This has been my preferred way of saving tomato seeds for years! So glad you're sharing this with others. Just one thing to be aware of - don't ferment the seeds for more than 3-4 days. Longer periods of fermentation have a significant detrimental effect on viability. There's plenty of studies about this online, and I've experienced it first hand when I accidentally left some saved seed fermenting for nearly a week
Hi! Great show! What is the variety of tomato right behind the jar visible in the background at 6:45 with the long strings of red tomatoes hanging down, please? Also, the ones at 13:15/13:16 behind you and Tuck? Thanks so much!! 🥰
💚🌱🌻🐕 I like the technique J! The alcohol produced in the fermentation process helps remove more of the tomato pulp from the white seed hairs or trichomes. The seed trichomes help with seed dispersal and water absorption during germination and beyond. So your technique aids in ultimately speeding up germination and possible sets the stage for more nutrient absorption longterm. The paper method leaves too much pulp on the trichomes and could potentially inhibit water absorption- delaying germination and possibly impacting fruit yield. No wonder your tomato harvest is so bountiful! This method and your secret fertilizer is a match made in heaven…Chemistry in Motion🔬
I had rabbits get into my tomato beds a few years ago and they spread tomato seeds all over the yard. We still have random tomato plants popping up everywhere 😆
This is happening to me this year! Yesterday my son found tomatoes under the pool deck and while we were swimming he spotted one in an Azalea bush and some sprinkled in with our cucumber trellis rows.. They are everywhere! Then while I was watering a baby bunny charged me 😂😂 scaring the 💩 outta me! Apparently I scared him too because he played possom for 15 minutes...we both learned our lesson lol
Hi James, great informative video! I have saved heirloom seeds for a couple of years, successfully. I use the strainer method and then I put them on brown paper bags or paper plates. FYI, if you're doing a few kinds of tomatoes or other veggies, always label what they are. When they dry, I put them in medicine bottles or spice bottles. When you start doing alot, stay organized or you'll lose track of what you have. Just a frame of reference, I used to buy starts at a garden center. This year, I planted 120 tomato plants from the seeds that I saved last year. Yikes! It's a tomato forest!!!! :):):):)P.S. Love little Tuck, such a cutie:)❤❤❤
I save food safe plastic gallon buckets from Icecream to ferment seeds. Works well. You get a lid, you get a bucket, and you get to eat icecream. win-win-win.
If you slice the tomato horizontally (on the equator-slicing the upper half off from the bottom half), it's much easier to take a spoon and remove the seeds from the pockets of funiculus.
Take a Pot of dry soil, lay your favorite best varieties of tomatoes "slices" on the dry soil. Cover with peat moss or dry soil of your choice. Cover it so no moisture gets in. Let it sit all winter until spring weather arrives. When the daytime temps are over 70° and night temps are above freezing (I wait until it's 55-60°f) uncover the pot and water it really well. You will see every seed emerge! That is the Amish way to save and start seeds. Then when they get true leaves, transplant to individual pots or plant out.
Ohh ❤ wonderful tips 🪴 if I put in basement maybe too cold for Minneapolis as I have these today a special tomato from Italy to plant next year, spring 2024.
I have done this any it works GREAT. Planning on doing it this year with a new type of tomato I grew this year to so it does with us method. Thanks fro posting it for others to try.
Glad you showed us how to do this, James, thank you. I especially appreciate that you told us NOT to use hybrids, because we probably won't get what we think we'll get. Good advice! Have a great day! 💖🐕
Love your channel. I admire people like you who share their talent and expertise in gardening. What the world needs now is food security as well as green living. How I wish people to cultivate every vacant space for food and not rely on packaged process food.
Hello, I hope you're safe over there? I hope this year brings happiness, prosperity, love 💚 , and peace all over the world 🌏. I would love us to be good friends in honesty and in trust so as time goes on it will bring something great for us in the future, hope you don't mind? I'm Gabriel Wood from Brooklyn New York, where are you from if I may ask???❤
Tomato seeds if dried properly last in storage for very long time. This year I germinated seeds collected in 2001 with great success. I store them in the basement of my house in paper envelope inside of old metal cookie can.
Thank you James. This is the first year that I've grown almost everything in my garden from seeds. My sources wanted $4 for a tiny little two leaved cucumber plant and I finally just said NO and started them myself and have had pretty decent results thanks to your videos' inspiration and teaching. I doubt I wouldn't have had the determination without you! I'm in Atlanta, GA and just saved some cantalope seeds using the paper plate method, and want to suggest Chinete plates as they aren't waxed and the water is wicked. Not a big deal because you know they all eventually dry out. :) Hugs to the little guy.
I'm in Chicago. I tried using seeds from last year with mixed results. I'm glad I did it. A few weeks into our crazy hot spring I went to Menards. It's a Midwest chain. I think without interior space certain plants are worth it. (Peppers example). Menards had six packs for about the same as larger single plants at Menards. All garden items significantly lower than home Depot, Lowe's or other nursery stores. Like I said I'm glad I tried it. Who knows what next year brings.
I keep a marker close by to write the name and types on the plates😊, parer towel. I save a number of types that do well and prefer to not make mistakes next year.
