9 Seed Saving Supplies You Might Need (and Where to Find Them)
If you save seeds from your garden, you’ll know that seed saving supplies can be very hard to find! This is a round up of different types of seed saving supplies, why you would need them, and where to find them!
Some seed saving supplies that will be covered in this article:
- Blossom Bags
- Supplies for Caging
- Supplies for Taping
- Supplies for Bagging
- Seed Cleaning Screens
- Corn Shellers
- Seed Packets
- Silica Gel
- Seed Saving Reference Books
Disclaimer: this page contains affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Do You Really Need All This to Save Seeds?
Do you really need all this to save seeds? Absolutely not!
You can get started saving seeds with no special tools. The supplies discussed here are for more advanced seed saving techniques and easier seed processing. They will be especially helpful if you are growing larger quantities of seed.
Confession: I don’t use, or even own, all these supplies!
With each of the seed saving supplies listed here, you’ll find notes on why you would need them.
Some of these supplies can also be scavenged, improvised and made at home with materials you already have.
1: Blossom Bags for Seed Saving
Why would you need these? Blossom bags are useful for self-pollinated crops that can accidentally be crossed by insects. They are most commonly used for tomatoes and peppers. This is one of the most basic seed saving supplies you will probably want for saving pure seeds.
Tomatoes and peppers don’t require insects for pollination, but some varieties can be accidentally crossed by insects when they are grown near each other.
Tomatoes are more likely to cross if they are older heirlooms, potato-leaf varieties or currants. All types of peppers can be crossed with each other.
A blossom bag simply keeps the bugs away from the flowers until the fruit starts to form. Blossom bags should be added before a flower cluster opens its buds.
It’s an inexpensive, but valuable addition to your seed saving supplies!
Where to Find Blossom Bags:
You can find real blossom bags right here at the Seed Savers Exchange: Blossom Bags.
They charge $5 plus shipping for 10 reusable blossom bags.
As an alternative, you can also use organza gift bags, available on Amazon or from your local craft store:
2: Seed Saving Supplies for Caging
Why would you need these? Caging is a more advanced seed saving technique used to keep insect-pollinated crops from crossing with each other.
Historically, there was usually just one variety of a vegetable grown in a region, so no one cared if their variety crossed with a neighbor’s.
Now, with so many unique vegetable cultivars available, you might not want yours to cross with someone else’s. Caging is also used to keep related plants, such as the cabbage family, from crossing, to save seeds from two different varieties, or to prevent crossing with wild plants.
Some examples include:
- Carrots – carrots can cross with other varieties, or with wild carrots flowering half a mile away.
- Parsnips
- Broccoli, Cauliflower, European Kale, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts and Kohlrabi – all of these cabbage family crops can cross with each other if they are flowering at the same time within about 1/2 mile of each other.
- Onions
- Leeks
- Radishes
- Many herbs and flowers
If two different varieties are being grown near each other, but don’t flower at the same time, they cannot cross and caging is unneccesary.
Plants that are caged will require hand-pollination every day by rubbing the flower heads together gently or using a large artist’s brush to transfer pollen from one plant to another. Commercial farms sometimes release insects inside large cages to do this job!
Where to Find Supplies for Caging:
At the time of this writing, there aren’t any retailers selling cages. To implement caging, you’ll have to build one yourself!
A cage needs a frame and some type of mesh to keep insects out.
You can build a frame out of scrap wood, wire, or other recycled materials. It should be large enough to fit the flowering plants (typically 2-5′ tall, but parsnips can reach 6′ or more!).
For the mesh, you can use any fine material that lets in light and air, but excludes bugs. Window screen can be recycled, or you can use floating row cover or a lightweight cloth.
The important part about a cage is that it keeps insects out!
3: Taping Supplies
Why would you need to tape? Taping is a method of hand-pollination used for large flowers. It is most common for Cucurbits (squash, cucumbers and melons.)
You can find inscructions on how to hand-pollinate with taping right here: How to Save Squash Seeds.
Taping is an easy technique for any level of seed saver. All you need is a roll of masking tape!
4: Supplies for Bagging
Why would you need to use bagging? Bagging is most commonly used to keep two different kinds of corn from crossing, since corn pollen can travel by wind for miles. It can also be used to keep sunflower varieties pure, and for some smaller wind-pollinated crops such as beets and spinach.
Where to Find Supplies for Bagging:
The Seed Savers Exchange sells bags for specifically for saving seeds from corn. You’ll need both tassel bags and shoot bags. They also have instructions on the website for using them.
