Photo: Wikimedia Commons You can collect free seeds from your own garden using simple kitchen tools in just twenty minutes. This guide to how to save seeds from your own plants shows you how to harvest, clean, and store dry and wet seeds step by step. You will have fresh seeds ready to plant for next spring without buying new seed packets. How to Save Seeds From Your Own Plants Start with easy open pollinated or heirloom plant varieties like bush beans, peas, lettuce, sweet peppers, and tomatoes. Avoid saving seeds from hybrid plants, which often have the word F1 on the seed packet, because those seeds will not grow into the same parent plant. Choose your healthiest plants that produce the best food and let a few fruits ripen completely before you harvest. Plan your seed harvest for a warm, dry afternoon after the morning dew has dried off the leaves. Working on a dry day prevents mold and rot from ruining your harvest while the seeds sit in storage. Gather a few basic supplies ...