Seed Saving Handbook

This is a very important resource. Do keep it somewhere so you can find it. http://howtosaveseeds.com/index.php

Linda's Note: heirloom seeds are antiques.

• They are not modern hybrids, but come from the ancient plant stocks.  They are important because hybrids, although they may be prolific, extra-large, more colorful varieties, or whatever… tend to be more susceptible to disease and disaster. 
•  Additionally, hybrid seeds are either incapable of reproducing at all, or incapable of reproducing themselves. Each successive generation must be re-created in the laboratory garden or test tube.
• Today, it’s hard to know whether or not a seed, plant or crop is a natural one or whether or not it has been genetically altered. If you are concerned about the as yet unknown and untested consequences of genetically altered foods, you will want to grow your own from heirloom seeds.

Here is a brief synopsis

of some general information you need to know.

Why Save Seeds?

• Create new varieties adapted to your growing conditions, your tastes!
• Save money by saving your own seeds and/or trading with other seed-savers.
• Preserve the genetic diversity of our heirloom food plants.
• Empower your own personal breeding goals instead of the commercial goals of agribusiness seed breeders.
• Help retain plants' pest resistance.
• Feel satisfied, empowered, and connected.

Saving Seeds for Heirloom Preservation:

 The goal when you save heirloom seeds for preservation is to prevent any type of loss or change due to outside influence (such as crossing by other varieties, or adapting to your local gardening conditions). You want to preserve both the entire range of genetic traits, as well as the original balance of traits. Any selection for or against any of the variety's traits would result in a change in the variety's overall genetic composition.

The above information comes from the following site:

http://howtosaveseeds.com/index.php

Please be sure to go there for more detailed information on specific plants.