Loved this James as it is very important to save your seeds to save money! Don't forget to label your jars/cups/mugs/glasses with the variety of tomato seed that you are fermenting! If you are forgetful as me or has some like my hubby who moves things, it is very easy to loose track. When i do a batch of tomatoes for cooking, i like to put the seeds in the relevant cup in one go and also put the date on. I also prefer to put them on a ceramic side dish and transfer over the label. Just my opinion but i really don't like paper plates and rather use plastic re-useable plates from recycled material or normal plates for parties. I bought lunch/ pocket money envelopes from amazon really cheap. 100 100mm x 62mm. I mark them as home grown with the month/year date. Totally agree with the kitchen towel method as the membrane can stick the seed to the tissue and if it too wet, it can start to get fuzzy with mould. You end up with a seed with a bit of tissue stuck to it. Bonus tip(s): After a couple of days, i like to spoon out the floaty bits of tomato flesh as most "good seeds" would have sunk by then and it reduces the flies. If flies are really an issue then sieve the seeds out and replace the water. I normally always keep a home made mini small fly trap next to my main prep area. It is a ramekin filled with home made apple cider vinegar, with a bit of sugar, covered with a square of cling film held on by an elastic band and a hole punched in the middle big enough for a fungus gnat or fruit fly to fit in. I was making the first batch of Autumn chutney, so started a new jar to make apple cider vinegar. I DO NOT use this for cooking but for fly traps and cleaning, etc. I place the peels cores, etc (except the seeds), into a jar as i go along and then fill the jar with water and i think i add about two tablespoons of sugar (i usually eye ball it to the jar size and peels, etc). I label it (sometimes) with the date and if i use a lid i would "burp" it every day to release the gases. Whilst i was getting out my late Mother in Law's jelly making stuff i found some old fashioned cloths in the bag, for all types of stuff. One thing i did find were some old style muslin hankies, perfect for the apple cider jars! I just secured it on to the jar with the rubber band to save burping it as it can overflow if you forget. Anyway, 3/4 weeks and it has fermented enough for traps. If you want to use it for window spray or cleaner, i would leave it a bit longer and then strain it through fine fabric so it doesn't clog the spray nozzle. You can also add it to a diluted water of washing up liquid and oil spray bottle for pests on your plants but always test first and only direct spray in the evening, when the nice bugs go to bed. leave for a day and then spray off, with water. Also, don't over spray as the nice bugs won't want to visit and also it can dry out the plants. I think i just sprayed once in May as it was still to cold for ladybirds, etc... O Boy it looks windy there! The wind and rain has subsided here in London, UK and we have at least two days of warm sunshine before the next low pressure moves in at the weekend but they say it should be as bad as it has been since the beginning of July. Anyways, best wishes to you and your family James, which obvs includes 'lil 'ol Tuck too, bless him!
Looking forward to trying this. Not sure if you researched about the little white hairs on the dried fermented seeds but I found this: The cleaned and dried seeds are coated with tiny white hairs. These hairs were holding the gooey coating on the fresh seeds and now they will help the seeds soak up moisture when they are planted. Love your channel and my new Grow t-shirt!
It’s good to point out if you want to be able to propagate a hybrid tomato, you can if you use the suckers, not the seeds - they will not be true, but the sucker plant will be an exact copy of the original plant.
Thank you JAMES for sharing your knowledge, I shall be fermenting my seeds end of our season. ❤❤❤❤❤ for Tuck , and best wishes, from Perth, Western Australia 🇦🇺
My mom and I just got about 30 pounds of locally grown heirloom tomatoes today and turned it into 15 quarts of tomato sauce. As we went, we scooped out most of the seeds, like this. Just put them into separate jars to ferment!! First time doing it. Now, all we need to do is make a plan to build a proper trellis system for giant tomatoes next year, cause my little dinky cages aren't even enough for my Manitoba plants this year lol.
I used to work at a vegetable seed company and we always fermented tomato seeds as you described, There are other vegetables that require this process too, like cucumbers, melons and more. Thanks for this valuable tip!
Nice, thank you for sharing! I just grab a tomato and smash it directly into a nursing cup, cover with soil, put a plastic bag on it and let it do the job... works for me.
I have actually done the fermentation and it does work. There is a difference. This is the first tomato plant I've successfully planted as a new gardener after not fermenting prior and having them all fail.
❤❤❤ this! I had great plants this year and was wondering if I could save the seeds to see if I could grow them again. This video came along just in time!!!
I use a paper towel to wipe up extra seeds after I eat a tomato. Then I let the paper towel dry. After it’s dry I fold and label the paper towel that has the seeds on it and store it. When you are ready to plant simply pick seeds off the paper towel. 👍
I dried my seeds on paper trays in my garage. In the winter, I took them outside to start my winter sowing jugs in the yard. A gust of wind blew them away. Now I seed my jugs in the garage.
