Seed Saving Tips Ep 2 - Wet Seeds | Organic Gardening

This is the second video in a 5 part series on seed saving for fruit and vegetable plants. In this episode (Ep2) I explain how I save the category I call "Wet Seeds" from our food garden to grow more organic plants next season. The next episode (Ep3) details saving "Fruit Tree Seed" and the previous episode (Ep1) • Seed Saving Tips Ep 1 ... was on saving Dry Seed so make sure you also see both these as all videos in this series are related. Happy gardening, cheers :)
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Self Sufficient Me is based on our small 3-acre property/homestead in SE Queensland Australia about 45kms north of Brisbane - the climate is subtropical (similar to Florida). I started Self Sufficient Me in 2011 as a blog website project where I document and write about backyard food growing, self-sufficiency, and urban farming in general. I love sharing my foodie and DIY adventures online so come along with me and let's get into it! Cheers, Mark :)
#seedsaving #selfsufficient #urbanfarming

[@brightantwerp]

'Let them ferment out, or not, whatever....' Lovely. Thank you for making saving seeds easy.

[@bethanycarter4709]

That lovely moment you look for a vid on what's wrong with your baby avocado tree and you become addicted to a channel of things you will never grow, but still can't ignore. Wonderful episode man, looking forward to the next one.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thank you very much Bethany! Cheers :)

[@acraftymouse213]

If you plant dill in with the tomatoes it helps keep some of the pests out and will reseed itself.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Top tip on planting dill with tomatoes 👍

[@theheritagehousesc]

when i feel lazy, i slice a tomato and put in a pot with dirt and cover with thin layer of dirt and I end up having a million plants coming up. You will need to thin out a lot if you plan this way, but I always have success too

[@brettmansfield5661]

I like how you just plant the whole kitchen paper filled with seeds. I might have to copy that, great video!

[@kirstenolson776]

Yes, dragon fruit grows slowly from seed....but it is so much fun! It actually germinates rather quickly, which is satisfying. And it makes a cute little cactus that you can keep on an indoor windowsill for a long time before it needs to be given more space.

[@theblueape3553]

Hey Mark, enjoying the series so far. Adding to the information, I normally use grease-proof/baking paper instead of paper towel for drying. I find the seeds dry alot faster and are easily removed from the paper as they simply slide off. Also for the watchers outside Australia, we aussies tend to call Papayas, Papaw. Of course when that is said verbally it can be confused with the american Paw Paw.

[@manlyadvice1789]

I was wondering about that when I saw the "paw paw" fruit. Thanks for the explanation. :)

[@robertasparks3144]

I just started gardening and I had some extra cherry tomatoes. So I didnt know about fermenting. I just put the seeds from cherry tomatoes on a napkin for a week to dry then planted them. I didnt know if they would come up but they did!

[@jolanda1334]

Love your videos. I'm living in a apartment, have a large balcony. However, very restricted, unless you only want to grow veggies. I love my flowers as well. I grow things vertically and grow a few herbs and veggies. Two years ago I preserved the seeds of a tomato I like very much (from the supermarket (small and sweet and lots of taste). Often these seeds are not suitable for preserving their seeds.The plants will not grow good or have a growing disorder in growing fruits. I preserved seeds from two small tomatoes. Because the substance is very slimy I rubbed the seeds with salt, waited 1 hour and rinsed them with water. Let them dry for 1 week and planted them. Didn't know what to do with so many plants. Every seed came out. It was overwhelming and the result was even more overwhelming, because the plants weren't chased out of the ground. Even more tastier than the one I bought at the supermarket and no pesticides.

[@tannisjohnson6456]

Love the kitchen paper seed tape trick. Thats gold! Thanks for all of your great videos and solid content!

