How to Save Spinach Seeds

Spinach is a nutritious and delicious green leafy vegetable that is packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Growing spinach in your garden is a great way to ensure a steady supply of fresh, healthy produce throughout the growing season.

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If you’re looking to save some money and want to be self-sufficient, saving spinach seeds can help you achieve this goal. In this blog post, we will guide you on how to save spinach seeds. We also have a video on our Instagram page that shows this entire process.

Let the Spinach Plant Flower

Saving spinach seeds starts at the end of a spinach plants life cycle. Spinach plants are annuals, which means they complete their life cycle in one year. First, spinach plants produce leaves and stems, then when it gets to hot, they produce flowers and seeds. If you want to save spinach seeds, you need to let the plant flower.

When the spinach plant starts to bolt or produce a flowering stem, it means it’s at the end of its life cycle. Allow the plant to flower and let the flowers dry out before harvesting the seeds.

This can take some time depending on where to plants are growing and how much rain you get. The less water the plants receive the faster they will dry out and the quicker you will be able to harvest the seeds.

How To Harvest Spinach Seeds

Once the flowers have dried out, you can start harvesting the seeds. Spinach seeds are small and round, and they will be attached to the dried flower head.

Cut the stems of the dried spinach plants and use your fingers to run along the stem to remove the seeds into a bowl.

How Do You Clean Spinach Seeds

Spinach seeds are usually covered with a thin layer of chaff or debris that needs to be removed before storing the seeds. Use your fingers to rub the seeds gently to remove any chaff or debris. Once the seeds have been removed from the chaff the next step is something called winnowing.

Winnowing is a commonly used method of removing debris from seeds. To winnow you need two bowls and a small fan. Set the fan up outside and turn it onto a low setting. It can take some tests to make sure the fan is at the right speed and you are the right distance from it. Poor the seeds from one bowl into the other in front of the fan. The seeds are heavier than the chaff and will fall into the bowl below while the chaff will be blown away.

Repeat this winnowing process until the seeds are as clean as you want them to be. Usually we do it about 5 or 6 times so the seeds are good and clean.

How To Dry Spinach Seeds

After cleaning the seeds, you need to dry them completely before storing them. Spread the seeds out on a clean, dry paper towel or a baking sheet in a single layer. Place them in a warm, dry location, such as a sunny windowsill, and allow them to dry for about two weeks.

Make sure the seeds are completely dry before storing them. If the seeds are not dry, they may rot or mold during storage.

How To Store Spinach Seeds

Once the seeds are dry, you can store them in a clean, dry container. Glass jars with tight-fitting lids work well for storing spinach seeds or you can simply use a resealable plastic bag. Make sure the container is labelled with the date and the type of seed.

Store the container in a cool, dry location, such as a pantry or a cupboard. Properly stored spinach seeds can last for up to five years. Before we put away our seeds for final storage for the year I like to add a silica gel packet to make sure they stay nice and dry.

Conclusion

Saving spinach seeds is an easy and cost-effective way to ensure a steady supply of fresh, healthy produce. By following these simple steps, you can harvest, clean, dry, and store spinach seeds to use for planting in the next growing season. With a little bit of effort and patience, you can become self-sufficient and enjoy the benefits of growing your own spinach. If you are new to growing spinach, we have a spinach growing guide along with many more growing guides we encourage you to check out.