Last year I saved seeds from Burpees Early Treat F1 tomato just for fun. I also didn't know the "correct" way of saving seeds. I basically did exactly the same thing I do for saving strawberry seeds. I just removed the seeds without wiping them off or cleaning them in any way, and just spread them out on a piece of paper. I left the paper outside to sit between two rocks in direct sunlight tor 3 days. Unlike strawberry seeds , tomato seeds got stuck to the paper an I had trouble removing them. Some I just left with a little bit if paper still stuck ti them. Anyhow, I planted 10 seeds this season as sn experiment. All of them germinated and were doing great. I noticed two different looking plants emerged. One kind was a regular leaf growing tall, very similar to Early Treat it came from. The other had potato leaf and was growing short like a bush. I ended up keeping only two, one regular leaf and one potato leaf. Both plants develop into healthy mature plants. The regular leaf one looks exactly like Burpees Early treat it came from. It's sic feet tall and the fruits look identical, large cherry tomatoes. The potato leaf one looks completely different. It remained short, less than a foot tall and branched out like a bush. The fruits are irregularly shaped like mini beefsteaks, the taste is great but the skin is so thick, almost like plastic. So, they need to be peeled first. Anyways, those are my experiences snd my seed saving method, which is even easier and it worked well for me. Take care and happy gardening.
Absolutely great video. Thank you for teaching me how to do this. I was wondering gow it worked. Now i can save my seeds and not have to buy so many every year
I just tried this method this year. Last year, I did it the way that the Amish do. You take a container filled with soil and put the sliced tomato on top of the soil and put it in a dark place. Next season, you take it and begin to water it. It worked great. I had so many tomato plants that I did have space for them all,
I have used paper towels and spread the seeds on them and then used another towel to wipe them and let them dry. I have gotten 90% plus sprouting and growth from them. I store them in small recycled very clean restaurant containers. It takes not nearly as much time and effort and the results are amazing. Most of the time I get much better results than store bought packets. I will never use the soaking method, because if I forget them they make tomato wine and not seeds. This method has worked with pumpkin, pepper and many other seeds. I have seen many pros use the soaking method, but it is not for me. Also, write the date and variety name on a small section of the paper towel so you can cut it and put it in your storage container so when the seeds are gone you can wash and reuse it for more seeds.
I agree with you 100%. Last year I didn't even wipe the seeds down. I just squirted the contents of the tomato onto a piece of paper, spread them out and left the paper between two rocks outside in direct sunlight for 3 days. After that, I scraped them off and put them away. This year I planted them and got 100% germination rate. I don't know whether I was lucky but this worked well for me. It seems that this supposed "inhibitor" doesn't inhibit anything after being completely dried out in the sun. Take care and happy gardening
Thanks James, giving your suggestion a try as this Brooklyn native transplanted to central Jersey (years ago) tries to take steps learning how to garden inexpensively. Your videos have been helpful and tuck is so cute.
Great video. Everyone should save seed. It's easy, it's fun, and it saves money. It's like hitting the garden trifecta. I saved seed from a Big Boy volunteer that impressed me with its will to live. It hasn't disappointed. It's given me 100% germination, and all plants produce well. However, it's a hybrid. I realize that my plant may not be like its parent, but I'm into my third generation and going strong. The only difference I've noticed between my volunteer strain and the original Big Boy is that in this third generation, some of the fruit are more oblate than the original Big Boy. From this 3rd generation, I'll be saving seed from the tomatoes that are round.
My neighbor gave me some tomatoes she grew from seeds her grandfather brought from Italy. The tomatoes are delicious. There's no comparison to your video ✌🏼️
Hey James, first off I love your videos and look forward to each and every one! Thank you for your inspiration and encouragement to all gardeners. Question.... It doesn't appear like you battle critters munching and chewing up your crops...I'm baffled, .is that all Tuck? He really must defend that garden because here in Southern California I've got racoons, tree squirrels, ground squirrels, ground hogs, birds and unfortunately rats....it's a constant battle and they out number me. Granted there is no adorable helper in the yard to chase these guys away. I marvel at the perfect fruit just hanging there not all bagged up and netted. Hats off to Tuck he must be the answer!
Thank you so much for this invaluable lesson! Thanks for all of your informative videos! Being from New Jersey myself, I also always love knowing that whatever you do might or should work for me too!
I just crush up my toms in a strainer & spray with water hose to get everything off the seeds -dry them on a paper towel or a paper plate-It takes about one minute maybe two-I like to do things the easy way.
I'm so glad to know about this. I have always just sprayed my tomato seeds of with a good hard spray, which does seem to get all the gel off. Then I let them dry on a plastic or glass plate because they don't stick to it, so they're easier to scoot on into an envelope (usually one saved from junk mail). One nice advantage of this is the floating off of unviable seeds. I have already saved some seeds, so I will try this with tomatoes of the same variety to see if I get a better germination rate. Thanks James and Tuck! ❤
I agree fermentation adds life to the seeds. I squeeze the seeds into a little dixie cup to ferment and then dry out, then scrape them out of the cups after it dries up
I plan on saving the seeds for my tomatoes that are much harder to grow in my climate so that they become acclimated to my environment. I hope it works
I am currently doing this with tomatoes and cucumbers. I also have cantaloupe seeds, watermelon seeds, and squash seeds drying at the moment. I think everyone should save seeds!
