• Preserve Genetic Diversity

A wide genetic pool of a plant species allows for varieties to develop that can thrive in various climate conditions or that are resistant to threats such as diseases and pests.

• Seed Adaptation

By selecting seeds that do well in the growing conditions of your local climate, you can develop plants that are adapted to thrive in your garden.

• Cultural Preservation

Many plants are cultural keystone species that have long-standing relationships with the communities that cultivate them.

• Food Sovereignty

Creating your own food systems helps diversify and localize food systems in ways that could buffer against food insecurity.

• Economical

Save money on yearly seed purchases, and by growing your own food.

 

• Collect seeds from a stable genetic lineage

Hybrid seeds do not breed true, and will not produce a plant that is like the parent plants.

• Select the healthiest plants

Plants that thrive in your climate or that have desirable traits (ex: plants with larger fruits or a sweeter flavour).

• Collect from many different plants

Increase genetic diversity by harvesting from a variety of healthy plants.

 

Open Pollinated Seeds

These seeds are stable and grow true. They are genetically diverse and can be adapted over time through plant selection.

Hybrid Seeds

These seeds are unstable and plants grown from these seeds will often revert back to one of the parent plants. Crossing two parent plants may produce a hybrid with desirable characteristics.

Heirloom Seeds

These seeds have been passed down generationally, and often carry specific stories and cultural significance.

 

Self-Pollinating Plants

These plants can fertilize themselves, but you may want to provide space between different varieties to ensure purity.

Easy Self-Pollinators in BC

Vegetables	Flowers	Herbs
Peas, Beans, Tomatoes, Peppers, Lettuce, Eggplant	Marigolds, Zinna, Sunflowers, Cosmos, Poppy, Nasturtium, Calendula	Dill, Cilantro, Basil, Parsley

Cross Pollinators

These plants are generally pollinated by insects, wind, or by hand. To get a true seed, you will need to exclude the pollen of other varieties of plants that are from the same species by either planting one variety, or by excluding the pollen of other plants with a physical barrier around the flower. Examples include squash, cucumbers, melons, corn, spinach, and the cabbage family.

Biennials

These plants require a two year commitment, as they flower and produce seeds the second year. These are also cross pollinating plants that require care to produce true seeds. Examples include beets, Swiss chard, carrots, and parsnips.

 

Seeds Found in Pods or Heads

These seeds need to be fully developed prior to collection. You will find the seeds contained in a pod, husk, capsule, or flower head that will be brown and dry when ready to be harvested. Thresh the seeds and winnow them for cleaner storage.

Threshing is separating the seed from the plant, winnowing is separating the seed from its chaff.

Seeds Found in Fruit

Seeds must be separated from the flesh/pulp of the fruit and should be allowed to dry fully before being stored. 

Instructions for Some Common Fruits

	Tomato	Peppers	Cucumber & Squash
Harvest	Scoop pulp from ripe fruit.	Leave peppers on the plant until overripe; the fruit will begin to wrinkle.	Allow to overripen and scoop the seeds out of the centre of the fruit.
Fermentation	Let seeds and pulp ferment in a jar or bucket for 2-5 days to break down the gel that surrounds the seeds. It is normal for the pulp to develop some mould during fermentation.	Not needed.	Not needed.
Processing	Skim off the mould and push the pulp through a sieve. Wash and dry the seed.	For some peppers you can also dry the fruit and then separate the seed. No washing is required.	Wash clean of pulp and dry well.

• Dried seeds should be kept in an air-tight container. 
• All seed packages should be labelled with plant type, variety, and harvest date if possible.
• Store in a cool, dry place.
• For multi-year storage, seeds can be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer.
• Properly stored seeds can keep for many years.

• Seeds of Diversity

A group of seed savers from coast to coast who protect Canada's seed biodiversity by growing it ourselves and sharing it with others.

• Organic Seed Alliance