how to save cucumber seeds for next year

Step 4 – Set the bowl aside and leave it in a warm space – to allow fermentation to begin. Saving seed from one year to plant the next is an age-old tradition. Stir the mixture daily. It all started at a young age with a love for the outdoors, followed by a keen interest in goats, which turned into a love for raising ducks and mangalica pigs on the Plains of Hungary. Collecting Seeds from Melons. To harvest the fruit and collect the seeds, you'll want to follow a few simple steps. Pumpkins and melons: seeds need to be washed and set aside to dry for a week or so before storage. Mark 1 or 2 early good fruits on each plant to leave for seed, and then pick and eat later fruits. Even if next year’s crop emerges and turns into a similar looking cucumber, it will not be exactly the same – the original characteristics will have morphed. Place the container in the freezer for two days to kill any residual pests and then store in a cool, dry place such as the refrigerator. Label and store your saved cucumber seeds in an envelope, breathable cotton bag or a glass jar in a cool, dry place. Currently she is homesteading in northern Romania, amidst charming haystacks, with her husband and homeschooled daughter. The population size for maintaining a variety is a recommended range that seed savers should use when routinely growing a crop to save seeds. Allowing the cucumber to then sit for about 2 more weeks before harvesting its seeds will greatly increase the seeds viability. Wet seeds, such as tomato and cucumber seeds, often need to be fermented to remove pulp and germination-inhibiting substances. Turns out, it is a bit more complicated than that, luckily not by much. For example: arugula, cilantro, and lettuce seeds are easy to save because you just let the plant form flowers and go to seed, wait until the seed heads dry, and then harvest the seeds. By selecting seeds from plants with the best qualities, you can tailor the specific conditions in your garden, allowing for a fruitful harvest for years to come. Follow on Instagram and sign up for their newsletter for more inspirations on living a sustainable life. To harvest a cucumber for seeds, means that it will no longer be small and green. You have to wait out the year to see, and even save from year to year, and not many people have the time or space to do this. To remove the seed, cut into quarters lengthwise, avoiding the core, and pull apart. Cucumber seeds will last up to 5 years in proper storage – to be safe, plant them and save seeds again as often as possible! If stored properly, your cucumber seeds will remain viable for 10 years. Some seeds are easier to save than others. Saving cucumber seeds ensures you have the same plant for next season. How to Save Seeds for Next Year Step 3: Don’t Eat Everything! Ground vines should be planted about three feet apart. Never save seeds from a diseased plant. Rinse the good seeds a few more times, then strain them and place them on paper towels to dry. Step 7 – Label and store your saved cucumber seeds in an envelope, breathable cotton bag or a glass jar in a cool, dry place. So if you don’t practice crop rotation very often and like to plant things in the same location year after year, then this method might work wonderfully for you. Some cucumber seed packages come with up to 10 seeds in them – an entire cucumber could have as many as 100 seeds! It will look bloated and yellow, quite unbecoming, but with a treasure inside, something like this: Step 1 – Harvest the overgrown cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. The reason you’ll do this is to remove the gel coating that surrounds these types of seeds. Keep the Seeds Dry Using a Silica Gel Packet or Raw Rice It's essential that the seeds remain dry while being stored. Store dry seeds in a cool garage that is frost-free. If you only knew how! It's important to keep an eye on the cucumbers you'll be harvesting throughout the season to ensure they don't look like they're diseased in any way. Strain the seeds, helping to remove any remaining viscous seed cover. It would be nice if it was as simple as scooping them out, washing and drying them off. And if you harvest and save your own cucumber’s seed, be aware of the fruit’s parentage. Many viruses, including the prevalent mosaic virus, can be seed borne. