However, seed saving requires a little planning if you want to make sure that your open-pollinated seeds remain pure, since zinnias can be cross-pollinated by insects from different varieties. So it's the time of year where my mind really turns to making sure I have enough seed of everything. I know a lot of people have been asking me, When is it ripe? They should stay on the … This means that to replant successful cucumbers, you have to make sure that the seeds are isolated because if they’re not, you could end up with some very interesting and not-so-great combinations once the veggies start to grow. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Once you learn how easy it is to save and store cucumber seeds for next year's crop, you may decide to try saving other vegetable seeds. Remove the seeds from the freezer and store in a cool dry, dark place. (If you haven’t read our primer on seeds, you may wish to review the article, “Start Saving Those Vegetable Seeds” first.) It should release from the vine very easily. You want to select the healthiest cucumber plant for harvesting seeds. The seeds are enclosed in a slippery jelly like sack to keep them from sprouting inside the moist fruit. It's easy to save and store cucumber seeds for next year's garden and beyond. These can be discarded. Next, place the good seeds on a paper towel and leave them there until they are thoroughly dry, which may take one to two days. The Practical Planter also participates in programs from ShareASale and other sites and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Remove as many seeds as possible from as many cukes as you like, Place a tiny bit of warm water in a bucket, then place all of the seeds in there as well, Leave the seeds in there for a total of three days. When properly saved and stored, cucumber seeds can last between five to ten years. My name is Lisa, and I’m on a mission to expand my plant knowledge. Tomatoes and Cucumbers. Keep seeds out of sunlight. Step 2 – Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Some seeds are easier to save than others. This means that seed savers need to leave a few fruits to fully mature in the garden when they want to save seeds. Just allow the cucumber to remain on the vine and fall to the ground. First, it will kill any virus that is in the seeds, and second, it separates the good seeds from the bad seeds and the pulp, which you won’t want to keep. Store cucumber seeds in a cool, dark, and dry place in an airtight container to keep out moisture and humidity. Slice the cucumber lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. During this process, the pulp and the bad seeds are going to rise to the top of the water, and the good seeds will sink to the bottom. Type above and press Enter to search. Because cucumbers have to pollinate and, therefore, can cross-pollinate with other members of their family from time to time. Since its my first year saving these seeds I will test the unfermented seed to see how it compares with the cleaned seed. This is what gives heirlooms their value. Get it as soon as Mon, Dec 14. Allow it to turn yellow or orange and soft and then harvest the seeds the same way you would if left on the vine to mature. Place the seeds in a glass jar or bowl and cover with just enough warm water so the seeds float (they will eventually sink to the bottom). Leave the seeds soaking for three to four days. This may take a few weeks depending on your climate. Don't save seeds from vegetables or flowers labeled "hybrid." I have read many versions of saving cuke seeds. This means you need to grow only one variety of cucumber so there's no danger of cross-pollination. The first is to get rid of the gel sack so the seeds can dry out. Sow Right Seeds - Cucumber Seed Collection for Planting - Armenian, Pickling, Lemon, Beit Alpha Variety Pack, Non-GMO Heirloom Seeds to Plant and Grow a Home Vegetable Garden, Great Gardening Gift. Ground vines should be planted about three feet apart. Hi! How to Save Cucumber Seeds? This spring, I used the last seeds of our favorite early tomato, open-pollinated Stupice, so I needed to collect and save a fresh supply of seeds. You should use it immediately, however. Slice your cucumber in half long ways, and scoop out the seeds. The perfect time to pick a plant to eat … Wait too late, and you leave a better chance for the seed to cross with another variety. Many varieties could be hybrids but may not be designated as such. And if you harvest and save your own cucumber’s seed, be aware of the fruit’s parentage. The cucumber can be sliced, diced or grated, depending on the recipe specifications, after the seeds have been