Learn how to harvest and store seeds for the next growing season

The Stillwater Public Library (SPL) and the Payne County Extension Office are hosting a program on harvesting and storing seeds on Thursday, Sept. 19. The program will take place at 6 p.m. at the Horticulture Education Center at the Botanic Garden at OSU located at 3300 W. Sixth St. Registration is required as space is limited.

Program attendees will learn about different types of seeds, when and how to harvest them and best practices for storing them so that they are viable for the next growing season.  

Laura Payne, horticulture educator with the Payne County Extension Office, will present the program.

“Whether you have the perfect tasting tomatoes or the most beautiful zinnias, saving those seeds for the next year can be a fun and rewarding experience,” Payne said. “In the program, we will go over the many ways to save your garden seeds.”

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac’s website, some seeds store longer than others and must be prepared differently to hold over until planting time. Methods such as hanging corn, drying seeds on paper towels to lay in the garden and reusing baby food jars are some of the many options for storing seeds.

Brenna Gilchrist, adult services librarian, already saves some seeds from her garden but is looking forward to learning more.

“I save pumpkin and cantaloupe seeds most years,” Gilchrist said. “I can’t wait to find out which seeds should be planted in the spring and which to scatter in the fall.”

Those who can’t make the program or who want to do a little research before attending can check out some of the books that the library has available. A few recommended titles include:

• “The Book of Seeds: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from Around the World” (631.52 BOO)
• “The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses, & Pips, Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History” by Thor Hanson (581.4 HAN)
• Starting Seeds: How to Grow Healthy, Productive Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers from Seed” by Barbara W. Ellis (631.5 ELL)
• “The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds” by Robert E. Gough (eBook)

The library also hosts the Payne County Master Gardeners’ Seed Library for anyone looking to start a garden. Community members can stop by anytime the library is open to pick out seeds. Seeds can also be donated to the Seed Library by sending them to Laura Payne at 315 W. Sixth St., Suite 103, Stillwater, OK 74074.

Anyone interested in registering can sign up at tinyurl.com/SPLSeeds, by contacting the Help Desk at (405) 372-3633 x8106 or by emailing at askalibrarian@stillwaterok.gov.

The Stillwater Public Library is located at 1107 S. Duck St. Library hours are Monday- Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.