I have used this method for years - self saved usually germinate better than bought. I would add that you need to label. I once did 4 varieties - knew which order, then the wife mixed them up when cleaning 😂
Love it! Our Barry's Crazy plants are just starting to ripen and I'm so EXCITED! This is our we do our seed saving for tomoatoes too and then this year for any hybrid varieties we're going to try rooting suckers towards end of season to overwinter indoors... if they start to get too lanky or big, I'll take the suckers off of those and just keep that process going hopefully :)
While most tomatoes are self fertile, some varieties are more likely to cross pollinate than others, due to the length of their stamen. Even the varieties more likely to be self fertile can still be cross pollinated. If you want to save seed from a tomato and can't isolate by distance, it's best practice to isolate the flower bud before it opens with a barrier, like a small mesh bag. After the flower falls off and a fruit forms, you can be sure that it was self fertilized. This is pretty important knowledge, as I know I've been disappointed with seed I've purchased that had a lot of off type and hybrid plants. Even professionals screw it up, and it sucks when you get bad hybrids. I don't want to tell you how to do your job, but you should probably add that information in the future.
Good point 👍 I was so mad to figure out that my mortgage lifter tomato this year was definitely NOT a mortgage lifter. I got the seeds from a nationally known website. It also happened last year with amana orange tomatoes, which admittedly I got those off of eBay so, my fault. Which is exactly why I only purchased from larger companies this year. But it still happened. It’s a little frustrating, but thankfully not lots of money involved 😅 and I had plenty of tomatoes that were correct 😋
Hi Raymond from Trinidad Caribbean, lm building back my garden in the yard my hobby & also think great 😃 the dog he is cool amazing garden yours so until bro ... .
I haven't tried saving tomato seeds yet because I didn't want the mess, but the comparison of the paper towel to how clean the fermentation method is really sold me. I'm going to try saving a few seeds this year because of you. Thanks! :D
Thaks for the explanation and excellent demonstration. My local grocery store has heirloom tomatoes in the produce department. I think I might buy a few for the seeds. Less expensive than seed packs, at least.
Great video! I use the same method to harvest tomato seeds too, it also works for cucumber and zucchini seeds as well. I tried the paper towel method and some of the seeds will get moldy and also have lower germination rate. Fermentation method is definitely the way to go.
@@anniecochrane3359 Thanks for clarifying. No, they would never germinate while drying out. They require moisture to germinate. I have never experienced any problems with germinating or growing plants from saved seeds using paper method either. I don't plan on changing something that otherwise works very well. There are many pros who also believe that fermentation is not necessary. Thanks for your reply and happy gardening
I put a paper towel over the jar and hold it on with a rubber band to keep fruit flies away
This has been my preferred way of saving tomato seeds for years! So glad you're sharing this with others.
Just one thing to be aware of - don't ferment the seeds for more than 3-4 days. Longer periods of fermentation have a significant detrimental effect on viability. There's plenty of studies about this online, and I've experienced it first hand when I accidentally left some saved seed fermenting for nearly a week
James said 3. Thanks for sharing. I sometimes procrastinate.
SHARE THIS VIDEO IF YOU ENJOYED IT!!! 🐕😁❤
Ok I will
For tuck ❤
Hi! Great show! What is the variety of tomato right behind the jar visible in the background at 6:45 with the long strings of red tomatoes hanging down, please? Also, the ones at 13:15/13:16 behind you and Tuck? Thanks so much!! 🥰
💚🌱🌻🐕 I like the technique J! The alcohol produced in the fermentation process helps remove more of the tomato pulp from the white seed hairs or trichomes. The seed trichomes help with seed dispersal and water absorption during germination and beyond. So your technique aids in ultimately speeding up germination and possible sets the stage for more nutrient absorption longterm. The paper method leaves too much pulp on the trichomes and could potentially inhibit water absorption- delaying germination and possibly impacting fruit yield. No wonder your tomato harvest is so bountiful! This method and your secret fertilizer is a match made in heaven…Chemistry in Motion🔬
What is his secret fertilizer? I did a search on the channel and it came up with all kinds of things.
@@cherylmoseley9746 wood chips
I had rabbits get into my tomato beds a few years ago and they spread tomato seeds all over the yard. We still have random tomato plants popping up everywhere 😆
😂
This is happening to me this year! Yesterday my son found tomatoes under the pool deck and while we were swimming he spotted one in an Azalea bush and some sprinkled in with our cucumber trellis rows.. They are everywhere! Then while I was watering a baby bunny charged me 😂😂 scaring the 💩 outta me! Apparently I scared him too because he played possom for 15 minutes...we both learned our lesson lol
Thats funny!!
LOL! 🤣 That's how we get violas showing up in the oddest places around our place. 😂
Hi James, great informative video! I have saved heirloom seeds for a couple of years, successfully. I use the strainer method and then I put them on brown paper bags or paper plates. FYI, if you're doing a few kinds of tomatoes or other veggies, always label what they are. When they dry, I put them in medicine bottles or spice bottles. When you start doing alot, stay organized or you'll lose track of what you have. Just a frame of reference, I used to buy starts at a garden center. This year, I planted 120 tomato plants from the seeds that I saved last year. Yikes! It's a tomato forest!!!! :):):):)P.S. Love little Tuck, such a cutie:)❤❤❤
Must smell soooooo good
I LOVE THE WAY YOU COME ON WITH SUCH EXCITEMENT. YOU JUST MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY 😊 LOVE YOU BROTHER. ❤
I save food safe plastic gallon buckets from Icecream to ferment seeds.