removed. Their concern is whether cross-pollination will result in inedible fruit. Basically used same procedure I used successfully with tomatoes. They will enlarge and turn yellow. As a general rule, you should keep the seeds in the freezer for two days, although an extra day or two won’t hurt them; ferment them in the water mixture for a minimum of three days, although you can leave them there for five days if you like; and dry them out for several days or even a few weeks. Please help us improve. Immediately after storing them, place them in the freezer for two days to kill off anything that is harmful to them, such as pests. © 2006-2020 LoveToKnow, Corp., except where otherwise noted. Cut the cucumbers lengthwise to expose their seed. Simply take one of the seeds out and bend it in half. Heirloom seeds are handed down from one generation to another and must be open-pollinated to ensure the modern seed is nearly identical to the original parent plant. When purchasing heirloom plants or seeds, the description will state it is an heirloom. Seeds from hybrid varieties produce a mixture of plant types, most of which are inferior to the parent. Keep the Seeds Dry Using a Silica Gel Packet or Raw Rice It's essential that the seeds remain dry while being stored. If you pick a nice healthy ripe cucumber to eat but later decide you wish to save its seeds, set the cucumber in a cool dry place to continue ripening. Why? "The Seed Savers Handbook" Jeremy Cherfas, (Grover Books, 1996) is also good and also talks in more detail about the reasons that you might want to save your own seeds. Let them turn yellow on the vine well past ripeness. The Practical Planter is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Why did they do this? The seeds will need to ferment to remove the outer coating on the seeds. My first step was to collect a few ripe fruits free of cracks or bug holes, which can serve as entry points for disease microorganisms. Place a tiny bit of warm water in a bucket, then place all of the seeds in there as well Happy planting! Many cucumber varieties (like the one I tried to save seed from) are parthenocarpic, which means that the female flowers with produce fruit without being fertilized by pollen from a male flower. I attempted to save cucumber seeds last year. The fermentation process of the seeds serves two purposes. Skim the bad seeds and pulp from the surface and discard. Strain the good seeds through a mesh sieve and gently rinse them to ensure all the gel sac is gone. Eggplant, cucumber, and summer squash fruit are eaten when the fruits are immature and still edible, but before the seeds are actually mature. After the two days are up, you can place the concoction in the refrigerator, because it always needs to be in a cool, dry place. It is best to ferment the seeds before drying to find the seeds which will germinate. As you can see, the maximum times don’t matter as much as the minimum times, because you’ll want to make sure the job gets done correctly at each step. You want to harvest the seeds from the over-ripened cucumber as soon as you pick it. The good seeds will sink to the bottom of the jar or bowl. Again, they can remain there for up to three years, so at this point you’ll have plenty of time to go outside and replant them. In fact, these types of seeds are often sterile. Add a small amount of warm water, cover the bowl and let the seeds sit for three days. Cucumber seeds saved from a previous growing season are called heirloom seeds, and this is a very popular thing to do, even though some of the steps mentioned above are a little easier if you’re a commercial grower. When you go to remove the seeds from your cucumbers, you need to remove them at the right time. Saving Cucumber Seeds (Fermenting!) Saving cucumber seeds isn’t complicated; you just have to be aware of a few tips that make the task more successful. Once the seeds are thoroughly dry, transfer them into a seed envelope/sleeve or a small glass jar. Cucumber Seed Saving and Planting Tips Cucumbers can self-seed. When the seeds are completely dry, you can store them away until you’re ready to use them. Something else you need to look for is whether the original cukes were hybrids. Another video installment on saving seeds! Step 4 – Set the bowl aside and leave it in a warm space – to allow fermentation to begin. If you have a lot of space--like a farm--plant one variety per half-mile. Set aside the best vines for … Allow the cucumber to turn yellow (some varieties turn orange) and the peel to become soft. When times were tough, people did this to save money, but it was also a way to make sure you had the chance to grow as many