Tag: harvest

How to Protect Plants from Frost and Get a Late Harvest
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Dreading the end of the growing season? Fear no longer! I’ll show you how to protect plants from frost so your edibles can continue to thrive in any weather.

Fall is in full swing, which means that many of us have accepted that the growing season is coming to an end. Some of us, however, refuse to accept that because we just aren’t ready to say goodbye to all the hearty, yummy, homegrown produce we’ve been feasting on.

There are a few ways to extend the growing season of your favourite veggies and herbs. Try out these methods for frost protection for plants and keep on enjoying that garden produce well into the colder months.

Cold frames can be great for starting seeds and extending the season in the fall.

How to Protect Plants from Frost

Here are some simple things you can do to keep your garden growing and producing into fall and winter. The following methods will help to keep your plants as warm as possible when jack frost comes calling.

Mulch

Mulching keeps the soil at the base of a plant warm so that it takes longer than usual to freeze when the temperature drops. A few items you can use as mulch include:
- dried leaves
- bits of bark
- wood chips
- cardboard
- straw
The thicker the layer, the more protection your plant has against freezing.

Mulching is a great, very simple way to protect plants from frost, and it is also a good way to shield more delicate plants such as herbs over the winter.

Keep Plants Toasty with Water

During the day, fill some plastic milk jugs with warm water and put them outside to heat up in the sun. Right before dusk, place your jugs next to the plants you want to protect and place a cover over them.

The soil and air will lose heat quicker than the water will, allowing the milk jugs to emit some warmth to its neighbouring plant.

You also may want to water your plants right before an anticipated frost. While this may seem counter-intuitive, wet soil actually holds heat better than dry soil and works to protect the plant’s roots. Water during the day so the wet soil has time to soak up some heat from the sun.

Wet soil holds heat better than dry soil.

Use Frost Covers for Plants

Without a doubt, frost covers are the most effective way to protect your plants from frost. This will require good timing on your part, so pay attention to the weather and notice any anticipated dips close to freezing. Here are a few tips to help you:
- Cover your plants before dusk. By the time darkness arrives, all the stored heat in your garden will have disappeared.
- Make sure your cover extends all the way to the bottom of the plant. However, do not gather your covering to the trunk or stem of the plant. The soil is what is providing the heat!
- Try to keep the material from touching the leaves of the plants. If your covering is fabric or doesn’t have shape, you can use stakes to help support it.
- The next morning after the frost has thawed and gone away for the day, remove any of your covers. It’s important to let them grow normally during the day so they don’t break dormancy. Otherwise, they will start to grow again and become even more susceptible to frost damage.
There are a ton of different ways to cover your plants. I’ve detailed some methods down below!

Cloche

These domes come in many varieties, from plastic to glass to fold-up umbrella-style cloches. Place one over top of an individual plant to shield it from early frost and keep it warm, happy, and growing longer.

Cloche frost protectors are a great option for plants that are spaced out or if you want extra protection for each plant.

Plastic cloches are inexpensive and work great for covering up single plants.

Row Cover

Row covers are simply large swaths of a breathable, lightweight material used to cover and protect multiple plants in a row or bed. You can use lightweight, flexible plastic, netting, fabric, or garden-specific covering material draped gently over the plants you wish to protect.

This is a great option if you are taken off guard by cold weather and need something really quick and easy to protect your plants from frost.

You can also build a more substantial “hoop house” over a garden bed by draping your row cover material over a structure made of PVC pipes bent into horseshoe shapes.

Cold Frame

Cold frames are raised beds with a removable cover, often attached by a hinge. They are a great way to begin your growing season early because you can plant directly in them in the early spring when it is still cold out, and the cover will keep plants protected.

These frames are also great for growing winter veggies and will allow you to harvest and eat some vegetables well into the holidays or even all winter long, depending on your zone.

Cold frames can easily be made out of recycled wood.

Greenhouse

I think it is every gardener’s dream to have their very own greenhouse! Greenhouses, of course, are the most effective way to extend the season as they offer a ton of protection.

This dream doesn’t have to be so far-fetched, as there are plenty of ways to have a greenhouse, big or small, expensive, or more budget-friendly.

