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Pepper is a rather thermophilic vegetable. But still, many gardeners manage to grow it even in the most inappropriate conditions. They find varieties that grow well in greenhouse conditions or even outdoors. To continue growing their favorite varieties of this tasty and aromatic vegetable, gardeners collect seeds on their own. Correctly harvested seed retains all the positive properties and characteristics. Let's see how to collect pepper seeds at home.
Plant selection
A good pepper grows only from those seeds that were collected from a beautiful and strong bush. Here are some things to consider when choosing the right plant:
- keep in mind that cross-pollination can occur, so plant different varieties far from each other. Also, in no case grow hot and sweet peppers nearby. The distance between the beds should be at least 1 meter;
- select 2 shrubs of each variety for collection, since there is always a chance that one of them can get sick;
- consider how the vegetables are located on the bush, how strongly varietal characteristics are manifested in them;
- start picking bushes in the middle of the growing season so that you have time to observe the development and ripening of fruits.
Fruit selection
After choosing the plants, you need to start choosing the specific fruits that will give the best seeds. At the same time, we take into account:
- choose the peppers that are on the bush from the first to the third level. These should be the first ripe fruits, they are usually larger and stronger. You can take those that were formed later, but then the germination and yield will significantly decrease;
- choose the largest and ripest vegetable. It must have the perfect color, shape and size;
- you cannot take unripe fruits for these purposes;
- you can pick an almost ripe vegetable and leave it to ripen indoors. Such fruits have better properties, and as a result, the seeds will sprout and grow faster.
How to collect pepper seeds
Much also depends on the seed preparation process. Only large ripe vegetables without defects are picked. Further, they need to be left for a while for ripening. This can last for a week, or maybe a month, depending on the size of the vegetable and the climatic conditions.
When the surface of the fruit is wrinkled and soft, it is a sign that the seeds can be removed. To do this, an incision is made around the stalk, after which you can get the seeds from the pepper. The remains are easily shaken out of the fetus. Pour the seed from each vegetable onto a separate saucer and be sure to sign right away.
Saucers with seeds are again placed on a dry warm place until they are completely dry. In this form, the seed should stand for another 2 weeks. Each vegetable can contain from 100 to 150 seeds. And from each kilogram of pepper it will be possible to collect up to 8 grams of dry seeds.
If you handle a lot of vegetables, use a respirator as well. Wash your hands immediately with soap and water.
Seed storage
In order for the seeds to be well preserved, you need to create the necessary conditions for this:
- So that the seeds do not lose their germination, they are removed in a cool place with a low level of humidity.Solar radiation should not get there. You can also store them at room temperature, but the room must be dry.
- The seeds are placed in paper envelopes or boxes. They also include the name of the variety and the year they were harvested.
- Under the right conditions, seeds can be stored for at least 2 or 3 years. But annual peppers sprout and grow best of all.
Conclusion
You can easily collect the seed yourself. As you can see, for this you just need to collect ripe fruits, and then dry them and extract the seeds. Thus, you will not need to spend money on purchased material every year. And you will know exactly which variety you will grow, its characteristic features and taste.
