Save those seeds from your grocery store fresh vegs!! FREE SEED!

[insiderart]

Don't forget! Have a favorite tomato or pepper you purchase fresh from the grocery store? Save yourself some seed for planting this spring!!

Orange, yellow, red bell pepper? Free seed! Grape tomatoes? Free seed! Pablano pepper lover? Save some seed!

Tomatillo lover? Save the seed....

Enjoy!

 

[cwhit590]

Good idea!

Have you done this a lot before Insiderart? Does most everything come up true to seed?

 

[journey11]

I did that once with spaghetti squash and they came out just perfect. Most of those things are grown in such massive fields that they don't get cross pollinated with other things easily.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

It's definitely worth a try!

There could be some issues though. There's always different cultivars out there that are specifically grown in very different conditions than those in your backyard or homestead. Most of the big producers use hybrids that are not always true to the seed and may have issues later.

All I'm saying is if you're depending on your seeds to grow out food for your family for the season best go with a source you can trace and trust.

just my opinion

 

[vfem]

I've had several items work for me before, but never green peppers or eggplant so far.

Don't know why!?

 

[wifezilla]

It is a risk, but it could very well pay off. If you have the room, why not?

Some types of plants are more likely to be a hybrid than others. Not a lot of butternut squash seem to be hybrid so I have been saving the seeds. I am planting some this year.

Some, like hubbard, are likely to be heirloom and open pollinated. I will see if I can get one of those this year too.

Here is a chart with the most common squash varieties. If someone has a link to one for other types of plants, that might help people decide if something is worth saving.

http://gardening.about.com/library/bl_WinterSquash.htm

 

[digitS']

It's definitely worth a try!

There could be some issues though. There's always different cultivars out there that are specifically grown in very different conditions than those in your backyard or homestead. Most of the big producers use hybrids that are not always true to the seed and may have issues later.

All I'm saying is if you're depending on your seeds to grow out food for your family for the season best go with a source you can trace and trust.

just my opinion

And, that's my opinion, also. I have enjoyed almost unlimited garden space the last few years BUT if you plant it, you have to take care of it! I just hate to "knock myself out" for the entire growing season with no reward at harvest-time.

It doesn't mean I won't try new things - and maybe I'm a little too cautious - but I have fun (and a measure of success ).

I did that once with spaghetti squash and they came out just perfect. Most of those things are grown in such massive fields that they don't get cross pollinated with other things easily.

I bet that this is true and fairly safe. Other soopermarket veggies may well not be expensive hybrid varieties. However, these varieties, as OaklandCityFarmer says, may not be the best suited for your part of the country. Regarding squash:

Wife''s link lays out the different species quite clearly and, generally, the species won't cross with each other. However, be advised that there is certainly accidental crossing possible. The most likely one is with the involvement of summer squash, like zucchini.

Most pumpkins, acorn squash, delicata, spaghetti, and summer squash are Cucurbita pepo. They will cross. The fruit is a part of the parent plant but the seeds are hybrid. My experience with these hybrids is that they are essentially worthless. You just won't be interested in eating them!

And, that's what vegetable gardening mostly about -- having good food to eat !

Steve

 

[patandchickens]

I don't believe spaghetti squash are highly hybridized, are they? So it makes sense that as long as they were grown in a vast field of other spaghetti squashes, i.e. not crosspollinated by zucchinis or melons or whatever, then they *should* come pretty true to variety from grocery-store seed.

Tomatoes don't so much, though, IME. You get "a" tomato of course, but not usually anything particularly close to its hybrid parent.

Green peppers most often don't have seeds mature enough to sprout and grow, vfem -- they are mainly green because they are immature. Your best bet would be getting overripe ones -- with as much color in them as possible. Or, anytime you are cutting up green peppers for a salad, if you happen to notice one that seems to have more-mature seeds, harder and darker tan, then you could save those to try. Wouldn't hold my breath though. You are far likelier to get mature viable seed from colored peppers.

Dunno bout eggplant but it may well be the same thing, that they are sold/eaten at an insufficient stage of maturity? Couldn't tell you, I am sooooo not an eggplant eater

Good lcuk, have fun,

Pat

 

[ducks4you]

OR...let them (the green peppers) rot, then stick 'em in some soil!! That's what I did, and I got more than 50 plants/pepper.
Hard to separate--had to soak them in water to get their roots apart.

 

[digitS']

. . . spaghetti squash . . . as long as they were grown in a vast field of other spaghetti squashes, i.e. not crosspollinated by zucchinis or melons or whatever, then they *should* come pretty true to variety from grocery-store seed. . .

That's what I meant as "safe."

I imagine that saving seed from squash out of a farm field would work just fine. However, saving seed from related squash out of our gardens can be fraught with disappointment. The farmer raises one crop in a field but gardeners like to mix it up.

Interesting about allowing a green pepper to rot. Seems like I've read something about this . . . the seed is able to mature even tho' the fruit was picked early.
Sounds like it worked !

Steve