Guidelines for Returning Seeds
Remember to watch the videos on "How to save seeds" on the "Seed Saving" page or read the seed saving brochure that you can pick up in the library.
- Dry: Make sure seeds are dry.
- Clean: Have seeds reasonably cleaned by removing as much of the chaff as possible.
- Properly saved: Only return seeds from plants that you know how to save properly. "Super Easy" seeds can be fairly reliably saved without cross-pollination (and unintentional hybridization). "Super easy" seeds include tomatoes, beans, peas and lettuce. Do not return seeds from the brassica (ex. broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts, cabbage) or cucurbit (ex. cucumbers, squash, melons) families unless you have taken appropriate steps to prevent cross-pollination, such as hand-pollinating.
- Label! Label! Label! Write as much information on the packet as possible. Typing can help by typing directly into the form. Remember that people only have what you have written on the package to decide if it is a plant that they would like to grow. More info is better.
- Share the abundance: If you have lots of seeds, considering making multiple packets of the same seeds. Some of the excess seeds can be put in the glass cabinet in the box marked "Donate to sister seed libraries."