Works well.
You get a lid, you get a bucket, and you get to eat icecream. win-win-win.
If you slice the tomato horizontally (on the equator-slicing the upper half off from the bottom half), it's much easier to take a spoon and remove the seeds from the pockets of funiculus.
Take a Pot of dry soil, lay your favorite best varieties of tomatoes "slices" on the dry soil. Cover with peat moss or dry soil of your choice. Cover it so no moisture gets in. Let it sit all winter until spring weather arrives. When the daytime temps are over 70° and night temps are above freezing (I wait until it's 55-60°f) uncover the pot and water it really well. You will see every seed emerge! That is the Amish way to save and start seeds. Then when they get true leaves, transplant to individual pots or plant out.
BE prepared to gift some seedlings or have a plant sale!
I like this technique. Thanks for sharing!!
Ohh ❤ wonderful tips 🪴 if I put in basement maybe too cold for Minneapolis as I have these today a special tomato from Italy to plant next year, spring 2024.
Where do you store you pot with dirt and seeds?At what temperature?
I have done this any it works GREAT. Planning on doing it this year with a new type of tomato I grew this year to so it does with us method. Thanks fro posting it for others to try.
Glad you showed us how to do this, James, thank you. I especially appreciate that you told us NOT to use hybrids, because we probably won't get what we think we'll get. Good advice! Have a great day! 💖🐕
Exactly how I've been doing this for years! Right down to the paper plate. Very easy way to save the seeds.
Love your channel. I admire people like you who share their talent and expertise in gardening. What the world needs now is food security as well as green living. How I wish people to cultivate every vacant space for food and not rely on packaged process food.
Hello, I hope you're safe over there? I hope this year brings happiness, prosperity, love 💚 , and peace all over the world 🌏. I would love us to be good friends in honesty and in trust so as time goes on it will bring something great for us in the future, hope you don't mind? I'm Gabriel Wood from Brooklyn New York, where are you from if I may ask???❤
Tomato seeds if dried properly last in storage for very long time. This year I germinated seeds collected in 2001 with great success. I store them in the basement of my house in paper envelope inside of old metal cookie can.
Thank you James. This is the first year that I've grown almost everything in my garden from seeds. My sources wanted $4 for a tiny little two leaved cucumber plant and I finally just said NO and started them myself and have had pretty decent results thanks to your videos' inspiration and teaching. I doubt I wouldn't have had the determination without you! I'm in Atlanta, GA and just saved some cantalope seeds using the paper plate method, and want to suggest Chinete plates as they aren't waxed and the water is wicked. Not a big deal because you know they all eventually dry out. :) Hugs to the little guy.
I'm in Chicago. I tried using seeds from last year with mixed results. I'm glad I did it. A few weeks into our crazy hot spring I went to Menards. It's a Midwest chain. I think without interior space certain plants are worth it. (Peppers example). Menards had six packs for about the same as larger single plants at Menards. All garden items significantly lower than home Depot, Lowe's or other nursery stores. Like I said I'm glad I tried it. Who knows what next year brings.
This is how I do it. Agree!! Wonderful video!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ for Tuck and you!!
Thank you so much James. ❤ to T . The cost of tomatoes have tripled here in India. Due to floods . Trying to grow our native variety.
Pray against all evil knowing God listens.
I keep a marker close by to write the name and types on the plates😊, parer towel. I save a number of types that do well and prefer to not make mistakes next year.
Love David love you Tucker keep the enthusiasm
Tried this method last year for the first time with my black krim tomatoes. Worked great. Had great germination too.
Loved this James as it is very important to save your seeds to save money! Don't forget to label your jars/cups/mugs/glasses with the variety of tomato seed that you are fermenting! If you are forgetful as me or has some like my hubby who moves things, it is very easy to loose track.
When i do a batch of tomatoes for cooking, i like to put the seeds in the relevant cup in one go and also put the date on. I also prefer to put them on a ceramic side dish and transfer over the label. Just my opinion but i really don't like paper plates and rather use plastic re-useable plates from recycled material or normal plates for parties.
I bought lunch/ pocket money envelopes from amazon really cheap. 100 100mm x 62mm. I mark them as home grown with the month/year date.
Totally agree with the kitchen towel method as the membrane can stick the seed to the tissue and if it too wet, it can start to get fuzzy with mould. You end up with a seed with a bit of tissue stuck to it.
Bonus tip(s): After a couple of days, i like to spoon out the floaty bits of tomato flesh as most "good seeds" would have sunk by then and it reduces the flies. If flies are really an issue then sieve the seeds out and replace the water.
I normally always keep a home made mini small fly trap next to my main prep area. It is a ramekin filled with home made apple cider vinegar, with a bit of sugar, covered with a square of cling film held on by an elastic band and a hole punched in the middle big enough for a fungus gnat or fruit fly to fit in.
