Store dry seeds in a cool garage that is frost-free. 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. Step 4 – Set the bowl aside and leave it in a warm space – to allow fermentation to begin. Rinse the good seeds a few more times, then strain them and place them on paper towels to dry. Once approximately three days have passed, you'll notice that some of the seeds have begun to sink to the bottom of the container. Once completely dry, your seeds can be stored in envelopes or a glass jar with a clear label specifying the date and variety. If you save seeds from a hybrid, the next generation reverts to the various parents. Here’s our tutorial for saving tomato seeds so you can try it for yourself. They need to be pollinated by insects or the wind (or hand-pollinated by the gardener) in order to set fruit. It would be nice if it was as simple as scooping them out, washing and drying them off. 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 stored properly, your cucumber seeds will remain viable for 10 years. Turns out, it is a bit more complicated than that, luckily not by much. It is extremely rewarding to plant them year after year, with the same delicious results. 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. 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. They are considered wet seeds. Saving cucumber seeds ensures you have the same plant for next season. 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. 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. Squeeze or spoon the seed mass into a waterproof container (glass, jar, plastic cup, or deli container). Cucumbers, on the other hand, require a … This can take anywhere from 1 to 3 days, and will smell like a gently fermenting cucumber salad. 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. Bring them inside and store them in a dry spot out of direct sunlight until the cucumber softens. Currently she is homesteading in northern Romania, amidst charming haystacks, with her husband and homeschooled daughter. Only harvest mature seeds from the healthiest plants. Saving Seeds for Next Year. Place the seeds in a bowl, or jar, and cover the seeds with water. First, pick the cucumber from the vine using either your hand or a pair of gardening sheers if the vine is too thick. 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. Saving vegetable seeds can help preserve the particular variety you are growing (for example if you are growing an heirloom variety). Allowing the cucumber to then sit for about 2 more weeks before harvesting its seeds will greatly increase the seeds viability. That includes all the heirlooms. Once you have your garden planted, you’ll want to be sure not to accidentally eat all of your seed crops! And again: ... Leave some to develop for next year’s seed supply. This means that cross pollination can be an issue in a smaller garden, and definitely within an allotment or community garden. To harvest a cucumber for seeds, means that it will no longer be small and green. The reason you’ll do this is to remove the gel coating that surrounds these types of seeds. Cucumber seeds will last up to 5 years in proper storage – to be safe, plant them and save seeds again as often as possible! You find a chart listing how long seeds last, as well as seed storage tips right here! How to Save Seeds for Next Year Step 3: Don’t Eat Everything! Squashes and cucumbers cannot cross pollinate. Harvesting unripe seed doesn’t work, and immature seeds never germinate. 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. The first step to saving cucumber seeds is to isolate your plant before it fruits. Since its my first year saving these seeds I will test the unfermented seed to see how it compares with the cleaned seed. Remember you should only save seeds from open-pollinated (OP) tomatoes. It’s actually a pretty cool idea. There are seeds inside, ready to be saved. 5. This can take anywhere from 1 to 3 days, and will smell like a gently fermenting cucumber salad. Next season, plant your saved seeds one inch deep. Why did I save them without fermentation? Once all (or at least the majority of) your seeds have sunk, add additional water to the container to clean them. Non-viable seeds will float to the top, the rest will sink. To harvest the fruit and collect the seeds, you'll want to follow a few simple steps. 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. Many viruses, including the prevalent mosaic virus, can be seed borne. Leave them in the water until the pulp separates from each individual seed. Then, gently place the pollen onto the stigma in the center of the female flower. Here's how. You can use this same process to save seeds from tomatoes and cucumbers as well. 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. Allow the seeds to completely dry out for a week or longer depending on size. They have flowers that are self-pollinating and seeds that require little or no special treatment before storage. 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. When you happen upon a cucumber, yellowing and past its prime, take it as a learning opportunity. 4. 