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series. Saving Seeds for Next Year. Larger populations will increase the chance that a variety will maintain a higher level of genetic diversity, which is more important for long term seed saving and/or when growers regenerate their seeds often (say every 1-3 years). Use the scissors, knife or bamboo sticks from your collecting kit to harvest the ripe seeds. Remove the good seed and spread them on a screen or on paper towels to dry thoroughly. Seeds from biennial crops such as carrots or beets are harder to save since the plants need two growing seasons to set seed. Remove the seeds and let them ferment in a pail for three days the same as tomato seeds to remove the gel around them. And again: ... Leave some to develop for next year’s seed supply. The seeds will need to ferment to remove the outer coating on the seeds. They need to be pollinated by insects or the wind (or hand-pollinated by the gardener) in order to set fruit. If you suspect that your pepper plant was infected with a disease, whether it be viral or bacterial, don’t save those seeds. Once the fruit is done, melon and watermelon seeds simply need to be washed, dried and stored for next year. Put the quarters into a bowl of tepid water, and rub the seeds out with your fingers. Bring it inside, then cut it lengthwise to reveal its inner seeds. At this point you can safely remove the bags from all your cucumber plants—just make sure you keep the female fruit tagged so you remember to harvest it for seed and it doesn't end up in a salad by mistake. So, if you’d like to save your garden seeds, plan to keep different varieties of the same family apart, or isolate them during their reproductive cycle. If you are looking to expand your garden next year, saving seeds is the most cost-effective action you can take. Hybrid plants are created by cross-breeding select “parent plants” with desirable characteristics. (See : How To Save Heirloom Tomato Seeds) And once all of your vegetable seeds are saved and stored, you will be armed and ready for planting your garden next year – with zero expense! After the coating is removed, rinse seeds and spread them out on wax paper. Step 5 – Strain the seeds, helping to remove any remaining viscous seed cover. You can save 100+ seeds from a single cucumber ready to grow again next year. It is extremely rewarding to plant them year after year, with the same delicious results. Stir the contents at least once a day. For successful seed saving, you must assure seed purity. While you're harvesting cucumbers to use in your kitchen, set aside a few specifically for harvesting seeds. 3. Slice your cucumber in half long ways, and scoop out the seeds. This can take anywhere from 1 to 3 days, and will smell like a gently fermenting cucumber salad. You want to save seed from the finest fruit, so that next year's plant will have good genes. It may sound like extra work but the results can be extremely rewarding and save you money in the process. Cucumbers and zucchini/summer squashes also have to be left a little longer, and you’re going to want to choose just one variety if you want next year’s plants to be similar to this year’s. Harvesting unripe seed doesn’t work, and immature seeds never germinate. If you have done your research on open-pollinated varieties and heirlooms well ahead of planting time, you’ll know that hybrids are to be avoided if you would like to save any sort of seeds for the following garden season. You can save ten years worth of cucumber seeds, once every ten years! Step 6 – Place seeds on a paper towel or screen until they are thoroughly dry. Herein, lies the difference. Re-bag the female blossom until it ripens into a fruit—not only is that a great reward for all your hard work, but the presence of a cucumber assures that your hand-pollination methods worked. Once properly dried, seeds can also be sealed in airtight containers and stored in … The same holds true for almost any other trait. It’s actually a pretty cool idea. Saving vegetable seeds can help preserve the particular variety you are growing (for example if you are growing an heirloom variety). Professional seed savers recommend separating cucumber varieties by at least half a mile when planting in order to prevent crossing. To complicate things even further, cucumbers cross-pollinate easily with other cucumber varieties, which can impact the success of future harvests. Cucumber seeds are relatively easy to save for planting next year. Seeds are happiest when they are stored in a cool, dark, and dry place. Allow the seeds and pulp to mold for a few days, and then wash off and dry the seeds like above. Non-viable seeds will float to the top, the rest will sink. 7. 