• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Lonely Pines Farm

Washington Grown

  • Home
  • Shop
    • Farmers Market
    • Our Amazon Favorites
  • Blog
    • Grow
    • Forage
    • Raise
    • Preserve
    • Cook
    • Bake
  • Our Story
  • Support Us
    • Help Lonely Pines Farm
    • Farmers Market
    • Thank You Patrons!
  • Contact
  • Cart

The Importance of Saving Seeds

January 4, 2021 by Laura Leave a Comment

163 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

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.

Tag @lonelypinesfarm on Instagram and hashtag it #tastinglife

Did you enjoy this article? Want to hear more? Stay in touch! Sign up below to receive updates on new posts from Lonely Pines Farm.

For more gardening tips, check out these articles…

Top 25 Easy Plants for Beginner Gardeners
Insanely Fast Growing Vegetables to Start Today
How to Harvest, Cure, and Store Potatoes
Pruning Tomatoes: Pros, Cons, and Trimming Techniques

Pin it for later…


163 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: All Posts, Grow Tagged With: Seeds, Year-Round Gardening

Previous Post: « Savory Bacon & Egg Breakfast Salad
Next Post: Three Simple Herbed Egg Recipes »

Reader Interactions

You May Also Enjoy:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

About the Authors

Hi, we’re Laura & Jerry! Our small farm is located just outside of Quilcene, Washington. Come along for an incredible year as we focus on our two passions – fresh flowers & gourmet garlic. But that’s not everything! A big part of what we love is sharing with you all the wonderful things we’ve learned in the garden & in the kitchen. Very much hobbit vibes. On our website, you’ll find helpful gardening tip, delicious recipes, and so much more! Stay tuned for the launch of our online farm store & visit us this summer at the Chimacum Farmers Market. Read More…

Follow Us!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign Up For The Newsletter

– Featured Articles –

Top 25 Easy Plants for Beginner Gardeners

How to Make Preserved Lemons

How to Make Dandelion Jelly

More...

- Most Shared Articles -

Foraging & Uses for Purple Dead Nettle

9 Best Vegetables for Your Fall Garden

How to Make Dandelion Jelly

– Recent Articles –

  • The Deep Litter Method for Chicken Coop Composting
  • Moroccan Chicken Recipe
  • Pizza Dough Recipe

– Latest Video –

https://youtu.be/ERSnHcr_KhM

Don’t Miss Another Video!

Follow Us For More Tips!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

– Explore –

  • Home
  • Grow
  • Forage
  • Raise
  • Preserve
  • Cook
  • Bake
  • Shop
  • Our Story
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Midnight theme by A Modern Homestead

Copyright © 2022 · Midnight Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

163 shares
 

Loading Comments...
 

    Privacy Policy