How to collect and save onion seeds from your garden
Dec 28, 2008 onions, seed saving, seed storing
Last year I collected cilantro seeds and they were a great success in my garden that this past Spring I made a commitment to myself that I would try to collect more seeds this season. Though I wanted to get more I was able to collect seeds from my onions, jalapenos, and cilantro. The jalapeno seeds were pretty easy I set some seeds aside on a paper towel while making some salsa. After they appeared to be dry I threw them in a brown paper lunch bag.
For the onions once the florets (flower balls you see above) got real ugly and dry and I could see the black seeds emerging I placed them in a paper bag before the birds got to them. I then put the bag on top of our kitchen cabinets and forgot about them for couple months. Today I pulled the bag down and confirmed they definitely were dry. To separate the seeds from the pods I broke apart (which happens easily) and placed the contents into a metal strainer. I gently broken open any remaining pods and agitate the strainer. This causes the small black seeds to move to the bottom, allowing the pods to float to the top and forcing many of the stems to fall through.
I then skimmed off as many of the stems/pods as possible leaving and putting the seeds into a brown paper bag until I can get into town to buy some more manageably sized brown envelopes (recovering from Seattle snowstorm)
After a few minutes of work I now have hundreds of onions seeds which I probably only have use for couple dozen. Seed exchange anyone?
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December 28th, 2008 at 9:09 PM
They have the most beautiful white flower. I will be getting some too.
December 29th, 2008 at 12:11 PM
I thought this was the cheap vegetable gardening blog? You mention needing smaller brown bags? A pair of scissors, a tiny dab of glue and you’ll have made that one paper sack into 6 or 8 small envelopes for your seeds. It’s easy! I designed my own, but a quick Google found this link: http://www.suite101.com/blog/cottage_garden/make_your_own_seed_envelope
December 29th, 2008 at 2:39 PM
jimmycrackedcorn, I must admit I am very ashamed in my weak moment and complete lack of cheapness. Hopefully my you can forgive me now I have followed the correct frugal path as you can see in my post Make your own paper seed packets Thanks for the heads up, I really didn’t need 500 little packets anyway
Love the greenhouse by the way, how are the plants holding up?
December 30th, 2008 at 1:28 PM
Excellent job on the envelopes! I’ll do a post in the next day or so about the greenhouse. It’s doing very well! I have inch tall radishes and I’m ready to set out some lettuce I started inside since it’s a reasonably warm day. I have Kale seeds to start next and in a couple months there will be dozens and dozens of broccoli in there.
January 5th, 2009 at 6:48 PM
I agree that cilantro is a great seed to collect – one of my favorite herbs and you can never have too much! Dill also produces tons of seeds that are very easy to collect. Also nasturtiums and violets (great salad flowers).
January 10th, 2010 at 6:01 AM
Yay! Thanks for this.