[@multimarkel7281]

Your garden is really awesome, and I love your mannerisms and expertise. I feel like you’re Steve Irwin but with plants, and I mean that in the nicest way

[@timehasbegun5828]

Hmm do I watch you for your accent or for the great information you put out either way it's a win-win thanks Mark

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks Mari for watching! :)

[@MichaelSHartman]

You might be able to use your Paw Paw seed to grow rootstock. I have not tried to graft Paw Paw plants, but I have done others.

[@CichlidStyleForums]

I had great luck taking tomato seeds with kitchen paper and leaving them for a week to dry before planting without fermenting them first. The mucus layer dissipated within 2 days. Though this time I'm letting them go for 10 days to see if I have a better germination rate. Great video mate, love the channel.

[@edieboudreau9637]

Yep. Hang my jalapeños on wall to dry after stringing with thread. Go from green to deep dark red. Ready to use or plant. My ginger got planted deep & came up. Just the little nodules that broke off. Done tomatoes & melons like that before.

[@colindempsey]

Finding this channel has been the best contribution to my garden and growing knowledge. Thanks, Mark.

[@Ridley369]

That was great! I never knew about seed fermentation before this - thank you so much, you're a gem!!

[@jonathantice9387]

wow the paper towel trick at the end is epic

[@katherineblevins9544]

I've learned that when I get any veggies from the store, for example recently I got green bell pepper, a red and orange one, I saved the seeds and planted them, I got 100% better success rate in germination when I started the in the house, it still cool here to plant them outside but it's warming up.

[@heatherstevens-messer7682]

The paper towel/cutting board thing is brilliant!

[@fultonjohnsonaton5096]

'Jaws' in the background at 3:09 nearly gets your shoulder Mark!!

[@jenihansen7201]

Hi Mark. I have started lemon trees from seed. They are growing so vigorously, and am really pleased. I will have to bring them indoors this winter, and purchase a grow light, but I am so pleased these seeds when peeled, are growing and thriving. A great science experiment for kids too. Thank you

[@Selfsufficientme]

Hi Jeni and well done on your lemon trees from seed that's a great experiment! Just so you know, they will take a long long time to fruit though and the produce won't likely be the same as the original but if the purpose is to grow a beautiful plant/tree (which lemon trees certainly are) then it doesn't matter! Cheers :)

[@JennTN411]

Hi Jeni! How has your lemon tree been? Any luck?❤

[@Yupppi]

This was stupid effective. I grabbed one of the last good cherry tomatoes from my dying cherry tomato plant and squashed the seeds in a small bowl with water like you suggested. Let them ferment for 2 weeks and at the end of the two weeks when I was about to sieve through them and put them to dry out on a paper towel, I noticed like half of them had already cracked open and started pushing growth out of the seed. In the fermentation water bowl! I barely dried them out at all after sieving and decided to just plant them in a small pot. Now I've got I think 22 stems with first leaves in that pot. Simply pretty much 100% of that single cherry tomato's seeds sprouted. This method and tomato are so effective you don't even have to consider the possibility of success rate below perfect success. It's crazy!

[@1cspringer]

I collet all my sink water in a dish drain and use the water to water my potted plants and raised beds. I get all kinds of volunteer plants from seeds in the water. So far I have grown bell peppers, tomatoes, passion fruit, and loquat. All from dumping the sink water into the garden.

[@mustafading]

Brilliant. Just did my tomato seeds now. All cherry sized toms. Red, Yellow and orange. Coming into our (Ireland) autumn now and growth is slowing right down. Bought packet tom seeds a few years ago and you get very few seeds per pack, rip off. World Number 1 rugby team is on the way out!!!! See you guys soon :)

[@dieantwoordrare281]

great video big chap your doing the good work. all the best from scotland

[@KristiContemplates]

Stumbled upon this method in the usual manner of all great discoveries - by accident 🤣 Never had such happy tomato seedlings Apparently, toilet paper is better than kitchen paper because it'll breakdown faster in the garden beds and/or pots

[@nickslingerland4155]

Man that intro was intense! Mark, you should be the narrator on national geographic. I'll vote for you.

