Seed Library

We are very excited the garden now has a seed library for garden members.

You don’t need a library card to take seeds.

Borrow some seeds from our seed library. Please don’t take more than 2 packets per household at a time to ensure enough for everyone. Availability will vary depending on the season - sometime there will be plenty while other times few or none.

Sprout your seeds and grow them into mature plants. When the plants are mature - save the seeds!

Once you have dried your seeds out completely donate them back to the library.

How to save seeds (information from ABC Gardening Australia):

What you’ll need:

·         Snips or secateurs

·         Brown paper bags

·         Pencil

What you do:

There are three main types of seeds in most vegie gardens:

·         Plants with seeds in seeds in pods like peas and beans

·         Plants with small dry seeds like parsley and basil and

·         Seeds in fleshy fruits, such as tomatoes and tamarillos.

Collecting from pods

Seeds will be ready to harvest when pods are brown, full and dry. Simply snip off the pod, open it up to check beans are undamaged, and put them in a bag.

Collecting small dry seeds

Don’t let the seed get too ripe of it will drop off. Pick it when it’s brown but not quite ripe - you can either tie a bag around the seed head or pick the head and putt it in a bag - but make sure it’s a paper bag, not plastic, which will make it sweat and go mouldy.  You can also wait for seed to fully ripen, pick it off the head and broadcast around the garden to make sure of a crop the following season.

Collecting seeds from fleshy fruits

Choose fruits with good colour, which is a good indicator of ripeness; the fruit should also be soft. Cut the fruit open, scoop the seeds into a sieve and wash, removing as much flesh as possible. Put the clean seeds on a dry tea towel or piece of kitchen paper to dry.

Storing seeds

Seeds must be fully dry to avoid rotting - peg them on a string by a window to make sure they’re dry. Remove any excess vegetation. Store cleaned seed in a jar or plastic bag - add some raw rice to ensure they stay dry.

Always remember to label bags and jars with the crop name and date!!

Remember that some plants can cross-pollinate, producing seeds that will grow into plants different to their parents. This is especially common in corn, cucurbits (zucchini and pumpkin) and brassicas.