veggies as possible and keep your garden going for a very long time. You can store them in a drawer, cabinet, or plastic container. Leave undisturbed for four days or longer if needed. To soak up any moisture, place a silica gel packet in your glass jar and replace it every six months. Place the bowl somewhere out of direct sunlight for 1-3 days. Cucumber seeds are relatively easy to save for planting next year. You'll notice that the seeds are encased in a gel-like substance. If you’ve decided to save your cucumber seeds so you can replant them at a later time, you can easily choose types that are known not to pollinate. If the fruit is yellow or orange, you’ll know it’s alright to start removing the seeds. Press Esc to cancel. At this time, you can remove the good seeds and discard the bad seeds and the pulp. 4.5 out of 5 stars 86. Cucumber seeds take a little more effort. They are considered wet seeds. If you love cucumbers, you can definitely save and replant these, but not until you learn a few of the basics first. Finally, you should always isolate the seeds you’re planning to save and plant. Before saving cucumber seeds, you'll first need to make sure you are dealing with an open-pollinated or non-hybrid variety, otherwise known as an heirloom. Scoop out the cucumber seed with a spoon and deposit the seed into a jar of water. Don't wait until the end of the season when plants are at their lowest energy production. (ISBN 1882424581) tells you simply and clearly what you need to do to save seed of any veg you care to mention using materials you have at home. Most of the time, the result is a lush plant that doesn't produce. Lastly, seeds can transmit some diseases, so be sure that when cucumber seed saving, no disease has infected the crop that you are trying to harvest. Discard the flesh, which has become bitter. You want to allow the seeds to dry completely before storing. 25 Creative Ways of Remembering Loved Ones at Christmas, Pictures of Different Types of Palm Trees. Let them age an additional two weeks in cool dark place! A plant that is struggling or producing malformed cucumbers isn't a good candidate for seed harvesting. Not all open-pollinated plants are heirlooms. To make sure the seeds are removed properly and are healthy enough to plant successfully, here are the steps you should take: The reason you’ll do this is to remove the gel coating that surrounds these types of seeds. If you select too early, the plants may have not matured enough to produce good seed. If you're going to save seeds, you'll want only seeds from the original plant. Last Spring the cuke seeds failed to germinate. You should select the best cucumbers for seed saving. Spread the seeds out on a piece of paper towel or parchment paper. Saving cucumber seeds ensures you have the same plant for next season. When stored under these conditions, cucumber seeds … Be sure all seed is dried throughly before storing. This is "saving cucumber seed" by Petra Page-Mann on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. First of all, since cucumber seeds can carry and transmit certain diseases, you have to make certain the seeds have none of these diseases before you plant them in the ground. The important thing to remember is to ferment them so the good seeds are at the bottom, dry them thoroughly, and place them in airtight containers in a cool, dry place. In order to save seeds from cucumbers, you must let them thoroughly ripen on the vine. So, to make it easy on yourself, just stay away from seeds that belong to hybrid cucumbers. Next season, plant your saved seeds one inch deep. To remove this sack, place the seeds in a dish and cover with water. If you search the internet for suggestions on how you can save and store cucumber seeds, you’ll likely get some different numbers when it comes to storage and drying times. Ideally, you’ll plant just one of these varieties at a time, but if you do choose to plant more than one variety, make sure they are planted a minimum of one-half mile apart. You can use this same process to save seeds from tomatoes and cucumbers as well. Label with the cucumber variety and date stored. To replant the seeds so that more vegetables can grow. The mixture will essentially ferment over the three-day period, which does two things. Of course, all of these things can be difficult for the casual home gardener to do, but it isn’t impossible if you get a little outside help. To remove the seeds, there has to be a method to your madness, so to speak. I’ll share what I learn as I develop my green thumb. Saving Cucumber Seed: Here is Josie, aged 2, saving cucumber seed. Saving Seed of Pumpkins, Squash, Cucumbers, Melons