I was making the first batch of Autumn chutney, so started a new jar to make apple cider vinegar. I DO NOT use this for cooking but for fly traps and cleaning, etc.
I place the peels cores, etc (except the seeds), into a jar as i go along and then fill the jar with water and i think i add about two tablespoons of sugar (i usually eye ball it to the jar size and peels, etc). I label it (sometimes) with the date and if i use a lid i would "burp" it every day to release the gases.
Whilst i was getting out my late Mother in Law's jelly making stuff i found some old fashioned cloths in the bag, for all types of stuff. One thing i did find were some old style muslin hankies, perfect for the apple cider jars! I just secured it on to the jar with the rubber band to save burping it as it can overflow if you forget.
Anyway, 3/4 weeks and it has fermented enough for traps. If you want to use it for window spray or cleaner, i would leave it a bit longer and then strain it through fine fabric so it doesn't clog the spray nozzle.
You can also add it to a diluted water of washing up liquid and oil spray bottle for pests on your plants but always test first and only direct spray in the evening, when the nice bugs go to bed. leave for a day and then spray off, with water. Also, don't over spray as the nice bugs won't want to visit and also it can dry out the plants.
I think i just sprayed once in May as it was still to cold for ladybirds, etc...
O Boy it looks windy there! The wind and rain has subsided here in London, UK and we have at least two days of warm sunshine before the next low pressure moves in at the weekend but they say it should be as bad as it has been since the beginning of July.
Anyways, best wishes to you and your family James, which obvs includes 'lil 'ol Tuck too, bless him!
Looking forward to trying this. Not sure if you researched about the little white hairs on the dried fermented seeds but I found this:
The cleaned and dried seeds are coated with tiny white hairs. These hairs were holding the gooey coating on the fresh seeds and now they will help the seeds soak up moisture when they are planted.
Love your channel and my new Grow t-shirt!
Last year I planted a tomato from seed that was 10 years old. 🤯 ❤❤❤❤for Tuck! 😊
It’s good to point out if you want to be able to propagate a hybrid tomato, you can if you use the suckers, not the seeds - they will not be true, but the sucker plant will be an exact copy of the original plant.
Thank you JAMES for sharing your knowledge, I shall be fermenting my seeds end of our season.
❤❤❤❤❤ for Tuck , and best wishes, from Perth, Western Australia 🇦🇺
My mom and I just got about 30 pounds of locally grown heirloom tomatoes today and turned it into 15 quarts of tomato sauce. As we went, we scooped out most of the seeds, like this. Just put them into separate jars to ferment!! First time doing it. Now, all we need to do is make a plan to build a proper trellis system for giant tomatoes next year, cause my little dinky cages aren't even enough for my Manitoba plants this year lol.
Hey i know this comment is 7 months ago, but have you replanted those seeds and have you seen success? Thanks so much!
I used to work at a vegetable seed company and we always fermented tomato seeds as you described, There are other vegetables that require this process too, like cucumbers, melons and more. Thanks for this valuable tip!
Great demo! I have done this method with water with great success. I didn’t know the water ratio tip. Good to know! Thanks for sharing! 🍅🍅🍅😀
❤❤❤ for Tuck. Gnome at 7:19
Nice, thank you for sharing! I just grab a tomato and smash it directly into a nursing cup, cover with soil, put a plastic bag on it and let it do the job... works for me.
Thank you for this! I'm going to try this this year. I'm assuming to use filtered water, not chlorinated water
The path of least resistance makes for crooked rivers and crooked people. That quote hit me deep man 👍
Excellent Camera Operator! I'm so curious who is behind the camera! Love Your Channel🌻💗🐾
I have actually done the fermentation and it does work. There is a difference. This is the first tomato plant I've successfully planted as a new gardener after not fermenting prior and having them all fail.
What exactly did you do first time around?
❤❤❤ this! I had great plants this year and was wondering if I could save the seeds to see if I could grow them again. This video came along just in time!!!
Aside from the great advice about saving seed, that tomato is looking delicious! ♥️😍🤩❤️♥️😍🤩❤️ For little Tuck.
Every year I pick an additional plant to add to my seed saving. Next year, I will try tomatoes. You make it look so easy. Thanks! Love to see Tuck! ❤❤
I use a paper towel to wipe up extra seeds after I eat a tomato. Then I let the paper towel dry. After it’s dry I fold and label the paper towel that has the seeds on it and store it. When you are ready to plant simply pick seeds off the paper towel. 👍
thanks james!!
I dried my seeds on paper trays in my garage. In the winter, I took them outside to start my winter sowing jugs in the yard. A gust of wind blew them away. Now I seed my jugs in the garage.
