How to Seed Save for a Resilient Garden
It feels like the price of everything has just gone through the roof lately, doesn't it? Every time I go to the supermarket, I feel like I need to take a second mortgage just to buy a few bags of groceries. The cost of 'fresh' produce, in particular, seems to have exploded.
Food Chain Fragility
And it’s not just the price that’s a worry. I find myself looking at the fruit and vegetables in the store and wondering what’s really in them. How many sprays and chemicals were used to get them to look so perfect? How far did they travel to get here? When I hear about a flooded highway on the news, my first thought isn’t just about the people in those towns or neighbourhoods, I think about all the trucks carrying food that can’t get through. It makes me realise just how fragile our food supply chain really is.
This feeling of things being out of our control can be really overwhelming. But I've found that growing my own food is one of the most powerful things I can do to take back some of that control. And it all starts with the humble seed.
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You Are What You Eat
You see, for a long time, I bought all my seeds from the local garden centre. There’s nothing wrong with that if it’s your only option, but I started to realise that the seeds I was buying were from overseas, chemically treated and processed within an inch of their lives. Not only that, they are bred for big commercial farms and ideal conditions. They weren’t necessarily the best fit for my little patch of dirt here in the South West, with its hot, dry summers and sometimes waterlogged winters.
I wanted plants that could handle our local conditions. Plants that would produce food even when the weather wasn’t perfect. I needed seeds that were tough, resilient, and adapted to my specific garden.
That’s when I really started getting into seed saving. And what I discovered was a complete game-changer.
Seeds Saving Your Future
Seed saving is a bit like being a gardener's superhero. You're not just growing food for this year; you're actively breeding a stronger, more resilient future for your garden. When you save seeds from the healthiest, most productive plants in your garden - the ones that fought off pests, survived the heatwave, and produced a bumper crop – you’re selecting the very best genetics for your specific location.
Think of it this way: every time you save a seed, you're helping that plant DNA adapt to your unique soil, microclimate, and the challenges of your backyard. Over time, your saved seeds will produce plants that are more disease-resistant and better suited to the quirks of your garden than any packet you could ever buy from a shop.
The financial benefits are huge too. Once you start saving seeds, you'll find you hardly ever need to buy them again. A single zucchini plant can produce enough seeds to keep you in zucchinis for years. Imagine that – one packet of seeds, and you’re set for a decade. It's a huge step towards cutting down on those grocery bills.
Plus, you get to grow things that aren’t even available in the shops. Ever wanted to try a quirky purple carrot or a specific heirloom tomato variety? The best way to get them is often by growing and saving their seeds. This opens up a whole world of unique and delicious food that you just can’t find in the supermarket.
How To Seed Save?
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So, how do you get started? It's not as complicated as you might think. A lot of the process is simply letting a fruit or vegetable ripen fully on the plant, a little past its peak eating stage, and then carefully harvesting and drying the seeds.
For dry seed like peas or beans, you just let the pods dry out completely on the vine until they're crunchy and brown. Then you crack them open, and the seeds are ready to store in a cool dark place.
For wet seed like tomatoes, it's a little different. You scoop the seeds out, ferment them in a jar for a few days to remove the gel-like coating, rinse them, and then dry them on a piece of paper towel before storing in a cool dark place.
Other seeds which aren’t as obvious, like lettuce or carrot, they are even easier. You just let the plant "bolt" (or grow a tall flower stalk) and when the little white fluff appears, you can collect the seeds by bending the stalk over, place it in a paper bag and snip it off. Shake or gently rub to remove the seed. It’s all about learning the rhythms of the plants in your garden. The main thing to remember with any seed saving is to keep them dry, in a cool and dark place. Think air-tight containers so you don’t get mould, in a draw or cupboard ready for next season.
It really is a powerful feeling. Knowing that a big part of your food security is in your own hands, literally. You’re not just a passive consumer; you're a co-creator, working with nature to build a more resilient future for your family.
And this is something I'm really passionate about. It’s a skill that everyone should have, especially in these uncertain times.
Learn How To Seed Save
I love teaching people how to do this, to help them feel that same sense of satisfaction and security. If you're keen to learn more, I'm running a few workshops this spring on seed saving. You can learn the practical ins and outs of saving seeds from a variety of different plants and walk away with the confidence to start building your own seed bank.
Or, if you’re looking for a community of people who are just as excited about seed saving as I am, why not join The Resilience Village? It’s an online space full of real people learning real skills. You’ll find fellow seed-saving warriors who share their tips, triumphs, and even their challenges. It’s the perfect place to get support and learn from others’ experiences on your journey to a more self-sufficient life.
If you want to learn more about sourdough baking and other homesteading skills? Join The Resilience Village online community! It’s a place to meet, connect, and grow with real people learning to create a more resilient life, one skill at a time. Share your sourdough experiments, ask questions, and learn from others’ experiences. You’ll find a supportive community ready to help you on your self-sufficiency journey. Click here to get started, it’s free.
About the Author Susanne Peet is passionate about living with resilience and loves sharing her knowledge with others. She believes that everyone can make a difference in the world, no matter how small. Susanne is the founder of Eight Acres Permaculture, The Resilience Village and WILD Ones Forest School, which all focus on resilient living education for all ages. Susanne offers a variety of workshops and courses on topics such as permaculture, growing your own food, and homesteading and home school /forest school skills. On her small farm, Susanne grows food and raises animals that sustain us throughout the year. Learning new skills is key to creating a resilient lifestyle. By sharing her knowledge and experience, Susanne hopes to inspire others to make positive changes in their own lives.
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