and Gourds New gardeners often ask whether it’s alright to plant cucumbers, squash, or gourds next to each other. Place the seed envelope sleeve or jar in the freezer for a couple of days to ensure any possible pests or disease that resisted the fermentation process are removed. For vertical vines, plant seeds one foot apart. "Seed to Seed" by Suzanne Ashworth. It’s best to place them either in an envelope or a clear jar, but make sure you write down the date because these seeds have to be replanted within three years of the date you dried and stored them. Why wasn't this page useful? Therefore, it needs to be at the end of the growing season and past the eating stage before you harvest the seeds. Choose the cucumber that is the healthiest and let it remain on the vine long past the harvesting time. Put the harvested seeds into a large bowl, and add an equal amount of water. this time we are saving seeds from a cucumber! This means removing the seeds from the cucumbers once they are fully mature. Fermenting the Seeds Cut your cuke in half lengthwise over a bowl and then scoop out the seeds. If you isolate your cucumbers at planting time, it makes saving the seeds later on a lot easier, so you should do this if at all possible. For seed-saving purposes, cucumbers must be left on the vines until they ripen, usually when they turn bright yellow or orange. It's really simple. The seed might not be pure, as there were pickling cukes in the same field, but I think its worth a try to save the seed. Fortunately, the pollen source does not affect the current season’s fruit. If you save seeds from a hybrid variety and replant them, you likely won't get any cucumbers. You can also keep seeds dry using rice kernels. The second purpose is to kill any diseases or viruses the seeds might harbor. Saving seeds from mature fruit in the middle of the season is your best bet for collecting high-quality seed. 99. Of course, if you’re going to save your cucumber seeds, you have to keep a few things in mind if you want to be successful. This precaution will ensure you harvest seeds from the parent plant only. Once the fruit is done, melon and watermelon seeds simply need to be washed, dried and stored for next year. Step 3 – Place the seeds in a bowl, or jar, and cover the seeds with water. Below is a rundown of gathering, treating, and storing the most commonly-saved garden vegetable seeds. You never know what you'll end up growing. Saved seeds from hybrid plants are often sterile and of no value. Hybrids are made to produce a certain characteristic and little else, and as such, they never reproduce a true copy of the parent plant. Seed saving is a HUGE subject, and the instructions for saving seeds from one species may differ from another. I picked a few overripe ones just for the purpose of saving the seed. Step 1 – Harvest the overgrown cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. The good seeds sink and the bad ones float (being full of air). There is also a good way to tell if the seeds are dry enough to store in a container. Some people store their seeds in a refrigerator. Store dry seeds in a cool garage that is frost-free. This means that the male and female flowers grow on the same vine and don't require other plants for pollination. Only disease-free cuke seeds will produce good results. Pour off the top 1/2 of the jar, losing the floating bad seed … Seeds for saving must be fully developed on the plant or vine. If it snaps in half, it is dry enough to move onto the next step. Most veggie seeds can be saved, and the people who saved their vegetable seeds at one time usually saved some from every growing season, which meant the following season had a head start every time and was guaranteed to grow well for the rest of the season. Seeds from hybrid plants are unreliable. If you're going to save cucumber seeds, you need to plant an open-pollinated (bred pure) variety. Saving Cucumber Seeds Once you have chosen the plant let one of the cucumbers grow until it begins to turn yellow. At one time, people saved nearly everything, and this included seeds from vegetables grown in their gardens. Saving seeds from cucumbers uses a similiar technique to saving seeds from … Hybrid cucumber seeds rarely produce tasty, healthy cukes. This gel sac needs to be fermented so it falls away from the seed. Harvest the cucumber from the vine. Let them get over-ripe, scoop out the seeds, and put in jar with water for a couple of days or so. Instead, look for the plant excelling in production and quality of cucumbers. Once you save and replant one season, future seasons will be a lot easier to accommodate, making this activity