Seed Saving Information
 

Hi all

I found a great seed saving reference on line that seems complete and easy to use called Vegetable Seed Saving Handbook. I am not affiliated in any way with this free site. The site is:

[url]www.howtosaveseeds.com/index.php[/url]

This site can be a useful reference.

MuddyBuckets

When I read this many fallacies in one paragraph I tend to shy away from anything else the person has to say.

Lycopersicon lycopersicum
Almost all modern tomatoes can be safely grown without isolation and will not cross—'currant' tomatoes (such as Cherry Tomatoes), and 'potato-leafed' tomatoes (such as Brandywine) are possible exceptions and may cross other currant or potato-leaf varieties. Grow as many standard tomatoes as desired, but grow only one currant tomato or one potato-leaf tomato at a time to ensure purity (or cage them, or separate varieties by 500 feet). Currant and potato-leaf tomatoes will not usually cross with common tomato varieties.
It's best to not plant all a valuable variety's seeds in one season until you are sure it doesn't cross with any other varieties you grow.

[url]http://www.howtosaveseeds.com/seedsavingdetails.php#tomatoes[/url]

Sorry but this just isn't so.

Worth

And here's a link that can help new folks understand how to do the fermentation method of saving tomato seeds. This is a "Beginners Guide".


[URL="http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/A_Beginner%E2%80%99s_Guide_To_Saving_Tomato_Seeds_Using_Fermentation"]http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/A_Beginner%E2%80%99s_Guide_To_Saving_Tomato_Seeds_Using_Fermentation[/URL]

Here's the guide I follow:
[url]http://settfest.feldoncentral.com/2009/01/saving-seeds/[/url]

Seed Alliance has a really detailed pdf you can download that gives all the information you need to do seed saving the right way. If you don't want to read the whole thing on page 25 there is a good chart that tells the isolation distance, what else they can cross with and the number of plants needed for diversity.

[url]http://www.seedalliance.org/uploads/publications/Seed_Saving_Guide.pdf[/url]

[QUOTE=MuddyBuckets;514933]Hi all

I found a great seed saving reference on line that seems complete and easy to use called Vegetable Seed Saving Handbook. I am not affiliated in any way with this free site. The site is:

[URL="http://www.howtosaveseeds.com/index.php"]www.howtosaveseeds.com/index.php[/URL]

This site can be a useful reference.

MuddyBuckets[/QUOTE]

In my opinion, that is an excellent seed saving reference and I have used it for years.It is simple and to the point.Cornell University also lists it in one of their 5 seed saving guide recommendations and if you do a google search you will see many references to this guide including references from University extension sites.

Just wanted to explore some of the statements in this paragraph;


Lycopersicon lycopersicum
Almost all modern tomatoes can be safely grown without isolation and will not cross—'currant' tomatoes (such as Cherry Tomatoes), and 'potato-leafed' tomatoes (such as Brandywine) are possible exceptions and may cross other currant or potato-leaf varieties. Grow as many standard tomatoes as desired, but grow only one currant tomato or one potato-leaf tomato at a time to ensure purity (or cage them, or separate varieties by 500 feet). Currant and potato-leaf tomatoes will not usually cross with common tomato varieties.
It's best to not plant all a valuable variety's seeds in one season until you are sure it doesn't cross with any other varieties you grow.

I think very high percentage gardeners who grow tomatoes don't bag blossoms or isolate their plants.Why do they fail to do this?Because "Almost all modern tomatoes can be safely grown without isolation and will not cross."I think the number ranges from 95 to 100 percent.

And it is has been proven that potato leaf varieties cross more readily than regular leaf varieties. I cannot remember the exact figure but the picture in my mind is 60s or 80 percent something purity.

As far as the currant tomatoes I have no idea.Jeffrey H. McCormack explains why potato leaf and some other tomato varieties cross more readily in this excellent report.

[url]http://www.michiganheirlooms.com/PDF'S/Tomato_Seed_Production.pdf[/url]


[FONT=serif]Generally speaking, most modern varieties (introduced after 1950) can be isolated from each other [/FONT]
[FONT=serif]by a relatively short distance. This is because most modern tomato varieties have a blossom structure [/FONT]
[FONT=serif]in which the length of style does not exceed the length of the anther cone. This arrangement of flower [/FONT]
[FONT=serif]structure favors self-fertilization. Older tomato varieties, potato-leaf varieties, and large-fruited,[FONT=serif]4 [/FONT]
[FONT=serif]beefsteak-type tomatoes (including varieties with double blossoms) tend to have an “exserted style,” [/FONT]
[FONT=serif]meaning that the style protrudes beyond the anther cone, typically by a millimeter or more. This [/FONT]
[FONT=serif]arrangement of reproductive parts favors cross-fertilization by pollinating wild bees. Some garden [/FONT]
[FONT=serif]tomatoes have retained some of the characteristics of their wild ancestors. These characteristics may [/FONT]
[FONT=serif]be found in many cherry tomatoes and currant tomatoes. These types have a blossom structure such [/FONT]
[FONT=serif]that the style protrudes considerably beyond the anther cone

[/FONT]
[/FONT]


[FONT=sans-serif]T

[/FONT]

And here are some more articles by this excellent author, Jack Rowe

[URL]http://permaculture-and-sanity.com/permaculture-articles.php[/URL]

So in summary to my post #7 which wont let me edit, I think Jack Rowe did a great job and I see no real fallacies in his statement.I think he maybe could have worded it better but then you would have a 3 page report, THE END

I actually found it to be rather overly verbose. It was definitely aimed at the new entry gardener who is looking for basic background information, but lacked the hands on that builds confidence in those trying seed saving for the first time.

All in all, it's still one man's opinion, and none of the procedures listed and linked above are the words "etched in stone". Together, they have something to offer those looking for the how-to, and will be collectively good for developing one's own methodology for saving seeds.

Just My Humble Opinion. My opinion works for me. You may encounter different results.