I've saved seeds my entire life I do it because my grandparents who raised me saved seeds so the seeds I have come from plants he started saving seeds from back in the 1930s
What a treasure! Oh how I would love to have the seeds from my grandfathers garden, in the 50s & 60s. The tomatoes back then were so much better. Especially the Beefsteak, they were huge! You are blessed to have all those seeds. Enjoy 😊
More than 10 years ago, my daughter bought me a box of different veggie and herb seeds at a garden show. In that seed collection was a packet of heirloom cherry tomatoes (I call them purple tomatoes). I have never seen the purple tomato seeds in the stores, so I started saving their seeds. I had never heard of fermenting the seeds until a couple of years ago, when I came across a video about fermenting tomato seeds. I decided to do a comparison test between Method #1 fermented vs Method #2 un-fermented seeds. #1: I fermented my saved tomato seeds just like you did in this video, dried them on parchment paper. I saved the dry fermented seeds in a DIY envelope made from aluminum foil and labeled the envelope as FERMENTED. #2: I put the freshly harvested seeds in a medium-sized stainless steel sieve and placed the sieve in a bowl of cold tap water. I gently massaged the seeds with my fingertips to remove the jelly sacks, I changed the water in the bowl several times until I was sure that all the sacks were removed and the water came out clear. I dried the seeds in the same way as the fermented seeds and labeled the envelope as UN-FERMENTED. The fermented seeds and the un-fermented seeds performed equally well when I planted them the following Spring. I planted them indoors and later transplanted them in the garden. I could not see any difference in the way the plants developed or the quantity or quality of the tomatoes they produced. The fruit grew up to 1". I got up to 21 tomatoes on one flower branch. BTW, I use the same un-fermented method for saving my true English cucumber seeds with great results.
@@spirit469 You're not the first person suggesting that I start making my own videos, rather than writing long, very detailed comments. But first, I will have to find out how to set up and customize my currently dormant RUclips channel. I would like to do it right the first time, rather than rushing into it and then having to fix my mistakes later. Hopefully, by the time I am ready to start saving my tomato and cucumber seeds this summer, I will feel comfortable enough to make my first videos. I have quite a few ideas floating in my head on the subject of gardening and baking. It's time to make myself a to-do list. Thanks for your little nudge.
Using the fermentation method you describe, I started saving tomato seed 3 years ago when a Big Boy volunteer impressed me with its will to live. Without any special care from me, it grew a thick stalk, and produced fruit weighing in at abt 1 lb each. I know growing from hybrid seed doesn't guarantee the same properties as the parent, but so far so good. This year (3rd generation) there was one plant with oblate fruit, but the rest were round like the typical Big Boy. I saved seed from the round tomatoes. Saving your own tomato seed is easy; it opens up possibilities unavailable in market varieties; it creates varieties that are attuned to your particular garden; and it saves money. I see tomato seed offered on line @ $3.99+ for 10 seeds. 10 seeds! That's 40¢ a seed! I know these guys have to make a living, but damn. The cost alone is incentive enough to start saving your own seed.
@@sharonkortrey164 Nope but I have friends in Denver. Beautiful state. I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Lake Superior. Also beautiful area. What does where I live have to do with growing tomatoes? 🤔
Something I do when storing my seeds if I use a plastic bag is I put food grade silicone moisture inhibitors in the bag and they will absorb any more moisture that the seas my put out
Had a friend give me seeds his mother had saved 5yrs after her death when he cleared out her home so I tried to grow them and they have done great and he was so happy and I was also. Thank you for putting all this out there for all of us you are a blessing 🙏🇺🇸❤
I know about tomato seed fermentation. But if I come across a tomato that tastes good, I simply smear some of its seeds on a paper napkin then write down the date and source. Next season, I use a pair of scissors to cut away ones I want to sprout. This works well for me.
I do the same. Less work. I have about an 85% germination rate in this method. When planted 2 seeds per pod it’s 99% that each of my pod trays are full.
You can scoop out tomato seeds, dry them & put them up...I do it all the time...you just squish the seeds out on to a paper towel, pick the seeds out of the tomato guts & put them on a fresh paper towel, make sure to squish the sac that surrounds the seed, & let them dry, then, when dry, pick them off the paper towel & bag them up...it can be a little time consuming, but it certainly works...& it doesn't take 3 days to do it...
I moved my mobile home to another park and had to start over in my little garden. I always grow my own spearmint to use in tea and I could not find spearmint seeds. There is a person in town that I met through craigslist and he always has an abundance of spearmint that he lets us have. So I called him and he pulled up a whole bag full of his spearmint and I took the ones that survived the transplant and put them in my garden. :)
I learned to seed save as a kid from my Grandpa. Loving memories for sure. He gifted me some of his seeds when my husband and I bought our first home. We still seed save today. And now my children seed save with me. But also yes, restraint with the seed buying a must. Leave seeds for others!
I have saved seeds for years. If a plant grows particularly well on your property, it will be more likely to do well next year because it's acclimated. If I do buy seeds, I buy them from a local grower for that same reason. I don't know if this is true everywhere but in CA, my local nursery and seed store have a year end sale because they cannot sell seeds packaged for that year in the next year...so they are half off in December.
So glad you told everyone not to save seeds from hybrid tomatoes. Also, tomatoes blossoms pollinate themselves so you don't need to bag em. And I would save the seeds onto a paper plate and never a paper towel....seeds tend to stick on the towel.