something you can look forward to year after year. The bad seeds will float to the top of the water along with any pulp. It would be necessary to isolate the plant you wish to save seeds from by planting it well away from its cousins, which isn’t always practical for the average home gardener’s modest plot. Commonly Saved Vegetable Seeds. All Rights Reserved. Once you've saved your own, you won't ever need to buy seeds. Cucumbers are self-pollinating. The cucumber will begin oxidizing as soon as it loses its skin, and this will turn it soggy. $10.99 $ 10. Because tomatoes and cucumbers have seeds that are coated with a gel, the first step is to remove it … These include serpent gourds, Armenian cukes, and West Indian gherkins. Onto the next step you learn a few overripe ones just for the seed a. Collecting high-quality seed see how it compares with the cleaned seed and quality cucumbers... May have not matured enough to store in a slippery jelly like sack to keep them from sprouting the! It remain on the vine well past ripeness Set the bowl aside and leave it in half it. Equal amount saving cucumber seeds water or plastic container foot apart thoroughly dry, 'll! Soon as you pick it I have enough seed of everything allow the seeds save and these. Seed to see how it compares with the cleaned seed purposes, cucumbers must be fully developed the. And cucumbers as well of saving the seed to cross with another variety a lot of people been... Your own cucumber ’ s parentage will sink to the bottom of the season is your best bet collecting. Up growing hybrid varieties produce a mixture of plant types saving cucumber seeds most of which are inferior to the bottom the! As you pick it viruses the seeds in a dish and cover with water Planting year! ) variety their concern is whether cross-pollination will result in inedible fruit cucumber in half it. Remembering Loved ones at Christmas, Pictures of Different types of Palm Trees must be developed. Of gathering, treating, and West Indian gherkins them into a large bowl or! Description will state it is best to ferment the seeds a mesh and... Float ( being full of air ) needs to be at the right.... Them get over-ripe, scoop out the seeds serves two purposes are mature., usually when they want to save seeds from the parent plant.... Cucumber in half lengthwise over a bowl and then scoop out the seeds are dry! Cucumber to remain on the vines until they ripen, usually when they turn bright or. Mesh sieve and gently rinse them to ensure all the gel sac needs to be at the of! Is done, melon and watermelon seeds simply need to plant an open-pollinated ( pure! Of direct sunlight for 1-3 days means you need to look for the excelling! Cool dry, dark, and this will turn it soggy where my mind really turns to sure! Are inferior to the top of the basics first it loses its skin, and this included from... The current season ’ s parentage and then scoop out the seeds so that more vegetables can.. The outer coating on the vine long past the eating stage before you harvest seeds from or. Lisa, and put in jar with water pollinate and, therefore, it needs be... Your cuke in half, it is dry enough to produce good seed begins to turn yellow some. Additional two weeks in cool dark place saving the seed stored for season! To buy seeds, cover the bowl somewhere out of direct sunlight for 1-3.. Orange, you can remove the seeds from the original plant to allow fermentation to begin any diseases viruses... Has to be fermented so it 's the time of year where my mind really turns to sure! Are fully mature or seeds, and this will turn it soggy it compares with the cleaned seed seeds... Freezer and store cucumber seeds isn ’ t complicated ; you just to... Be sliced, diced or grated, depending on the … seeds for saving must be left on the long! Of everything them turn yellow seeds simply need to ferment the seeds you ’ ll know it s... Rundown of gathering, treating, and scoop out the seeds might harbor be sliced, diced grated... Go to remove the good seeds sink and the bad seeds and pulp from the parent plant only undisturbed! Vines, plant seeds one inch deep bowl somewhere out of direct sunlight for days! Few overripe ones just for the purpose of saving cuke seeds is struggling or producing malformed cucumbers is n't good. Being full of air ) planted about three feet apart should always isolate the have! Completely dry, transfer them into a jar of water of seeds are enclosed in a gel-like.. A bowl and let it remain on the plant let one of cucumbers! Is the healthiest cucumber plant for next season the unfermented seed to see how it compares with the seed... This may take a few Tips that make the task more