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How do I harvest my own seeds from my garden in order to use them as seeds to plant?

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  1. Pull out the seeds from the fruit or vegetable that you want to duplicate. Peppers and Watermelon seeds work great for this. If the seeds are covered in juices from the parent, wash them gently under water and dry on a towel. Put the seeds in a small glass bowl on a ledge to dry out for a few days. Store the seeds in a brown paper bag or glass jar until ready to plant. These seeds should last for months. However, some seeds are more delicate than others and may not last as long as others. nfd♥
  2. once you have seeds you need to know the plants will not be as good as the ones you harvested from for a few years. Once they are adjusted to your area they will do better each year. It ususally takes 5 seasons.
  3. Frankly, most won't grow well, since most seed these days are hybrids. If the label on the packet you bought says hybrid, don't bother. Old traditional varieties will yield viable seed, if not hybrid: Radishes--just let a few on the end of the row go to seed, and let the pods dry fully before harvesting Watermelon or cantelope: just dry off the seeds from the ripe fruit, place on paper towels to completely cure out. Then save in small containers. Peppers, tomatoes--fruit need to be overly ripe for the seed to be viable. Squash, cucumbers-- let some fruit grow and cure on the vine, will dry out and produce seed. Corn-just leave on the stalk and let the stalk and ear dry fully. Okra- leave some pods on and let them dry fully and start to split open. Good luck!
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