Great video I will do that this year! I unintentionally saved seeds from last year, as I had a bucket of newly sifted homemade compost in the greenhouse after a week I noticed all these tomato seedlings sprouting up! I was able to use some and I gave loads away! Pleasant surprise! ☘️☘️☘️☘️🍅🍅
I didn't get around to cleaning my raised beds last fall, so this spring I had at least 38 "free" tomato plants sprout. I gave several away, and still have plenty for myself. I thought they were all going to be grape and cherry tomatoes, but I believe there's some beefsteaks and early girls, too. Everywhere I looked, a tomato plant was growing. Lol!
When I was a child in the 50s my grandparents had a small farm My grandmother always saved her tomato seeds by drying them on muslin laid in a sunny windowsill. She then wrapped them in the muslin and stored them in her cabinet. I use her method and have always had viable seeds.
I read about tomato seed saving in a book, and it sounded so difficult, I doubted I would ever try. But, your video makes it look sooo easy! Now I know I can handle it. Thanks!
Greetings from Summerland BC. Thank you for this video. I am saving tomato seeds (Early Girl) for the first time as they were so hard to find this year in BC Canada. I followed your instruction closely. They are my favourit variety..... love all your videos.
Neither did I. Down in a wzrmer climate i just popped a few seeds from a fresh tomato into a pot and planted the seedlings into the ground. Plants usually lasted 2-3 years. Now that we live where there is actual winter, there is a lot to learn.
Due to the virus, I was unable to get the tomato plants that I wanted, Chocolate Cherry Sprinkle Heirlooms nor could I get the seed. So I purchased a hybrid chocolate cherry, but I was not very happy with them. Thankfully, I got several heirlooms that I let grow. These did wonderful, but now that I have tainted my garden, I don't think I can count on volunteers next season. So, I will be using this great advice to save the seeds I want, just in case.
Thank you! I can not imagine a summer without black strawberry tomato plants! I will be using your method to keep this strain forever - with ❣️ from Montana
I just take a ripe tomatoe cut it open spread the seeds out on a paper kitchen towel let it dry , fold it up and I’ve never had a problem the next spring getting new plants
I ordered seeds early this year and lucked out in getting what I wanted. Whew!! I tried saving squash seeds one year and planted the seeds in a trial area of the garden the next year. I had some interesting squash, ha, ha. One squash was particularly delicious so I saved the seeds and planted the next year. The squash was yucky so no more saving squash seeds. I think most of my tomatoes are hybrid this year but next year, I’ll try an heirloom and save seeds. Great vid. As always, I learn lots. Thank you!!
There is a shortage for many items. Canning products is also another item the has been difficult to find. Seems to be a shortage of jars, caps. As for seeds I buy most online and had to wait for backordered items. And i ordered early. Thanks for the great video. Planning a green house for next year!!
That was what I’ve been waiting for over 2 years!!! Ive been on so many different RUclips sites trying to find exactly what you demonstrated in minutes! Thank you more than you know ❤️🍅🍅🍅❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
OMG!!! Your knowledge never ceases to amaze me. I ordered seeds late this year and had a horrible time finding them in stock until I discovered Calikim’s. Some seeds I wanted from others were unavailable or came way too late. I will definitely use your method here. Thanks again for another fantastic video. Side note~I loved your face when you were talking about animals eating the plants and you said “rats”. They are clearly your nemesis as are squirrels for me. Love your humor and smile. Thanks again! ❤️
California Garden TV - Advice for All Climates they were probably so big because they’ve been using your rat traps for stools and were able to fatten up on your fantastic tomatoes. 🤣🤣🤣
Since watching this video, Ive been tasting tomatoes before putting them on a sandwich, and saving seeds from the best tasting fruit! Really slows down the eating process! 😂🍅😂
Ah man those blossom bags would be a life saver ! I try to aim for 3 grams of each seed variety in weight. A gram of tomato seed is 300 to 400 per gram of weight. Yea our main seed company 90% sold out ....
Since I could not find the pepper seeds I wanted I took a chance on planting seeds from my Anaheim's I had dried and it worked! I also planted some from lunch box peppers I bought at the store. These produced too.
I had no problem getting tomato seeds but I bought those early. I got seed potatoes very late as well as beans, cucumbers, and didn’t get corn until it was too late. I’ve never saved seeds but you have convinced me to start.
Thank you so much !!! this was a great help my family always saved the seeds for the next year ,i wish i paid more attention ,thanks the info is great I knew you had to do something to the tomato seeds thanks to you now i know what ,all the old timers are gone now ,so this is great you that put this out there .
I’ve kept Bell peppers seeds before and regrown them. This next year I’m trying greens beans,Sugar Baby and hot peppers that my friend gave me. Can’t wait until next year.🤞😊
I started saving seeds recently, just in the last few years. I relate to the excitement in looking at a seed catalog! Had trouble ordering a few months ago and for the first time was glad I had previously overshopped from seed catalogs! Also, save seeds from squash or peppers you buy from the store-- amazing how much nature produces for us if we just make a little effort. :)
Very timely - I have some cherry tomatoes sitting on the kitchen counter that are a little too ripe to eat, but probably perfect for saving the seeds. Thanks!
I guess there must be an exception to every rule. When I first collected seeds I knew none of what you just explained so I just took the seeds out of a tomato from one of my F100 Super sweet cherry tomato indeterminate plants (they are delicious) and spread them on the lid of a plastic container. I simply left them there to dry on top of my microwave oven till next year when it was time to sow and then I teased each seed away from the dried slimy stuff and planted the seed. They all grew and tasted exactly the same as the ones they came from despite being a hybrid variety. It has to be said though that I was at the time only growing one variety and I grew them in my greenhouse so no chance of cross-pollination. Thanks for cluing me up on to the right way to do seeds.
I got some seeds out of a Cherokee purple and ran them underwater and washed off the gel with my fingers then laid them out to dry on a paper towel… I didn’t do this 2 day soak. I had planned to try them out next spring, so seeing that you went a similar route originally, and that it worked for you gives me hope!
