Closing the loop: Complete the circle by saving seed from your favourite vegies and flowering plants

摘要

Saving seed from your own plants is a way of closing the loop. It means you become a custodian of your own favourite types of vegetables and flowers and it brings added elements of interest and sustainability to the garden. The first thing to do is find out whether or not your plant is suitable for seed-saving. Most hybrids, especially those marked Fl or F2, will not produce seed true to type and the seed can sometimes be infertile. It is best not to attempt to keep seed from these, but rather fromopen pollinated (non-hybrid) varieties which are more likely to be true to type. Don't collect seed from any old plant. Choose strong plants that contain the characteristics you want; they might be the larger ones, those more striking in appearance, early or late producers. It's a good idea to label your selections to stop them being harvested or removed.