There are also many different versions that you can make or buy for home use, such as this upcycled window greenhouse. Your plants will be happy year-round with this high level of protection.

Greenhouses allow for year-round gardening.

While these options are great investments for the avid gardener, it’s also important to remember that frost covers don’t need to be expensive to be effective.

There are a ton of DIY options out there. Use sticks to prop up your covers and cover with newspaper, bed sheets, towels, or whatever you have on hand. You can also make your own little domes for individual plants by sticking an upside-down pot over the top or a plastic container such as a milk jug with the top cut off.

How to Protect Flowers

We want to hold onto flowers for as long as possible! If you have flowers in containers or hanging baskets, try to bring them inside at night when you expect a frost. Plants that are in containers are much more susceptible to root damage as the cold can come from all directions.

Before you bring them inside, ensure they don’t have any insects or diseases on them that could spread to indoor plants. Placing your plants inside a warm garage or shed is another good alternative.

Move any containers you’d like to protect indoors or in a shed.

The first frost doesn’t have to be the end-all for your plants this year. Give these tips a try and see just how long you have thriving greenery into the winter!

More Fall and Winter Garden Projects

A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
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Stephanie Rose

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October 3, 2025
Thanksgiving Mindfulness: Cultivating Gratitude Through Lessons Learned Gardening – Garden Therapy

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Online, Thanksgiving is a big feast surrounded by friends and family decorated with turkeys, fun gourds, and fallen leaves. But there’s a lot of history and pain behind the holiday, and I invite you to rethink how you celebrate, focusing on gratitude and the harvest. Here’s how to practice Thanksgiving mindfulness this season.

In school, we’re taught that Thanksgiving began centuries ago as a peaceful union between pilgrims and the Indigenous people of North America. For the US, the Pilgrims in Plymouth shared a harvest with the Wampanoag people in 1621. For Canada, Samual De Champlain organized a feast and invited the local Mi’kmaq people in 1606.

Both are very simplified stories and far from the truth of what Thanksgiving really is and what it represents to many Indigenous people.

By now, many of us know that Thanksgiving is often linked to the harmful legacy of colonization. I personally don’t celebrate Thanksgiving due to the cultural implications it has for Indigenous Peoples.

What I do practice is thankfulness for family, friends, and abundance on a regular basis. Instead of celebrating the holiday and its history, we can use this time to be grateful and connect with ourselves and our overall well-being.

This post will cover Thanksgiving mindfulness and…

No matter the time of year, we can practice gratitude for our harvest.

The True History Behind Thanksgiving

In North America, we have a painful past in the way in which our Indigenous Peoples have been treated. While Thanksgiving celebrates the pilgrims and the Indigenous people co-existing peacefully, the arrival of the pilgrims was the beginning of centuries of colonization and erasure.

The pilgrims brought disease, which quickly spread throughout many Indigenous tribes, killing a vast population of people. Colonizers displaced the Indigenous Peoples, taking their lands and forcing their European cultural values on the people.

I recommend you read more about the true history of Thanksgiving here.

When we celebrate Thanksgiving, it can be a reminder of this history, and it feels like we’re celebrating this history of erasure. The holiday can gloss right over the continued struggles of Indigenous communities, including their land rights and cultural survival. For this reason, I do not celebrate Thanksgiving traditionally.

The first thing we need to do is acknowledge this history and ensure we’re not complicit in ignoring the past.

Many of my herbalism teachings come from Indigenous people and their connection to the land and native plants.

Reconciliation and Education

What can we do about this? While we can’t change our past, we can work on creating a better, more respectful future.

It’s important for everyone to educate themselves about the topic. Learn from Indigenous storytellers, journalists, authors, filmmakers, influencers, and people. Hear their experiences and look beyond the textbooks in school.

Reconciliation is also important. In reconciliation, we work to create a mutually respected relationship between Indigenous and non-indigenous people. This can be done by acknowledging Indigenous rights and titles, examining stereotypes, learning about Indigenous history, supporting their culture and beliefs, and trying to build better relationships going forward.

