I keep my tomatoe seeds in an envelope also... Envelopes are an excellent tool if you have a seed saving fixation. I always place my seeds in the fridge for around a couple of weeks before planting up.. They seem to germinate faster.. Not sure if my imagination, but my thought was if they feel like they have been overwintered and then get warm they'll grow faster??? Theory mine alone!
Hi Kali thanx for advice on seed saving and the absorbent sachet trick is genius and recycled envelopes gosh sounds like gardening becomes a way of life "I like it"! Cheers : )
Kali said:
bah botched my reply and have to type it out again! Yes Yvonne, paper envelopes are great because they breathe, you want to make sure the seeds are thoroughly dry before sealing in plastic or they will go mouldy, I have gazillions of seeds in envelopes recycled from the mail, I keep them in tupperware containers once I know they are perfectly dry, I throw in a few of those little absorbant sachet things you sometimes find in vitamin bottles and the like.
bah botched my reply and have to type it out again!
Yes Yvonne, paper envelopes are great because they breathe, you want to make sure the seeds are thoroughly dry before sealing in plastic or they will go mouldy, I have gazillions of seeds in envelopes recycled from the mail, I keep them in tupperware containers once I know they are perfectly dry, I throw in a few of those little absorbant sachet things you sometimes find in vitamin bottles and the like.
I know of two ways, if you only want to save a few you can just smear them onto a paper towel and leave to dry thoroughly before putting away in a cool dark place, they stick on the paper and you can just rip off the amount you want to sow, paper and all. In order to get clean free-flow seeds you need to ferment them first, put the pulp into some water and leave for a couple of days until there is a layer of mouldy looking stuff on top, then rinse the seeds, by this time the pulp should have come off the seeds and the good ones will sink to the bottom, decant the icky liquid off a few times refilling with clean water, until clear. then you need to spread the seeds in a sieve to dry thoroughly before storing, this takes about a week. don't forget to label them! tomato seed stays viable for many years.
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Kali said:
Yes Yvonne, paper envelopes are great because they breathe, you want to make sure the seeds are thoroughly dry before sealing in plastic or they will go mouldy, I have gazillions of seeds in envelopes recycled from the mail, I keep them in tupperware containers once I know they are perfectly dry, I throw in a few of those little absorbant sachet things you sometimes find in vitamin bottles and the like.