Been composting table/cutting scraps in my planter. My girl inspired me with her fantastic results. This year a tiny sprig sprang up and I thought, “That looks like a tomato plant”. Turns out, it was. Don’t know what they are, but they are a shape that reminds me of a Roma tomato. At any rate, it produces the most tasty, sweet tomatoes. They aren’t that big, but boy oh boy are they good! I slice and just eat them with some Maldon Salt on them. That’s what led me to this video. I want to grow more than just this one plant and I have no idea if it’s a “hybrid” or not. Plan to proceed and I hope it works.
Very happy to try out the system. I did buy three different types of awesome tomato seeds online last year and would love to be able to continue to grow them year after year without being dependent upon purchasing of seeds. Thank you again.
Thank you for this excellent tutorial. I have never managed to grow my toms from my own seed as I didn’t realise that the gel surrounding the seed would cause problems. 😄
You always have the great videos on what I need when I need it, I always try to safe seed but trying to safe on my favorite tomatoes .I like you speak clear that we can understand thanks .
I ordered seeds in early March and did not get them until Mid-May after I had already found some seedlings and planted them. I do have those seeds for next year :) The crazy thing is the place I ordered the seeds from is only 60 miles away from where I live but it was in the worse part of the pandemic here in Indiana and with me being immune compromised as well as my wife we didn't leave the home for about 6 weeks.
I save seeds from grocery store tomatoes by just drying them on a paper towel. They germinate and grow very well. I also have volunteer tomatoes from the worm bin. Most of the time they grow well also. I wonder why that works without doing the steps you explained. I will try your method to see if there is any difference in plant or the amount of fruit produced. Thanks for sharing.
I was impressed with you right away as the first few videos I watched on saving tomato seeds, had men with incredibly dirty hands picking the seeds out of the tomato. Think I would rather have a tomato whose seeds were fermented in a rat than prepped with some of these dirty hands and finger nails....
A very informative video, Thanks... I am extracting seeds from a small size tomato now , that I bought at a local Walmart store. They are approx 1 1/4 long by 3/4 inch wide. And not as overly sweet as some salad tomatoes are. The company name was SUNSET on the container , and the label said they come from Guatemala. They are excellent. PLEASE INCLUDE IN YOUR VIDEOS IF ANY SEEDS YOU DO VIDEOS ON , HAVE TO GO THRU A COLD PERIOD BEFORE PLANTING. Thanks...... Wrightsville, Georgia
I took some cherry tomatoes and did the whole "dry it and plant it" thing. I was wondering why it took them ages to come up. Now I know! Thanks for all the great info. Definitely earned another sub.
This was a neat way to do it the way you did it with the tomato seeds and today I watched another video with off the grid with Doug and Stacy and she was also talking about the tomato seeds but she cut up the tomato and put it in a bucket on top of dirt and then put it in her basement or somewhere dark and she’ll get it out the spring of the year and because it ferments that way you should watch the video it’s pretty interesting but you’re away is interesting to sell both ways are really good
And here I have been buying seed every year because I thought that if they were not heirloom seeds, I would get all the GMO Seeds with bad traits. I feel dumb now. BUT Thank you for the video VERY much!
No need to feel dumb lots of people feel that way. Hybrid seeds which a lot are in most stores are not necessarily GMO. In fact I would go so far to say most are not. It's not as black-and-white as heirloom versus GMO. I think I will do a video on this!
Sticky notes are great to store them. (I usually put 10 in) Write variety and 'yr with Sharpie. Fold in half and staple sides 😀 Keep for yourself OR pass or trade at that end of Feb. gardening gathering
Four years ago, after a trip to Maui, I became addicted to Plumerias. I've noticed yours and would love to see a show about them. Living in the Chicago area is not ideal however I will not be denied. I have about seven plants from cuttings ( which will produce identical flowers to the parent) and about thirty one and a half year old seedlings of different varieties. I also have started growing adeniums: obesum and arrabicum. That would also be a wonderful show. Most people are unaware of this amazing bonsai style hobby. Thanks. PS I would have loved to enter the giveaway for the drip system but I live in senior housing and dont own the property. Oh Well.
Do you have to use the seeds of a ripe tomato? Or can you use the seeds from a tomato that hasn’t fully ripened yet? I still have a lot of tomatoes growing but it suddenly got a lot colder and I’m worried they won’t make it.
Thank you! I brought some seeds from some an heirloom tomato mixture that I bought at a produce stand on vacation in Indiana back to East Texas a couple weeks ago. I did the drying the seeds on a paper towel method. I didn't know about fermenting them. Now I know, thanks.
Watching you cut into that beautiful tomato literally brought tears to my eyes. I haven’t been able to have a single tomato on any of my plants because the squirrels have been taking them all. Should I bother trying to save seeds from tiny green tomatoes so I might have a chance to taste them next year? Probably not. 😭
I had a tomato plant appear in some ground cover under a tree. I watered and supported it and waited for the tomatoes to ripen and they kept rotting on the vine. I realized they were green tomatoes and some of the best I have ever tasted. I saved some seeds and finally this year with your advice I am about to get some more (if the heat or rodents don't kill them first). Since this plant just appeared I have no way of knowing what variety they were but by saving the seeds I can hopefully get some more and replenish my supply of seeds. There was a cherry tomato plant nearby but so far they look to be growing a lot bigger so hopefully they didn't cross pollinate.
I had trouble getting seeds and plants. By the time spring came to us (Portland, Or) it was hard to get the varieties i wanted. Online stores were out to. Fortunately i had some old packs of seeds to grow starts with. I'm stocking up this year.