[@irishamerican4558]

4:48 chili seeds. That is what I was looking for.

[@lain1081]

You are my motivation to keep trying in my garden :) Keep up the good work and informative videos!

[@Antipodean33]

I went camping down Hindmarsh Island here in south Australia at the mouth of the Murray. i'm strolling around a paddock where there was a old pile of cut up trees, pines mostly and to my amazement there was some wild cherry tomatoes growing around and among it. The soil is basically sand and rainfall there over summer is virtually non existent, although there was a summer downfall not long before. The sets on these toms were amazing, they were growing beautifully, no disease and just booming. Although the skin is a bit tough they were delicious flavour wise and I've collected seed from them. They should be very tough good growing plants

[@dr.froghopper6711]

Another great video Mark! Blessings sir!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks Michael cheers mate!

[@Hbombyeyyey]

Great series Mark, cant wait for the next vid

[@kristophersmith6724]

Brilliant ! Love the tape !

[@petrosstefanis6234]

Excellent. Thanks again, I look forward to part 3. :)

[@nobloodforfoil]

1:04 my pup loves cherry tomatoes too; will literally go straight for spotting new red ones each morning..

[@JohnDoe_88]

Great video and I'm looking forward to the next seed saving video.

[@Myturn_68]

OMG, I would love to be your neighbor...such knowledge and a great personality.

[@TheShredfest89]

Thank you for all that you do!

[@fallingleaveskungfu]

I'd like to see a more detailed tutorial on the paper towel method you mentioned quickly at the end for starting tomatoes.

[@TransdermalCelebrate]

Love your garden

[@joeychancey9192]

I would love to see you do a video on how to save strawberry seeds lol I have had no luck doing it my way

[@laselawright6255]

Hi I love all your videos thanks for sharing 👍🏽👌

[@StillSwirling]

These videos are super helpful! Thank you so much! Funny thing, we had a bunch of volunteer tomatoes this year from fruit we couldn't use after the frost set in last fall that was left on the ground. They are looking very healthy and transplanted beautifully. I'm eager to see which varieties they are ☺

[@TransdermalCelebrate]

Very insightful ❤

[@abigailhumes4608]

I know what you are talking about with the heirloom seeds not being resistant to uglies. I WILL ferment from now on. Thank you so much!

[@gauchiergrows7267]

Always so helpful 👌🏼

[@PineBrookeHomestead]

This! This is what I was waiting for! YAY thank you for this information! Going to kick myself for not saving some of my zucchini seeds but I still have some crook-necked squash around.

[@psycophonic]

Thanks for the tip about Kiwi Berry. Had problems getting them to germinate in UK. Have to whack them in the freezer beforehand next year.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Yeah, I'm certainly no expert on kiwi berry growing but the freezer did work for me. All the best :)

[@michaelbarrett2346]

Thanks Mark.

[@TransdermalCelebrate]

Natures a wonderful thing mate

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

Thanks mark

[@cathymadsen2930]

Bern waiting for this video.... thanks. I have some heritage varieties I want to save!

[@Selfsufficientme]

There are so many wonderful heritage varieties of food plants! Cheers :)

[@jasonparmele8447]

sprinkle black petter on your tomatoes ,urinate around the ground to keep pests and animals out your garden. oh dont forget to weed ,de-root and add fresh top soil if the nutrients evaporate. a good old trick is to burn the old plants for nutrients aswell happy camping 😊

[@virginislandwild]

thanks for this, really good stuff

[@dawng.1976]

Great video series! Even though our climate is a lot different than yours, I can still glean information for what applies to my garden. I also appreciate how you get right to the subject matter, thank you! Question: Are bell peppers are considered wet seeds that need fermenting?