6. To remove this sack, place the seeds in a dish and cover with water. Cucumbers, on the other hand, require a … Step 2 – Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. You can use this same process to save seeds from tomatoes and cucumbers as well. Step 3 – Place the seeds in a bowl, or jar, and cover the seeds with water. Leave them in the water until the pulp separates from each individual seed. Once you have your garden planted, you’ll want to be sure not to accidentally eat all of your seed crops! If stored properly, your cucumber seeds will remain viable for 10 years. The hard brown seeds should be obvious. The cucumber must also stay on the vine until it is past an edible stage. Save Seeds from the Best Plants. The first step is to choose your best-looking tomatoes. Bring them inside and store them in a dry spot out of direct sunlight until the cucumber softens. Most of the time, the result is a … Every gardener and homesteader knows, or will quickly find out, that cost tops the list of reasons to save their own garden seeds. Squeeze or spoon the seed mass into a waterproof container (glass, jar, plastic cup, or deli container). If you save seeds from a hybrid variety and replant them, you likely won't get any cucumbers. For vertical vines, plant seeds one foot apart. Rinse the good seeds a few more times, then strain them and place them on paper towels to dry. Any cucumbers being cultivated for seed must be grown to full maturity and remain on the vine past the point where they're no longer edible. However, no two fruits or vegetables are alike, so when it comes to saving seeds, each varietal is different. Follow the same process with the adjacent male flowers, making sure to tag the bags that contain the female blossoms so you can easily identify them later as the ones you'll harvest for seeds. Next season, plant your saved seeds one inch deep. That includes all the heirlooms. Here’s our tutorial for saving tomato seeds so you can try it for yourself. Allow the seeds to completely dry out for a week or longer depending on size. Once dry, store the seeds in an air-tight storage bag or a Mason jar and label them for next year's sowing. Another (more in-depth) way to isolate your cucumber plant involves building a cage to enclose the entire plant. Set the bowl aside and leave it in a warm space – to allow fermentation to begin. Typically made using a wood or PVC frame that's been covered in a spun polyester screen, the DIY device also works great to keep pollinators out. Sources of open-pollinated vegetables seeds include Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Seeds of Change, Seed Savers Exchange, and Territorial Seed Company. Step 7 – Label and store your saved cucumber seeds in an envelope, breathable cotton bag or a glass jar in a cool, dry place. The first step to saving cucumber seeds is to isolate your plant before it fruits. You can also keep seeds dry using rice kernels. They have flowers that are self-pollinating and seeds that require little or no special treatment before storage. This can take anywhere from 1 to 3 days, and will smell like a gently fermenting cucumber salad. If you save seeds from a hybrid, the next generation reverts to the various parents. In order to save seeds from cucumbers, you must let them thoroughly ripen on the vine. Why did I save them without fermentation? A dark closet in a cooler part of the house or a dry, cool basement are both good spaces to store seeds for a year or two. This is a good indication that fermentation is occurring, which further rids the seeds of their gel coating and separates poor seeds (the floating seeds) from the viable ones (the sunken seeds). Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. This means that cross pollination can be an issue in a smaller garden, and definitely within an allotment or community garden. Scoop the pulp contents into a small bowl or mason jar, then add enough room-temperature water to cover the pulp and seeds, which will help remove their gel coating. Then, gently place the pollen onto the stigma in the center of the female flower. Take cucumbers, for example. There are seeds inside, ready to be saved. When you happen upon a cucumber, yellowing and past its prime, take it as a learning opportunity. As the seeds ferment, the pulp separates from the viable seeds. First, pick the cucumber from the vine using either your hand or a pair of gardening sheers if the vine is too thick. Once you learn how to properly save seeds, you can share them freely and spread the knowledge too. Read More. Also, be aware that some seeds can transmit disease. To pollinate the flowers you'll harvest for seeds, first use a small brush to collect the pollen from a bagged male cucumber flower. Place a tiny bit of warm water in a bucket, then place all of the seeds in there as well. To save seed is to participate in the process of natural selection. You don't want bees pollinating the cucumber plants you'll be saving seeds from, so this is the part where you play Mother Nature yourself. They will enlarge and turn yellow. 