Seed Saving 

Charles, I just wanted to share my experience of No Dig carrots with your other suscribers. My plot is on heavy clay and my fellow holders informed me I'd have no luck growing them. I sowed seed on to my No Dig beds remembering you saying they would germinate in the compost, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Fast forward a few months and I have AMAZING carrots, most of which are straight too. Can't wait to have a peek at the parsnips. Thanks Charles. X

I'm pausing, rewinding, and replaying to take notes! So much to learn from a great teacher 😍

Onions - <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="102">1:42</a> (biannual) Peas & Beans - <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="173">2:53</a> (and again at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="280">4:40</a> and <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="440">7:20</a>) Coriander / Cilantro - <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="220">3:40</a> (n.b. he didn't mention it but carrots are also biannual) Lettuce - <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="570">9:30</a> (over-wintered) French beans - <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="691">11:31</a> Tomatoes - <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="805">13:25</a> Drying and storage - <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="975">16:15</a> Garlic - <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1050">17:30</a> Potatoes - <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1096">18:16</a> (one year only)

Love this, thanks for the tips. I spend countless hours with a cardboard box in front of me picking at seeds while I relax in front of the tv in the evenings.

Your gardening video's are among the best. You are very well spoken, and you can tell your truely love gardening

Aw man! You're killing it with these videos. Thank you so much.

Thanks Charles for ALL your articles. I never feel I have wasted my time and have gardened most of my 68 yrs. Blessings

Last of summer Charles! Thank you for a great 2017. I did amazing things, things i never imagined i could thanks to you and with your wisdom. 41 varieties of veg, 8 fruit trees, 5 soft fruit and what a haul! I go into my microfarm and eat strawberries off the vine most mornings. after 2 seasons no dig, i am confident that i could feed myself exclusively from my small garden. so happy😄

Thanks for all the love witch you are putting on the videos for us! I found you 3 days ago here, and I can't stop to watch video after video!!! I'm super thankfull!!! I'm Bulgarian follower! Good bless you!

I store my seed potatoes in the fridge in egg cartons so they make it to spring...works like a charm!

So glad I found your channel. I’m inspired to save seeds from my harvest. They will be more acclimated to my desert environment in Las Vegas.

Amazing. I always heard from people in my family, that pea seeds have to dry at the plant and otherwise wont germinate and wont be plantable. I dont have a lot of gardening knowledge yet, but my logical mind (im a system engineer) said to me, that it has to be possible also without that. So I am trying this since 3 days. Since we just got back from italy with a full bag of peas to eat (got them from my grandma very tasty) I told my family to save all the peas in a pea pod, where the peas are hard to eat or if the pod is already yellow and you can feel the hard peas. So sibce these dont really taste that juicy and sweet and are on theyre way to dry, I thought thats a win win situation. Seeing this video gives me the confirmation, that this really works, since you said you did this a lot and it worked for you. Thanks to you I will now even improve it, and let the peas dry on some newspaper in a sunny dry place so I will have better results (that I didnt think of, makes very much sense since heat and no moisture in the air dryes things) thank you very much I am excited to see the results when I will be able to plant them. (Probably I will have to wait until next year. We are in switzerland and the weather is probably not the best to grow a lot of things but it should manage with peas)

I feel so smart and positive after this. Thank you

And harvesting seeds is fun to do with family: I remember doing it with my grand-parents when I was a child :-)

Yes, i must agree you are a wonderful teacher.

Thank you so much for your wonderful advice. I had saved my seed from my Sun Gold tomatoes from last year, and have raised 10 small plants in my greenhouse this year. I can now dispose of those and buy some. You have saved me from great disappointment! Jan

This video was excellent! The part about saving tomato seeds was particularly informative. I liked that you showed each step of the process. Now I will be saving tomato seed with confidence. Thank you!

Charles, you're my gardening guru. Thanks for all your hard work in sharing your knowledge with us.