Celebrating the Harvest Instead

For centuries and generations, people from all over the world have celebrated the harvest. Native Americans in the Southeastern US have Green Corn Ceremonies to celebrate the corn ripening and harvest. In Nigeria, the Igbo, Yoruba, and Idoma people celebrate the New Yam Festival as the beginning of the yam harvest season. In China, the Mid-Autumn festival celebrates the moon at its fullest and brightest as gratitude for a good harvest.

Many gardeners know fall as a time of harvest and abundance. I celebrate this season by hosting feasts with my loved ones and cooking meals from the produce I’ve grown.

It’s not about one big Thanksgiving meal but a series of gatherings that honour the earth’s bounty.

Enjoy and share your bounty.

Choosing Your Family and Connecting

Holidays that focus on gathering a family together can be difficult for many people who have lost loved ones or have difficult relationships with the idea of family.

You can redefine family completely. Family can be who you choose, not just those you’re related to. Invite your neighbours, your best friend, your partner’s friends, your children’s friends…anyone who you want to surround yourself with.

In my life, my gatherings have long been a celebration of my chosen family, those who nourish me as much as I nourish them.

Kiddo will always be a part of my chosen family.

Setting Your Personal Boundaries

Celebrating with your chosen family is an important boundary to set, but it’s not the only one. No matter who you celebrate with, remember that you should never need to force yourself into a harmful ritual or toxic family dynamics.

If you’re anxious at the thought of spending yet another stress-induced holiday with family, ask yourself what it would be like if you didn’t go. Or if you did, how could you make it better?

Boundaries, especially during these gatherings, are a form of self-care and a reflection of the beauty in cultivating relationships that feel right.

Setting boundaries is difficult, but putting yourself first offers greater peace in the long run.

Gratitude from the Garden

The garden has taught me so much about gratitude. From starting your own seedlings to watching your garden grow into an urban oasis, gardening has taught me the value of patience and nurturing.

In return, I gain a deeper sense of gratitude when I harvest. Only gardeners know that nothing tastes better than a butternut squash or a tomato you’ve cared for all season.

When I share the food I’ve grown with loved ones, it allows me to appreciate the journey the food has made from seed to table—and that’s a form of celebration that’s meaningful beyond any traditional holiday.

More Ways to Spread Gardening Joy

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Stephanie Rose

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October 24, 2024
Do I Really Need to Wash That? When, Why, and How to Wash Fruit and Vegetables – Garden Therapy
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Oftentimes when I’m out in the garden, I’ll pop a cherry tomato or blueberry straight from the bush and into my mouth. I’m not worried about washing it, but that’s because I’m an organic gardener! There are many different scenarios when it comes to washing fruit and vegetables, and I’m here to offer to guidance.

It’s funny how perspectives of cleanliness can change based on relationships. As an organic gardener, I see the fruit, vegetables, and herbs that come out of my garden as the cleanest and healthiest food that has ever been. It’s similar to how I feel as a mother. I just don’t get grossed out by snot and slobber from my own kid, as I can imagine other people would.

When I look at my relationship with the garden, I think about how much care and effort I put into the soil, into every seed that is grown, and into the water and fertilizers that feed it.

I know that each piece of produce has been nurtured in the most healthy way possible because I’m the one who nurtured it. With this knowledge, when I’m out in the garden, and a sun-warmed tomato is just begging to be picked and eaten, I pop it into my mouth without a second thought.

That doesn’t mean you want to skip washing the fruit and vegetables you plan to consume.

Whether your fruits and vegetables are picked from your garden, arrive in a CSA box, or were chosen from a market, it’s good practice to give your fruits and vegetables a wash before you eat them. I took some time to look more critically at how and why to wash fruit and vegetables to provide you with some answers to your burning questions.

This post will cover…

Washing Fruit and Vegetables From the Store

More and more experts are now advising that the produce also be washed with warm, soapy water before putting it away. This is the process I use.
1. Wash hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap.
2. Unpackage and wash skin-on produce (like apples, avocados, beets, etc) for 20 seconds with warm, soapy water. For lettuce and cabbage, remove the outer leaves and compost. Wash the rest with water and spin in a salad spinner. For berries, remove from the packaging and rinse. Dry and store as usual. Not all produce is the same, just use common sense.
3. Any produce that I feel needs some extra cleaning, I use my homemade fruit and vegetable wash. I spray it on 2-3 times and let it sit for a couple of minutes before rinsing off with water.
4. Wash hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap.
5. Apply hand lotion so your skin doesn’t break down (and feel like snakeskin!).
Always wash produce before storage, with the exception of some fruits and veggies that are best washed right before consuming.