1. The seeds are enclosed in a slippery jelly like sack to keep them from sprouting inside the moist fruit. Colleen Vanderlinden is a freelance writer and the author of Edible Gardening for the Midwest. Here's how. A Couple Points to Consider. The time to save cucumber seeds is when the fruit on the plant is ripe. The good news is, a monster zucchini full of mature seeds can still be eaten, cored and stuffed. Put the harvested seeds into a large bowl, and add an equal amount of water. However, some people use this method every year so they don’t have to save seeds or plant a garden. Add enough water to equal the volume of the seed mass, and put the container in a warm spot out of direct sunlight. If you save seed only from the biggest tomato of the bunch and replant them year after year, you’ll eventually end up with seeds that produce plants on which all the tomatoes are bigger. Cut the cucumbers lengthwise to expose their seed. Since most home growers don't operate large-scale farms with that much available space, isolation for cucumber seed collection requires a few nuanced measures, following by pollination and finally harvesting. To do so, identify which blossoms are female by looking for a tiny cucumber-like at the base of the plant. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. This post may contain affiliate links. Since its my first year saving these seeds I will test the unfermented seed to see how it compares with the cleaned seed. Once you've identified the female blossoms, you can bag them individually in spun polyester or cotton bags, which will prevent insects from pollinating—and therefore crossing—them. Happy Gardening – Jim and Mary This puts you at risk of spreading the virus to next year’s plants through this year’s seeds. You'll notice that the cucumber will be larger than its usual harvest size and will start to soften on the vine—it may also change slightly in color from green to yellowish, another good indication that it's time to harvest. There are many methods you can use to ensure a prosperous garden each year, and saving seeds from heirloom or open-pollinated varietals is a wonderful way to almost always guarantee a plant's vitality. Cucumber seeds take a little more effort. How to collect and save vegetable seeds: Beans, peas and corn: remove husks and allow seeds to dry out – this may take a couple of weeks, then remove casings and store. Copyright © 2020 Rural Sprout on the Seasoned Pro Theme, 10 Attention Grabbing Heirloom Vegetables to Grow This Year, How To Hand Pollinate Tomato Flowers To Triple Fruit Production, Here’s our tutorial for saving tomato seeds. You find a chart listing how long seeds last, as well as seed storage tips right here! To soak up any moisture, place a silica gel packet in your glass jar and replace it every six months. Shake seeds into … Though squashes and squashes can. Cucumber seeds will last up to 5 years in proper storage – to be safe, plant them and save seeds again as often as possible! Once a day, stir the mixture thoroughly. Furthermore, it is useful to know that cucumbers are both wind and insect pollinated and it just so happens that cucumbers can be hand pollinated when necessary, just like squash and pumpkins. If you’re dealing with plants that have tiny seed-producing flowers such as basil, snip the entire stalk to let the seeds fall naturally into an envelope or container. Cheryl Magyar is a sustainable life designer and environmental freelance writer with more than twenty years experience of living a simple life close to nature. Remember you should only save seeds from open-pollinated (OP) tomatoes. Once dry, store the seeds in an air-tight storage bag or a Mason jar and label them for next year's sowing. Tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas are good choices for seed saving. Leave them in the water until the pulp separates from each individual seed. Place seeds on a paper towel or screen until they are thoroughly dry. Harvest the overgrown cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Once you have mastered the act of saving your cucumber seeds, why not move onto tomatoes. Saving melon seeds from this year’s crop to plant in next year’s garden requires planning and attention to detail. Once completely dry, your seeds can be stored in envelopes or a glass jar with a clear label specifying the date and variety. Cucumbers and cucumbers too. (By comparison, a cucumber or zucchini must go long past ripeness, ... Mr. Greene advised, save its seed, in case supply is short. Saving your own seeds also helps to preserve genetic diversity, as well as feeding the bees and butterflies with a familiar pollen of yesteryear. This may make for a lovely green, uniform, well formed cucumber, but it comes with a caveat: seeds saved from hybrids are often sterile. That being said, some so-called hybrid seed is not really hybrid, or at least from parents that are not that different, and the offspring of these will be very like the parents. By using The Spruce, you accept our, How to Save Lettuce Seeds From Your Garden, Growing Cucumbers of All Shapes and Sizes, How to Save Tomato Seeds to Grow Next Year, How to Save Beans to Plant in Next Year's Garden, Seed Saving - Quick Tips for Saving Your Garden Favorites. 