Seed Saving and Collecting Guide

Learning to save your own seeds is A MUST for all gardeners! Collecting and saving your own seed is easy, fun and valuable skill.

Benefits of Seed Saving

• You save a LOT of money every year because you don’t have to buy new seeds.
• Plants grown from seed acclimatise to your local weather conditions and soil type. So, seeds saved from your own crops tend to be more resilient to pests and climate challenges.  Plants grown from seeds sourced from outside your microclimate often take several seasons to acclimatise.
• Seed saving improves your food security, self-sufficiency and sustainability.
• The seeds you collect and save are usually fresher than seeds bought commercially, so they last longer.
• Seed saving from your own crops enables you to keep your own varieties going into the future.
• Seeds are a valuable resource to sell, swap or share with other gardeners.
• You can learn to become a plant breeder by selecting the best plants with desirable character traits. For example, high yields, pest resistance, superior flavour, drought tolerance, size and colour. So every year, your seed stock becomes stronger and more resilient with improved traits.
• Earn an income by selling the seeds you save. Many small seed companies welcome contributions from home gardeners. If you’re entrepreneurial, start your own online business and sell seeds.

Many old varieties of seeds are threatened today as they are not suitable for commercial agriculture and food processing. Seed savers help to keep heirloom varieties alive, ensuring continuity of unique cultivars. You can contribute to preserving the genetic diversity of our garden crops.

This laminated, fold-out 8-page full-colour chart provides a condensed overview of seed collecting for 54 vegetable varieties. This reference guide has excellent clearly illustrated information on plant types, pollination, which seeds to save, how to keep them pure, harvesting, storage, germination tests, advice for the seed saver and a seed collector’s glossary. An easy-to-use Getting Started Guide for seed savers.

Learn more about saving seeds and sourcing open-pollinated, heirloom and organic seed varieties.

Save seeds from your garden to sow again next season