How to collect tomato seeds for planting yourself

Buying tomato seeds of a vending variety in the store, many later come to the conclusion that what is stated on the package does not correspond to reality. Those from whom the shoots met the expectations, understand that they will not be able to afford to buy expensive seeds annually. In such cases, many gardeners are thinking about how to make tomato seeds from their tomatoes, so that in the future they won’t be guessing "on the coffee grounds" and be sure that the planting will surely sprout.

When can and when not

The choice of varieties growing on the plot depends only on the attention and wishes of the gardener (summer resident).

When choosing, one should pay attention to some evaluation criteria:

• Tomatoes must be varietal.Tomatoes grown from hybrids (as indicated by the F1 mark on the package) will not yield a crop with parental signs. Hybrids are produced by many crosses between varieties, and as a result, it may happen that in one area do not grow tomatoes that are not similar to each other. Moreover, hybrids degenerate completely in 1-2 years;
• Tomatoes must be fully adapted to the growing area. It so happens that with a confluence of favorable climatic conditions, varieties zoned for the southern regions can give a good harvest in the north. In such situations, you need to understand that zoned varieties of tomatoes are more adapted to germination, and it is possible to predict the future harvest.

In addition to the above evaluation criteria, the summer resident should opt for tomatoes with typical for this variety external characteristics (shape, color) and high taste.

Fruit Requirements

To collect at home as much as possible seeds of tomatoes will help the right choice of fruits. There are such requirements for fruits:

• fruits are torn only from strong and well-developed bushes without any signs of disease;
• Fruits break only from the first lower branch of the bush. The reason is that the flowers on the lower branches fade early, when the activity of the bees is still low, and there is no risk of getting pollinated own hybrid;
• the fetus must be given time to fully ripen on the bush. The main thing here is not to miss this moment, because over-ripe fruits are not suitable for collecting material. When overriding, the fermentation process that occurs in the pulp (mushy part of the pulp) of a tomato destroys the protective shell of the seed, which contains substances that prevent their germination.

With this approach to the selection of the fruits of tomatoes, the germination of the obtained material, as a rule, meets expectations.

What is needed

Fence - the process is simple and does not require special tools or any devices. For the collection will need:

• ripe tomatoes;
• cutting knife;
• tablespoon or teaspoon;
• capacity;
• sieve or gauze cut, folded 3 times;
• paper kitchen towel or napkin;
• paper bag (cloth bag, etc.) for storage.

Everything you need to collect tomato seeds can be found in every home.

The process of obtaining: the usual way

It is possible to collect material for future landing both in the usual way, and more simplified. Good quality and high germination can ensure the usual method of harvesting by fermentation (fermentation).

Cut

Pre-prepared tomato, for unhindered access to the seed chambers, is cut lengthwise into two parts or cut into slices. The number of chambers in a tomato determines its grade.So, for some varieties, it is possible to get open access to the cameras by cutting it into 4 parts, while for others, smaller slices are required.

We collect seeds

Cutting a tomato, the liquid from the chambers must be removed in a prepared container. You can properly collect the contents with a regular spoon (table or tea), or with your fingers. Dishes for this purpose will suit any (glass, porcelain, plastic).

Tomato juice should be sufficient to fully cover the seeds.

Fermentation

For the fermentation process, the container with the contents must be covered with an unsealed lid and set aside for a while. Depending on climatic conditions, this process in different regions may take a different amount of time in the range of 24-48 hours.

The completion of the process is evidenced by the appearance of air bubbles and a film on the surface. The juice brightens and the seeds sink to the bottom.

Seed washing

After fermentation, the future planting material must be thoroughly rinsed. To do this, the contents of the container is poured into a sieve and washed with running water. When washing it is important to separate the rest of the pulp.

Drying planting material

Thoroughly rinsing the seeds, excess liquid should be allowed to drain by placing a sieve on a paper towel. A little dried, the remnants must be carefully dried on a flat surface. For these purposes it is better to use a shallow dish (a plastic one will also work), it will be much easier to collect seeds from such a surface.

When harvesting different varieties, care must be taken not to confuse or randomly mix the material, and the capacity, for reliability, must be signed. Seeds need to give time to dry completely. This process will take from 5 to 7 days. After drying, the planting material is placed in signed paper bags (cloth bags, etc.) and until spring is stored in a dark cool room.

During storage, it is necessary to avoid sudden changes in temperature and changes in humidity.

Quick and easy way

Some circumstances, such as cramped living conditions or lack of free time at the gardener, do not always make it possible to harvest tomato seeds at home in the usual way. In such cases, you can resort to the easier quick method. This requires only 3 things: a ripe tomato, a knife and a paper kitchen towel (napkin or plain paper). The contents extracted from the cut tomato together with the pulp should be smeared on a paper towel and set aside to dry for 5-7 days. At the end of drying, each seed must be separated from the towel by hand and folded into a prepared bag (bag) for storage.

The quality of the harvested material in a fast way will be slightly worse than with the fermentation method, but germination will remain at an acceptable level.

Useful tips and tricks

Each summer resident has his own procurement methods, tested by time and trial and error. But their essence is the same, only the approaches to some processes differ. Preparation Tips:

• immature (brown) fruits can be used to collect material. First you need to give them time to ripen in a room for 1-2 weeks;
• To separate quality material from defective, the seeds washed after fermentation should be placed in a saline solution (1 teaspoon of salt per 1 cup of warm water). Planting material floating on the surface is unsuitable for planting;
• future planting material can be pre-disinfected with soap. To do this, it should be soaked for 30 minutes in a soap solution (1 tablespoon of 72% of household soap should be dissolved in a glass of water). Also, disinfection can be carried out with a weak (pink) solution of potassium permanganate. Finishing the disinfection process must be thoroughly rinsed with water;
• You can dry the seeds on a roll of toilet paper, placing them at regular intervals. After drying, such material must be preserved, not separated from the roll, and in the spring be planted on seedlings along with paper;
• sowing qualities will be preserved better if the seeds are stored in conditions of humidity not higher than 55% and at temperatures from 0 ° C to 5 ° C.

• for harvesting future planting material, it is not necessary to take fruits from a bush, on which small and large fruits ripen at the same time;
• Aluminum or iron utensils should not be used for preparation, handling and storage. The ongoing oxidation processes have a negative effect on seed viability;
• during fermentation, no water can be added to the contents of the containers. Water will promote seed germination;
• Do not store tomato seeds for more than 4 years. The maximum germination with each subsequent year is significantly reduced;
• To limit access of air and prevent premature germination, sachets of seeds can be wrapped in foil during storage.

Despite the unnecessary hassle accompanying the harvesting of the future planting material, many gardeners and summer residents want to preserve the variety of tomatoes they like. On how the seeds of tomatoes are collected at home, their future germination depends.

From the foregoing it becomes clear that the seeds,collected by hand, more vigorous, and the acclimatization and regionalization of previous generations ensures strong and healthy seedlings.