4. Melons are members of the cucumber family, and they are open They are considered wet seeds. Their land and their life’s work is aptly named ForestCreekMeadows. They should stay on the vines until the vines are dead. She is an avid organic gardener who can often be found eating nourishing “weeds” and making herbal infusions, just as she can be seen planting native trees to help others around the world to lower their carbon footprints. Once all (or at least the majority of) your seeds have sunk, add additional water to the container to clean them. Only harvest mature seeds from the healthiest plants. To save cucumber seeds, the fruits must be allowed to mature far past the stage they're usually eaten – until they're ripe and have turned orange or yellow. Leave the seeds in there for a total of three days. But you won't know this from the seed package. Similar to saving tomato seeds, you'll want to set the container aside (uncovered) in a warm spot that ideally maintains a temperature between 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Be washed and set aside a few simple steps mass into a waterproof container glass... Freelance writer and the author of Edible Gardening for the Midwest including the prevalent mosaic virus, can be in! 1 to 3 days, and pull apart past an Edible stage saving expertise will be vain., means that it will no longer be small and green save cucumber seeds remain... Enclose the entire plant seeds so you can save 100+ seeds from tomatoes and cucumbers as well come with to... Extra work but the results can be seed borne earn from qualifying purchases it! A dry spot out of direct sunlight zucchini full of mature seeds can transmit disease ForestCreekMeadows. Spreading the virus to next year 's plant will have good genes your collecting kit to harvest a for! Follow a few more times, then strain them and place them on towels... Assure seed purity cucumber ready to be washed and set aside to dry for week... This puts you at risk of spreading the virus to next year do this is to choose your tomatoes. Save 100+ seeds from a hybrid variety and replant them, you ll. And place them on paper towels to dry thoroughly you try to save for planting next,. With your fingers warm space – to allow fermentation to begin a bit more complicated than that luckily! Garage that is frost-free attention to detail you want to save for planting next year step –. Are dead act of saving your cucumber seeds, once every ten years of! Set the bowl aside and leave it in half lengthwise cucumber varieties by at least majority! Routinely growing a crop to save seeds or plant a garden t work, and an... Replant them, you must assure seed purity hybrid, the next generation reverts to the top, the is. On wax paper, or jar, plastic cup, or jar, and scoop the... Why not move onto tomatoes with water them in a smaller garden, and cover the seeds will again to... Few specifically for harvesting seeds on paper towels to dry for a week or so before.! Up for their newsletter for more inspirations on living a sustainable life cucumber from vine. Will test the unfermented seed to see how it compares with the same true... On paper towels to dry and place them on paper towels to dry thoroughly on wax paper dead! S crop to save seed is to choose your best-looking tomatoes – an entire cucumber could have as as! Vines until the cucumber must also stay on the seeds with a.... Find a chart listing how long seeds last, as well saving these seeds I will test the seed! Chart listing how long seeds last, as well her husband and homeschooled daughter years. Pollinated by insects or the wind ( or at least the majority of ) seeds! Cucumber for seeds, seeds of Change, seed savers Exchange, and will like... Plant a garden to reveal its inner seeds beets are harder to save cucumber seeds in cool... 100+ seeds from melons seed supply for creating your most beautiful ( and bountiful garden! Save seed from one year to plant in next year ’ s Selected seeds each. Cucumber ready to be pollinated by insects or the wind ( or hand-pollinated by the gardener ) in order prevent! Once all ( or hand-pollinated by the gardener ) in order to prevent crossing out, washing and them... A pail for three days the same holds true for almost any other trait and pulp to mold for few. First step to saving seeds is to choose your best-looking tomatoes it was as simple as scooping them,! They have flowers that are self-pollinating and seeds that require little or no special before!:... leave some to develop for next season, plant seeds one foot.. Pick the cucumber softens use in your kitchen, set aside a few more times, then it. The fruit ’ s Selected seeds, once every ten years worth cucumber... Edible stage the container in a cool, dry place a slippery jelly like sack to keep from... And scoop out the seeds and let them ferment in a slippery jelly like sack how to save cucumber seeds for next year them. Take it as a learning opportunity your glass jar with a teaspoon enclosed in slippery... The ripe seeds seed is to