Many urban gardeners save seeds to ensure the consistent quality of their fruits and vegetables for future planting, while also saving money and increasing self-reliance.

One such gardener is Anupama Desai, who prefers to harvest seeds from her own plants to ensure their healthiness. She offers 10 simple strategies for preserving seeds for the next planting season.

You can effectively store seeds from fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, muskmelon, sponge gourd (galka), pumpkin, field beans, and cucumber (kakdi).

For fruit plants like watermelon and muskmelon that thrive on terraces, clean the seeds thoroughly and allow them to dry on tissue paper.

For vegetables like cucumber, ridge gourd, bottle gourd, okra, and various beans, allow them to dry and turn brown on the plant before harvesting. You can scoop out the seeds at that stage.

It’s crucial to avoid using seeds from store-bought vegetables unless they are fully ripened. For example, ensure a bitter gourd (karela) is red and ripe before collecting seeds.

Once scooped out, store the seeds in a clean, airtight container made of plastic or glass.

Keep them refrigerated at a stable temperature, but not in the deep freezer. An alternative is keeping them in an earthen pot (matka).

To protect against insects, add charcoal powder in the container.

Seeds can be stored for up to a year, after which their fertility diminishes.

In the case of watermelon and muskmelon, sow the stored seeds in the first week of December to get fruits in March. Sow other summer crops like kakdi in winter.

So with these tips, are you ready to create your own seasonal seed bank and get your hands on home gardening?