Another educational video. I did not know how to save tomato seed. I am a first time Gardner this year and I did have problems getting seeds. I went to several places looking for the seeds I wanted. Finally found what I wanted either through getting transplants from a local nursery and seeds from Walmart for my carrots. I just got my first seed catalog in the mail yesterday and have been looking at it. I am very excited in what I will try growing next year. Keep up you fantastic work. Today I will be harvesting some lettuce for a delicious salad with my tomatoes also. So excited. I am even getting my niece and nephew excited about gardening. God Bless.
This summer has been much warmer in Buffalo. I have been watering very carefully to prevent them from drying. You mentioned cool weather planting but so far so good 👍 for lettucd. Sorry I keep wanting to add more comments. Lol.
Here in Europe we have "easier/different" way of saving tomatoe seed, just cut a tomatoe in half and smear onto a kitchen paper towel and let the paper towel dry, next season, tear off a piece of kitchen paper towel with a seed on it and plant it. what do you think about this method?
I know this is old but I recently planted three different variety’s next to each other on accident 😂 After I realized it, they were already in the ground. So I said oh well. They all came out fine, so either I got lucky or it’s not that big of deal. In either case, I’ll definitely keep it in mind for next year. I also hand pollinated them when I seen a chance to. Plus a pack of seeds will last me a couple maybe three seasons.
Cross pollination is something I think I've run into every year because I plant several different varieties each time. Oh well. I'll have to try the blossom bags maybe!
Honestly, I just place six or seven seeds on a paper towel, fold over, write a descriptor I'll recognize in six months, place the mass in the freezer for a week, remove, store in my office on a shelf, and then plant at a suitable time in late March. Works for me every time.
I do the same thing with the paper towel. Once dry I stick paper towel and all in a baggie. I just pull the seeds off the paper towel and plant next year. I don’t even worry about making sure all the paper towel is off as it just disintegrates in the soil any way. So easy and I have never had an issue with them not growing!
Wow - that was absolutely fantastic. I never knew how to save the seeds - I always used to just let them dry, like other seeds. Thanks so much for the info ~ I just subscribed!
I'll try your method I have in the past just spread the seeds from the tomato onto a plate and let them dry, saved them in a folded piece of paper and have had no problems with germination.
Tomatoes are seeds I have yet to save until today. only planted beef steak so far this year and all I can remember is you have to put them in water so they’re in a bowl on my counter. I needed refresh my memory on what I was supposed to do next though. thank you for the video.
Yes I did learn something from this even though Ive been growing tomatoes for yrs. Its the cross-pollination issue. I have experienced some mutation in the fruit from these plants and why It happened, now I know , thanks.
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I've saved seeds my entire life I do it because my grandparents who raised me saved seeds so the seeds I have come from plants he started saving seeds from back in the 1930s
What a treasure! Oh how I would love to have the seeds from my grandfathers garden, in the 50s & 60s. The tomatoes back then were so much better. Especially the Beefsteak, they were huge! You are blessed to have all those seeds. Enjoy 😊
I feel the same way as 19bishop56
does. I really wish I had seeds from my grandma's farm from the 60s.
I’m impressed. Are you going to part ways with some seeds? This interests me.
I love heirloom seeds! Sadly my great-granny passed 35 yrs plus though
Wow. Awesome.
Get on with it OMG some people love to hear themselves talk and talk but excellent information I have to give you that 😂👍
No I believe they have to have videos be certain lengths to make money from it
More than 10 years ago, my daughter bought me a box of different veggie and herb seeds at a garden show. In that seed collection was a packet of heirloom cherry tomatoes (I call them purple tomatoes). I have never seen the purple tomato seeds in the stores, so I started saving their seeds. I had never heard of fermenting the seeds until a couple of years ago, when I came across a video about fermenting tomato seeds. I decided to do a comparison test between Method #1 fermented vs Method #2 un-fermented seeds. #1: I fermented my saved tomato seeds just like you did in this video, dried them on parchment paper. I saved the dry fermented seeds in a DIY envelope made from aluminum foil and labeled the envelope as FERMENTED. #2: I put the freshly harvested seeds in a medium-sized stainless steel sieve and placed the sieve in a bowl of cold tap water. I gently massaged the seeds with my fingertips to remove the jelly sacks, I changed the water in the bowl several times until I was sure that all the sacks were removed and the water came out clear. I dried the seeds in the same way as the fermented seeds and labeled the envelope as UN-FERMENTED. The fermented seeds and the un-fermented seeds performed equally well when I planted them the following Spring. I planted them indoors and later transplanted them in the garden. I could not see any difference in the way the plants developed or the quantity or quality of the tomatoes they produced. The fruit grew up to 1". I got up to 21 tomatoes on one flower branch. BTW, I use the same un-fermented method for saving my true English cucumber seeds with great results.
Thank you for doing all this and sharing it! Valuable information!
Would love if you could actually make a video showing the process. I would much prefer not having them get smelly like some other videos say to do
@@spirit469 You're not the first person suggesting that I start making my own videos, rather than writing long, very detailed comments. But first, I will have to find out how to set up and customize my currently dormant RUclips channel. I would like to do it right the first time, rather than rushing into it and then having to fix my mistakes later. Hopefully, by the time I am ready to start saving my tomato and cucumber seeds this summer, I will feel comfortable enough to make my first videos. I have quite a few ideas floating in my head on the subject of gardening and baking. It's time to make myself a to-do list. Thanks for your little nudge.