That was an eye-opener re the red onion! How instructive. Will try. Seeing how things are done makes such a difference. Also it's about the plants and not about the person in your videos. Thanks again for a clear explanation and showing of how to go about , in this case, saving seed.

A great share on saving seeds....I'm a seed saver who love planting things but never having enough space haha....Thanks!

Charles you made a very valid point about planting your own seeds that have come from a crop in your climate because the more I think about it, it makes perfect sense to pass the genetics on to the next seed of the previous climate for a better yield.

Definitely adds another layer of interest and satisfaction to growing vegies. Important point about the seeds being adapted to your garden's climate. Nice one Charles

This is so fitting. My roommate planted onions last year and has since abandoned the garden. I have taken over and want to harvest the onion seeds to replant. Cheers to another great video.

Brilliant, informative video. I have managed to purchase mostly heirloom seeds and will try to follow your instructions on saving those seeds. Thank you for more great tips.

Finally I have enough growing space to get more serious about seed saving. Thank you for the informative video, which I expect to re-watch several times ;-)

Great video! Now I feel guilty because the only seed I've ever saved is coriander. And that's such an easy one to save. The flowers are amazing. Thanks!

Cheers Charles, you're videos are always excellent and informative, not to mention v professionally made!

Thank you for all your videos! Such a blessing❤️

I can always count on your videos when I have a gardening question. You’re the best, from zone 7 in No.Virginia.

Seed saving is my new favorite gardening thing. Thank you.

Thank you Charles, another work of art in the collection

Thanks Charles that was great information, as with all your videos I am always learning something more.

Your channel is such a valuable resource. Thanks so much for putting out these videos. I'm sure you're changing so many lives. Can't wait to apply all the things I'm learning from you.

Lei è un grande. Grazie per tutto quello che condivide.

Another great video, thanks Charles👍

Your instruction is so important, especially in these times! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!! I have learned so much from you!!!!

Thank you, Charles. I loved the suggestion to share seed saving with friends. I hope to find enough friends to add seed sharing to this falls festivities.

Nice work Charles, Your Garden looks amazingly manicured as usual and your demeanor is delightful, Thank You for your gardening expertise! looking forward to your next video! God Bless You and Yours!

You always help me immediately! Thanks alot for this !!!!!!!

Yet again fantastic video.So informative.I have been binge watching your videos as spring is creeping in! Can't wait for this year's veg garden with your pointers.

Love the first 1.5min! Excited for the rest of the vid 💜

The best seed collecting video Ive seen yet

Great, precise and conclusive video. Thank you buddy. Your vids are so easy to follow. Nice to hear everything and see everything without background music or faffing. Real educational.

Just found your video and I’m glad I did 😊

A priceless skill to develop. Many thanks Charles. Really enjoying the positive vibes from your vids 🇮🇪

Ive saved chili pepper seeds and marigold seeds. And am currently growing those seeds. Great advice here Charles!

Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge and experience.

Much more better than great video! Thank you!

Great timing with the youtube recommendation for a change. I am currently trying to ferment tomato seeds that I got from a coworker. Hope all goes well.

You have a lovely smile. :) Thank you for your wonderful videos.

Great Video! Seeing some of the flowers reminded me I forgot to collect them, off to the garden

Just found your content an I have to say that this is incredible. You are a fantastic teacher

Thank you for making the world a better place. Aloha.