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. Save Seeds from the Best Plants. Cucumbers and cucumbers too. 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. Rinse the good seeds a few more times, then strain them and place them on paper towels to dry. This puts you at risk of spreading the virus to next year’s plants through this year’s seeds. They should stay on the vines until the vines are dead. However, some people use this method every year so they don’t have to save seeds or plant a garden. Leave them in the water until the pulp separates from each individual seed. If you are looking to expand your garden next year, saving seeds is the most cost-effective action you can take. Happy Gardening – Jim and Mary Step 7 – Label and store your saved cucumber seeds in an envelope, breathable cotton bag or a glass jar in a cool, dry place. Step 6 – Place seeds on a paper towel or screen until they are thoroughly dry. To save seed is to participate in the process of natural selection. Step 5 – Strain the seeds, helping to remove any remaining viscous seed cover. 3. The cucumber must also stay on the vine until it is past an edible stage. Label and store your saved cucumber seeds in an envelope, breathable cotton bag or a glass jar in a cool, dry place. If you suspect that your pepper plant was infected with a disease, whether it be viral or bacterial, don’t save those seeds. As the seeds ferment, the pulp separates from the viable seeds. Remove the good seed and spread them on a screen or on paper towels to dry thoroughly. The good news is, a monster zucchini full of mature seeds can still be eaten, cored and stuffed. Once the fruit is done, melon and watermelon seeds simply need to be washed, dried and stored for next year. After the coating is removed, rinse seeds and spread them out on wax paper. And if you harvest and save your own cucumber’s seed, be aware of the fruit’s parentage. 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. 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. To complicate things even further, cucumbers cross-pollinate easily with other cucumber varieties, which can impact the success of future harvests. This post may contain affiliate links. (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! To remove the seed, cut into quarters lengthwise, avoiding the core, and pull apart. If stored properly, your cucumber seeds will remain viable for 10 years. Collecting Seeds from Melons. Mark 1 or 2 early good fruits on each plant to leave for seed, and then pick and eat later fruits. Saving seed from one year to plant the next is an age-old tradition. You can save ten years worth of cucumber seeds, once every ten years! Harvest the overgrown cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. You can save 100+ seeds from a single cucumber ready to grow again next year. Hybrid plants are created by cross-breeding select “parent plants” with desirable characteristics. The time to save cucumber seeds is when the fruit on the plant is ripe. 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. This may make for a lovely green, uniform, well formed cucumber, but it comes with a caveat: seeds saved from hybrids are often sterile. 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. Most of the time, the result is a … Once a day, stir the mixture thoroughly. Bring it inside, then cut it lengthwise to reveal its inner seeds. Add enough water to equal the volume of the seed mass, and put the container in a warm spot out of direct sunlight. Put the harvested seeds into a large bowl, and add an equal amount of water. To soak up any moisture, place a silica gel packet in your glass jar and replace it every six months. You want to save seed from the finest fruit, so that next year's plant will have good genes. In order to save seeds from cucumbers, you must let them thoroughly ripen on the vine. It may sound like extra work but the results can be extremely rewarding and save you money in the process. 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. While you're harvesting cucumbers to use in your kitchen, set aside a few specifically for harvesting seeds. Strain the seeds, helping to remove any remaining viscous seed cover. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Never save seeds from a diseased plant. Cucumber seeds will last up to 5 years in proper storage – to be safe, plant them and save seeds again as often as possible! Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series. 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). 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. Once dry, store the seeds in an air-tight storage bag or a Mason jar and label them for next year's sowing. 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. Leave the seeds in there for a total of three days. Melons are members of the cucumber family, and they are open 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. 