I have done the same but from my research I believe the difference is that fermentation helps rid bacteria and cleanses the seed! 🎉
I don’t know who could possibly dislike this eye opening video 🥲
Using the fermentation method you describe, I started saving tomato seed 3 years ago when a Big Boy volunteer impressed me with its will to live. Without any special care from me, it grew a thick stalk, and produced fruit weighing in at abt 1 lb each. I know growing from hybrid seed doesn't guarantee the same properties as the parent, but so far so good. This year (3rd generation) there was one plant with oblate fruit, but the rest were round like the typical Big Boy. I saved seed from the round tomatoes. Saving your own tomato seed is easy; it opens up possibilities unavailable in market varieties; it creates varieties that are attuned to your particular garden; and it saves money. I see tomato seed offered on line @ $3.99+ for 10 seeds. 10 seeds! That's 40¢ a seed! I know these guys have to make a living, but damn. The cost alone is incentive enough to start saving your own seed.
Amen ✝️ 🙏
I just bought one organic tomato this spring, sliced it and put the slices in dirt. Now I have big tomato plants. Eazy Peazy
Bet you don't live in Colorado! :)
@@sharonkortrey164 Nope but I have friends in Denver. Beautiful state. I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Lake Superior. Also beautiful area. What does where I live have to do with growing tomatoes? 🤔
Something I do when storing my seeds if I use a plastic bag is I put food grade silicone moisture inhibitors in the bag and they will absorb any more moisture that the seas my put out
I just rub the seeds against paper towel to remove the gel and then let them dry thoroughly on a plate before storing.
I use a tea strainer to rinse the gel away and then dry them on a paper towel.
Thank you both for saving me A LOT of time and making it much simpler. 😅
Had a friend give me seeds his mother had saved 5yrs after her death when he cleared out her home so I tried to grow them and they have done great and he was so happy and I was also. Thank you for putting all this out there for all of us you are a blessing 🙏🇺🇸❤
I found a bag of tomato seeds in the freezer marked 2011. They are popping up as we speak.
My aunt past away and all loved her tomatoes. now I will try to keep the family members eating her tomatoes !! thank you!!
I know about tomato seed fermentation. But if I come across a tomato that tastes good, I simply smear some of its seeds on a paper napkin then write down the date and source. Next season, I use a pair of scissors to cut away ones I want to sprout. This works well for me.
I do the same. Less work. I have about an 85% germination rate in this method. When planted 2 seeds per pod it’s 99% that each of my pod trays are full.
What do you mean by “cut away” the ones you want to sprout? Thanks
I do the same! Works for me.
@@cheche6236due to the seeds sticking to the napkin he cuts ✂️ the napkin up for sprouting the seed stuck to it.
I do the same. No germination issues so far.
You can scoop out tomato seeds, dry them & put them up...I do it all the time...you just squish the seeds out on to a paper towel, pick the seeds out of the tomato guts & put them on a fresh paper towel, make sure to squish the sac that surrounds the seed, & let them dry, then, when dry, pick them off the paper towel & bag them up...it can be a little time consuming, but it certainly works...& it doesn't take 3 days to do it...
I moved my mobile home to another park and had to start over in my little garden. I always grow my own spearmint to use in tea and I could not find spearmint seeds. There is a person in town that I met through craigslist and he always has an abundance of spearmint that he lets us have. So I called him and he pulled up a whole bag full of his spearmint and I took the ones that survived the transplant and put them in my garden. :)
That is so sweet! Hello from 2024🎉
Explanation of how to use the blossom bag: brilliant. Thank you Brian! NOW I get it!
I learned to seed save as a kid from my Grandpa. Loving memories for sure. He gifted me some of his seeds when my husband and I bought our first home. We still seed save today. And now my children seed save with me.
But also yes, restraint with the seed buying a must. Leave seeds for others!
Awesome!
I have saved seeds for years. If a plant grows particularly well on your property, it will be more likely to do well next year because it's acclimated. If I do buy seeds, I buy them from a local grower for that same reason. I don't know if this is true everywhere but in CA, my local nursery and seed store have a year end sale because they cannot sell seeds packaged for that year in the next year...so they are half off in December.
Oh this is good to know, I'm in Utah but want to check out local nurseries and see if they do the same thing.
My peppers and melons came from food we bought at the farmer's market.
So glad you told everyone not to save seeds from hybrid tomatoes. Also, tomatoes blossoms pollinate themselves so you don't need to bag em. And I would save the seeds onto a paper plate and never a paper towel....seeds tend to stick on the towel.
You could cut the paper towel around each seed and plant it - the seed won't mind, and the paper just becomes compost eventually.
Great video I will do that this year! I unintentionally saved seeds from last year, as I had a bucket of newly sifted homemade compost in the greenhouse after a week I noticed all these tomato seedlings sprouting up! I was able to use some and I gave loads away! Pleasant surprise! ☘️☘️☘️☘️🍅🍅
Indeed!
Good for you! I always feel that these kinds of seedlings are ones that really WANT to grow so save their seeds from year to year.
I didn't get around to cleaning my raised beds last fall, so this spring I had at least 38 "free" tomato plants sprout. I gave several away, and still have plenty for myself. I thought they were all going to be grape and cherry tomatoes, but I believe there's some beefsteaks and early girls, too. Everywhere I looked, a tomato plant was growing. Lol!
I had no problem getting seeds but I did have to practice some self-control.
When I was a child in the 50s my grandparents had a small farm My grandmother always saved her tomato seeds by drying them on muslin laid in a sunny windowsill. She then wrapped them in the muslin and stored them in her cabinet. I use her method and have always had viable seeds.
I read about tomato seed saving in a book, and it sounded so difficult, I doubted I would ever try. But, your video makes it look sooo easy! Now I know I can handle it. Thanks!
Greetings from Summerland BC. Thank you for this video. I am saving tomato seeds (Early Girl) for the first time as they were so hard to find this year in BC Canada. I followed your instruction closely. They are my favourit variety..... love all your videos.
