The case for saving seed. There are so many triggers that might cause you to decide that now is the time for you to start saving seed, but perhaps they all fall under the umbrella of self-sustainability and self-reliance. Saving your own seed means that you no longer have to pay for new seed every season. […]The post Episode 5: The Last Seed appeared first on Permasapien Podcast - Wisely Employing Permaculture.
The case for saving seed. There are so many triggers that might cause you to decide that now is the time for you to start saving seed, but perhaps they all fall under the umbrella of self-sustainability and self-reliance. Saving your own seed means that you no longer have to pay for new seed every season. It means you breed seed that is adapted to your climate and soil which in turn provides you with more healthy, vigorous and productive plants. But it isn’t only the practical matters that are involved. You are also passing down a heritage. Consider: Your great-great-great grandchildren planting seed from a plant you sowed all those years before them. It reminds me of a pepper I am attempting to grow this season. It is affectionately called“Mary’s Delight”. I obtained this seed from Charles C. who has this to say about it: It started out with Hawaiian Chili and Bouquet Peppers planted in the same bed together. I just kept doing it for about seven years and now they have crossed. My step mom gave me the plants so they are called Mary’s Delight. She passed away a few years ago. Growing peppers may be fun, but growing a story is even better. It’s my privilege to help keep this story alive. I can understand if the stories are not what matter the most to you. After all, what we’re really looking for is something to eat. However, having a story to share about the food you are eating can be a lot of fun as well. Whatever your reason is for saving the seed, one thing is clear: We need the seed (or root, or clipping, etc.) in order to grow more food. And this is not just an annual crop issue. At some point even the mighty chestnut doesn’t produce enough food for a certain population and we need another tree to provide more food. Types of Fruit and Vegetable Seeds One thing worth reminding everyone is that to save seed we need to be using Open Pollinated varieties. As defined by the Seed Savers Exchange: Open-pollination is when pollination occurs by insect, bird, wind, humans, or other natural mechanisms. More importantly, the seed produces the same plant that the seed came from. There is no noticeable genetic change from the parent plant to the child plant grown from seed. You may have heard the term“Heirloom” and have become accustomed to the idea that Heirloom = Open Pollinated, and that is true in the sense that all Heirloom’s are Open Pollinated, but not all Open Pollinated seeds are Heirlooms’. Again, as explained by the Seed Savers Exchange: While some companies create heirloom labels based on dates (such as a variety that is more than 50 years old), Seed Savers Exchange identifies heirlooms by verifying and documenting the generational history of preserving and passing on the seed. I very much agree with this stance. Your grandfather’s knife or your grandmother’s dishes aren’t family heirlooms because they are old, they are heirlooms because you know their history. So it is with seed. Hybrid plants are different creatures and for the purpose of this discussion I will simplify it down to just saying that you cannot save seed from a hybridized plant and get the same plant that produced the seed. You can, however, produce your own hybrid plants so that you do not have to purchase the seeds, but it is an exacting science and you need to be ready to do all the pollination in a controlled environment. There are other items to consider as well, climate being near the top of my list. For a beginner there is just no sense in trying to grow plants that are not meant for your area. After your experience has increased and your confidence is booming, then learn about micro-climates and sub-species of cultivars that might do better for your particular climate. Another consideration of note is to select varieties for their specific traits. You can find heirloom varieties that do better against certain diseases, ones that do better in greenhouse[...]