How to Wash Vegetables and Fruit from the Garden

Unless your garden is in a public space or in proximity to exposure, garden fruit and veg don’t need the full soap and water procedure.

If you’re doing a big harvest out of the garden, then it’s worth setting up some washing buckets outside before you bring your produce indoors. Set up three buckets and fill them full of drinking water.

Take your freshly harvested vegetables and dunk them in the first bucket, swish them around, then pull them out, give them a shake, and pop them in the second bucket. If your vegetables aren’t very muddy or soiled, then you can remove them from the second bucket, put them in a salad spinner, and spin out the water.

If they were quite muddy in the first bucket, then move them over to the third bucket for the final rinse before putting them in a salad spinner.

This is really great for salad greens and root vegetables as they should be washed immediately when harvested and then they can be stored clean and ready to eat. There are some freshly harvested fruit like blueberries, grapes, tomatoes, apples, and some vegetables like kale that I don’t like to wash before bringing them inside because I want to keep the protective bloom on their skin as long as possible.

These are all vegetables and fruits I don’t wash until I’m ready to eat them.

You can see bloom on the outside of blueberries as a grayish coating that comes off when you touch the blueberries with your fingers or when you wash them. You might also notice it on some of the other vegetables in your garden. The purpose of it is to help protect the fruit from insects and bacteria, so when I bring in produce that has bloom, I don’t wash it until right before I’m about to eat it, allowing the produce to protect itself as long as possible and stay fresh for longer.

Apples should be washed just before being eaten.

Why Wash Fruit and Vegetables from the Garden?

I feel pretty good about the soil and the water that I use in my garden. I use a drinking-water-safe hose for watering the vegetable beds, and I don’t use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides.

That being said, you never know what might be lurking in the soil or water. While I feel confident that popping some fresh berries into my mouth while gardening is not going to be the end of me, I still practice washing larger harvests.

The other reason for washing fruit and vegetables you harvest from the garden is to remove any little bits of soil, debris, and insects that might be hiding. You know the old saying that the only thing worse than finding a worm in your apple is finding half a worm? Well, the only thing worse than finding a caterpillar in your salad is finding half a caterpillar.

I’m not that squeamish about bugs, and I know I’ve probably eaten my fair share. And, frankly, more people eat bugs than don’t. But I still give my kale and lettuce a good wash and send the aphids down the drain.

Wash vegetables to get dirt, debris, and insects off your produce.

Washing Organic Fruits and Vegetables from a CSA or Market

While you know what goes into the fruits and vegetables that you’re growing in your garden, it’s unclear exactly what is going into plants that come from other sources.

Even when something is marked “organic” it doesn’t necessarily mean that the soil, water, and land where it grew will meet your expectations. Plus, after the plants are harvested, then they can be touched by many hands and be exposed to many different environments, none of which you get to be privy to.

I would say that it’s just as important, if not more so, to wash purchased produce, especially considering the fact that nearly half of all foodborn illnesses come from produce. I use my homemade fruit and vegetable wash with vinegar and citric acid for anything that doesn’t come from my garden.

A salad spinner is very helpful for cleaning all kinds of greens and herbs.

What About Boxed or Bagged Salad Mixes and Pre-Cut Vegetables?

In some cases, you may purchase boxed or bagged salad mixes or pre-cut vegetables that are labelled “pre-washed.” I’m more skeptical of the cleanliness of these prepared products than I am of the whole, unpackaged vegetables.

In many cases, once you cut up a vegetable it begins to decompose more rapidly than if it was left whole. And yet the shelf life of these prepared foods seems to be much longer than fresh ones I can keep in my fridge, which makes me suspicious.

