Saving Basil Seeds

Saving Basil seeds is easy!  After the plant produces those pretty little white flowers along the stems at the top, you will see them began to turn brown and form circles around the stem.

Here is a stem that is ready to harvest for seeds.

I pinch my thumb and forefinger together over the base of the stem and slide them up the stem over a bowl.  All of the seed pods will drop into the bowl.  You  might want to wear gloves if you are going to be doing a lot….blisters will form!  You also will want to wear gloves if it bothers you to have stained fingers for a day or two.

Here is what came off of the stem above….note the stained fingers!

You can then, if you are only saving a few, break open each seed pod like so

Out of each seed pods comes

Pretty little basil seeds!

If you only need to grow a couple of plants you are done…however, I like lots of basil and grow quite a bit.  I also grow to sell.  Each spring I contract with people who want their garden starts to be organic.  They tell me what they want and I start all of their plants for them.  I also grow herbs to sell.  I need lots of seeds!

So, if you need more seeds,  keep placing the seed pods into a bowl until you are done.  I ended up with a lot!

Now, the thought of cracking all of those seed pods by hand was a bit daunting.  Who has the time?  So, what I have done over the years is to put them into a zip lock bag and either smack them with a meat mallet or use a rolling pin.  This year I opted for the rolling pin.

I roll over the bag many times.  Then I begin to dump the contents of the zip lock into a mesh strainer over a bowl a little at a time.  Don’t put in too much…or you will make it hard to do the next step!

Begin to gently shake the strainer or tap it against the bowl.  I sat and had a pleasant conversation with my Mom while I shook this strainer.  When you aren’t seeing any more seed drop…dump the strainer (save for the compost bin!) and add some more.  Keep going until you have worked your way through the entire bag.

The fruits of your labor will begin to gather in the bottom of the bowl.  I ended up with about 1/3 cup of basil seeds….plenty for next year!

The neat thing about saving seeds, if you do it every year, is that you will be saving seeds from plants that are learning to acclimate to your garden.  Each year your plants will become stronger and healthier.  This shows me that our Father definitely planned it this way!

Yes, it is easier to buy seeds, but why spend the money if you can save your own?  This only takes a few minutes and the rewards are many…saving money, self-sufficiency, better plants next year….go for it!

We’ve been saving seed from many things…peppers (all kinds), tomatoes, herbs, watermelons, beans (all kinds) and more!

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!