Every experienced gardener has his own proven secrets to help him get a good tomato harvest.
One of them has to do with the correct collection and storage of seeds.
Which tomatoes are suitable for seed collection?
When it comes to seed collection, it’s always a great idea to choose tomatoes that have already shown their amazing productivity! Pick the best fruits from the strongest and healthiest bushes, which perfectly match the characteristics of the variety. They should be ripe, but not overripe. The most viable seeds in large tomatoes are in the lower clusters of the bush. And if they have already set fruit, choose another branch with fruit as close to the stem as possible!
In autumn, only experienced vegetable gardeners do this with tomatoes.
How to collect tomato seeds correctly – in two ways
Take a tomato, cut it with a knife and scrape the seeds with a spoon onto a napkin, spread them in a thin layer on a piece of paper and leave for about a week. Once the seeds are dry, they can be stored with a napkin or they can be stored in a paper bag. Another way is to cut the tomato in half and scrape all the seeds into a jar with a teaspoon.It is important that the juice covers the seeds completely. Then close the jar with a lid and leave to ferment at room temperature for 3 days. The fermentation process helps not only to clean the seeds but also to increase their viability.When a film and air bubbles appear on the surface, the juice turns pale and the seeds settle to the bottom, the fermentation can be considered complete. Then pour the contents of the jar into a sieve and rinse well under running water so that only the seeds remain.Then dissolve 0,5 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water and place the seeds in it: those floating on the surface are not suitable for sowing, so discard them. Disinfect the rest for 20 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate or 8 minutes in a 2-3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, heated to 40-45°C. After disinfection, rinse the seeds in water.After disinfection, rinse the seeds and place them on a flat plate or kitchen paper to dry.
After about 5-7 days the seeds are ready for storage.
How do I store seeds?
Collected tomato seeds should be stored in a cool, dark room at 0-5°C, preferably on the refrigerator door. Do not store in plastic bags or glass jars.
Paper or cloth bags or matchboxes are best for this purpose.
Tomato seeds can be stored for 3-4 years.