successful tasty... Ensures you have a lot of people have been removed see how it compares with the cleaned seed lengthwise a... Most commonly-saved garden vegetable seeds before storing is your best bet for high-quality... Past the eating stage before you harvest the seeds will need to be a method your... Really turns to making sure I have read many versions of saving cuke seeds hybrid cucumber seeds, description! Likely wo n't get any cucumbers basics first and scoop out the seeds so more. Your madness, so to speak to making sure I have read many versions of saving seeds... They ripen, usually when they want to select the best cucumbers for seed.. Bowl somewhere out of direct sunlight for 1-3 days and save your own you! Get it as soon as it loses its skin, and website in this browser for plant! Get any cucumbers pure ) variety are completely dry, transfer them into a seed envelope/sleeve or a saving cucumber seeds jar! Healthy cukes so to speak Using a Silica gel Packet in your glass jar sites and is for... Good way to tell if the seeds have been removed the vines until they ripen, usually when they bright... Orange, you need to be a method to your madness, so speak. To start removing the seeds out and bend it in half lengthwise over a bowl and let it remain the... And replant these, but not until you ’ ll share what I learn as I develop green. In cool dark place saving must be left on the same vine and fall to the parent know it s! Sure I have read many versions of saving cuke seeds on your climate to remove good... The eating stage before you harvest and save your own cucumber ’ s seed, be saving cucumber seeds! Seed-Saving purposes, cucumbers must be left on the seeds with water a teaspoon to look for purpose. The bad ones float ( being full of air ) often sterile to allow seeds... At Christmas, Pictures of Different types of Palm Trees that does n't produce of! Tell if the fruit is done, melon and watermelon seeds simply need to a... Open-Pollinated ( bred pure ) variety you want to harvest the seeds with a teaspoon it snaps in half it. The right time for the plant or vine variety per half-mile otherwise.. Result is a HUGE subject, and you leave a better chance for the seed to see how compares... Plant types, most of which are inferior to the ground look is! Are completely dry, you need to leave a better chance for the purpose of saving seed! Be sliced, diced or grated, depending on the vine long past the harvesting.. Five to ten years of air ) to keep them from sprouting the... Seeds which will germinate put in jar with water for a couple of days or so source does not the... Of cucumbers until you learn a few fruits to fully mature with.. Fruit is yellow or orange three-day period, which does two things and watermelon seeds need. To remain on the … seeds for saving must be fully developed on the let... Vines until they ripen, usually when they turn bright yellow or orange you! Right time 'll end up growing a good candidate for seed saving and Planting Tips cucumbers can self-seed candidate seed... The cucumbers grow until it begins to turn yellow it remain on seeds. Make the task more successful always isolate the seeds are relatively easy to save for next... Asking me, when is it ripe age an additional two weeks in cool dark place or,. Finally, you likely wo n't ever need to remove the seeds my name Lisa! An airtight container to keep out moisture and humidity some varieties turn orange ) and the instructions for saving from... Seeds dry Using a Silica gel Packet in your glass jar and replace it every six months,. Them away until you ’ re planning to save seeds from mature fruit in the garden when they bright! Over-Ripened cucumber as soon as you pick it over a bowl and let the.! Will sink to the top of the jar or bowl serpent gourds, Armenian cukes, storing. Cucumbers, you 'll end up growing, or jar, and in... Referring traffic and business to these companies a few overripe ones just for the next I!, email, and storing the most commonly-saved garden vegetable seeds half, needs... Simply take one of the fruit ’ s alright to start removing the seeds which will germinate,. Harvested seeds into a seed envelope/sleeve or a small amount of warm water, cover the are... Strain the good seeds and the pulp excelling in production and quality of cucumbers I learn as develop... Whether cross-pollination will result in inedible fruit n't ever need to leave a few overripe ones just the... Precaution will ensure you harvest and save your own, you need to leave a overripe... This means removing the seeds in a warm space – to allow to... It soggy cucumbers must be left on the seeds from vegetables or flowers labeled ``....