Great walkthrough of tomato seed saving! I had no idea about the fermentation. Cheers!!
Cheers!
Neither did I. Down in a wzrmer climate i just popped a few seeds from a fresh tomato into a pot and planted the seedlings into the ground. Plants usually lasted 2-3 years. Now that we live where there is actual winter, there is a lot to learn.
Coffee filter works best by far. Seeds tend to stick to the fibers of the paper towel when drying.
Good tip
Great tip ,as paper plates are so expensive these days & paper towels in past do stick .
Thank you for this tip
Mrs j
Texas ❤
My top three stores were completely sold out after the pandemic. One is still closed but i was able to buy a bunch the other day ago finally.
Works same with cucumber seeds😊
Might store with a little rice to asorb moisture.
Thank you for the teaching Sir
Due to the virus, I was unable to get the tomato plants that I wanted, Chocolate Cherry Sprinkle Heirlooms nor could I get the seed. So I purchased a hybrid chocolate cherry, but I was not very happy with them. Thankfully, I got several heirlooms that I let grow. These did wonderful, but now that I have tainted my garden, I don't think I can count on volunteers next season. So, I will be using this great advice to save the seeds I want, just in case.
Hopefully you get what you're hoping for next year!
Great info! Would love to see the rest of the process, how you wash/sift and dry them...just for the visual pleasure lol.
Thank you! I can not imagine a summer without black strawberry tomato plants! I will be using your method to keep this strain forever - with ❣️ from Montana
The seed companies definitely sold out a lot of things I wanted this year, now I can go save some of my tomato seeds!
Last year I saved seeds from a red egg like tomato. I had a lot of rounded yellow tomatoes around it. This year it became a yellow egg like tomato :D
Maybe the tomato was a hybrid.
I just take a ripe tomatoe cut it open spread the seeds out on a paper kitchen towel let it dry , fold it up and I’ve never had a problem the next spring getting new plants
I ordered seeds early this year and lucked out in getting what I wanted. Whew!! I tried saving squash seeds one year and planted the seeds in a trial area of the garden the next year. I had some interesting squash, ha, ha. One squash was particularly delicious so I saved the seeds and planted the next year. The squash was yucky so no more saving squash seeds. I think most of my tomatoes are hybrid this year but next year, I’ll try an heirloom and save seeds. Great vid. As always, I learn lots. Thank you!!
Only grow one variety or grow different species...not by name..but by species...
Awesome video thanks! Interested if there are different techniques for saving other types of seeds. Beans, lettuce, all kinds, etc.
There is a shortage for many items. Canning products is also another item the has been difficult to find. Seems to be a shortage of jars, caps. As for seeds I buy most online and had to wait for backordered items. And i ordered early. Thanks for the great video. Planning a green house for next year!!
Brian you have taught me so much about gardening with these videos and your book.
You are definitely my #1 go to gardening mentor. Thank you!
Thank you!
That was what I’ve been waiting for over 2 years!!! Ive been on so many different RUclips sites trying to find exactly what you demonstrated in minutes! Thank you more than you know ❤️🍅🍅🍅❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
You are the tomato guru.
Juliets do really well at my garden at 5800' elevation and i want to use only them next year.
OMG!!! Your knowledge never ceases to amaze me. I ordered seeds late this year and had a horrible time finding them in stock until I discovered Calikim’s. Some seeds I wanted from others were unavailable or came way too late. I will definitely use your method here. Thanks again for another fantastic video. Side note~I loved your face when you were talking about animals eating the plants and you said “rats”. They are clearly your nemesis as are squirrels for me. Love your humor and smile. Thanks again! ❤️
Thank you ❤❤ I did catch 3 big ones this week!
California Garden TV - Advice for All Climates they were probably so big because they’ve been using your rat traps for stools and were able to fatten up on your fantastic tomatoes. 🤣🤣🤣
Yes! 🤣🤣🤣🤣😭😭😭😭
Lovely of you to share your knowledge, you're truly an inspiration, thank you mate!
Great video should have a million views...
Once again Brian this content is amazing. I appreciate all you wisdom so much. You are my #1 go to.
Thank you!
Will this process work with pepper 🫑 seeds too?
Since watching this video, Ive been tasting tomatoes before putting them on a sandwich, and saving seeds from the best tasting fruit! Really slows down the eating process! 😂🍅😂
Ah man those blossom bags would be a life saver ! I try to aim for 3 grams of each seed variety in weight. A gram of tomato seed is 300 to 400 per gram of weight. Yea our main seed company 90% sold out ....
Thanks for this topic video. You are so good at teaching us, Stay safe
Since I could not find the pepper seeds I wanted I took a chance on planting seeds from my Anaheim's I had dried and it worked! I also planted some from lunch box peppers I bought at the store. These produced too.
I had no problem getting tomato seeds but I bought those early. I got seed potatoes very late as well as beans, cucumbers, and didn’t get corn until it was too late. I’ve never saved seeds but you have convinced me to start.
Thank you for a great video. I am so glad I watched so I won't waste my time saving tomato seeds the wrong way.
Thank you so much !!! this was a great help my family always saved the seeds for the next year ,i wish i paid more attention ,thanks the info is great I knew you had to do something to the tomato seeds thanks to you now i know what ,all the old timers are gone now ,so this is great you that put this out there .
I’ve kept Bell peppers seeds before and regrown them. This next year I’m trying greens beans,Sugar Baby and hot peppers that my friend gave me. Can’t wait until next year.🤞😊
Awesome!
