Probably every gardener knows that tomato yield depends on the quality of the seeds. However, store seeds are not always encouraging, they may have low germination, and the prices of planting material are high. That is why it is better to learn how to collect your seeds.
Why collect your tomato seeds
As already mentioned, their seeds are collected in order to save money, because good planting material is very expensive. But this is not only the case, there are other reasons:
1. Seedlings obtained from home seeds are more resistant to diseases, because we know for sure from which bushes the planting material was collected. One can’t say anything about store seeds, they could be collected from diseased plants. The inscriptions on the bag do not give any guarantees.
2. Store packaging is very small, for growing seedlings you will need more than one package. And if you need to plant a large area, then there is no benefit at all.
3. Seeds from the market may be expired, but an unscrupulous seller will never tell you about this. You will learn about this only after planting, when the% germination rate will be very low. Homemade seeds are always fresh, because you yourself monitor the expiration dates.
4. Seedlings obtained from store seeds are poorly zoned to your area. Its seeds allow you to grow hardy seedlings.
In addition, there are times when it is necessary to collect seeds from a valuable variety of tomatoes, which are rarely found on sale.
What tomatoes do you need to collect seeds from
Not all tomatoes are suitable for independent breeding. There are varieties from which it is better not to take seeds. It will be useful for a beginner gardener to get acquainted with this information.
Hybrid tomatoes
Important! If you grow hybrid tomatoes at your site, then taking seeds from them does not make sense.
Hybrids are obtained by the complex crossing of several varieties, and the properties of transferring their qualities to a new generation are not assigned to them. It turns out this picture, you collect seeds from high-yielding hybrids, and not the next year or a few years later your tomatoes are not happy with the crop, they grow poorly, get sick, the appearance of the fruits deteriorates, the bushes are not so tall.
The thing is that hybrids break down into the varieties from which they were obtained. Each such variety has its pros and cons, which your tomatoes inherit. It is impossible to predict what the harvest will be!
It’s easy to determine that you are dealing with hybrids. The prefix F1 is always present in the name.
Unknown Tomatoes
What to do if you liked a tomato, but you don’t know the variety or not. You can try to collect the seeds, sow them the next year and see what happens. If all the bushes are alike, the crop is of good quality, then this is a variety. Seeds are safely collected from such tomatoes for further cultivation.
Varietal Tomatoes
Everything is clear here, without further ado. If the name does not contain hybridization information, then this is a variety. Such tomatoes are the best for breeding. They are guaranteed to give good germination and commercial presentation. The variety does not degenerate over time, does not lose color, taste and other characteristics.
How to collect it is changed from your tomatoes: technology and all the details of the process
To get high-quality seeds, you need to select the correct tomatoes and follow the instructions:
• the seeds leave the largest fruits from healthy bushes, they are not torn down to the very frosts;
• selected tomatoes must fully comply with all varietal characteristics;
• Tomatoes are removed at full maturity, but not overripe.
It is best to collect seed tomatoes from the lower brush, in which case the probability of cross-pollination is lower. Tomatoes are left until ripening on the bushes, but if frost is coming, it is better to remove the fruits and ripen them indoors.
Important! Overripe fruits are not suitable for seeds; after drying, the embryos in them die.
The seed collection process is as follows:
1. It is necessary to carefully cut the fruit and take out the seeds with the pulp with a spoon. A separate container is prepared for each grade.
2. Cover the seeds with gauze and leave to ferment for three days, then strain on the pulp and rinse in running water.
3. Cull seeds. Prepare a strong saline solution and lower the seeds there, all of which will emerge need to be removed.
When the seeds are prepared, they are again washed in running water and dried.
The fastest way to collect seeds from tomatoes
There is a faster way to get seeds, but the quality of the planting material in this case is slightly lower.
1. Cut the ripe fruit into two parts and extract the seeds with pulp.
2. Spread several layers of paper on the table, spread on it the pulp with seeds.
3. Dry well and store.
It is impossible to wash such seeds, it is better to soak them before planting.
Features of drying and storage of tomato seeds
Seeds are laid out on a thin layer of paper and put away in a warm room, but not in direct sunlight. Dried naturally, periodically mixing the seeds.
Advice! You can use a special dryer for seeds.
After drying, the seeds are removed in paper bags or boxes with holes for breathing. Each bag is labeled with the name of the variety and the date of collection. Store seeds at a temperature of 18-20 ° C, in a place where there is no access to moisture. When water gets into the bag, the seeds deteriorate quickly.
Tomato seeds are suitable for use for five years, after which the% germination rate is significantly reduced. With a landing it is better not to delay. Experienced gardeners have noticed that strong seedlings are obtained from the annual seeds, which will please a plentiful harvest.
Important! If during storage tomato seeds covered with mold, then they can not be planted. It is better to get rid of such planting material.
