More on seed saving.

This time, I’m saving seeds from that Ambrosia cantaloupe I wrote about in an earlier blog. As far as I know, these seeds should breed true, but like everything else about saving seeds from one harvest to another, I won’t know for sure until next year when I plant them out. That’s part of the fun, however! (I can never seem to quite get over how such a small little thing like a seed can bring forth a fruit that is so fulfilling to the soul. Just another one of God's miracles that surround us each day).

The melon I got these seeds from was the second on the single vine that is still growing in one of my raised beds. I’ve read a few reports that indicate Ambrosia’s may be hard to bring to maturity. (Some articles have indicated that fruit set can be flaky and, even when fruit would appear, they often shrivel and die). The fruit that did make it on my vine were small and green when young, but then matured to look like a regular cantaloupe after a couple of months.

After harvesting, I cut the melon in half and scooped out the seeds and pulp onto a paper towel. I then separated the seeds out and put them on a plate in the sun. I wanted to get them dried as quickly as possible and this time of year what with temps in the low nineties the plate thing seemed the way to go.

Once they had few hours to dry, I collected them from the plate. There were 40 seeds and, as you can see in the picture, looked to be pretty healthy (for a seed anyway). One word of advice is to make sure you pre-wash the seeds to remove as much of the pulp as possible, otherwise you will have an ant magnet. (I found that out the hard way). After they had dried pretty much over the course of a few hours, I gave them another quick rinse in water and replaced the seeds on a new paper towel. After another couple of more hours in the sun, I checked to make sure they were dry. I then placed them first into a small brown envelope and then into a small plastic baggie to seal out dampness. As with all seeds the most important aspect to saving them is to keep them away from moisture. From there the seeds went to the bottom shelf of my refrigerator where they will stay cool and moisture free until next spring. Note: If you can’t wait for half a year to find out if the seed is viable, then hold back a few and germinate them in a damp towel inside a baggie.

I plan to reserve a few to send to anyone who might want them. First come first served!