Reproduce your seeds

Collecting your own seeds (reproducible, non-hybrid) helps you preserve local varieties, improve their adaptation to your region’s climate and reduce your dependence on seed companies. Here’s a method that can be applied to a few typical vegetables:

1. Squash (courgettes, pumpkins, etc.)

• Fruit selection: Select healthy, well-formed fruit. Leave them on the plant until they are fully ripe (the skin should become hard).
• Harvesting: Harvest the fruit when it is fully ripe. Leave it to rest for a few weeks (2-3 weeks) in a dry place to ripen properly.
• Extracting the seeds: Cut the squash open and remove the seeds. Rinse with water to remove the pulp.
• Drying: Spread the seeds out on a cloth or absorbent paper in a dry, well-ventilated place. Leave to dry for about a week.
• Storage: Store the seeds in a paper bag or airtight jar, away from light and moisture.

2. Tomatoes

• Choosing the fruit: Select ripe tomatoes from healthy, vigorous plants.
• Extracting the seeds: Cut the tomato in half and remove the seeds with the pulp. Put them in a glass of water and leave to ferment for 2 to 3 days, until a thin film forms on the surface.
• Cleaning: Rinse the seeds under running water to remove the pulp and film.
• Drying: Spread the seeds out on absorbent paper or a cloth in a dry, well-ventilated place. Leave to dry for about a week.
• Storage: Store the seeds in a dry, dark place, in a paper bag or airtight jar.

3. Dill

• Harvesting: When the dill flowers start to turn brown and dry out, cut off the umbels (flower heads) and leave them to dry out in a dry, shady place.
• Removing the seeds: Once the umbels are completely dry, shake or rub them gently to remove the seeds.
• Drying: If necessary, spread the seeds out to allow them to dry completely.
• Storage: Store the seeds in a paper bag or airtight jar, away from light and moisture.

4. Salads (lettuces)

• Flowering: Allow one or more lettuce plants to go to seed. The plants will produce yellow flowers that turn into small black seeds.
• Harvesting: Once the seed heads are dry, cut them gently and place them in a paper bag to dry out.
• Extracting the seeds: Once dry, shake the seed heads to remove the small black seeds.
• Drying: Spread the seeds out on a cloth or paper to allow them to dry completely.
• Storage: Store the seeds in a paper bag or airtight jar, away from light and moisture.

5. Beans

• Harvesting: Leave the bean pods to dry directly on the plant until they turn brown and crisp.
• Extracting the seeds: Break open the dry pods to extract the seeds.
• Drying: Make sure the seeds are completely dry by leaving them in the open air for a few extra days if necessary.
• Storage: Store the seeds in a cool, dry place, in a paper bag or airtight jar.

6. Maize

• Harvesting: Leave the corn cobs to dry out completely on the plant. Harvest when the kernels are hard.
• Extracting the seeds: Dehusk the cobs by hand, removing the kernels.
• Drying: Leave the kernels to dry in a dry, well-ventilated place for several weeks.
• Storage: Store the seeds in a paper bag or airtight jar, away from light and moisture.

General advice:

• Avoid hybridisation: To avoid cross-pollination, especially in squash and maize, make sure you grow distinct varieties far apart, or cover the flowers to control pollination.
• Long-term storage: Seeds should be stored away from moisture, heat and light. Use paper bags or airtight jars, and keep them in a cool place.
• Reproducibility: Make sure your plants do not come from hybrid seeds. This could cause degeneration year after year with very low germination rates.

These methods guarantee good quality seeds for the following seasons, with plants that are well adapted to your environment. We follow these steps scrupulously at Kerbeleg to ensure that our vegetable garden is long-lasting and fruitful. The seeds we give you follow the same rule.

Last but not least, don’t forget to make small, well-informed bags to help you find your way around.

Follow our tutorial to make little origami seed envelopes: