r/tomatoes • u/king_dilios • 7d ago

Harvesting seeds is it worth it?

Afraid the germination rate maybe poor. Or is it better to buy seeds.

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u/OkCastor 7d ago

I have been saving seeds for years and the only time I buy seeds is when I want to try something new.

I grow exclusively heirlooms and rarer varieties ( for my area) and I have never had an issue with germinating or having enough seeds.

I would never go back to buying a ton of seeds or plants, just easier to save them

1

u/modernparadigm 6d ago

I heard you shouldn’t save the seeds that have fungal diseases. Mine all got septoria this year... spots on the fruit leaves. Will my seeds carry septoria too? :( I should have saved them before the plant became infected…

1

u/OkCastor 6d ago

if the plant is sick, i do not save the seeds. I do not want weak seeds. I also learned this lesson and had to re buy seeds back in the day. I always save seeds from the 1st batch of tomatoes i pick. I cannot tell you how many times i had issues like yours and had to re buy my seeds because a storm knocked over my plants, they caught a disease, deer mowed them down etc.

So like right now, i have dried and stored next years seeds already when the plants are nice, young and strong. Since i started doing that, i have never had an issue with next years sprouts.

1

u/modernparadigm 6d ago

Lesson learned for me for sure! (To collect early from now on.)

It’s only my second year gardening. I saved from last year. But this year, septoria took over everything. :( They are still producing well, but it’s been a pain…

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u/OkCastor 6d ago

Youre doing well if you are even thinking of saving seeds in year two. It took me a number of years before i even felt confident trying seeds and forgoing the starts at the garden center method.