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Saving tomato seeds
Thirtybyseven
Posts: 59
in Fruit & veg
I was hoping to save some tomato seeds for next year from the remaing tomatoes I have (and am not going to eat). Should I cut open the tomatoes, remove the seeds and let them dry, or should I leave them in the tomatoes until the tomatoes dries out?
0
Posts
Everything you need to know is here http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedsavinginfo.html
Just scroll down until you get to Tomatoes
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Open them up, dry the seeds on kitchen paper and Robert's your mum's brother
That's a decent summary of the process, Dove. Puzzled, though, by the statement that most modern toms won't cross-pollinate. Apart from that, coffee filter paper is the best surface on which to dry the seeds. They will stick to plates, crockery or otherwise.
I do add Steve suggests: spread the seeds on a sheet of kitchen paper and let them dry on the windowsill. When it comes to sowing you just cut around the seed and pop in the soil (no need to remove the kitchen paper).
I was about to add that, Clari - great minds and all that. Makes 'em easier to handle too, if you have a bunch of bananas for fingers like I have
Tomatoes usually self-pollinate, I believe (often no bees indoors; tapping the flowers helps). If you deliberately cross pollinated them you'd get loads of different types, some edible, some disgusting, one or two per thousand brilliant.