1. How to Save
Heirloom Tomato Seeds
for Planting Next Year

2. Introduction
Nowadays, more and more gardeners are
adapting the habit of saving their heirloom
tomato seeds. They do this for many
reasons—the first one being that it’s more
cost-ecological.
When you save heirloom tomato seeds for
planting next year, you won’t ever need to
get new seeds again. You can just store the
seeds from your harvests and then sow
them for the succeeding seasons.

3. Saving heirloom tomato seeds is also a
good way to cut back on gardening costs.
Rather than purchasing new seed packs
every season, you can just get some from
your own seed collection and save more
money in the long run.
This is ideal for the environment as well
since you’ll be reusing heirloom tomato
seeds from your own vegetable garden.
To learn how to save and store your
heirloom tomato seeds properly, go ahead
and follow the step-by-step directions
given in the next slides.

4. 8 Steps to Saving
Heirloom Tomato Seeds
for Planting Next Year

5. 1. Choose the Right Heirloom Tomatoes
Picking the right kind of tomatoes should
be your number-one priority because
this will bring you the best seeds. The
ones you should use are the best-looking
and best-tasting tomatoes from your
garden. Make sure that they’re also fully
ripe so you can get more seeds to save.

6. 2. Cut the Tomatoes Horizontally
Slicing them this way will easily expose
the tomato seeds.

7. 3. Put the Seeds & Gel into a Container
The next step is to scrape out all the
seeds (including the tomato gel) into a
container, preferably a glass jar. Add
labels to the jars such as the date and
tomato variety.

8. 4. Submerge the Tomato Seeds & Gel
Now, add an inch of water into the glass
jar to submerge the heirloom tomato
seeds and gel. In about 3-5 days, white
mold will grow on the surface which will
then isolate the seeds from the gel.

9. 5. Take Out the Water and the Excess Seeds
When mold starts to show, you’ll have to
empty the jar of water as well as any
excess seeds that are floating on the
surface. Keep the sunken seeds because
they’re ideal for saving.

10. 6. Rinse the Heirloom Tomato Seeds
Next, get a mesh strainer and begin
rinsing the sunken seeds gently. Use
running water to effectively remove the
leftover gel.

11. 7. Dry the Heirloom Tomato Seeds
For this seventh step, you’ll need to
spread out the seeds on a couple of
paper plates or paper towels to dry.
When the seeds easy slip off the plates,
it means they’re dry and ready for
storage.

12. 8. Preserve the Seeds in Ziploc Bags & Glass J
Once the heirloom tomato seeds are
completely dry, put them inside a Ziploc
bag and then place the bag in a tightly-
sealed glass jar. This will keep the seeds
fresh for a long, long time.
Remember to store the heirloom tomato
seeds in a cool, dry place (e.g. inside the
refrigerator) to further prolong the shelf
life of the seeds.

13. So that’s how to save heirloom tomato seeds for
planting next year. Just observe and repeat the
steps properly and you’ll get unlimited seed
access not just for the next season but also for
many years to come!

14. Thanks for watching!
To learn more about heirloom tomato seeds,
visit us at homeandgardenamerica.com