Zera Brooks - Saving Seeds Handbook: A Seed Saving Guide for Gardeners to Sow, Harvest, Clean, and Store Vegetable and Flower Seeds Plus Techniques To Get You Started

Saving Seeds Handbook

A Seed Saving Guide for Gardeners to Sow, Harvest, Clean, and Store Vegetable and Flower Seeds Plus Techniques To Get You Started

By

Zera Brooks

Copyright 2022 Zera Brooks

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Disclaimer

This publication is designed to provide competent and reliable information regarding the subject matter covered. However, the views expressed in this publication are those of the author alone, and should not be taken as expert instruction or professional advice. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions.

The author hereby disclaims any responsibility or liability whatsoever that is incurred from the use or application of the contents of this publication by the purchaser or reader. The purchaser or reader is hereby responsible for his or her own actions.

Introduction

I n gardening and agriculture , seed saving (also known as brown-bagging) is the process of saving seeds from vegetables, herbs, grains, and flowers for use year after year. For the past 12,000 years, this has been the conventional method of maintaining farms and gardens. There has been a substantial change in recent times, beginning in the latter half of the twentieth century to acquiring seed yearly from commercial seed providers. It is on record that home gardeners are responsible for a large portion of today's grassroots seed-saving activity.

To thrive at seed saving, you need to learn new skills to ensure that essential characteristics are preserved in the plant variety's landraces. The minimum distance between plants of similar species is required to prevent cross-pollination with another variety, as well as the minimum number of plants that need to be grown to preserve innate genetic diversity, are both important considerations gardeners need to pay attention to. It's also important to identify the cultivar's ideal characteristics so that when grown, plants that aren't breeding "true" are picked against. Seed-borne diseases must also be identified so that they can be eradicated. Seed storage procedures must be effective enough to keep the seed viable. It's important to know the germination criteria so that testing can be performed on a regular basis.

When it comes to saving seeds, there are lots of steps and procedures to be followed to ensure you are successfully saving the best variety of seeds. This book, Saving Seeds Handbook , was written to be your compass and to provide you with virtually all you need to thrive as you journey into the practice of saving seeds in your garden. So, ensure you pay close attention to the points discussed in the pages of this book as we take a deep dive into the practice of saving seeds.

So, lets jump right into it!

Chapter 1

The Basics of Saving Seeds

What is a Seed?

Y ou're probably familiar with seeds if you've ever eaten an apple or a watermelon. If those seeds are planted underground well enough, they will grow into plants like apple trees or watermelons.

The seed is the plant's embryonic stage. Embryo, the endosperm, and the seed coat make up most seeds. The embryo is a stem, root, and leaf plant. The endosperm is the seed's nutritional component, made up of oil, protein, and starch. The seed coat protects the seeds and keeps them viable for longer.

While humans usually avoid seeds in juicy fruits, many common dry foods contain seeds, such as lentils, peanuts, peas, and beans. Nuts like filberts, pecans, cashews, and walnuts are technically fruits, but we consume the seed and discard the fruit (or shell). Brazil nuts, almonds, and Pine nuts are all seeds, despite not being a nut. Spices like mustard, fenugreek, and nutmeg are seeds. Chocolate and coffee are two of our favorite non-legume beans. How about cereal grains, corn, and rice? Grains contain seeds united to the ovary wall, therefore they are fruits, even though we eat them more for their nutritional worth. Not to worry: flax, puppy, and pumpkin seeds are all seeds as well.

Types of Seeds

S eeds are categorized into two categories based on;

1. The number of cotyledons present: The seeds with just one cotyledon on the exterior are known as monocotyledonous. Orchids, Alisma, maize, rice, and other crops are examples. The seeds with two cotyledons on both sides of the seed husk are known as dicotyledonous seeds. Examples include gram, pea, bean, mustard, mango, and so forth.

1. Whether or not a seed has endosperm, it may be divided into the following categories:

Albuminous seeds (Endospermic): These are seeds that include endosperm, as the name suggests. Albuminous seeds have thin, membrane-like cotyledons, and the endosperm survives and feeds the seedling throughout its early stages of development. Plants like castor, poppy, custard apple, and others are examples.