Cut the cucumbers lengthwise to expose their seed. They are considered wet seeds. Then, gently place the pollen onto the stigma in the center of the female flower. Scoop the pulp contents into a small bowl or mason jar, then add enough room-temperature water to cover the pulp and seeds, which will help remove their gel coating. Non-viable seeds will float to the top, the rest will sink. By selecting seeds from plants with the best qualities, you can tailor the specific conditions in your garden, allowing for a fruitful harvest for years to come. If stored properly, your cucumber seeds will remain viable for 10 years. Cucumber seeds will last up to 5 years in proper storage – to be safe, plant them and save seeds again as often as possible! The good news is, a monster zucchini full of mature seeds can still be eaten, cored and stuffed. First, pick the cucumber from the vine using either your hand or a pair of gardening sheers if the vine is too thick. 3. Store dry seeds in a cool garage that is frost-free. If you’re dealing with plants that have tiny seed-producing flowers such as basil, snip the entire stalk to let the seeds fall naturally into an envelope or container. Use the scissors, knife or bamboo sticks from your collecting kit to harvest the ripe seeds. If you save seeds from a hybrid variety and replant them, you likely won't get any cucumbers. This can take anywhere from 1 to 3 days, and will smell like a gently fermenting cucumber salad. Squashes and cucumbers cannot cross pollinate. When you happen upon a cucumber, yellowing and past its prime, take it as a learning opportunity. It’s actually a pretty cool idea. Hybrid plants are created by cross-breeding select “parent plants” with desirable characteristics. Place seeds on a paper towel or screen until they are thoroughly dry. If you have done your research on open-pollinated varieties and heirlooms well ahead of planting time, you’ll know that hybrids are to be avoided if you would like to save any sort of seeds for the following garden season. The seeds will need to ferment to remove the outer coating on the seeds. At this point you can safely remove the bags from all your cucumber plantsâjust make sure you keep the female fruit tagged so you remember to harvest it for seed and it doesn't end up in a salad by mistake. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. There are seeds inside, ready to be saved. Step 7 – Label and store your saved cucumber seeds in an envelope, breathable cotton bag or a glass jar in a cool, dry place. Step 6 – Place seeds on a paper towel or screen until they are thoroughly dry. This is a good indication that fermentation is occurring, which further rids the seeds of their gel coating and separates poor seeds (the floating seeds) from the viable ones (the sunken seeds). Leave them in the water until the pulp separates from each individual seed. Furthermore, it is useful to know that cucumbers are both wind and insect pollinated and it just so happens that cucumbers can be hand pollinated when necessary, just like squash and pumpkins. Some seeds are easier to save than others. (By comparison, a cucumber or zucchini must go long past ripeness, ... Mr. Greene advised, save its seed, in case supply is short. (See : How To Save Heirloom Tomato Seeds) And once all of your vegetable seeds are saved and stored, you will be armed and ready for planting your garden next year – with zero expense! To remove the seed, cut into quarters lengthwise, avoiding the core, and pull apart. Here’s our tutorial for saving tomato seeds so you can try it for yourself. Once dry, store the seeds in an air-tight storage bag or a Mason jar and label them for next year's sowing. The same holds true for almost any other trait. The hard brown seeds should be obvious. Read More. You find a chart listing how long seeds last, as well as seed storage tips right here! Bring them inside and store them in a dry spot out of direct sunlight until the cucumber softens. To pollinate the flowers you'll harvest for seeds, first use a small brush to collect the pollen from a bagged male cucumber flower. A Couple Points to Consider. Once all (or at least the majority of) your seeds have sunk, add additional water to the container to clean them. Tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas are good choices for seed saving. All of your seed saving expertise will be in vain if you try to save hybrid seeds. Leave the seeds in there for a total of three days. Remove the good seed and spread them on a screen or on paper towels to dry thoroughly. Put the harvested seeds into a large bowl, and add an equal amount of water. The first step is to choose your best-looking tomatoes. That being said, some so-called hybrid seed is not really hybrid, or at least from parents that are not that different, and the offspring of these will be very like the parents. For successful seed saving, you must assure seed purity. Place the seeds in a bowl, or jar, and cover the seeds with water. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It would be nice if it was as simple as scooping them out, washing and drying them off. In order to save seeds from cucumbers, you must let them thoroughly ripen on the vine. Squeeze or spoon the seed mass into a waterproof container (glass, jar, plastic cup, or deli container). They have flowers that are self-pollinating and seeds that require little or no special treatment before storage. If you save seeds from a hybrid, the next generation reverts to the various parents. Seeds from biennial crops such as carrots or beets are harder to save since the plants need two growing seasons to set seed. Once you have your garden planted, you’ll want to be sure not to accidentally eat all of your seed crops! Currently she is homesteading in northern Romania, amidst charming haystacks, with her husband and homeschooled daughter. This may make for a lovely green, uniform, well formed cucumber, but it comes with a caveat: seeds saved from hybrids are often sterile. Mark 1 or 2 early good fruits on each plant to leave for seed, and then pick and eat later fruits. Leave them in the water until the pulp separates from each individual seed. They need to be pollinated by insects or the wind (or hand-pollinated by the gardener) in order to set fruit. Once approximately three days have passed, you'll notice that some of the seeds have begun to sink to the bottom of the container. Also, be aware that some seeds can transmit disease. Follow the same process with the adjacent male flowers, making sure to tag the bags that contain the female blossoms so you can easily identify them later as the ones you'll harvest for seeds. Place the container in the freezer for two days to kill any residual pests and then store in a cool, dry place such as the refrigerator. Step 7 – Label and store your saved cucumber seeds in an envelope, breathable cotton bag or a glass jar in a cool, dry place. 5. A dark closet in a cooler part of the house or a dry, cool basement are both good spaces to store seeds for a year or two. Saving cucumber seeds ensures you have the same plant for next season. By using The Spruce, you accept our, How to Save Lettuce Seeds From Your Garden, Growing Cucumbers of All Shapes and Sizes, How to Save Tomato Seeds to Grow Next Year, How to Save Beans to Plant in Next Year's Garden, Seed Saving - Quick Tips for Saving Your Garden Favorites. To remove this sack, place the seeds in a dish and cover with water. 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