Last year I saved seeds from Burpees Early Treat F1 tomato just for fun. I also didn't know the "correct" way of saving seeds. I basically did exactly the same thing I do for saving strawberry seeds. I just removed the seeds without wiping them off or cleaning them in any way, and just spread them out on a piece of paper. I left the paper outside to sit between two rocks in direct sunlight tor 3 days. Unlike strawberry seeds , tomato seeds got stuck to the paper an I had trouble removing them. Some I just left with a little bit if paper still stuck ti them. Anyhow, I planted 10 seeds this season as sn experiment. All of them germinated and were doing great. I noticed two different looking plants emerged. One kind was a regular leaf growing tall, very similar to Early Treat it came from. The other had potato leaf and was growing short like a bush. I ended up keeping only two, one regular leaf and one potato leaf. Both plants develop into healthy mature plants. The regular leaf one looks exactly like Burpees Early treat it came from. It's sic feet tall and the fruits look identical, large cherry tomatoes. The potato leaf one looks completely different. It remained short, less than a foot tall and branched out like a bush. The fruits are irregularly shaped like mini beefsteaks, the taste is great but the skin is so thick, almost like plastic. So, they need to be peeled first.
Anyways, those are my experiences snd my seed saving method, which is even easier and it worked well for me.
Take care and happy gardening.
Absolutely great video. Thank you for teaching me how to do this. I was wondering gow it worked. Now i can save my seeds and not have to buy so many every year
I just tried this method this year. Last year, I did it the way that the Amish do. You take a container filled with soil and put the sliced tomato on top of the soil and put it in a dark place. Next season, you take it and begin to water it. It worked great. I had so many tomato plants that I did have space for them all,
I have used paper towels and spread the seeds on them and then used another towel to wipe them and let them dry. I have gotten 90% plus sprouting and growth from them. I store them in small recycled very clean restaurant containers. It takes not nearly as much time and effort and the results are amazing. Most of the time I get much better results than store bought packets. I will never use the soaking method, because if I forget them they make tomato wine and not seeds. This method has worked with pumpkin, pepper and many other seeds. I have seen many pros use the soaking method, but it is not for me. Also, write the date and variety name on a small section of the paper towel so you can cut it and put it in your storage container so when the seeds are gone you can wash and reuse it for more seeds.
I agree with you 100%. Last year I didn't even wipe the seeds down. I just squirted the contents of the tomato onto a piece of paper, spread them out and left the paper between two rocks outside in direct sunlight for 3 days. After that, I scraped them off and put them away. This year I planted them and got 100% germination rate. I don't know whether I was lucky but this worked well for me. It seems that this supposed "inhibitor" doesn't inhibit anything after being completely dried out in the sun.
Take care and happy gardening
My mom is trying to save some tomato seeds so I played this for her! She really found it useful. Thanks!
Thanks James, another great video. Going to save tomato seeds for sure! Hi Tuck ❤.
I actually preserved my very first tomato seeds using this method. Been coming back to this video several times as I go through this process.
Thanks James, giving your suggestion a try as this Brooklyn native transplanted to central Jersey (years ago) tries to take steps learning how to garden inexpensively. Your videos have been helpful and tuck is so cute.
Thanks James, I've been Gardening for over 50 years. I'm going to try your method with some Heirloom Seeds. 🍅
Love Tuck❤
I've been doing the fermentation process for years, it works!
Blessings to all!
Great video. Everyone should save seed. It's easy, it's fun, and it saves money. It's like hitting the garden trifecta. I saved seed from a Big Boy volunteer that impressed me with its will to live. It hasn't disappointed. It's given me 100% germination, and all plants produce well. However, it's a hybrid. I realize that my plant may not be like its parent, but I'm into my third generation and going strong. The only difference I've noticed between my volunteer strain and the original Big Boy is that in this third generation, some of the fruit are more oblate than the original Big Boy. From this 3rd generation, I'll be saving seed from the tomatoes that are round.
❤❤❤❤❤ for the great tips and Tuck!
My neighbor gave me some tomatoes she grew from seeds her grandfather brought from Italy. The tomatoes are delicious. There's no comparison to your video ✌🏼️
Looks easy enough! My kind of seed saving. I would like to see you save seeds from other veggies. ❤❤❤’s for Tuck
Thank you for your Videos from Berlin/Germany
Thank you for sharing this info. Love Tuck❤❤❤❤
❤ Tuck! ❤
Hey James, first off I love your videos and look forward to each and every one! Thank you for your inspiration and encouragement to all gardeners. Question.... It doesn't appear like you battle critters munching and chewing up your crops...I'm baffled, .is that all Tuck? He really must defend that garden because here in Southern California I've got racoons, tree squirrels, ground squirrels, ground hogs, birds and unfortunately rats....it's a constant battle and they out number me. Granted there is no adorable helper in the yard to chase these guys away. I marvel at the perfect fruit just hanging there not all bagged up and netted. Hats off to Tuck he must be the answer!
Thanks for this tutorial. I have a bunch of heirloom and dwarf tomato varieties and now I feel confident I can save my own seeds from year to year
Thank you so much for this invaluable lesson!
Thanks for all of your informative videos!
Being from New Jersey myself, I also always love knowing that whatever you do might or should work for me too!
🌺Gnome at 6:19 Love the seed saving tips
I just crush up my toms in a strainer & spray with water hose to get everything off the seeds -dry them on a paper towel or a paper plate-It takes about one minute maybe two-I like to do things the easy way.
