DarkGrowSeed Bank

Catalogue

Seed saving · 14 protocols

Save it properly

A crop-by-crop protocol for every species we carry. The single biggest variable is life cycle — an annual saves in one season, a biennial needs a winter first, and getting that wrong costs you a year.

Seed saving is mostly three things: maturity, dryness, and isolation. The first two are technique and the third is planning. This page takes each crop in turn and sets out which of the three will catch you.

Annual crops

9 protocols

Seed in the same season. The easiest group to start with.

CropLife cycleIsolationSeed life

Lettuce Annual 3–6 m 3–4 years Tomato Annual 3–10 m 4–6 years Pepper Annual (tender perennial) 30–60 m 3–4 years Beans Annual 3–5 m (often unnecessary) 4–6 years Peas Annual 3–5 m (often unnecessary) 4–6 years Squash & courgette Annual 500 m–1 km, or bagging 4–6 years Cucumber Annual 500 m–1 km, or bagging 5–10 years Melon Annual 500 m–1 km, or bagging 5–8 years Aubergine Annual 30–50 m 4–6 years

Biennial crops

3 protocols

Need a winter before they flower. Plan a year ahead.

CropLife cycleIsolationSeed life

Brassicas Biennial (oleracea) / often annual (rapa) 800 m–1.6 km, or time separation 4–5 years Root crops Biennial (carrot, beet, turnip) / annual (radish) 500 m–1 km 3–4 years Alliums Biennial (onion, leek) / perennial (chives) 800 m–1.6 km 1–2 years

Other

2 protocols

Varies by species — read the individual protocol.

CropLife cycleIsolationSeed life

Herbs Annual / biennial / perennial — varies 150 m–800 m 2–5 years Microgreens Harvested before flowering n/a Use fresh

Isolation figures are the minimums used to keep a line true. Wind-pollinated crops need far more than insect-pollinated ones. See the isolation guide.

DarkGrow forum

What came true for you?

Germination rates, crossed lines, seed that failed. Post it — saved-seed results are the most useful thing on the forum.

Open the forum → Start a discussion

Growing it first?

Every crop here has a full cultivation guide — sowing, feeding, pollination, harvest.

Growing guides Isolation distances