I always wash pre-cut salad mixes, and I’m shocked that when I wash them in the salad spinner, the water often turns green or cloudy. When I wash freshly harvested greens from my garden, there may be a few aphids floating in there, maybe even a spider, but the water is clear

I suspect that there’s some sort of fumeric acid or anti-fungal treatment added to extend shelf life and that’s not something that I want to consume. After all that pre-washing and adding chemicals, studies show that the pre-washed salads still probably need to be washed anyway, so I just skip them and go for a whole head of lettuce from the market instead.

You should still wash any produce that’s labelled as “pre-washed.”

Should I Use Plain Water or Produce Wash?

Research says that using plain tap water to wash fruit and vegetables is effective at removing the majority of the contaminants that could be on them.

When I wash sprouts I usually add a few drops of food-grade hydrogen peroxide into the water just to be extra careful.

As I mentioned above, I typically only use water to clean the produce that comes from my garden. But anything that I buy from the store, I like to use my homemade fruit and vegetable wash. This extra layer of cleanliness helps to remove the more difficult stuff, such as apple wax and surface-level pesticides.

Soaking vegetables and fruits in an acidic solution helps to remove bacteria and any surface-level pesticides.

Can I Eat Bruised, Past-its-Prime Produce?

I don’t believe that things from the garden have to be perfect, but it’s also important to use your common sense and not eat things that are spoiled.

It may be tempting to salvage a crop if you’ve grown gorgeous produce and all of a sudden, just before harvest, it got munched by a critter or attacked by a fungus.

Use your judgement to see if cutting off the affected portion leaves you with something that is still edible, but remember that even if it’s edible that doesn’t necessarily mean you should eat it.

If you cut off the undesirable section and what you have left is a piece of nice, tasty produce, go ahead and eat it, but keep in mind that often when a fruit or vegetable has succumbed to damage or disease, its flavour has also been affected (see more on that here).

There’s an Ayurvedic principle that states you should not eat anything unless it’s delicious. I try to live by this. If the food is no longer fresh and delicious, then it probably isn’t going to serve me to eat it. It will, however, make excellent compost.

Slight bruising is quite okay to ingest.

Can I Wash Off Bugs and Still Eat My Vegetables?

What about bugs? Wormy apples, aphiddy kale, and leaf-mined lettuce sure aren’t pretty, but they are also aren’t the end of your harvest. Insects on garden-grown vegetables are a certainty, but eating them is not so black and white. It depends more on how much you can stomach.

In most cases, the insects won’t hurt you to eat them, despite the fact that they might be somewhat unappetizing.

Probably the worst thing they’re going to do is suck all the delicious flavour out of your food, leaving it less tasty than it would have been had it not been shared with some six-legged friends.

In most cases, I’ll just wash off any bug damage and remove any discolouration or unappetizing-looking parts. The insects should come right off when washing fruit and vegetables, and the rest is just fine to eat.

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Stephanie Rose

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October 7, 2024
Can I Harvest Green Tomatoes? Tips for Ripening and Harvesting – Garden Therapy

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It’s just days away from the first frost, and you’re looking at your green tomatoes wishing they would just hurry up already. I’ve been there…we’ve all been there! Fret not, for there is plenty you can do with your green tomatoes to turn them red and tasty off the vine.

Near the end of the gardening season, gardeners watch the weather like hawks. Every day, we check to see if the dreaded first frost is coming.

For many of our plants that require a long growing season, every second counts! Sometimes, we can harvest in time, and other times, we just don’t get enough growing days and sunshine to get there.

Tomatoes are one I’m always keeping an eye on. I harvest them beginning in August, and can have a couple months of garden fresh tomatoes if I’m lucky. But nearing the end, I cross my fingers at the small green tomatoes and hope they can make it.

If you have a frost coming, and you’re worried your tomatoes won’t ripen in time, there is hope for your green tomatoes. In fact, some gardeners actually prefer to harvest them when they’re green!

Let me tell you why and how you can actually ripen your green tomatoes off the vine.

Tomatoes on the same vine may ripen at different speeds.

How a Tomato Ripens

When tomatoes first begin to grow, they’re vivid green. As they slowly reach mature size, they become pale green. Once a tomato has reached its full size, the flavour development is mostly done.