Such interesting information and amazing videos. I watch your videos on a daily basis not not for learning but also it’s so relaxing to watch your beautiful garden farm with all the different variations of vegetables and flowers. Thanks to you I will attempt to save some seeds this year and now I know thanks to you that I can’t save hybrid seeds. Happy gardening and wish you best of health

Excellent, very informative, thank you! :)

Ended up saving some squash seeds by pure dumb luck/accident. Basically, where I live, a trailer park for lack of a better term (technically, it is one, if on the small size), a past tenant had set up a raised garden bed between my place and theirs, until they moved out, but left the garden bed. Next tenant came, and was in the process of growing some squash, when they had to leave. This year, I decided to grow a garden in it - helps that the current tenant is my aunt - and while cutting down the weeds, I found 3 good sized squashes, which had survived the winter. So, I broke them open, noticed that the seeds looked good, so I scattered them throughout the bed, mowed down the rest of the weeds, added 400+pounds (180+ Kilograms) of garden soil/potting soil/compost/manure/perlite/vermiculite/ect, scattered hay mulch on top, put in some tomatoes and peppers, and some geraniums,and the squash seeds grew as well - got 4 good plants, and a number of smaller ones I moved in an attempt to give them space.

Great video....thank you for sharing

Thanks for making this video, nice garden 🐝

Great video on saving seeds.

Excellent idea and very impressive towards gardening :-)

Awesome cinematography and content.

Thank you so much for this helpful tutorial. So far, I’ve stashed away bokchoy, arugula, cherry tomatoes, and marigold seeds. I’m going to be saving some purple beans as well, when they dry. 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

Great lesson, thank you.

Another nice video Charles. I was just wondering about this very topic the other week, so great timing as well. Thank you!

Vital information right here!

Great video. I have done same process in my video with seeds saving tips for peppers, tomato and other vegetables. Thanks for tips and teaching as always!!

Another delightful gem of a video. My garden (and compost heap!) is the best ever this year, thanks to knowledge gleaned from your videos and books. I have saved the easier seeds up 'til this year (runner & French beans, peas...) but this season will be expanding my seed saving. Thank you for sharing the best techniques. And your calm nature is a tonic right now in the midst of all the turbulence... When I turn to one of your videos, and then the garden, all seems well.

Great video, lots of good advice! Your garden looks beautiful! Cheers

My favourite video and very good advice thank you

Always good to hear and learn from you. 🌳

Charlie your gardening are amazing, I love garden and I hope learning from you ,thanks!

I begin to do that this morning with lettuce because the seed is so EXPENSIVE this year with the pandemic Thank you to partage your connaissance

Thank you for making these wonderful videos! They are extremely helpful. God bless you for your gifts you share. Sending great admiration from Super South Texas. 😎

Great information on seed savings 👏 Amazing facts. I'm in awe of you.

So, so good. I too have saved seeds this year and I’m really interested to see how they germinate compared to bought ones. I love anything that can grow for free and your videos give me so much inspiration so please don’t stop

I am so trying this. Thank you

I kept back seeds from my first ever french and runner beans when I started growing vegetables for the first time last year, without any knowledge of if it would even work, just used my instincts, and after watching this I realise that I did it correctly... my next set of runner and french beans are growing from last years seed as we speak. Growing your own is truly amazing, especially when you can recycle in this way.

Great video thanks !

love the videos, thanks for all your hard work.

Awesome video.

Drats! I didn't think of saving potatoes for seed next year. I had some lovely ones grow from eyes I had cut off & dried from organic spuds we bought. They looked like Kestrel. Oh well...so much to learn. Next time I will know what to do. Thanks again, great video.

Great content, great production value

So happy that I found you here on RU-vid. Just subbed. I'm just a small urban gardener. I'm disabled now after working in healthcare for 22 years and can't do as much as I'd like. Finding your books have helped me so much. I grow in four 4x4 raised beds and containers. Gleaning information from your books has helped my production so much. It's been wonderful. Having plenty to eat during the season and canning or dehydrating extras. (Plus sharing with family and neighbors.) I even grew regular potatoes and sweet potatoes too this year in very large plastic tubs. I wish I was able to do more. But it makes me happy, gives me good clean produce and saves me money. Thank you so very much. I'm very grateful to those willing to share their knowledge in this forum. It truly breeds an amazing sense of community. Thank you and continued blessings! ~Lisa

Excelente class. Thanks

Your videos are wonderfully done. Great content.