I started saving seeds recently, just in the last few years. I relate to the excitement in looking at a seed catalog! Had trouble ordering a few months ago and for the first time was glad I had previously overshopped from seed catalogs! Also, save seeds from squash or peppers you buy from the store-- amazing how much nature produces for us if we just make a little effort. :)
Very timely - I have some cherry tomatoes sitting on the kitchen counter that are a little too ripe to eat, but probably perfect for saving the seeds. Thanks!
I guess there must be an exception to every rule. When I first collected seeds I knew none of what you just explained so I just took the seeds out of a tomato from one of my F100 Super sweet cherry tomato indeterminate plants (they are delicious) and spread them on the lid of a plastic container. I simply left them there to dry on top of my microwave oven till next year when it was time to sow and then I teased each seed away from the dried slimy stuff and planted the seed. They all grew and tasted exactly the same as the ones they came from despite being a hybrid variety. It has to be said though that I was at the time only growing one variety and I grew them in my greenhouse so no chance of cross-pollination. Thanks for cluing me up on to the right way to do seeds.
I got some seeds out of a Cherokee purple and ran them underwater and washed off the gel with my fingers then laid them out to dry on a paper towel… I didn’t do this 2 day soak. I had planned to try them out next spring, so seeing that you went a similar route originally, and that it worked for you gives me hope!
Been composting table/cutting scraps in my planter. My girl inspired me with her fantastic results. This year a tiny sprig sprang up and I thought, “That looks like a tomato plant”. Turns out, it was. Don’t know what they are, but they are a shape that reminds me of a Roma tomato. At any rate, it produces the most tasty, sweet tomatoes. They aren’t that big, but boy oh boy are they good! I slice and just eat them with some Maldon Salt on them. That’s what led me to this video. I want to grow more than just this one plant and I have no idea if it’s a “hybrid” or not. Plan to proceed and I hope it works.
Very happy to try out the system. I did buy three different types of awesome tomato seeds online last year and would love to be able to continue to grow them year after year without being dependent upon purchasing of seeds. Thank you again.
Yes, I am learning and saving seeds this year as well as starting plants for fall garden
Wow. Awesome video, great information. Thank you, from a new vegetable grower that doesn’t quite know what she’s doing. ☺️
I’ve just saved my first seeds after watching your video 😊 Thank you
Thank you for this excellent tutorial. I have never managed to grow my toms from my own seed as I didn’t realise that the gel surrounding the seed would cause problems. 😄
You always have the great videos on what I need when I need it, I always try to safe seed but trying to safe on my favorite tomatoes .I like you speak clear that we can understand thanks .
I ordered seeds in early March and did not get them until Mid-May after I had already found some seedlings and planted them. I do have those seeds for next year :) The crazy thing is the place I ordered the seeds from is only 60 miles away from where I live but it was in the worse part of the pandemic here in Indiana and with me being immune compromised as well as my wife we didn't leave the home for about 6 weeks.
I save seeds from grocery store tomatoes by just drying them on a paper towel. They germinate and grow very well. I also have volunteer tomatoes from the worm bin. Most of the time they grow well also. I wonder why that works without doing the steps you explained. I will try your method to see if there is any difference in plant or the amount of fruit produced. Thanks for sharing.
I've tried both methods and found no difference.Both methods worked.
I was impressed with you right away as the first few videos I watched on saving tomato seeds, had men with incredibly dirty hands picking the seeds out of the tomato. Think I would rather have a tomato whose seeds were fermented in a rat than prepped with some of these dirty hands and finger nails....
Great explanations!
A very informative video, Thanks... I am extracting seeds from a small size tomato now , that I bought at a local Walmart store. They are approx 1 1/4 long by 3/4 inch wide. And not as overly sweet as some salad tomatoes are.
The company name was SUNSET on the container , and the label said they come from Guatemala. They are excellent. PLEASE INCLUDE IN YOUR VIDEOS IF ANY SEEDS YOU DO VIDEOS ON , HAVE TO GO THRU A COLD PERIOD BEFORE PLANTING. Thanks...... Wrightsville, Georgia
I took some cherry tomatoes and did the whole "dry it and plant it" thing. I was wondering why it took them ages to come up. Now I know! Thanks for all the great info. Definitely earned another sub.
This was a neat way to do it the way you did it with the tomato seeds and today I watched another video with off the grid with Doug and Stacy and she was also talking about the tomato seeds but she cut up the tomato and put it in a bucket on top of dirt and then put it in her basement or somewhere dark and she’ll get it out the spring of the year and because it ferments that way you should watch the video it’s pretty interesting but you’re away is interesting to sell both ways are really good
Really wish I watched this before this season, I’m worried about saving my black krim seeds now because I grew them next to cherry tomatoes
5:00 The tutorial begins.
And here I have been buying seed every year because I thought that if they were not heirloom seeds, I would get all the GMO Seeds with bad traits.
I feel dumb now.
BUT Thank you for the video VERY much!
No need to feel dumb lots of people feel that way. Hybrid seeds which a lot are in most stores are not necessarily GMO. In fact I would go so far to say most are not. It's not as black-and-white as heirloom versus GMO. I think I will do a video on this!
I never did it that way! I Always just dried out on a paper towel and then save my seeds. never worried about the little sack. inInteresting
Sticky notes are great to store them. (I usually put 10 in)
Write variety and 'yr with Sharpie.
Fold in half and staple sides 😀
Keep for yourself OR pass or trade at that end of Feb. gardening gathering
Four years ago, after a trip to Maui, I became addicted to Plumerias. I've noticed yours and would love to see a show about them. Living in the Chicago area is not ideal however I will not be denied. I have about seven plants from cuttings ( which will produce identical flowers to the parent) and about thirty one and a half year old seedlings of different varieties. I also have started growing adeniums: obesum and arrabicum. That would also be a wonderful show. Most people are unaware of this amazing bonsai style hobby. Thanks. PS I would have loved to enter the giveaway for the drip system but I live in senior housing and dont own the property. Oh Well.