Tomatoes will begin to blush, which is known as the breaker stage. At this point, they are about half green and half red. During the breaker stage, the tomato has sealed off its stem from the plant, and nothing is moving from the plant into the fruit.

When the tomato reaches this breaker stage, it can be harvested off the vine. It will ripen and taste the exact same as if it had been left to ripen on a vine.

Many people like to harvest at the breaker stage to prevent insects and birds from feasting on their tomatoes and stop the tomatoes from splitting themselves or sunscalding.

The bottom left tomato is a good representation of the breaker stage.

Can I Harvest Green Tomatoes?

For many gardeners, they don’t have time to let the tomatoes even get to the blushing breaker stage. If a frost is imminent, you’ll want to get tomatoes off the plant.

You can absolutely harvest tomatoes that are green but full-size. These will ripen off the plant. Those that aren’t full-sized won’t ripen once picked because they weren’t fully developed yet.

Some heirloom tomatoes are actually naturally green when ripe, like these Green Zebra heirloom tomatoes.

Tips for Ripening Green Tomatoes

Once you have your green tomatoes off the plant and inside, there are a few things you can do to help them turn from green to red.

Temperature

Tomatoes like to develop best in warm temperatures. Anywhere from 24-29 °C (75-85 °F) degrees is best for indoor ripening. Placing them on a sunny windowsill can help.

Add Ethylene Gas

Tomatoes naturally produce ethylene gas as they mature and turn red. Many commercial growers will actually ripen tomatoes by exposing them to ethylene gas. They’re picked when they’re green and then they use controlled exposure of ethylene to turn them red in time to put on grocery store shelves.

You can use this same method at home by placing your tomatoes in a paper bag or a cardboard box and closing it up. The tomatoes will naturally produce ethylene themselves and slowly ripen, but you can speed up the process by placing a ripe banana alongside them. Other fruits such as mangos, apples, or avocados also work.

Check on the tomatoes regularly. They will ripen at different speeds depending on what stage they were picked at. Remove any that are ripe or may show signs of spoilage.

Leave Them on the Vine

Keep the stem intact. When harvesting your tomatoes, leave a little bit of stem rather than pulling just the tomato off. This will help the tomatoes ripen better.

Let your tomatoes sit on the countertop while they ripen.

Storing Your Tomatoes

Do. Not. Put your tomatoes in the fridge. Once you put the tomatoes in the fridge, you completely halt the ripening process. You’ll also notice a reduction in flavour, as the aromatic compounds in the fruit will break down when exposed to cool temperatures.

Of course, if you’re storing them for a while, you can move them into the fridge to help make them last longer. But you want to keep them on the counter or fruit bowl if you can help it!

When storing, it’s also a good idea to put the tomatoes upside down with the stem on the bottom. The shoulders of the tomato help to distribute the weight evenly, and your tomatoes will last longer.

Tomatoes are best left at room temperature to maintain their flavour.

Eating Green Tomatoes

Of course, you can also eat your green tomatoes! This is a completely different experience from eating a ripe red tomato. Green tomatoes are quite crunchy and have a tart taste.

The most common way to enjoy green tomatoes is to fry them. Cover them with a breadcrumb coating with spices and fry them in a pan until they’re golden brown.

You can also try pickling them. I haven’t tried this myself, but I would probably do it in a similar way to how I make my pickled shishito peppers.

Green zebra heirloom tomato.

FAQ About Green Tomatoes

What happens when tomatoes freeze?

Once a tomato freezes, it will turn to mush when it defrosts, and the plant itself will wilt and turn brown. So, it’s important to pick those green tomatoes off the plant if a first frost is on its way!

How long do tomatoes take to ripen?

It’s going to depend greatly based on the type of tomato you have. Indeterminate tomatoes (the vining ones) will fruit at different times, so you could enjoy some tomatoes now, and others two months later from the same plant. Determinate tomatoes will all fruit at once, giving you one large harvest.

Most tomatoes need 65-90 days from seed before you’ll begin to see any tomatoes. Once you see a flower, that will turn into a tomato fruit in about 15-20 days.

How do you tell when a green tomato is ripe?

