Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - Potato berries and TPS (true potato seed)

Wi-sunflower · January 4, 2009

I was pointed to this thread after PMing my own method for saving tomato seed. I had been reluctant to share my method here as so many members seem to swear by the fermentation method. Personally I swear at it as it has never worked for me.

Following is how I save tomato seed ---

I usually plant 20-70+ plants of each variety and pick from the whole section, avoiding maybe the end plants if they've grown into the next section. I feel I get a good representation of whatever the variety is supposed to be like that way. I'm also able to see if any of my hybrid grow-outs are segregating or not.

I have never had good luck fermenting tomato seed at all. Way back when over 10 years ago when I first tried saving I did ferment seeds but only got a 5-10% germination rate. Awful. So I didn't bother with tomatoes for a few years.

I've been doing hot peppers tho for many years with a method of my own and about 5 years ago adapted that for tomatoes.

Basically its a 5 gal bucket and a paint mixer on a drill and lots of water. Put about 1 gal of tomatoes in the bucket and enough water to fill to about 3 gal. Mix and more mix. Add water and drain this first blend into a large strainer.

I catch everything in a large strainer on the first blend as a lot of the good seed isn't mixed up enough to lose enough plup to sink.

Put the pulp back into the bucket and mix some more. This time you can start carefully pouring off the pulp that floats after letting it sit for about 30 seconds or so for the seeds to sink.

Do this 3-5 or more times til the water is clear and most of the tomato pulp/skin is gone. Add some bleach and a bit of water to disinfect the seeds. Let sit a few minutes. Add more water and drain into a wire sieve, rinse some more, and then put on a plate.

For larger amounts like I do, I don't use solid plates any more as I lost seeds when they sat in too much water for more than a day and started germinating even tho they were drained. I've made various sized "plates" out of plastic replacement screening hot glued to a ring of 5/8 " foam "caulk filler". The plates are set on a wire rack shelf so they get air all around and dry FAST. I also have a small fan in the room to circulate the air all around.

I do all of this out in the barn with only cold water as there isn't a water heater out there. We have an old large sink that sits over the cow gutter. It drains directly into the gutter. If I do it in the house, my drains get clogged right away. The drying is in a small upstairs bedroom where I can keep the door closed so the cats don't spill/mix up the seeds.

When I started doing my pepper seed saving, there were plenty of university bulletins out that advised against using "amature" seed as disease could be a problem.

While my method isn't as vigorous as Tom's, personally I haven't seen much if any disease in my own saved seed. In fact if I have any problem at all in my greenhouse, it usually started in plants from commercially purchased seed. That has especially been the case with Bacterial Spot/Speck.

For me, I'm processing 3-5 gallons of tomatoes / variety and I can do a bucket in about an hour +- and get 1-3+ ounces of seed when it's dry. I get 90-100% germination now and the seed is usually good for 3-5+ years.

My understanding of the fermentation method is that it's used mainly to get the gel sack off the seeds. I've found that the agitation from the mixer blender does that fine. For small amounts instead of a lage bucket and the drill mixer, I use a tall container and a hand "imersion" blender. Handier than a big blender and it doesn't go fast enough that I have to worry about possibly cutting up the seeds.

As far as the fermentation killing disease, that never made sense to me either. I also have a science background and I worked in a quality control lab for Campbell's for 8 years right out of high school before I married a farmer.

I'm not trying to tell anyone how they should save their seed, just that there are other ways it can be done other than just by fermentation. Do what ever you are comfortable with and works well for you.

January 4, 2009	#45
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	I was pointed to this thread after PMing my own method for saving tomato seed. I had been reluctant to share my method here as so many members seem to swear by the fermentation method. Personally I swear at it as it has never worked for me. Following is how I save tomato seed --- I usually plant 20-70+ plants of each variety and pick from the whole section, avoiding maybe the end plants if they've grown into the next section. I feel I get a good representation of whatever the variety is supposed to be like that way. I'm also able to see if any of my hybrid grow-outs are segregating or not. I have never had good luck fermenting tomato seed at all. Way back when over 10 years ago when I first tried saving I did ferment seeds but only got a 5-10% germination rate. Awful. So I didn't bother with tomatoes for a few years. I've been doing hot peppers tho for many years with a method of my own and about 5 years ago adapted that for tomatoes. Basically its a 5 gal bucket and a paint mixer on a drill and lots of water. Put about 1 gal of tomatoes in the bucket and enough water to fill to about 3 gal. Mix and more mix. Add water and drain this first blend into a large strainer. I catch everything in a large strainer on the first blend as a lot of the good seed isn't mixed up enough to lose enough plup to sink. Put the pulp back into the bucket and mix some more. This time you can start carefully pouring off the pulp that floats after letting it sit for about 30 seconds or so for the seeds to sink. Do this 3-5 or more times til the water is clear and most of the tomato pulp/skin is gone. Add some bleach and a bit of water to disinfect the seeds. Let sit a few minutes. Add more water and drain into a wire sieve, rinse some more, and then put on a plate. For larger amounts like I do, I don't use solid plates any more as I lost seeds when they sat in too much water for more than a day and started germinating even tho they were drained. I've made various sized "plates" out of plastic replacement screening hot glued to a ring of 5/8 " foam "caulk filler". The plates are set on a wire rack shelf so they get air all around and dry FAST. I also have a small fan in the room to circulate the air all around. I do all of this out in the barn with only cold water as there isn't a water heater out there. We have an old large sink that sits over the cow gutter. It drains directly into the gutter. If I do it in the house, my drains get clogged right away. The drying is in a small upstairs bedroom where I can keep the door closed so the cats don't spill/mix up the seeds. When I started doing my pepper seed saving, there were plenty of university bulletins out that advised against using "amature" seed as disease could be a problem. While my method isn't as vigorous as Tom's, personally I haven't seen much if any disease in my own saved seed. In fact if I have any problem at all in my greenhouse, it usually started in plants from commercially purchased seed. That has especially been the case with Bacterial Spot/Speck. For me, I'm processing 3-5 gallons of tomatoes / variety and I can do a bucket in about an hour +- and get 1-3+ ounces of seed when it's dry. I get 90-100% germination now and the seed is usually good for 3-5+ years. My understanding of the fermentation method is that it's used mainly to get the gel sack off the seeds. I've found that the agitation from the mixer blender does that fine. For small amounts instead of a lage bucket and the drill mixer, I use a tall container and a hand "imersion" blender. Handier than a big blender and it doesn't go fast enough that I have to worry about possibly cutting up the seeds. As far as the fermentation killing disease, that never made sense to me either. I also have a science background and I worked in a quality control lab for Campbell's for 8 years right out of high school before I married a farmer. I'm not trying to tell anyone how they should save their seed, just that there are other ways it can be done other than just by fermentation. Do what ever you are comfortable with and works well for you.