Saving Pepper Seeds

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Although pepper flowers are chasmogamous, some varieties have inserted stigmas and are more prone to self-pollination.
Although pepper flowers are chasmogamous, some varieties have inserted stigmas and are more prone to self-pollination.
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Of 29 sweet peppers evaluated at Seed Savers Exchange, 16 varieties had inserted stigmas and 13 varieties had exserted stigmas, such as this one (right). Exserted stigmas make a variety more prone to outcrossing.
Of 29 sweet peppers evaluated at Seed Savers Exchange, 16 varieties had inserted stigmas and 13 varieties had exserted stigmas, such as this one (right). Exserted stigmas make a variety more prone to outcrossing.
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Pepper cultivars vary in both their immature and mature fruit color, but all peppers undergo a color change when their seeds ripen.
Pepper cultivars vary in both their immature and mature fruit color, but all peppers undergo a color change when their seeds ripen.
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The seeds of large-fruited peppers are easily extracted simply by cutting open the fruits and scraping the mature seeds away from the cores.
The seeds of large-fruited peppers are easily extracted simply by cutting open the fruits and scraping the mature seeds away from the cores.
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Filled with advice for the home gardener and the seasoned horticulturist alike, “The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving” provides straightforward instruction on collecting seed that is true-to-type.
Filled with advice for the home gardener and the seasoned horticulturist alike, “The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving” provides straightforward instruction on collecting seed that is true-to-type.

The Seed Garden (Seed Savers Exchange, 2015) by Micaela Colley & Jared Zystro and edited by Lee Buttala & Shanyn Siegel brings together decades of research and hands-on experience to teach both novice gardeners and seasoned horticulturists how to save the seeds of their favorite vegetable varieties.

You can purchase this book from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store: The Seed Garden.

From sweet bell peppers and mild poblanos to jalapeños and fiery habaneros, an amazing diversity of peppers can be grown in the vegetable garden. Five domesticated species in the genus Capsicum are grown for their edible and ornamental fruits. Understanding their relationship to one another is crucial for the production of true-to-type seeds. Of the five species, three of them—Capsicum annuum, Capsicum frutescens, and Capsicum chinense—are generally interfertile and are collectively known as the Capsicum annuum complex. They are able to cross-pollinate and so require isolation from each other. The other two species are less popular among gardeners. Of these two, Capsicum baccatum may cross-pollinate with plants of the Capsicum annuum complex, but Capsicum pubescens will reproduce only with members of its own species. Because it is relatively simple to isolate peppers by containment, gardeners often save seeds of many pepper varieties in one season.

Crop Types

Peppers are primarily grown for their edible fruits, which are consumed either while green and immature or after they have ripened. Additionally, dried peppers can be ground into spices, such as Hungarian paprika and chili powder. Peppers were originally classified into species based on morphology and flower color was used at one time as part of the process of identifying Capsicum species, but these physical characteristics do not correspond well to the sexual compatibility of the different pepper types. Most domesticated peppers have purple flowers, solid white flowers, or white flowers with yellow spots.

  • Published on Nov 2, 2015
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