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By Jessica Lane | Last updated on August 28, 2017

Seed Saving 101 – An Encyclopedia of Seed Saving

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Are you just getting started with seed saving? Here is a wonderful resource for everything you could need to know about saving various types of seeds. Be sure to check back from time to time as we will be continuously adding to the list.

A resource for everything you could need to know about seed saving, from vegetables to herbs to flowers. Learn how to properly save seeds.

If you are from the Mount Washington Valley area, I encourage you to swing by Spice & Grain in Fryeburg and become a member of our Seed Exchange Library.

Saving Vegetable Seeds

Easy Seed Savers

These seeds can most reliably be saved by the home gardener, even if you’ve never saved seeds before.

A resource for everything you could need to know about seed saving, from vegetables to herbs to flowers. Learn how to properly save seeds.

Arugula Saving Arugula Seeds from GardenNerd

Beans How to Save Bean Seeds from The Prairie Homestead

Endive Batavian Seed Saving from Smart Gardener

Lettuce Saving Lettuce Seeds from Urban Food Garden

Leeks Grow Leeks to Save Leek Seeds from Homestead Lady

Peas Saving Peas for Seed from Daughter of the Soil + Growing & Using Snow Peas from Homespun Seasonal Living

Radishes Saving Seeds: Radish from Food Storage & Survival

Tomatillos Saving Seed: Tomatillos from Cycle Farm

Tomatoes How to Save Tomato Seeds from Homestead Lady

Intermediate Seed Savers

Some plants are biennials, which means they produce seeds the second growing season. Many of these require large populations and isolation from things that could cross-pollinate with them.

A resource for everything you could need to know about seed saving, from vegetables to herbs to flowers. Learn how to properly save seeds.

Asparagus Asparagus: The Garden Wonder from The Farmer’s Lamp

Beets All About Growing Beets from Mother Earth News

Bunching Onions Organic Bunching Onions – Growing and Seed Saving Info from High Mowing Organic Seeds

Carrots How to Save Carrot Seeds from Food Storage & Survival

Chard Organic Chard – Growing & Seed Saving Info from High Mowing Seeds

Chili Peppers Saving Chili Pepper Seeds to Grow Again from The Chile Man

Eggplant Saving Eggplant Seeds from The Southern Agrarian

Parsnips All About Growing Parsnips from Mother Earth News

Peppers Can You Use Seeds From a Bell Pepper to Plant? from HomeGuides

Salsify Salsify Flower: Biennial Seed Saving Project from Grow Joyful

Hard Seed Savers

Some plants cross-pollinate; that means that if there is another variety around they can pollinate each other and the seeds you save will not be what you originally planted. These plants need to be isolated by large distances or hand-pollinated.

A resource for everything you could need to know about seed saving, from vegetables to herbs to flowers. Learn how to properly save seeds.

Broccoli How To Save Broccoli Seeds In The Garden from Gardening Know How

Brussel Sprouts Saving Brussel Sprout Seeds from Smart Gardener

Cabbage Saving Cabbage Family Seeds from The Veggie Patch Reimagined

Cauliflower Organic Cauliflower from High Growing Seeds

Corn How to Save Corn Seed from Weekend Gardener

Cucumbers How to Save Cucumber Seeds from Your Garden from About Home

Kale Saving Seeds from Kale from Wood Ridge Homestead

Melons Saving Cantaloupe Seeds (applies to all melons) from Backyard Vegetable Gardening

Pumpkins Raise Your Own Pumpkins from Farm Flavor

Squash How to Save Squash Seeds from Capper’s Farmer

Turnips Saving Turnip Seed from Going to Seed

Saving Herb Seeds

Herb seeds are typically easy to save using a “brown bag” method and rarely cross-pollinate. These are great for those that are just getting started.

A resource for everything you could need to know about seed saving, from vegetables to herbs to flowers. Learn how to properly save seeds.

Basil How to Save Basil Seeds from The Dig In

Chervil Herbs to Know: Chervil from Mother Earth Living

Chives How to Save Chive Seeds from Mavis’ Garden Blog

Cilantro/Coriander Harvesting Coriander Seeds from Vegetarian Times

Dill Information on How to Harvest Dill from Gardening Know How

Garlic Growing Garlic from Traditional Foods

Lovage How to Grow Lovage from Plant Natural

Marjoram How to Grow Marjoram from Heirloom Organics

Oregano Oregano Plant Care from Folia

Parsley Parsley Plant Guide from Smart Gardener

Sage Saving Sage Seed from Growing Herbs for Beginners

Salad Burnet How to Grow Salad Burnet from Gardening Know How

Thyme Preserving Your Thyme Harvest from Preserving Your Harvest

Saving Flower Seeds 

Flowers work in the same way as herbs do. They are typically easy to save using a brown bag or by placing an organza bag over the flower head and they rarely cross-pollinate. In they event that they do cross-pollinate or they don’t breed true, it can often have some beautiful results and rarely causes any problems since most flowers are kept for ornamental purposes only.

