Oregon State University Extension gives three reasons to save seed. First, some seed companies have dropped older heirloom varieties in favor of newer hybridized or patented ones (more on this later).

Seeds cost more every year. Garden centers stack those bright packets near the checkout line like candy, and each spring the cart fills up again. But a thriving garden already holds next year’s supply ...

use the seeds within one to two years of collection. We should be saving more of our own seeds; it is another step on the ladder of self-sufficiency and it saves on the cost of growing our own. Allow ...

Before seed companies, seed racks, and seed catalogs came along, vegetable gardeners ensured their plantings for the following year by saving their own seeds. Our foregardeners would look for the ...

Anytime is a good time to save seeds. Seed savings is a sustainable agricultural practice vital to human food production for thousands of years. Seed saving is collecting, storing, and replanting ...

As the summer winds down, if not the temperatures, it’s time for those of us who collect seed to start making plans and purchasing any needed supplies. What is now seen as a fun gardening hobby has ...

Seed saving can be as easy or elaborate as you want to make it. By saving your own seed you can cut costs, preserve that special variety you love. You can also maintain the seed quality and adaptation ...

Purchasing vegetable seeds every year can be costly and take up a lot of time as you flip through seed catalogs on the hunt for the perfect seed selection. If you want to make your garden more ...

It’s always a bit sad to see our summer vegetable gardens peter out as the season comes to a close. Those once-verdant plants are now fading as the long, hot summer takes its toll. Though harvests of ...

Question: I want to save seeds from some of my summer veggies. What are some tips for saving seeds—particularly from tomatoes? Answer: With fall arriving soon, it’s an ideal time to collect seeds for ...

Experienced farmers understand that saving seeds from their crops is a proven cost-cutting strategy. By preserving seeds from their most productive or distinctive plants, they ensure a head start for ...