[@looksirdroids9134]

No

[@michaelbarrett2346]

Thanks Mark

[@billhiggins3845]

Thanks so much very informative 👍♥️

[@gavinwuofficial]

hi bill please sub me for me to sub you

[@mixablebella1]

Thanks heaps ,very helpful:)

[@luckychicav7981]

Wonderful, thanks Mark! ;)

[@kevinesposito1693]

great vid. thanks for the awesome info. right there at the end tho, tomatoes. those are my most favorite also to grow. love the smell, love the fruit. i can grow some giants i tell ya. you mentioned pests....yeah there are annoying pests, and pesticides are bad. but have you considered companion plants? there are plenty of flowers and herbs that repel pests. for example, marigolds. they go well with many plants, repel many pests and attract pollinators. win for all for the gardener.

[@gavinwuofficial]

hi kevin please sub me for me to sub you

[@jolenesgarden6619]

Great information on seed saving! Just found you the other day from a gardening group on facebook. We decided you remind us of a Steve Erwin for the garden, fun to watch and informative! Do you (Australians) call papayas pawpaw? The US has a native fruit tree called a Pawpaw. Never tried one, but would like to. They don't travel well so if you don't have a tree or know someone who does, your out of luck lol. Guess I'll have to plant a tree!

[@johnmaclean2040]

Love, thank u

[@BRAVENEWORDERFILMS]

What an incredible wealth of information. I can only pray that I can follow your example one day. Cheers from Vegas✌

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thank you! Vegas! I hope to visit there at the end of this year if all goes well... Cheers :)

[@lisabooker6405]

Shared!

[@martindohnal7154]

Great video as usual. 🙂 I prefer to use paper disposable plates for drying tomato seeds. They always stick to paper towels when I do it 😀

[@mytech6779]

Those kiwi-berries look like hardy kiwi as we call them in the USA, the vines can survive much colder winters than the large fuzzy type. Your winter looks a lot like my early summer, I can grow cabbage chard squash and cabbage. Summer is too dry to germinate anything, spring is too cool, winter grows a nice crop of sod grass (alternately it washes all the nutrients from bare soil.) I get cherry tomatoes about 2 months of the year if I use transplants and maybe a few weeks of the large types. No good melons or eggplant or okra; chile can produce a bit but are mostly a novelty.

[@DavidOlver]

Hello mate, try putting your seeds in an old matchbox. I don't know why but it works well.

[@farouqhannibal1916]

very wiseguy.

[@kingjames4886]

easiest way to separate a ton of seeds from wet fruit like peppers or tomatoes quickly is to just stick em in a cheap blender with a bunch of water and pulse it a bit until the fruit is broken up and the seeds separated. then let it settle and pour off the crap on the top, don't worry about any seeds floating on top as that's an indication that they aren't viable. rinse it with water a couple more times and you should be left with strong clean seeds in the bottom. then just strain them and put them on a paper towel or something to dry. if it's a tomato you may want to ferment it a bit to break down the gel coating tho.

[@TransdermalCelebrate]

I compress compost , hope that helps

[@Vokieeeee]

Chilli ! No need for Chemical Sprays ! Boil Chilli and use the Strained Water once cold as a Anti Garden Pest Spray ! Have not used it myself yet but I have a full 4 Litre Container somewhere ! Not sure how good it works but I did hear it either on a Gardening Show on TV or somebody told me or I read it !

[@gavinwuofficial]

hi klaus please sub me for me to sub you

[@akadoziidolha9496]

Some plants can naturally deter pests! Maybe you should look into it for your tomatoes! (I hear cat nip is a good one to keep the pests away! :D

[@jeffbeaver5137]

Big question do you have bee hives to help with pollination?

[@anniegaddis5240]

Great info, thanks!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks Annie! :)

[@OutdoorScienceDad]

I’ve been bing watching your videos for a few weeks now. I have three birdies raised beds on pre-order because of you, thank you! One thing here though, most plants are hermaphroditic, not bisexual. I know what you meant, and a lot of other people probably did too, but they are pretty different things. Plants aren’t bisexual. Bisexual = sexual attraction to 2 genders. Hermaphroditic = One plant has both sex organs (ex. Squash). Dioecious = 1 sex per plant, 2 plants needed (ex. Marijuana). Cheers!

