Harvesting seeds from plants

Harvesting seeds from plants is not difficult, but certain varieties require special approaches. Some of the easiest plants to harvest seeds from are tomatoes, beans, peas, and lettuce.

Once you’ve tackled harvesting seeds from the easiest plant types, try the intermediate and advanced ones! Soon you will be teaching others how to grow and harvest seeds from their gardens, too.

Check out all the videos in our Easy Seed Saving series to learn how to save a variety of seeds of varying difficulty. For more video tutorials like these subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Some plants do not grow easily from seed. These types often reproduce better from other parts of the plant, like cuttings from branches or divided parts from bulbs, corms, or rhizomes.

Other plants are more difficult, like hybrid varieties that will not reproduce “true to type” after a few generations. Some plants easily cross-pollinate with plants from related families, like squashes, cucumbers, and melons.

We discuss these basics of Botany on our How to Grow and have more videos on How to Save seeds. Review set of guidelines from Seed Savers Exchange to learn how to harvest seeds from other plant types not covered here.

Storing seeds properly after harvest

Storing seeds properly is just as important as harvesting them. If seeds are not stored correctly, they can become overheated, crushed or broken, damaged or eaten by insects and rodents, or succumb to mold. Any of this will result in seeds that don’t sprout. Good seed storage requires dark and dry storage spaces, cool (or even cold) temperatures, and careful packaging in sealed containers to protect seeds from humidity, heat, sunlight, and pests. 

For more guidance, browse the catalog of educational films on seed production by DIYseeds.org on our How to Save Seeds page where you’ll find beautiful and inspiring instruction on basic Botany, pollination, and how to cultivate, harvest, and store a variety of seed types for seed preservation.

Cilantro harvest

Young gardeners always find the most efficient and fun way to separate seeds from stalks!

Learn our guidelines for seed storage from this short video called "3 Secrets to Seed Keeping.”

Learn how to store seeds for home use by following guidelines from Seed Savers Exchange’s short video webinar or on their page showing “How to Store Seeds.”