ASCOT Library Zabali Campus

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- Process of Seed Saving -- Pollination of Seeds -- Hybrid Varieties and Saving Seed -- General Rules of Seed Sowing -- Seed Dispersal -- Seed Quality -- Vegetable Seed Production -- Seed in Flowering Plant -- Drying Methods of Seed -- Seed Treatments -- Determining for Seed Collection -- Seed Dormancy -- Angiosperm Seed Development -- Storage Conditions and Ageing of Seeds.

"Seeds from biennial crops such as carrots or beats are harder to save since the plants need two growing, seasons to set seed. Saving seed from your own vegetable garden to plant next year is a great way to save money. But it's also a way to preserve heirloom and open-pollinated varieties of plants and thus contribute to the stability of both your personal and our collective food system. Planning a garden involves deciding what crops to plant, how to efficiently use your space, and correctly timing of planting each crop. With a little extra planning, you can have a garden that provides a bountiful harvest of both produce and seeds. Whether you are planning a large backyard garden or have only a small garden plot, these tips and strategies will get your planting efforts off on the right foot. Saving seed from one year to plant the next is an age-old tradition, it may sound like extra work but the results can be extremely rewarding and save you money in the process. Saving vegetable seeds can help preserve the particular variety you are growing (for example if you are growing an heirloom variety). It can also help vegetables adapt to the local conditions in which they are grown and this can increase yields. Saving seeds at the end of the gardening season is economical and can ensure access to your favorite plant varieties. A seed is the ripened ovule of gymnosperm or angiosperm plants. The importance of the seed relative to more primitive forms of reproduction and dispersal is attested to by the Success of these two groups of plants in dominating the landscape."--Back cover