The best way to tell if a tomato has reached full size is by its colouring. Compare it to other tomatoes on the vine. If it’s starting to change colour ever so slightly, such as yellowish-green or has a slight pink hue (usually begins at the bottom of the tomato), it’s ripe and can be picked to turn red inside.

More Tips for Preserving and Harvesting Tomatoes

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Stephanie Rose

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September 18, 2024
How to Save Seeds & Improve Your Vegetable Garden – Garden Therapy

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This time of year, we begin to say goodbye to this year’s vegetable garden and plan for next year’s. What better way to do both of these things than by collecting and preserving seeds to plant in the spring? Saving seeds from your very best vegetables will give you the very best seeds, so it’s worth it to take a little time and learn how to save seeds the right way.

Different seeds have different needs when it comes to collecting them for the following year. Some can simply be transferred straight from plant to seed packet, while others need a bit more attention in the form of drying or fermenting.

In this guide, I’m going to show you three different methods on how to save seeds, and which method to use for some of the most popular vegetables.

While purchasing seeds each year is a relatively economical method for growing a garden, seed saving is still an important practice. When you save seeds from your best-growing plants, you already know that they can thrive in your garden!

Year after year, your crop will get better and stronger as you continue to save only the best seeds your garden has to offer. The practice of seed saving is also a traditional process. For many, growing seeds passed down from older generations honours their history.

This guide will cover…

Don’t forget to save some flower seeds too!

Seed Saving Supplies

First, you’ll need a supply of seed envelopes for keeping your seeds stored and labelled. We’ve got you covered with lots of free printable seed packets here:

You’ll also need a tool for snipping seed pods in the garden. A small pair of scissors, such as embroidery scissors, is perfect for the job. You will also want a basket or paper bag for collecting pods out in the garden before you transfer them to their envelopes.

For drying and fermenting seeds, you will need paper towel and Mason jars.

Print these seed envelopes at home for easy and cute packaging.

How to Save Seeds Method 1: Mature in the Garden

Some vegetable seeds, such as the ones listed below, will germinate and grow better if they are allowed to mature and ripen right on the plant. When they are ready, simply collect them and store them in an envelope for next year.

For this method, choose to harvest seeds on a dry day in the early afternoon when seeds are retaining the least amount of water.

How to Save Lettuce and Cabbage Seeds

When your lettuce or cabbage plant begins to flower, place a plastic bag over it. When the seeds are ready, they will drop naturally and be contained in the bag, ready for you to collect and store. How convenient! If you want to try something new for your lettuce garden, try some of these unusual leafy greens instead.

How to Save Pea and Bean Seeds

If pods are green, that means the seeds are still ripening and receiving nutrients from the pods. Be patient and wait until the pods are completely brown before you harvest them. Spread peas and beans out on a clean, dry surface and leave them to dry for a week or so before storing.

You can tell whether or not the seeds are dry enough to be stored by biting one. If it is hard when you bite down on it, it is ready to be packed into a seed envelope and stored for the season. Come planting, make your own pea trellis to support your newly saved seeds.

Once harvested, let your pea and bean seeds dry for a week before storing.

Seed Saving Method 2: Ferment

Some seeds need to be fermented for them to germinate properly. To induce fermentation, soak seeds in water for a few days, then collect, dry, and store them.

How to Save Cucumber Seeds

Wait until the cucumber is a bit overripe and its flesh has turned somewhat yellow in colour, then cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

Drop the seeds into a Mason jar half-filled with water. Cover and let sit for three or four days. The best seeds will sink to the bottom of the jar. Collect those seeds and spread them out to dry on a paper towel. Once they are completely dry, store them in the refrigerator.

Store cucumber seeds in the refrigerator.

How to Save Melon Seeds

Cut a ripe melon in half and scoop out the seeds. Rinse them gently under warm water to remove excess fruit. Put the seeds in a covered Mason jar half-filled with water and let sit for two to four days.

As with cucumbers, the best melon seeds will sink to the bottom, while the ones you don’t want will continue to float. Dry the sunken seeds on a paper towel and store them in a seed envelope until you are ready to plant them.

