Heirloom seeds what to do.

Heirloom seeds are seeds that have been passed down through generations because of their unique and desirable characteristics. To create heirloom seeds, you’ll need to follow specific steps to maintain the purity of the plant variety. Here’s a basic guide on how to make heirloom seeds:

1. Select the Right Plants: Choose a plant variety that you want to save as heirloom seeds. It’s essential to start with healthy, disease-free, and vigorous plants that exhibit the desired traits you want to preserve.
2. Isolate Varieties: To prevent cross-pollination with other varieties, you should isolate the plant you want to save as an heirloom. This typically involves growing the plant away from other varieties of the same species, with enough distance or barriers to prevent pollen transfer.
3. Save Seeds from the Best Plants: Choose the best-performing plants in terms of growth, yield, taste, or any other characteristic you value. Collect seeds from these plants only, as they are most likely to pass on the desirable traits.
4. Allow Seeds to Mature: Let the fruits or seed pods fully mature on the plant. For some plants, this might involve waiting until they start to dry out or turn brown.
   
5. Harvest and Clean Seeds: Harvest the mature fruits or seed pods and carefully extract the seeds. For many plants, you can simply open the fruit or pod and collect the seeds. Rinse and clean the seeds to remove any remaining pulp or debris.
6. Dry Seeds: Lay the cleaned seeds on a paper towel or tray and allow them to air-dry for a few weeks. Ensure they are completely dry before storing to prevent mold and rot.
7. Label and Store: Label the seeds with the plant variety, date of harvest, and any specific information about the parent plants. Store the seeds in a cool, dark, and dry place in a sealed container like a glass jar or airtight bag. Proper storage can help maintain seed viability.
8. Share and Preserve: The key to heirloom seeds is sharing them with other gardeners and continuing to grow and save them year after year. This helps preserve the genetic diversity and unique characteristics of the variety.
9. Regular Maintenance: To maintain the purity of the heirloom variety, you should continue to isolate the plants from other varieties and select seeds from the best-performing plants each year.
10. Record Keeping: Maintain detailed records of your seed-saving efforts, noting any changes or adaptations in the plant variety over time. This information can be valuable for future generations.

By following these steps and being diligent in your seed-saving efforts, you can contribute to the preservation of heirloom plant varieties and ensure that their unique characteristics are passed down to future generations.  Then next year you can start off a whole new series of plants.