How to collect tomato seeds at home?

Wanting to preserve the tomato they liked, many summer residents resort to independent collection of seeds and their harvesting. Of course, this method is more complicated and troublesome than buying seedlings, but the result is always pleasant and meets expectations.

Everyone who at least once sowed the seeds he collected himself, in the knowledge that they are distinguished by greater germination, seedlings of them are strong, resistant to diseases, they yield more abundant yield. In the store, the seeds can be overdue, not like-minded, mixed in sorts. So the benefits of collecting tomato seeds at home are obvious.

How to procure tomato seeds at home?

To obtain good germination seeds, you need to do the following:

1. Choose varieties and directly tomatoes on the seeds. They should be healthy, yielding, with typical signs of the variety (in shape, color, size, the fruits must correspond to the description of the variety). Fruits for seeds are chosen only from the main stem, from the first 2 brushes - it is in them that the most valuable seeds are formed. Fruits should be large, without visible flaws, ripe, but can be brown - this does not spoil the quality of the seeds.
2. Bare to absolute ripeness. On the collected fruits we attach the label with the name of the variety and the exact date of collection and place it in a dry and warm room for 1-2 weeks. During this time, tomatoes grow well, becoming soft. Then you can proceed to the next stage.
3. Collect the seeds . How to collect tomato seeds: cut our tomato across into 2 equal parts, squeeze out the seeds into a glass container of small volume. To more fully release seeds from tomatoes, take a regular teaspoon. We put a piece of paper on the container with the name of the variety.
4. Reset the seeds . This stage is necessary for the separation of the skin, pieces of pulp from the placenta from the seeds themselves. If necessary, add a little water. Periodically, during the fermentation, the seeds are mixed. This stage lasts 2-4 days (all depends on the air temperature). The process is considered to be over, when bubbles of gas appear in the jar, and the surface is covered with a touch of mold. All high-grade seeds settle on the bottom, and those that remain on the surface are not suitable for germination.
5. Wash the seeds . With a spoon carefully remove everything that emerged. Add a little water, mix. High-grade seeds will settle on the bottom, and floating seeds and impurities can be poured. Repeat this procedure several times until the bank will not be left with exceptionally pure seeds. These seeds with an insignificant amount of water are thrown on a sieve, shaken out on a clean gauze and squeezed to maximize the removal of water.
6. Dry the seeds . Put the pressed seeds on a sheet of paper strictly in one layer and dry on a sunny place. Periodically stir them.

We examined how to collect the seeds of tomatoes at home. But it is equally important to store them correctly. To do this, we arrange dried seeds on paper bags and inscribe the names of varieties and the year of collection. Store at room temperature without sudden fluctuations in heat and cold. Also, avoid excessive humidity. Seeds are stored without loss of germination for 5 years.

What else do you need to know about collecting tomato seeds?

You can not take seeds from tomato hybrid varieties. They simply do not preserve the varietal properties.

If the year is productive and favorable for collecting seeds, you can immediately acquire seed for several years.

If you collect several varieties of seeds at once, be extremely careful and careful not to mix them. To easily identify varieties, use labels.