Thank you! Just saved my first tomato seeds 👩🌾🍅
Using the bottom of the spoon works better for me. More control in a little space. Fermentation is new to me. Thanks
Yep I’ll use it I’m so close to planting tomatoes 🍅to save my seeds
I'm so glad to know about this. I have always just sprayed my tomato seeds of with a good hard spray, which does seem to get all the gel off. Then I let them dry on a plastic or glass plate because they don't stick to it, so they're easier to scoot on into an envelope (usually one saved from junk mail). One nice advantage of this is the floating off of unviable seeds. I have already saved some seeds, so I will try this with tomatoes of the same variety to see if I get a better germination rate. Thanks James and Tuck! ❤
I've have learned something new today. Thanks James and Tuck ❤❤.
Three days is all it takes? I can do this.
❤❤🐕♥♥. On duty.
Much love from Ct. zone 6b.
Thanks for sharing your know-how JP! I've learned so much from you and Tuckie! 💝
This is how I do it. Agree!! Wonderful video!!❤
I I put a towel under the sieve and tap the bottom before I dump the seeds out. They dry faster.
I agree fermentation adds life to the seeds. I squeeze the seeds into a little dixie cup to ferment and then dry out, then scrape them out of the cups after it dries up
I plan on saving the seeds for my tomatoes that are much harder to grow in my climate so that they become acclimated to my environment. I hope it works
I am currently doing this with tomatoes and cucumbers. I also have cantaloupe seeds, watermelon seeds, and squash seeds drying at the moment. I think everyone should save seeds!
Thanks for another video! I saw the peach trees last video, and they were loaded!!
Thank you James. I really appreciate this video.
I have used this method for years - self saved usually germinate better than bought. I would add that you need to label. I once did 4 varieties - knew which order, then the wife mixed them up when cleaning 😂
💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗 for Tuck
Great tip, thanks 😁♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
fermenting seeds a first for me thz for sharing
Love it! Our Barry's Crazy plants are just starting to ripen and I'm so EXCITED! This is our we do our seed saving for tomoatoes too and then this year for any hybrid varieties we're going to try rooting suckers towards end of season to overwinter indoors... if they start to get too lanky or big, I'll take the suckers off of those and just keep that process going hopefully :)
Thanks for sharing...this was very helpful👍🥰
Thanks for sharing how to save the seeds. ❤
What other plants can you ferment the seeds??
THANK YOU JAMES N TUCK..
Credito para el video muy buena informacion para los amante la naturalesa 💚💚💚💚
Amazing tomato seeds ready for planting
I'm definitely trying this. Thank you and the little boss.
While most tomatoes are self fertile, some varieties are more likely to cross pollinate than others, due to the length of their stamen. Even the varieties more likely to be self fertile can still be cross pollinated. If you want to save seed from a tomato and can't isolate by distance, it's best practice to isolate the flower bud before it opens with a barrier, like a small mesh bag. After the flower falls off and a fruit forms, you can be sure that it was self fertilized. This is pretty important knowledge, as I know I've been disappointed with seed I've purchased that had a lot of off type and hybrid plants. Even professionals screw it up, and it sucks when you get bad hybrids. I don't want to tell you how to do your job, but you should probably add that information in the future.
Good point 👍 I was so mad to figure out that my mortgage lifter tomato this year was definitely NOT a mortgage lifter. I got the seeds from a nationally known website. It also happened last year with amana orange tomatoes, which admittedly I got those off of eBay so, my fault. Which is exactly why I only purchased from larger companies this year. But it still happened.
It’s a little frustrating, but thankfully not lots of money involved 😅 and I had plenty of tomatoes that were correct 😋
Thank you for this, I always have trouble saving my tomato seeds, gonna try this out this year.
Hi Raymond from Trinidad Caribbean, lm building back my garden in the yard my hobby & also think great 😃 the dog he is cool amazing garden yours so until bro ... .
I like the gardening secuence
Thank you for sharing this technique. I had some lovely tomatoes this year I really wanted to save the genetics of.
I haven't tried saving tomato seeds yet because I didn't want the mess, but the comparison of the paper towel to how clean the fermentation method is really sold me. I'm going to try saving a few seeds this year because of you. Thanks! :D
Thaks for the explanation and excellent demonstration. My local grocery store has heirloom tomatoes in the produce department. I think I might buy a few for the seeds. Less expensive than seed packs, at least.
Great teaching lesson. Thanks!
Great video! I use the same method to harvest tomato seeds too, it also works for cucumber and zucchini seeds as well. I tried the paper towel method and some of the seeds will get moldy and also have lower germination rate. Fermentation method is definitely the way to go.
Brilliant! Well done! Love your high vibe! Thanks...
Great demo James. I usually do the paper towel method - but this looks much better, so will change to that in the future.
How many germinated doing the paper towel method? Gnats are a nuisance.
@@smas3256 I never had any germinating when seed saving with the paper towel method.
You had no problem with the germination or none of the seeds germinated? Which one is it?
@@edintalundzic9357 None germinated prematurely while drying on the paper towel, most germinated when planted out.
@@anniecochrane3359 Thanks for clarifying. No, they would never germinate while drying out. They require moisture to germinate. I have never experienced any problems with germinating or growing plants from saved seeds using paper method either. I don't plan on changing something that otherwise works very well. There are many pros who also believe that fermentation is not necessary.
Thanks for your reply and happy gardening