[@terrylynn1676]

Thank you for all of your informative videos! I am learning lots! But one question I have and not sure if you would know but would leaving seeds in this manner (where you want to grow for the next growing season) over winter work the same in places that get snow? Then they would grow in spring?

[@NopeAndYep]

I really enjoy this series Mark! How slow does it take for Dragon fruit to grow and produce from seed? 10 years like some citrus?

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thank you! Yes, I reckon it could take that long by the way my seedlings are tracking they're a few years old and hardly 6 inches high! I planted a cutting not too long ago and it's a foot high, flowered and fruited already!!! Cheers :)

[@jameswitte5167]

Self Sufficient Me sounds like cloning would be faster than seeds ...

[@kateymateymusic1]

Awesome thanks Mark! I have a dehydrator, could I dehydrate my tomato seeds on the lowest temperature to save them?

[@Selfsufficientme]

Yes that's a good idea and it shouldn't hurt them because it would be what happens naturally out in the sun anyway. Cheers :)

[@adamshaffer8176]

What you call a paw paw, I call papaya? Do you have Asimona triloba down there (I'm in the eastern U. S.)?

[@Selfsufficientme]

Next video Ep3 Fruit Tree Seed kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5CqZoh3r86YhMU Previous episode Ep1 Dry Seed kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHm8YmyJl9l1j6s My Patreon www.patreon.com/selfsufficientme My Website selfsufficientme.com

[@superjoshuaXbox]

Self Sufficient Me can you please do a quail video update i miss the quail vids im a madsive fan

[@lindahipple4817]

Self Sufficient Me g'day Mark! Excellent video! I'm with you on tomatoes, I'm going to try fermenting the heirloom varieties for next year. God bless. 🍅🥝🥒🌶😎

[@anofritz]

Self Sufficient Me love it.

[@christianhansen3292]

Papaya yes? related to a paw paw tree?

[@wildchook745]

You should squeeze that tomato on the top of your head. You will be the first and it will go viral LOL. I use the fermentation method with my seeds. You end up with clean seeds. Yes, dry the chilli to collect seeds. I am going to grow some kiwifruits from seeds, sounds fun.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Mary, I don't think I could make anything go viral lol... I'm just trying my best to "hook" people in at the beginning so they at least stay interested and entertained for a little while. Yes, kiwi fruits are a good challenge I'm still yet to grow one to maturity but one day I'll get there :)

[@wildchook745]

Hahaha,... yes, I noticed your format of late and they are very good. It's working, Mark, yep it works. I have giggled at your animated skills, entertained by your kind nature, and wondered what is this grown man going to do next LOL. Good stuff, my friend...keep on trucking :)

[@batpherlangkharkrang7976]

Hi...... Mark, Self Sufficient Me. thank you for sharing your video chicken farmer garden 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 👕🐔🐓🐥🐕🌱🐴🍒🍓🌴🎥👍👍👍

[@anofritz]

awesome video, you just opened my mind that there is wet seed, all the time i thought all seeds were the same. but one question, can i just throw the whole papaya/tomato/cucumber/chilli/else to the ground and bury it, and expect it to grow new trees ? i feel like that sounds like "fermenting naturally",, heheh thank you and have a nice day

[@Selfsufficientme]

Yes exactly - Great tips!

[@anofritz]

fantastic, thank you for the answers. good bye for now. 😀

[@anofritz]

Self Sufficient Me , The Salty Dob , but wait, can i also use that technique for papaya, and other wet seeds too? can i just leave any wet seed fruit partially buried and after it's fermented or decomposed and dry, i crumble the flesh and bury the seeds?