How to Save Tomato Seeds

Fermenting tomato seeds requires a few more steps, but it is SO worth it! For tomato seeds, you want just enough water to cover the seeds and surrounding tomato guts.

Instead of using the Mason jar lid, use the Mason jar ring to screw on and hold a paper towel in place. After a few days of sitting in their Mason jar, you should have a full cover of mould on the seeds. Yes, this is a good sign!

Then your seeds are ready to be strained and dried. See detailed instructions in this post on how to save heirloom tomato seeds.

Mould is a good sign when it comes to fermenting tomato seeds.

How to Save Cucamelon Seeds

Similar to tomatoes, you can ferment cucamelons using the same method. Their seeds will come back true to seed each year (the same as the original plant).

To learn more about this delightful mini fruit, check out my cucamelon growing guide.

Follow the same steps as a tomato to save cucamelon seeds.

Seed Saving Method 3: Scoop Out and Dry

The scoop-out and dry seed saving method involves simply scooping seeds out from the inside of veggies and laying them out to dry.

How to Save Pumpkin Seeds

When squash or pumpkins have developed a hard outer shell, they are ready to be harvested for seed saving. Cut the squash or pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and rinse them under warm water.

Then, pat them dry and spread them out on a clean, dry surface. Wait until the pumpkin seeds are completely dry before packaging them up for storage.

Different varieties of squash and pumpkin can cross-pollinate with each other, so the seeds you save might produce something that is not quite the same as the squash you collected the seeds from. This can be a really fun surprise!

Save the seeds from your pumpkin carving to plant in your garden next year.

How to Save Pepper Seeds

Most peppers will turn a dark red colour when they reach full maturity. At this point, harvest them and slice them in half.

Use your fingers to remove the seeds and spread them around on a paper towel placed away from direct sunlight…then make sure to wash your hands!

Leave the seeds to dry like this for one or two weeks, then store in an airtight container. When you’re ready to plant them, be sure to check out my growing guide for peppers, sweet and spicy!

Make sure to wash your hands after saving pepper seeds.

How to Save Strawberry Seeds

Though technically not a vegetable, strawberry seeds are easy to save using a smear and dry method. Rather than scooping the seeds, you will want to smoosh them on your paper towel. Then, let them dry somewhere warm.

Once dry, you can fold up the paper and stick it in an envelope for safekeeping. In the spring, scrape the seeds into soil and watch your strawberries grow.

Personally, I love to grow alpine strawberries and the process is near identical. Find more detailed instructions on this post on how I save my alpine strawberry seeds.

Since strawberry seeds are so tiny, keep them directly on the paper towel in storage so you don’t lose them.

FAQ About Saving Vegetable Seeds

How can I save kale and radish seeds?

Let these seeds mature directly on the plant. Harvest pods when they feel dry. To open the pods, rub them gently between your palms.

Is it illegal to save seeds?

When it comes to seed saving, many gardeners do not have to worry about the legalities. Most GMO and hybrid seeds are under a patent, meaning that farmers and other commercial growers can only grow these if they sign a contract. This contract states that they can’t save the seeds for the following year, only buying the rights to grow the purchased seeds.

However, if you are sticking to seed saving for your garden or to share with loved ones and neighbours through a seed library, you should be just fine. Heirloom seeds are well worth saving. No profit, no problem! For more on the difference between heirloom, GMO, and hybrid seeds, visit this post.

Can old seeds still grow?

Have you ever planted some old seeds only to find that they never germinate? Sometimes, this can put you weeks behind your growing schedule before you notice. All seeds should be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place to make sure they last as long as possible. Always write the date you saved/stored them.

When stored right, all seeds should last a year. Depending on the plant, they can be good for as long as 2-5 years. For example, tomatoes last around 5 years, while peas and beans are only good for 2. Research your specific vegetable seed upon saving, and feel free to add a best-before-date when storing. This way you know what to plant come spring and never let any of your seeds go bad before planting.

If you’re ever unsure about the viability of your old seeds, you can easily perform the germination test described in this post.

More Posts About Seeds

Want to save other seeds, too? Click to learn all about saving flower seeds.

Now that you’ve saved all those seeds get ready to plant them next year!

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