Save Seeds, Save Money: Harvest, Dry and Store Seeds from This Year’s Favorite Heirloom Plants

Freshly harvested heirloom seeds need proper drying and cool, dry storage to stay viable for future gardens. A few labeled envelopes today can lead to another season of favorite vegetables and flowers while cutting gardening costs – Shutterstock

Saving seeds from favorite heirloom plants stretches a gardening budget while preserving varieties that earned a permanent place in the garden. A handful of carefully collected seeds can grow into baskets of tomatoes, colorful flowers, or crisp beans next season without another trip to the garden center. Better yet, seed saving turns the end of the growing season into one last satisfying harvest instead of a simple cleanup.

With a little patience and the right techniques, those tiny packages of potential stay healthy and ready for planting when spring finally rolls around.