The Cottage Garden Society Seed Collection and Storage
- Information for Members

The Cottage Garden Society Seed Collection and Storage - Information for Members The CGS Seed Exchange depends entirely upon seed donated by members from their own gardens. By early summer, it is time to start thinking about collecting seed, as early flowering plants will have already set seed and ripened, so you can be gathering seed right through the summer. Our Seed Distribution system is described in the Sept. 2000 edition of 'The Cottage Garden' magazine (pp21-23). These notes aim to give general advice on how to collect and store your own seed. Information on seed sowing, and germination is included in our annual Seed List, which is distributed with the December magazine. Remember that donors of more than five packets of seeds are allowed an extra allocation from our list.

We welcome all types of seed: annuals, perennials, vegetables, shrubs, trees etc - but especially those cited below. (But not prolific self-seeders such as hollyhocks etc please.) Some varieties are in short supply and often these are the ones most in demand. Over the past few years the following have been particularly popular: Acanthus, Achillea, Agapanthus, Clarkia, Codonopsis, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Daphne, Dolichos, Eremurus, Nicotiana, Phlox, Pulmonaria and Viola, plus all the named varieties generally. As to vegetables - almost all the vegetable seed offered last year went by January and there were many requests for more. This indicates considerable interest in growing vegetables characteristic of cottage gardeners so please try to save seed from your tomatoes, beans, peas and courgettes, etc, and send them in to this year's Seed Exchange. These are the easiest to save and the ones most in demand.

Named cultivars, hybrids and doubles cannot be relied upon to come true from seed, which means that those named varieties (in single quotes) can be disappointing. When growing plants from seed, one can unwittingly pass on inaccurately named, sub-standard plants. To avoid this, plants grown from such seed and then passed on to other people, must state on the label that it was GROWN FROM SEED of the variety stated. (An exception to this rule are Sweet Peas, which are self fertile and therefore unlikely to be accidentally cross pollinated.)

Harvesting flower seed
Seeds of ornamental plants are usually ready when the capsules turn dry and brittle. Collect seedheads (cut the stem if necessary) and place in a paper bag, not cling-film, foil or polythene bags, which can create moisture. Hang them up in a dry place until seeds ripen, but not in the kitchen, where steam can hinder the drying. A cool, airy room or shed is better. Large seed can be laid out in paper-lined trays. When dry, separate the seed from its capsule by gently crushing the seed pods to release the seeds. A sieve can be useful in removing any remaining debris which might otherwise rot and damage the seed. When clean, the seed should be funnelled into suitably-labelled envelopes. (Eg junk-mail envelopes! ) Label each packet with the botanical (Latin) name and variety if you know it, otherwise use the common name. Store the envelopes in an airtight container (such as a biscuit tin) in a cool place, with a sachet of silica gel (available from chemists) - or even uncooked rice, to absorb any moisture.

Harvesting vegetable seed
To save seed from French beans, broad and runner beans and peas just leave pods on several plants to mature and start to dry. Pick them in late summer or in wet weather, and complete the drying process indoors. Remove the seeds and store as above. Seed from courgettes and marrows are risky, as they will cross with other marrows in flower, as will squash and pumpkins. Being insect pollinated, the new plants will not be identical unless artificially pollinated, and insects excluded. But the seeds are easy to save - just wash and dry the seed when preparing the fruit.

Lettuce is self-fertile, and seed can be saved by allowing the best plant to grow on to flower. The loose-leaved varieties are easier. After flowering, shake flower heads into a paper bag during several days to collect the seed, allow to dry in a cool, dark place before packing and labelling.

Tomato seeds have a protective jelly around them, but you can still eat the tomato, just squeeze the seeds into a jar or pot first! Leave in a warm place 3-4 days to ferment, and a mat of fungus will form on top. Do not disturb, this fungus is a beneficial microbial activity. After 4 days, remove the fungal mat, add water, and wash the seeds through a sieve to clean them. Dry the seeds on a hard surface, out of the sun, and rub together gently after a few hours to stop them sticking. Store in a paper bag or envelope for 2 weeks or so to dry. Seed from sweet peppers is very easy to save, just scrape the seeds onto kitchen paper, make sure they are clean and dry, then store in a paper bag till fully dried (2 weeks or so).. Onion and leek plants can be left to flower, when hard black seeds will form. Shake them out into a paper bag, and store in a dry place.

Packaging and sending seed
When sending in your seed for the exchange, please use well-sealed envelopes, not polythene bags, cling film or foil. Each one should be clearly labelled. Please ensure the seeds cannot leak from their envelopes into the outer packaging, as unidentifiable loose seeds have to go into a general mix. The outer package can be a padded bag or strong envelope, as available. Please remember to include your name and address - donors of five or more packets of seed are given an extra allocation! Remember the closing date for receipt of seed is 10th Ocrober.

Ordering seed from the CGS Distribution
You will receive a Seed List and details of how to order seeds with the December magazine. The Seed List also includes Notes on Seed Germination. Before you order seed, do please read the instructions on the form and follow them carefully - they are there to help you. Orders and enquiries are sometimes received, even before printing-date, but seed numbers change each year! As do the instructions, sometimes.

Heritage vegetable seeds
HDRA, the organic organisation, offers heritage vegetable seed to those willing to save more seed and help keep varieties going. For details, contact HDRA on 024 7630 3517. Website: www.hdra.org.uk

Further reading
Growing from Seed, by Alan Toogood, RHS Practical Guides publ. By Dorling Kindersley, 2002, paperback £4.99, ISBN 0-7513-3722-6. [practical information on collecting and sowing seed]
The Seed Savers' Handbook, by Jeremy Cherfas, Michel & Jude Fanton, Grover Books, 1996, 164pp. £12.95, ISBN 1-899233-01-6
Plant Propagation by Philip McMillan Browse, rev. 1992, RHS Encyclopaedia Series.
The Complete Book of Plant Propagation, Graham Clarke & Alan Toogood, Ward Lock, 1990.
RHS journal - The Garden, 1999, vol.124, part 9 (Sept.) pp.672-5. 'Simply successful', covers the harvesting and storing of seeds, special treatments, and recommendations for sowing and germinating seed of hardy perennials.
Gardening Which? 1990, May, p167. 'Saving surplus seed'.
Gardening Which? 1997, August, p322. 'How to collect your own seed'.
Gardening Which? 2000, August, pp358-9 'Saving your own veg seed.'

Compiled by Jill Bennett, for the Cottage Garden Society, May 2002.