The Importance of Saving Seeds

Are you saving seeds? Because you should be! In this article, we’ll discuss all the benefits of saving seeds from your garden.

Lonely Pines Farm may earn a commission for purchases made after clicking links on this page.

When COVID hit last year, it spun the world into a frenzy. Everyone was clamoring for food & supplies. Society came to a halt as we collectively spent months and months at home.

But out of all that boredom & chaos, came something wonderful – a renewed love of gardening.

All across the country, Victory Gardens were popping in backyards & patios. Everyone was ready to take control of their food supply.

But this push to grow put a huge strain on retailers.

Seed companies were reporting double their normal daily sales. No one could keep up – everything was sold out.

Consider this your annual PSA to order #seeds. Last year was bonkers. Shit hit the fan & seeds disappeared. Who knows what will happen this year? But, if you want to pick out specific varieties, get ahead of the game, or order in bulk – now is the time! pic.twitter.com/Fy2WeAIB5J
— Lonely Pines Farm (@LonelyPinesFarm) January 3, 2021

Unfortunately, there are only a handful of ways to acquire seeds & that shortage wiped out half of them…

Buy from a local nursery
Order online
Seed swap
Save from the previous year

Benefits of Seed Saving

Renewable Supply

You know who didn’t feel the strain of the 2020 seed surge?

Gardeners that saved seeds!

One of the top benefits of saving seeds is that you won’t be a victim to the current seed market.

You’ll have your own continuous supply of seeds available year after year, with no worry of things being sold out or discontinued.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lonely Pines | Taste Life (@lonelypinesfarm)

And for that same reason, if you really love a particular vegetable or flower – like the nasturtium above – saving its seeds will ensure you get to continue to enjoy that plant for another year.

Save Time & Money

Anecdotally, it seems not uncommon for gardeners to spend a few hundred dollars on seeds over the course of the year – and that’s not even talking about expensive bulbs.

Dried beans double a a food to eat & a crop to plant

Even with our seed-saving efforts, there are always new varieties to add to the garden.

So some “seed expense” will likely always be there.

Why not cut that in half (or not more) by saving seeds from your plants?

Every seed saved is a seed not bought – it’s time not spent at the store – it’s money back in your pocket.

Better Plant Growth

Did you know that plants become acclimated to the environment they grow in?

So seeds saved from your garden will actually perform better the following year!

Seed saving is a great activity to get kids interested in the garden

Plants will grow bigger & stronger, with better quality fruit.

So instead of introducing foreign seeds each year, keep the cycle going within your garden & improve your local ecosystem.

Now that we’ve convinced you to start saving seeds, let’s talk details…

Not all seeds are created equal. The plant & seed type will play be a huge role in whether your efforts are successful. We’ll cover the bad eggs..

Cross-Pollinated Plants

Cross-pollination is something that happens naturally in your garden. The wind blows, pollen gets picked up and carried down the way to pollinate an entirely different kind of plant.

The problem here is that the resulting seed will grow a plant that’s a combination of the two, usually resulting in poor growth & inedible fruit.

So bear in mind, as you save seeds, that you may get a few wild results the following year & it could be from cross-pollination.

Hybrid Seeds

These days, there’s fantastic selection available for hybrid seeds. You can get just about any variety that’s resistant to something or programmed to grow better. It’s a great modern marvel.

However, the downside is that hybrid seeds can’t be saved. The modifications required to make the seed leaves it sterile. If you plant them the following year, they likely won’t grow.

For that reason, a lot of gardeners avoid them.

If you’re looking to save seeds, pick varieties that say things like “heirloom” or “open-pollinated.”

Don’t let those pumpkin seeds go to waste!

So what do you think? Ready to start saving seeds this year? It’s such a simple process & the benefits are incredible!

If you liked this article, please share it to spread the gardening love.

What’s your favorite plant to grow? Send us an email or leave a comment below! You can also let us know on our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or Pinterest pages.