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5 Recommended Seed Saving and Heirloom Seed Preservation Books

The most recommended books for gardeners who want to learn more about seed saving and heirloom seed preservation are:

  • “The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving”
  • “Propagating Plants: How to Create New Plants for Free”
  • “Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners”
  • “The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds: 322 Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, Flowers, Trees, and Shrubs”
  • “Seed Sowing and Saving: Step-by-Step Techniques for Collecting and Growing More Than 100 Vegetables, Flowers, and Herbs”

These top-rated horticulture books contain tons of advice from experts, renowned seed saving organizations, and home gardeners, covering a range of skill levels.

This article will explore each of the recommended seed saving and heirloom seed preservation books so that you can decide which is right for you. 

5 Top-Rated Seed Saving and Heirloom Seed Preservation Books

1) “The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving”

Authors: Lee Buttala, Shanyn Siegel, Jared Zystro, and Micaela Colley

This book has an entire five out of five stars on Amazon, and reviews say it is the “only book people will need to grow plants and save their seeds.”

“The Seed Garden” features photographs and illustrations, as well as individual profiles on specific vegetables and why it’s essential to save various strains of seed.

Also, both the Seed Savers Exchange and the Organic Seed Alliance provide background for this 350-page book.   

Read Also >> Why Save Seeds?

2) “Propagating Plants: How to Create New Plants for Free”

Author: Horticulturist Alan Toogood, who trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens

This guide is a perfect reference for any gardeners interested in growing their own plants from scratch.

In addition to seed saving, readers will learn how to propagate their own fruit trees, shrubs, and more to save money by growing their plants for free. 

Reviewers call the 320-page book the Holy Grail of plant propagation and the best gardening book they own.

For gardeners looking for an inexpensive way to fill their gardens from seed and propagation, you’ll find a trusty and comprehensive guide inside this book.

3) “Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners”

Authors: Suzanne Ashworth (who farms and produces bulk seed in Northern California), David Cavagnaro, and Kent Wheely

With a four and a half star rating on Amazon, this book is perfect for gardeners looking for a complete guide to saving seeds for 160 vegetable varieties.

This guide also features experts from various regions of North America, ensuring accurate seed-saving instructions no matter where you live.

Reviewers say that the book offers invaluable information about pollination, crossing, and isolation of plants and helps in cases of “seeds that are not so simple to remove.”

Additionally, “Seed to Seed” gives a brief history on the importance of seed saving for heirloom varieties to “protect our heritage.”

Reviewers also found the illustrations and pictures to be especially helpful.

Furthermore, the Seed Savers Exchange donated text to this 228-page book in an effort to help preserve and distribute more heirloom vegetables, fruits, and herbs.

Overall, this book is best for gardeners who want to produce and store seeds on a home gardener’s scale.

Read Also >> How to Prevent Cross-Pollination

4) “The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds: 322 Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, Flowers, Trees, and Shrubs”

Authors: Robert E. Gough, who holds a doctorate in botany, and Cheryl Moore-Gough, who has a master’s degree in plant sciences

This 320-page guide helps gardeners save, prepare, and plant seeds for more than 322 varieties of vegetables, trees, herbs, and more.

Reviewers call it an “all-in-one resource” and say it’s perfect for gardeners interested in learning more about homesteading and self-reliance.

Plus, this book is perfect for gardeners of all skill levels, with tutorials on preserving the genetic diversity of plants, cutting down expenses, and lengthening the life of your plants.

Also, “The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds” is best for gardeners who better want to understand seed storage techniques and seed propagation.

5) “Seed Sowing and Saving: Step-by-Step Techniques for Collecting and Growing More Than 100 Vegetables, Flowers, and Herbs”

Author: Carole B. Turner

This book is excellent for beginners and has a four and a half out of five rating on Amazon.

In it, Turner gives people who are new to seed saving a step-by-step guide to teach them how to grow, harvest, and dry seeds, then store them and sow them later.

She also offers tips on testing seeds to see if they’re viable for later growing and advice for sowing seeds indoors first to get a head start on your garden.

Thus, if you want to learn how to maintain a cheap garden, this book is for you.

Furthermore, reviewers praise it as a resource that includes “everything you wanted to know” about saving seeds “but were afraid to ask.”

And “Seed Sowing and Saving” is only 224 pages long, which is a bit more condensed than some of the others but still not lacking in information. 

Read Also >> Hybrid vs. Heirloom Plants

Conclusion

There are thousands of books available on seed saving, but these five come highly recommended by home and commercial gardeners of all levels. 

So, regardless of your experience with seed saving and heirloom seed preservation, you’ll find a book that’s right for the next step in your journey to becoming a self-reliant gardener. 

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