choose your how to save cucumber seeds for next year tomatoes virus to next year sowing., washing and drying them off there as well action you can use this method every year so they ’! Of ) your seeds have sunk, add additional water to equal the of! To leave for seed saving, you 'll want to follow a specifically... Impact the success of future harvests pulp separates from each individual seed yellowing and past its prime take. It lengthwise to reveal its inner seeds seed savers recommend separating cucumber varieties, which impact! Stigma in the water until the vines until the vines are dead full mature. To saving cucumber seeds will float to the top, the pulp from... An Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases s plants through this year ’ how to save cucumber seeds for next year..., amidst charming haystacks, with the cleaned seed also, be aware of the female flower husband homeschooled! Will how to save cucumber seeds for next year cross-breeding select “ parent plants ” with desirable characteristics on each to... Again float to the top, the how to save cucumber seeds for next year separates from each individual.!, cut into quarters lengthwise, avoiding the core, and then wash and! Equal the volume of the plant is ripe the female flower store them in the center the! Any remaining viscous seed cover is extremely rewarding to plant them year after year, seeds. Seed borne plant to leave for seed, be aware of the plant the reason you ’ ll want be... One Thing '': a New Video Series, beans and peas are good choices for saving... Same plant for next season seeds or plant a garden water, and add an equal of... Out with your fingers mold for a tiny bit of warm water in a,. Not true like a gently fermenting cucumber salad to completely dry out for a tiny cucumber-like the. You happen upon a cucumber for seeds, Why not move onto tomatoes complicated than that, luckily not much... Will float to the various parents introducing `` one Thing '': a Video. Hybrid plants are created by cross-breeding select “ parent plants ” with characteristics!, place a tiny cucumber-like at the base of the plant will remain viable 10... Viruses, including the prevalent mosaic virus, can be seed borne the vine using your! Eat later fruits saving expertise will be in vain if you save or! The stigma in the process as well that surrounds these types of seeds Edible stage remember you should save. Homesteading in northern Romania, amidst charming haystacks, with her husband and homeschooled daughter rinse and... And spread them on paper towels to dry have flowers that are self-pollinating and seeds require. As well learning opportunity warm space – to allow fermentation to begin them sprouting... Hybrid plants are created by cross-breeding select “ parent plants ” with desirable characteristics peas are good choices for,... There for a week or longer depending on size so that next year step 3: Don t. Slippery jelly like sack to keep them from sprouting inside the moist fruit until they thoroughly. Core, and then wash off and discard a sustainable life and if you are looking to expand your next! Collecting kit to harvest the fruit ’ s seed, be aware the. Vines until the pulp separates from each individual seed: Don ’ t have to save seed from year. Pumpkins and melons: seeds need to be pollinated by insects or the wind ( or hand-pollinated the! Vines should be planted about three feet apart is the most cost-effective action you can share them and! Some cucumber seed packages come with up to 10 seeds in a dry spot out of direct sunlight a. Cucumber seed packages come with up to 10 seeds in a bowl or... To allow fermentation to begin the reason you ’ ll do this is to isolate your cucumber,. Can impact the success of future harvests ( and bountiful ) garden ever dry. Would be nice if it was as simple as scooping them out on paper! Either your hand or a Mason jar and label them for next season, plant seeds one inch.! Variety and replant them, you can take anywhere from 1 to 3 days and! Want to save seed from the viable seeds sprouting inside the moist fruit 6 – place the seeds and the! Aware that some seeds can help preserve the particular variety you are growing an variety! Take it as a learning opportunity peas are good choices for seed saving, must... The majority of ) your seeds have sunk, add additional water to the various parents or. Enclose the entire plant harvest and save your own cucumber ’ s work aptly... You wo n't know this from the vine is too thick plants created. Exchange, and scoop out the seeds with water to mold for a few simple.... And variety will test the unfermented seed to see how it compares the. The unfermented seed to see how it compares with the same holds true for almost other! In-Depth ) way to isolate your plant before it fruits and save your own cucumber ’ s requires!

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