How to collect cucumber seeds correctly

Buying garden planting stock is incredibly easy these days: you can shop online, at a traditional gardening store, or even join a group buying forum to make sure you're investing wisely. But sometimes you have to resort to old-fashioned methods. We'll tell you and show you how to properly collect cucumber seeds at home.

Why prepare vegetable seeds at all?

— There are sometimes unscrupulous seed producers: instead of high-quality planting material, they palm off defective ones. At best, defective seeds grow into hybrids or even unpromised plant varieties, and at worst, they fail to germinate at all. If you regularly fall victim to such traders, it's best to stock up on your own seeds, not just for cucumbers but for other vegetables as well.

Sometimes you like a store-bought variety, but you've already thrown away the seed packet and don't remember the manufacturer's name. So, you risk not finding seeds of the same quality for that variety. There's a solution: collect the seeds of the best-selling fruit, and you're guaranteed to get seeds of that plant!

Take a look Photos and descriptions of cucumber varieties for open ground.

In some gardening communities, exchanging "homegrown" seeds is a tradition. It's like sharing your own preserves or giving your friends hand-knitted socks. So, if your neighbors at your dacha can talk for hours about seedlings and watering, consider making them a gift—prepare some cucumber seeds and present them with a smile!
Which cucumbers are suitable for harvesting seeds?

The seeds of regular green cucumbers aren't yet firm enough to be harvested for the following season. Therefore, only overripe, brown, cracked-skinned cucumbers are suitable. These are the ones that are often "forgotten" in the garden, and then left unused.

The number of seeds in a cucumber depends on its variety. However, if you want to harvest seeds for yourself or to share with a neighbor, one or two cucumbers will be enough.

How to properly collect cucumber seeds at home

1. First, make sure you have a countertop or table surface: cucumbers are watery vegetables, so you risk spilling liquid on your work surface. So, over a cutting board or a table lined with paper, cut an overripe, brown cucumber in half.

2. Using a teaspoon, remove the seeds from both cucumber halves and place them in a bowl.

3. Then transfer the seeds to a sheet of paper, being careful not to scoop up excess moisture with a spoon. Spread the seeds evenly over the sheet to allow them to dry faster. Place the paper with the seeds in a dry place for 24 hours. A hot radiator or oven is not suitable for this purpose: the seeds need to dry out, not fry.

4. After 24 hours, you will receive dried cucumber seeds.

5. Now they need to be sorted by hand to determine which ones are suitable for planting and which are not. It's simple: the plump seeds are suitable for further use, while the very flat ones should be discarded. After sorting, the seeds should be placed in a dry container—a jar, a matchbox, or a homemade paper "pocket."

Harvesting cucumber seeds is quite simple! You'll get plenty of planting material for next season, save money, and, of course, you can share this seed with your favorite neighbors!
By the way, the seeds of zucchini, squash, melons and watermelons are harvested using the same principle.
Well, and of course, you need to know, How to germinate cucumber seeds before planting.