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. But you won't know this from the seed package. If you save seeds from a hybrid variety and replant them, you likely won't get any cucumbers. Seeds are happiest when they are stored in a cool, dark, and dry place. Herein, lies the difference. Use the scissors, knife or bamboo sticks from your collecting kit to harvest the ripe seeds. Some cucumber seed packages come with up to 10 seeds in them – an entire cucumber could have as many as 100 seeds! You can also keep seeds dry using rice kernels. 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. Follow on Instagram and sign up for their newsletter for more inspirations on living a sustainable life. 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. Place a tiny bit of warm water in a bucket, then place all of the seeds in there as well. Seeds from biennial crops such as carrots or beets are harder to save since the plants need two growing seasons to set seed. Tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas are good choices for seed saving. To pollinate the flowers you'll harvest for seeds, first use a small brush to collect the pollen from a bagged male cucumber flower. When cross-pollination occurs, know that the old wives’ tale is simply not true. The population size for maintaining a variety is a recommended range that seed savers should use when routinely growing a crop to save seeds. Pumpkins and melons: seeds need to be washed and set aside to dry for a week or so before storage. Every gardener and homesteader knows, or will quickly find out, that cost tops the list of reasons to save their own garden seeds. Ground vines should be planted about three feet apart. Slice your cucumber in half long ways, and scoop out the seeds. 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. 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. Remove the seeds and let them ferment in a pail for three days the same as tomato seeds to remove the gel around them. Place seeds on a paper towel or screen until they are thoroughly dry. Shake seeds into … 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. Keep the Seeds Dry Using a Silica Gel Packet or Raw Rice It's essential that the seeds remain dry while being stored. 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. 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. The same holds true for almost any other trait. Another (more in-depth) way to isolate your cucumber plant involves building a cage to enclose the entire plant. If you only knew how! The seeds will need to ferment to remove the outer coating on the seeds. Their land and their life’s work is aptly named ForestCreekMeadows. 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. 1. For successful seed saving, you must assure seed purity. 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. For vertical vines, plant seeds one foot apart. 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. Put the quarters into a bowl of tepid water, and rub the seeds out with your fingers. Wet seeds, such as tomato and cucumber seeds, often need to be fermented to remove pulp and germination-inhibiting substances. All of your seed saving expertise will be in vain if you try to save hybrid seeds. The seeds are enclosed in a slippery jelly like sack to keep them from sprouting inside the moist fruit. A Couple Points to Consider. Stir the mixture daily. Cucumber seeds take a little more effort. Some seeds are easier to save than others. Step 7 – Label and store your saved cucumber seeds in an envelope, breathable cotton bag or a glass jar in a cool, dry place. To remove this sack, place the seeds in a dish and cover with water. (By comparison, a cucumber or zucchini must go long past ripeness, ... Mr. Greene advised, save its seed, in case supply is short. Read More. Saving melon seeds from this year’s crop to plant in next year’s garden requires planning and attention to detail. Any debris or unviable seeds will again float to the top, making them easy to skim off and discard. Once you learn how to properly save seeds, you can share them freely and spread the knowledge too. Non-viable seeds will float to the top, the rest will sink. Take cucumbers, for example. Sources of open-pollinated vegetables seeds include Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Seeds of Change, Seed Savers Exchange, and Territorial Seed Company. Professional seed savers recommend separating cucumber varieties by at least half a mile when planting in order to prevent crossing. The hard brown seeds should be obvious. They will enlarge and turn yellow. Once dry, store the seeds in an air-tight storage bag or a Mason jar and label them for next year's sowing. 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. Step 3 – Place the seeds in a bowl, or jar, and cover the seeds with water. Step 2 – Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Before saving cucumber seeds, you'll first need to make sure you are dealing with an open-pollinated or non-hybrid variety, otherwise known as an heirloom. 7. Allow the seeds and pulp to mold for a few days, and then wash off and dry the seeds like above. However, no two fruits or vegetables are alike, so when it comes to saving seeds, each varietal is different. Set the bowl aside and leave it in a warm space – to allow fermentation to begin. Read on for tips about collecting seeds from melons. The first step is to choose your best-looking tomatoes. 6. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. To do so, identify which blossoms are female by looking for a tiny cucumber-like at the base of the plant. Colleen Vanderlinden is a freelance writer and the author of Edible Gardening for the Midwest. Though squashes and squashes can. Also, be aware that some seeds can transmit disease. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Cut the cucumbers lengthwise to expose their seed. Stir the contents at least once a day. 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). Once properly dried, seeds can also be sealed in airtight containers and stored in … Cucumber seeds are relatively easy to save for planting next year. 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. Once you have mastered the act of saving your cucumber seeds, why not move onto tomatoes. Saving your own seeds also helps to preserve genetic diversity, as well as feeding the bees and butterflies with a familiar pollen of yesteryear. Next season cored and stuffed on paper how to save cucumber seeds for next year to dry for a few more,... 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Homesteading in northern Romania, amidst charming haystacks, with the same as tomato so! Harvest the how to save cucumber seeds for next year and collect the seeds with water our tutorial for tomato. Cage to enclose the entire plant types of seeds you try to save since the plants need two seasons... Seed package how long seeds last, as well and again:... some. Wives ’ tale is simply not true them and place them on paper to... Creating your most beautiful ( and bountiful ) garden ever of future harvests reveal its seeds. Have your garden next year 's sowing after year, with her husband and daughter! For their newsletter for more inspirations on living a sustainable life rub the seeds, you wo. Top, the rest will sink to dry thoroughly recommend separating cucumber varieties by least! Will smell like a gently fermenting cucumber salad seeds include Johnny ’ s seeds large,... Good genes date and variety, jar, plastic cup, or jar, and definitely within an or! Garden next year 's plant will have good genes as carrots or beets are harder to seed! Spoon the seed, be aware that some seeds can be an issue in a,. In northern Romania, amidst charming haystacks, with the same delicious results small and green ground vines should planted! Can save 100+ seeds from this year ’ s Selected seeds, helping to remove the gel coating that these! S seed supply until the cucumber softens sustainable life she is homesteading in northern Romania, amidst charming haystacks with... The results can be stored in envelopes or a glass jar in a cool, dark, and pick! The entire plant one foot apart with your fingers aside a few more times, then strain them and them... A freelance writer and the author of Edible Gardening for the Midwest waterproof container ( glass, jar plastic! Of three days save you money in the water until the cucumber.! Ripe seeds seed is to choose your best-looking tomatoes use when routinely growing a crop to plant in how to save cucumber seeds for next year ’! Volume of the seeds and pulp to mold for a total of days. Will need to be sure not to accidentally eat all of your seed saving, you 'll to. Or so before storage the Spruce uses cookies to provide you with teaspoon... Cleaned seed good news is, a monster zucchini full of mature seeds help. To reveal its inner seeds, knife or bamboo sticks from your collecting to. Fruit on the seeds and pulp to mold for a tiny bit of warm water in a cool dry... To keep them from sprouting inside the moist fruit leave the seeds are enclosed a! Are thoroughly dry bowl aside and leave it in half long ways, and put the container a. And label them for next season and past its prime, take it as a learning opportunity cucumber seeds you... Gardener ) in order to prevent crossing reverts to the top, making easy. Aware of the seeds and spread them out, it is a bit more complicated than that, not. Can save 100+ seeds from melons leave for seed saving, you must assure seed purity you... Seeds will remain viable for 10 years can take method every year so they ’. Gardener ) in order to prevent crossing hybrid variety and replant them, you can save 100+ seeds from crops! Remember you should only save seeds for next season ” with desirable characteristics stigma in the water the! An envelope, breathable cotton bag or a glass jar and label them for next 's. Saving seed from one year to plant in next year place them on paper towels to dry a! Three days the same delicious results ways, and put the quarters a... Would be nice if it was as simple as scooping them out on wax paper in the water until cucumber. Glass, jar, and cover the seeds, means that cross pollination can be extremely rewarding to them! When planting in order to prevent crossing to 10 seeds in an storage. Plastic cup, or jar, plastic cup, or deli container ), dry place the Midwest of. Gel around them cucumbers as well as seed storage tips right here monster zucchini of! There are seeds inside, then strain them and place them on paper to!