How to Collect and Save Vegetable Seeds for Next Year
2022-09-13
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Many of the vegetables we grow in our gardens produce seeds, which can grow into plants if harvested and stored correctly.
2Late summer is the perfect time to start collecting them, reports Associated Press gardening expert Jessica Damiano.
3She warns upfront about the importance of the fruit you choose for seeds.
4Make sure the seeds are from plants that are heirloom, or open-pollinated, kinds.
5These are plants in their original forms.
6Their seeds will produce plants with the same qualities as their parents.
7Hybridized plants usually produce the vegetables sold in big food stores.
8They are created by breeding two or more different kinds of plants to capture the best qualities of each.
9Attempting to grow seeds from hybrids will not lead to happy harvesting, however.
10The resulting plants will not have the expected qualities but instead carry the genes of just one of its parents.
11And, it is impossible to identify which parent that will be.
12For this reason, it is best not to grow seeds from store-bought food.
13Many plants become cross-pollinated in the garden.
14Pollinators, other insects, animals and wind spread pollen from one plant to another.
15To ensure the seeds you collect will grow into plants that match their parents, give them space! Place different kinds of the same crop as far apart as possible when planting a home garden.
16To avoid cross-pollination surprises, plant only one kind of each vegetable from which to harvest seeds.
17If you want to save tomato seeds, for example, grow only one kind of tomato in your garden.
18If that feels too limiting, go ahead and experiment.
19Choose heirloom plants so the risks from cross-pollination are reduced.
20The plants will be fine even if they are not what you expected.
21Store seeds in a cool, dry place in a covered glass jar or paper envelope away from ripening fruit.
22The temporary addition of a drying element to the jar will remove any remaining wetness.
23But remove it after a few days to avoid over-drying.
24Here is how to collect and save seeds from some common homegrown crops.
25At the end of the growing season, lettuce plants will grow a flower that will develop seed heads.
26The process is called bolting and the seed heads are called a puff.
27When the puff is dry, remove the stem.
28Put the puff in a paper bag, close the bag and shake.
29The seeds will come off the flower and fall to the bottom of the bag.
30Basil seeds are tiny, so separating them from the small flower is a slow and careful process.
31When plants bolt at the end of the season, permit flowers to remain until they fade completely.
32Clip them off and place them in a sieve.
33Then use your fingers to push them against the bottom of the sieve.
34Beet and carrot plants produce seeds only in their second year, after a period of cold storage.
35In areas with cold winters, simply leave plants in the ground over winter.
36In warm climates, you have to create "winter" indoors:
37At the end of the first season, cut the plants down to 5 centimeters.
38Carefully dig up roots, and store them in a refrigerator or other cool place.
39Replant them outdoors the following spring.
40When the leaves of second-year beet plants turn brown, remove the seed stalk from the top of the plant and place it in a paper bag.
41Store in a cool, dry place for at least two weeks, then give the bag a good shake to separate the seeds.
42Pour them onto a plate and blow on them to separate the chaff.
43Let second-year carrot flowers dry on the plant, cut them off, and dry them further in a paper bag for a week or two.
44Then treat them in the same way as beets.
45Choose the best-looking pepper from your healthiest plant and let it remain on the plant until it is overripe and wrinkled.
46Slice it in half and remove the seeds.
47Throw away any that are discolored or otherwise undesirable.
48Spread seeds in a single level on thick paper and let them dry in a warm place.
49Do not put them in direct sunlight.
50Shake the seeds around from time to time to ensure even drying.
51The process should take about a week.
52Permit an eggplant to over-ripen on the plant until it becomes hard and wrinkled, and loses its shine and color.
53Cut it open, remove its seeds and place them in a bowl of water.
54Stir the water to wash off anything that might be sticking to them.
55Then use a cloth to dry the seeds gently.
56Leave the seeds on a piece of cloth, shaking them a little every day, until completely dry.
57This can take several weeks.
58Green beans can produce a lot during the season.
59To get seeds, leave developing pods on one plant until they are completely dried and brown.
60Next, cut the pods off the plant and place them in a cool, dark spot to dry further.
61Later, remove the seeds and spread them on cloth.
62Let them harden there for a few days.
63I'm Dorothy Gundy. And I'm Caty Weaver.
