Anyone who wants to produce seeds should have a general understanding of botany, the science of plants. Plants are at present classified according to the anatomy of their flowers, their reproductive organs and their fruit. They are classified by their Latin names.

A seed is the result of the transformation of the ovule fertilized through pollination. The appearance of seeds can greatly differ, their shape, size, color and texture changes according to the plant. From these seeds healthy and vigorous plants will spring forth which will in their turn produce new seeds, thus perpetuating the cycle of life.

Pollination is the way in which a large number of plants reproduce. The word “reproduce” is in fact not really exact because by using this process the plant will not produce an identical copy of itself. The male and female genetic elements will mix and potentially create a different plant.

The selection process enables you to gradually adapt the plant to the environment, to your needs and wishes. It is important to pay particular attention to plants grown for their seeds, as they will produce the future generations of vegetables and fruits. It is therefore necessary to choose them well and to observe them throughout their development.

Whenever there is a risk of cross-pollination between different varieties of the same species, it is necessary to isolate them in order to preserve the specific characteristics of each variety. There are several techniques for isolating varieties.

Either wet or dry processing methods can be used to remove seeds from their surrounding flesh. Wet processing can be done with or without fermentation. Seeds that are not surrounded by flesh such as leeks and onions can be sorted using water. There are different ways to sort seeds after extraction.

The flowers of the Cucurbitaceae family of plants can be pollinated by hand to prevent unwanted cross-pollination. These are summer and winter squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, melons, and gourds. The advantages of this method are its simplicity and the fact that it enables you to grow several different varieties of the same species in the same garden without having to isolate them.