Autumn is the season for many things, and for the gardener it is more than just a time to put the garden to bed for the winter. As wispy seeds of red swallowwort float across the landscape and birds feed on the seed heads that hang heavily from strong sunflower stems, we’re reminded that fall has been the season for saving seed for centuries.

Seed saving is a fun way to gain a measure of self-sufficiency. It also is a way to cut expenses in spring if the cost of your seed orders tends to escalate each year. Two readers recently wrote asking questions about the how-to’s involved with seed saving.

One reader wrote, “Judging from the number of tomato plants and sunflowers that pop up in the garden each year without my help, I’m sure I’ll be able to save seed with success. Most of the plants I grow save themselves pretty well. I’d like to catch them before they make their way across my garden on their own.”

It’s true that the dropped seed of many garden plants produce volunteers in subsequent years. Volunteers aren’t always appreciated by gardeners, however. One man’s volunteer plant is another man’s weed, you could say. If you prefer a tidy garden, you probably diligently cut spent seed heads from plants after they flower to prevent seed from falling to the ground. These seeds could end up in your compost pile, or, better still, they could end up in your seed stores for future controlled germination.

Seed saving can be complicated, for some species. In general, though, several simple steps can guide you through the process. First, it is important to know a bit about the reproductive qualities of plants.

Seeds don’t always produce plants or fruits that look or taste like the plant they came from. Seeds contain a mixture of genetic traits from both the mother plant and the plant that pollinated the mother. Through plant breeding, this quality may be used to improve offspring.

However, it often can have poor or unusual effects. For example, seeds saved from plants that display a mixture of colors – say, for example, cosmos Sensation Mix, which produces white, pink and burgundy colored flowers – often will revert to the dominant color in the strain. In the case of Sensation Mix, that color is burgundy. Over time, seed saved from mixtures may produce a more narrow range of colors than the original mix.

A hybrid is a plant that is produced by carefully crossing selected parent plants to get a specific genetic combination. Hybrid seeds produce uniform plants – but don’t try to save seed from hybrids! The resulting seedlings show a broad range of inferior genetic traits. Crossing two cultivars – Early Girl and Big Beef tomatoes, for example – can result in plants that do not look like either parent plant.

Open pollination occurs between plants of the same genus and species. Open pollinated plants produce seeds that yield plants similar to the parents, with some natural variation. It is easiest to save seed from open pollinated annual flowers and vegetables. Biennials produce flowers and seed in their second year. Seed may be saved from perennial plants, but often it is easier to multiply these plants through division or by rooted cuttings.

When saving seeds, make an effort to select seed from the most vigorous parent plants. Be sure they are insect- and disease-free. Select plants with the best flavor, fruit qualities and highest yield. Select flowers that display the most desirable traits.

For plants that produce dry husks or pods (such as peas, beans, peppers, squash, nicotiana, hollyhock, etc.), simply harvest the fruiting structure and shuck or pour out the seeds. Allow them to dry in an open container in a warm, dry place for 7 to 14 days. Winnow the seeds and store them in an airtight plastic bag, container or in a glass jar.

Saving seeds from plants that produce fleshy fruits (such as tomatoes or cucumbers) can be more involved. Harvest seed from fully ripened fruit. Ferment the gelatinous coating away from each seed by scraping the pulp from the skin of the fruit and gently blending the pulp quickly in a blender. Mix each cup of pulp with 1 cup of water and place the mixture in a glass jar. Put a lid on the jar. Stir twice daily until bubbles and mold begin to form on the surface of the floating pulp. Stir the mixture vigorously until seeds begin to drop from the suspension. Add water if necessary. Drain off the floating pulp and continue to flush with water until only clean seed remains. When the seeds are clean, spread them on a fine-mesh screen to dry.

Winnow the seed by slowly pouring it through a gentle stream of air. Use a fan or blow-dryer on a low setting. Store each individual variety of flower or vegetable seed in an airtight container. Clearly mark the bag with a permanent marker. Store the airtight containers in the freezer until spring.

For a more comprehensive view of seed saving, go to the archive section of bangordailynews.com and view two of my garden columns dated 2/27/01 and 3/6/01.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, RR1, Box 2120, Montville 04941, or e-mail them to dianagc@ctel.net. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.