[@anofritz]

hmmmm i get it, thank you very much so i will take my favorite papaya and pumpkin, and then i'll leave it above ground on open air, and let it dry. then, when it has darkened, i go and pop it up, and spread it's seeds for new plants? do i get it right? thank you very much for your answers, sorry that i ask a lot, i just want to make sure i understand it to the core. hehe

[@jacklapa4779]

Seed-sational

[@angelaobrien7698]

I have tried fermenting tomato seed but they start to sprout. What am I doing wrong? Great series love your videos.☺

[@Selfsufficientme]

More water Angela don't let them have any air and ferment for about a week or so then dry them off quickly don't let them sit damp for too long or they will sprout. Cheers :)

[@robertacomstock3655]

In Missouri, USA, I don't think pawpaws look exactly like papayas. Not sure yet; host at Powell Gardens botanic center showed us trees with no fruit set & quoted an elder who'd said, "Sometimes there just ain't any pawpaws." Is the bisexual tree grafted? I like your home made seed tape / paper tip!

[@ZacharyRodriguez]

First I've heard about fermenting seeds! Does doing so affect the shelf-life of the seeds once they've dried?

[@MWoods-rs4wp]

Papaya will seed very easily.

[@mattbluesmantastic]

That cuke is yellow I had no clue that existed.

[@manlyadvice1789]

For eating, whether fresh or for pickling, cucumbers are harvested before they are mature. When they are fully mature, the skin gets thicker and the seeds get much bigger and harder. If you want to save viable seed for planting more cucumbers, harvest what you want for eating and leave a few on the vine to ripen as much as they will for a seed crop.

[@ann7318]

Pawpaws in the US are not the same fruit as you show--which to us is a papaya...

[@hellwardclxvi1207]

UMMM the english subtitles isnt working.... Im deaf.. Loves your shows..

[@nicholas-zl5wq]

Can you do this with shop bought fruits?

[@quinnrowden1952]

nicholas123 you can do it with most shop bought fruits, but the result will not be the exact same fruit

[@NopeAndYep]

nicholas123 Also, in the case of many store bought avacodos, (especially haas variety) they are genetically modified to be sterile. You will grow a beautiful tree that never fruits. And some varieties need two different sexes for pollination, so it's a crap shoot growing store bought avacodos.

[@1dgrdgr]

RLBaker ummm no. If they were going to genetically modify an avocado, they would reduce the pit size or make them not brown once cut. What commercial value is there in a non-fruiting avocado? The issue with seed grown avocados is it takes 7+ years to mature. Avocados also do best with a separate tree for pollination.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Just to add to the excellent responses already to your question on shop fruits, most are crossbred or modified in some way to enhance qualities so I wouldn't expect the same plant to come from its seed... However, for short-lived or faster-growing plants, like tomatoes, (or the kiwi berry example in the video) it might be worth a try because you could get lucky and grow something similar that you enjoy! I wouldn't bother trying to grow anything long-lived such as an orange from a seed etc though. All the best :)

[@nicholas-zl5wq]

Thank you for all responses

[@RRW177]

question ??? when you say “spring”, what month are you talking about? spring up here starts in march

[@lily_white]

If you leave seeds to self plant, how do you know they'll grow if you have to revive the soil?

[@carolparrish194]

Do you have any tips on growing pawpaws? I transplanted some and they all died. Also someone told me that the seeds have to be stratasided before planting when starting from seed. Is this true and how long in the freezer?

[@Selfsufficientme]

To be honest Carol, I've never grown pawpaw and I'm just trying them now myself. I'm only going off a good guess here but I wouldn't expect the seeds needing to be cooled too much since it's not typically a cold climate plant anyway. Personally, I'm not going to cool them in the fridge before planting and I certainly wouldn't freeze them (like a caper or the kiwi berry mentioned in my video). I understand that pawpaws can be susceptible to root rot so make sure the seedlings are not over watered. Keep trying! Best of luck :)

[@noahzamora9388]

i’ve never seen a fuzz-less kiwi

[@stephenjacobsen4616]

have you tested basalt againstpest? peace

[@TransdermalCelebrate]

Like strawberries