1Many of the vegetables we grow in our gardens produce seeds, which can grow into plants if harvested and stored correctly. 2Late summer is the perfect time to start collecting them, reports Associated Press gardening expert Jessica Damiano. She warns upfront about the importance of the fruit you choose for seeds. 3Make sure the seeds are from plants that are heirloom, or open-pollinated, kinds. These are plants in their original forms. Their seeds will produce plants with the same qualities as their parents. 4Hybridized plants usually produce the vegetables sold in big food stores. They are created by breeding two or more different kinds of plants to capture the best qualities of each. Attempting to grow seeds from hybrids will not lead to happy harvesting, however. 5The resulting plants will not have the expected qualities but instead carry the genes of just one of its parents. And, it is impossible to identify which parent that will be. For this reason, it is best not to grow seeds from store-bought food. 6Many plants become cross-pollinated in the garden. Pollinators, other insects, animals and wind spread pollen from one plant to another. To ensure the seeds you collect will grow into plants that match their parents, give them space! Place different kinds of the same crop as far apart as possible when planting a home garden. 7To avoid cross-pollination surprises, plant only one kind of each vegetable from which to harvest seeds. If you want to save tomato seeds, for example, grow only one kind of tomato in your garden. 8If that feels too limiting, go ahead and experiment. Choose heirloom plants so the risks from cross-pollination are reduced. The plants will be fine even if they are not what you expected. 9Store seeds in a cool, dry place in a covered glass jar or paper envelope away from ripening fruit. The temporary addition of a drying element to the jar will remove any remaining wetness. But remove it after a few days to avoid over-drying. 10Here is how to collect and save seeds from some common homegrown crops. 11Lettuce 12At the end of the growing season, lettuce plants will grow a flower that will develop seed heads. The process is called bolting and the seed heads are called a puff. 13When the puff is dry, remove the stem. Put the puff in a paper bag, close the bag and shake. The seeds will come off the flower and fall to the bottom of the bag. 14Basil 15Basil seeds are tiny, so separating them from the small flower is a slow and careful process. When plants bolt at the end of the season, permit flowers to remain until they fade completely. Clip them off and place them in a sieve. Then use your fingers to push them against the bottom of the sieve. 16Beets and carrots 17Beet and carrot plants produce seeds only in their second year, after a period of cold storage. In areas with cold winters, simply leave plants in the ground over winter. 18In warm climates, you have to create "winter" indoors: At the end of the first season, cut the plants down to 5 centimeters. Carefully dig up roots, and store them in a refrigerator or other cool place. Replant them outdoors the following spring. 19When the leaves of second-year beet plants turn brown, remove the seed stalk from the top of the plant and place it in a paper bag. Store in a cool, dry place for at least two weeks, then give the bag a good shake to separate the seeds. Pour them onto a plate and blow on them to separate the chaff. 20Let second-year carrot flowers dry on the plant, cut them off, and dry them further in a paper bag for a week or two. Then treat them in the same way as beets. 21Peppers 22Choose the best-looking pepper from your healthiest plant and let it remain on the plant until it is overripe and wrinkled. Slice it in half and remove the seeds. Throw away any that are discolored or otherwise undesirable. Spread seeds in a single level on thick paper and let them dry in a warm place. Do not put them in direct sunlight. Shake the seeds around from time to time to ensure even drying. The process should take about a week. 23Eggplant 24Permit an eggplant to over-ripen on the plant until it becomes hard and wrinkled, and loses its shine and color. Cut it open, remove its seeds and place them in a bowl of water. Stir the water to wash off anything that might be sticking to them. Then use a cloth to dry the seeds gently. Leave the seeds on a piece of cloth, shaking them a little every day, until completely dry. This can take several weeks. 25Green beans 26Green beans can produce a lot during the season. To get seeds, leave developing pods on one plant until they are completely dried and brown. Next, cut the pods off the plant and place them in a cool, dark spot to dry further. Later, remove the seeds and spread them on cloth. Let them harden there for a few days. 27I'm Dorothy Gundy. And I'm Caty Weaver. 28Jessica Damiano wrote this story for the Associated Press. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. 29______________________________________________________________ 30Words in This Story 31open-pollinated -adj. a plant pollinated naturally by birds, insects, wind 32original -adj. existing from the beginning 33hybridized -adj. offspring of parents that are not similar 34breed -v. to keep animals or plants in an effort to produce more of a particular kind 35stem -n. the long, thin part of a plant that supports the leaves and flowers 36fade -v. to become weaker and slowly lose strength and freshness 37sieve -n. a device used in cooking that separates small particles through a series of small holes 38refrigerator -n. an electric device that keeps food cold 39stalk -n. the thick stem of a plant that grows up from the ground 40chaff -n. the seed coverings of plants that are not eaten but thrown away 41wrinkled -adj. a small line or fold on a surface such as skin, tissue or cloth 42pod -n. a long, thin part of a plant with seeds inside 43What vegetables do you like? Do you grow your own? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 44Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.