Do you have to use the seeds of a ripe tomato? Or can you use the seeds from a tomato that hasn’t fully ripened yet? I still have a lot of tomatoes growing but it suddenly got a lot colder and I’m worried they won’t make it.
Hugely helpful!
Thank you! I brought some seeds from some an heirloom tomato mixture that I bought at a produce stand on vacation in Indiana back to East Texas a couple weeks ago. I did the drying the seeds on a paper towel method. I didn't know about fermenting them. Now I know, thanks.
Great video. With all the current issues in 2022, seed saving is critical. This will be my first attempt.
Thanks for all you do!!
Watching you cut into that beautiful tomato literally brought tears to my eyes. I haven’t been able to have a single tomato on any of my plants because the squirrels have been taking them all. Should I bother trying to save seeds from tiny green tomatoes so I might have a chance to taste them next year? Probably not. 😭
Check out how the Amish do tomatoes. Slice them up throw them in a pot and put them in a cool dark place until spring.
I had a tomato plant appear in some ground cover under a tree. I watered and supported it and waited for the tomatoes to ripen and they kept rotting on the vine. I realized they were green tomatoes and some of the best I have ever tasted. I saved some seeds and finally this year with your advice I am about to get some more (if the heat or rodents don't kill them first). Since this plant just appeared I have no way of knowing what variety they were but by saving the seeds I can hopefully get some more and replenish my supply of seeds. There was a cherry tomato plant nearby but so far they look to be growing a lot bigger so hopefully they didn't cross pollinate.
That tomato though! Beautiful. Great video, thank you.
I had trouble getting seeds and plants. By the time spring came to us (Portland, Or) it was hard to get the varieties i wanted. Online stores were out to. Fortunately i had some old packs of seeds to grow starts with. I'm stocking up this year.
Those blossom bags are a great idea. Will have to try those next year.
Oh I’m excited to do this! I have a tomato on my counter just waiting for it 🙂
Another educational video. I did not know how to save tomato seed. I am a first time Gardner this year and I did have problems getting seeds. I went to several places looking for the seeds I wanted. Finally found what I wanted either through getting transplants from a local nursery and seeds from Walmart for my carrots. I just got my first seed catalog in the mail yesterday and have been looking at it. I am very excited in what I will try growing next year. Keep up you fantastic work. Today I will be harvesting some lettuce for a delicious salad with my tomatoes also. So excited. I am even getting my niece and nephew excited about gardening. God Bless.
Awesome I love it! ❤❤❤ BTW where do you live that you have lettuce in August?
I live near Buffalo, New York. Lettuce very tasty and growing nicely in container. Bought seedlings and transplanted to my containers early August.
Oops. I think late July I transplanted lettuce my carrots I planted seeds in early August.
Lettuce is labeled mixed lettuce mix. Didn't know how it would grow but growing nicely. Next year will try other varieties.
This summer has been much warmer in Buffalo. I have been watering very carefully to prevent them from drying. You mentioned cool weather planting but so far so good 👍 for lettucd. Sorry I keep wanting to add more comments. Lol.
I’m so excited to try to save my seeds this growing season . I tried last year but I didn’t know the right way to go about it . Thank you so much !
Bread ties are good for marking branches...I do this with peppers too.
Great info. I’ve watched a bunch of seed saving vids and yours had info no one else gave. Thank you!
Here in Europe we have "easier/different" way of saving tomatoe seed, just cut a tomatoe in half and smear onto a kitchen paper towel and let the paper towel dry, next season, tear off a piece of kitchen paper towel with a seed on it and plant it. what do you think about this method?
Great!
I'm going to start and cover the blossom and mark my fruit and save my seeds my self.
Thank you for the teaching Sir
I know this is old but I recently planted three different variety’s next to each other on accident 😂 After I realized it, they were already in the ground. So I said oh well. They all came out fine, so either I got lucky or it’s not that big of deal. In either case, I’ll definitely keep it in mind for next year. I also hand pollinated them when I seen a chance to. Plus a pack of seeds will last me a couple maybe three seasons.
Cross pollination is something I think I've run into every year because I plant several different varieties each time. Oh well. I'll have to try the blossom bags maybe!
Wow I love to save seeds... now I know how to do tomatoes! Thanks!!!
You're welcome!
Great lesson !
Honestly, I just place six or seven seeds on a paper towel, fold over, write a descriptor I'll recognize in six months, place the mass in the freezer for a week, remove, store in my office on a shelf, and then plant at a suitable time in late March. Works for me every time.
I do the same thing with the paper towel. Once dry I stick paper towel and all in a baggie. I just pull the seeds off the paper towel and plant next year. I don’t even worry about making sure all the paper towel is off as it just disintegrates in the soil any way. So easy and I have never had an issue with them not growing!
THANKS FOR ALL THE GOOD INFO!!! YOU'RE AMAZING!!!
Wow - that was absolutely fantastic. I never knew how to save the seeds - I always used to just let them dry, like other seeds. Thanks so much for the info ~ I just subscribed!
I'll try your method
I have in the past just spread the seeds from the tomato onto a plate and let them dry, saved them in a folded piece of paper and have had no problems with germination.
Tomatoes are seeds I have yet to save until today. only planted beef steak so far this year and all I can remember is you have to put them in water so they’re in a bowl on my counter. I needed refresh my memory on what I was supposed to do next though. thank you for the video.
Yes I did learn something from this even though Ive been growing tomatoes for yrs. Its the cross-pollination issue. I have experienced some mutation in the fruit from these plants and why It happened, now I know , thanks.