What You Need to Know Before You Start
At SoCo Seed Collective, we believe access to seeds is a form of power—and saving seeds is how we grow that power, together.
Whether you’re brand new to gardening or just curious about how to keep your favorite plants going season after season, seed saving is a simple act that connects us to nature, to each other, and to generations of growers before us.
But before you collect your first handful of seeds, there’s one important thing to understand:
🥒 Open-Pollinated vs. Hybrid Seeds: What’s the Difference?
Open-Pollinated (OP) Seeds are naturally pollinated by wind, insects, or self-pollination. These plants tend to grow true to type—meaning the seeds they produce will grow into plants just like the parent.
These are the best seeds to save and share, especially if you’re growing heirlooms. Many of the seeds in our seed library are open-pollinated for this reason.
Hybrid Seeds (F1) are the result of crossing two different parent plants to combine traits like disease resistance or faster growth. While hybrids can be excellent in the garden, the seeds they produce won’t grow true. You might get a plant that’s weaker, wildly different, or sterile.
💡 That’s why we always recommend saving seeds from open-pollinated varieties when possible.
🌻 Why Save Seeds?
- It’s free (and fun!)
- You build stronger, more adapted plants over time
- You help preserve genetic diversity and food traditions
- You give back to our community seed library—and keep the cycle going
🧠 Want to Learn More?
We’ll be sharing more how-to tips throughout the season, but for now, here are some great places to dig deeper:
- 📚 Seed Savers Exchange – Seed Saving Basics
- 🐝 Maryland Grows Blog by University of Maryland Extension
- 🌾 Organic Seed Alliance – Seed Saving Guides
✨ Join the Cycle
Save your seeds, share what you grow, and help us build a thriving, local seed commons. Have extra seeds or questions? Bring them to a swap or reach out anytime—we’re here to help.
Together, we’re planting something powerful.