A resource for everything you could need to know about seed saving, from vegetables to herbs to flowers. Learn how to properly save seeds.

If you are saving flowers for culinary or medicinal purposes, more care may need to be given.

Bachelor Buttons How to Collect & Save Bachelor Button Seeds from Mr. Brown Thumb

Calendula Calendula Seed Saving from Cedar Circle Farm

Columbine Harvesting Columbine Seeds from In Bloom This Week

Cleome Saving Seeds from Cleome from SFGate

Lupines How to Save Lupine Seeds from eHow

Marigolds How to Save Marigold Seed from Little *big* Harvest

Milkweed Propagating Milkweeds from Borderlands Restoration

Morning Glory How to Collect Morning Glory Seeds from Mr. Brown Thumb

Nasturtium Collecting Nasturtium Seeds from The Nerdy Gardener

Poppy Harvesting Poppy Seeds from Sincerely, Emily

Sunflowers How to Plant & Grow Sunflowers from The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Yarrow Harvesting Yarrow Seed from Hudman Honey Farm

Bloggers: Do you have a post on saving a specific type of seed? Share the link in the comments below and we’ll add it to our encyclopedia.

Make sure when you save your seeds, you’re storing them properly. The last thing you want to do is take the time and effort to save them and then have them too moist when you put them away or suffer some other seed tragedy. Some great storage container ideas include printable seed packets or even empty pill bottles. I also love these origami seed envelopes.

Do you need seeds to get you started? I can’t speak highly enough for Average Person Gardening’s Seeds of the Month Club. You can check out my review or head right on over to sign up. For less than a Starbucks Venti Caramel Flan Latte, you can enjoy a month of amazing GMO-free seeds.

The Gardening Notebook - The ultimate gardening tool

And if you are like me and you love being super-organized in the garden (or maybe you need help with your garden organizational skills), you should check out The Gardening Notebook. This is one of those resources you buy once and it just gets better year after year. You can purchase your copy here.

A resource for everything you could need to know about seed saving, from vegetables to herbs to flowers. Learn how to properly save seeds.

You May Also Like

  • Your Guide to Reading and Understanding a Seed PacketYour Guide to Reading and Understanding a Seed Packet
  • A Guide to Winter Sowing {Starting Seeds in Winter}A Guide to Winter Sowing {Starting Seeds in Winter}
  • Carrot Woes: Using Burlap to GerminateCarrot Woes: Using Burlap to Germinate
  • Winter Sowing Zone Guides & FAQsWinter Sowing Zone Guides & FAQs
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Jessica Lane

I am a non-traditional homesteader. What is a non-traditional homesteader? I'd like to think we are the people who don't fit the mold. I am a busy mom on a small bit of property with not a lot of financial resources, but I am figuring out how to live the life I want. A homesteader's life.
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Latest posts by Jessica Lane (see all)

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Filed Under: Backyard Garden Tagged With: Seed Saving & Starting

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. smith wesley says

    February 25, 2020 at 6:33 am

    AM IN MY OFFICE RIGHT NOW READING THIS ARTICLE….
    OMG.
    I CAME TO YOUR POST JUST AT THE RIGHT TIME. THANKS A LOT AND PLEASE KEEP IT UP. CHEERS….

    Reply
  2. Elizabeth Aker says

    April 10, 2018 at 11:16 am

    Awesome post – literally saved so many of these links for my own saving!!! 😀 Thank you Jessica~!~!

    Reply
  3. Malia @ Small Town Girl says

    July 3, 2015 at 12:20 am

    Great list!!! It’s nice to have it all in one post!

    Reply
    • Jessica Lane says

      July 3, 2015 at 8:55 am

      Keep checking back because I will be constantly adding to the list. If there are seeds you’re interested in saving that aren’t on the list, just let me know.

      Reply
  4. Mike the Gardener says

    June 2, 2015 at 8:34 am

    Great list!

    Although I, me personally, I would put carrots in the tougher category. Only because it takes carrots up to two seasons to go to seed, so it will take some patience.

    Reply
    • Jessica Lane says

      June 2, 2015 at 8:37 am

      I’ll admit, I was on the fence about the placement of a few of these (carrots included). It’s rather subjective. I personally struggle with some “easy” ones and yet have no trouble with “hard” ones.

      Reply

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