Perfect Thanks Charles!!

thank you for sharing your knowledge☺👍

Hi Charles, Saving seeds made simple, just like all you other methods, literally coming down to the basics, nothing complicated about it! Though we do save some seeds on the farm, this video is spurring me on to save many many more of my own seeds. It is quite impressive that you have been saving the garlic for 17 years!

Thank you Charles!

With tomato plants, my wife saves seed differently. She simply takes a ripe tomato and slices it thinly as if for a sandwich and lays the slices on paper kitchen towel on a west facing kitchen window sill. When they have dried, she just wraps up the kitchen towel and puts it in brown paper envelopes until spring. Then she cuts the seed from the paper (the flesh has gone by then) and sows them a few at a time. Don't know what germination is, but they turn out well and there are always far more than we need so we supply friends and relations with lovely stocky, healthy plants. She started to do this with a particular variety bought from a supermarket and which we could not find any commercial seed for and they are much better than the ones you can buy seed for. We did not know if they were F1 or open pollinated, but they turned out well, so O.P. they must be. It is great fun to experiment like this and of course saves money. Hope this may be of interest to you and maybe some subscribers here. Best regards. Graham.

Thanks for all your videos, Charles. Between your no-dig method and the square-foot method the productivity of my garden is rocketing, even this late in the season, and in Scotland. I'd love to see some more on the subject of seed saving if you have the resources and time. Keep up the good work.

now i finally know how it is done! lol. many thanks

Saving your own seed does result in very high germination rates. Most of my home germinated climbing cobra french beans germinated - so handing round the excess seedlings to the neighbours. Love this channel.

Thank you so much for the video

Awesome Charles! Love your videos and always sharing on South African Expat Seed Sharing club based in California. I have come to the habit of planting the exact same kind of tomato in a bed and in conjunction with no dig gardening I'm always letting the strongest volunteer come up. I'm in somewhat cool bay area weather so early risers are always welcome and thus far they have acclimated genetically so well to their patch of earth that it's a constant battle to thin them out but it's fruit is also getting better. That said I also practice the Berkeley method of composting making sure I cook all other seeds and pathogens out. Seed saving completes such a beautiful circle and empower us as growers. Looking forward to the next video! Greetings from sunny California!

Wonderful video Charles. I've been saving Tom Thumb bib lettuce for a few years. I lost the saved seed this year and bought two packets from a U S grower. I had no luck with the germination. My own seed had always germinated so easily. Luckily I found an old flower stock and was able to grow a few plants which I will safe for seed next.

All your videos are so helpful and it is nice that you time them well too. I've found a new-to-me variety of French bean (Carminat) that is awesome and hopefully it will work well to save the seed (as it was a rather expensive splurge purchase!). When you were discussing the lettuce seed I hoped you'd also discuss cucumber seed saving too. I've had difficulty saving tomato seed in past, it seemed to 'ferment' instead of just get to the point of breaking down that outer coating. But still, it will be fun to try again this year with your good information. Thank you!

Saved about 250 seeds from my biggest Red Kuri winter squash this spring as I made soup from the stored veg. That is almost enough to supply the entire village! I also made Long Green Maraicher cucumber seeds last year which germinated 100% this spring. LGM for those that do not know will produce fruit outdoors. I grow them in an airpot with sticks to guide them vertically, but they do grow happily in soil too, apparently. My home made tomato seeds from 2014 are still producing unbelievable plants in 2019 so as you say, this is a great choice for home gardeners. French climbing beans and dwarf beans are my favourites to save: the former can be left on the plants to mature until late September on the same set of sticks as runner beans, whereas the latter, you can still plant out Winter Radish after harvesting seeds snd get a crop in January.

How to create homemade compost. How how to save seeds. Some people think this is easy .. until they try it themselves. These are skills that one should be proud of and boasted about, rather than knowing all the latest footballer/cricket statistics. Thanks for helping us, Charles.

Awesome information