Not all seeds are created equally, even among a group of the same type of plant. “Choose plants that performed well in your garden throughout the season, produced big, beautiful, blemish-free fruit or pretty blooms, and avoided disease,” says Thompson-Adolf.

And pay attention to seed size. “You're looking to take the biggest seeds because those will tend to perform better when you grow them the following year,” says Thompson-Adolf.

Also consider the processing required for the type of plant you’re working with. For some plants, including beans, brassicas, carrots, corn, lettuce and radishes, going to seed is the next stage in the life cycle. Preserving their seeds is known as dry processing and involves cutting seedpod stalks, drying them, separating the seeds from the rest of the plant and removing plant debris. Plants that produce seeds inside their fruit, on the other hand, including tomatoes, cucumbers and melons, require wet processing, which involves more steps, such as fermenting the seeds first. If you’re a first-time seed saver, it’s best to stick with dry processing, says Thompson-Adolf, because it’s easier.

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