Alternatives to Tassel and Shoot Bags:
Real tassel and shoot bags can get expensive, but you can also use plain old brown paper bags. The disadvantage is that they will need to be checked if they get wet and might need to be replaced.
I usually use plain brown paper lunch bags for tassels and brown liquor bags for shoots (recycled bags are great too!).
5: Seed Cleaning Screens
Why would you need these seed saving supplies? Seed cleaning screens are used for dry seeds to remove debris.
Do I need to buy seed cleaning screens? You can absolutely improvise, build your own, or do without! Mesh kitchen strainers can be used, it’s just harder to get the perfect sizes. But for those of you who would like to use actual seed cleaning screens, here are some options:
Option #1: Southern Exposure Seed Exchange offers a set of five 11″ unframed screens in different sizes for $30. This is a really economical way to get the right sized screens. The set includes instructions to build your own frames.
5 Unframed Seed Cleaning Screens -$30
Option #2: Alternately, you can buy a set of 8 complete, ready-to-use seed saving screens from Strictly Medicinal Herbs.
8 Cedar Framed Seed Cleaning Screens-$199
#6 Corn Sheller
Why would you need a corn sheller? Seed corn can be shelled by simply rubbing two ears of dry corn together over a bowl. But if you are going to be shelling a lot of corn, a simple corn sheller is a really handy tool to save time and save your hands. It’s inexpensive, too!
#7 Seed Packets
Whether you purchase some or make your own, seed packets are one of the most basic seed saving supplies you will need.
Seed packets are a must-have for proper seed storage, and to keep different varieties separated!
And in case you are wondering, no, ziplock baggies are not a good alternative. Unless you have taken special steps to dehydrate seeds for long term storage, your seeds need to breathe!
The good news is, you don’t have to buy seed envelopes every year. Seed packets can be recycled, and you can also make your own!
Where to Find Seed Saving Envelopes:
Free Printable Seed Envelopes:
#8 Silica Gel
Why would you need silica gel? Silica gel is used to dehydrate seeds for long term storage, or if you live in a humid climate. It is most often used for larger seeds such as corn and beans.
You can read more about seed storage here.
Where to Find Silica Gel for Seed Saving:
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#9 Seed Saving Reference Books
Whether you are just starting out, or are an experienced seed saver, a good seed saving reference book is a must-have! These are my top recommendations, having personally read a wide variety of seed saving books!
Seed Saving Books for Everyone:
The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving – Seed Savers Exchange
If you are a serious reader, you will love this huge book from the Seed Savers Exchange! Packed full of accurate information, I love how many pictures are included!
The first 1/3 of the book has general seed saving information, while the remainder goes into detail with pictures of individual plants. Each plant profile has a handy reference box summarizing the most important information for seed savers, and making it a valuable reference book!
We highly recommend The Seed Garden for all seed savers!
Seed to Seed – Suzanne Ashworth
This is a classic, no-nonsense, reference book for saving seeds from garden vegetables. It’s been around for many years and still has accurate, well-organized information.
The book goes through all the basics of saving seeds, and has individual vegetables organized by family.
In Seed to Seed, you’ll find information such as how plants are pollinated, which vegetables can cross with each other, annuals vs biennials, specific advice for various US regions, and much more!
This is a must have when it comes to seed saving supplies!
For Advanced Seed Savers:
Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties – Carol Deppe
Plant genetics are very complex! If you are interested in breeding plants and creating your own brand new varieties, I would highly recommend the book, Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties, by Carol Deppe.
This book is great for anyone who likes science and wants to really get serious about plant genetics. It is not for those who are casually interested in saving seeds (if this is you, you might want to check out our online seed saving course that makes seed saving simple for beginners!)
For Beginning Seed Savers:
And, just for beginning seed savers….
If you are overwhelmed by everything you need to know about saving seeds... Don’t worry, that’s completely normal, and we can help!
There is so much to learn, and the information can get so confusing!
But we have created a simple online seed saving course that takes you through everything you need to know to save seeds from your garden. The course is organized into a simple, visual and easy to follow format that can be completed in as little as an afternoon!
Along with the course, you’ll get downloadable reference charts for more than 20 garden vegetables to make it easy to remember what you learn! You’ll also get access to our private Facebook group where you can post pictures and ask questions!
Who is this course for? Anyone who wants to learn how to save seeds from their garden!
Who is the course not for? All those now experienced seed savers who wasted years of time and effort figuring it out on their own.
Happy Seed Saving!
-Kait
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