds of seeds, each in individual paper packets, together in a large container. Keep seeds dry and cool. A temperature between 32° and 41°F is ideal, so your refrigerator can be a good place to store seeds. Looks like my new melon seeds will be heading to the downstairs refrigerator.
Come next August, we’ll see how it all went.
