Is your summer vegetable garden coming to an end? Don’t panic!

Some plants start to dry out and look like they no longer have a purpose, but don’t rush to clip them off or pull them out of the ground to put them in your compost pile or yard waste bin. This is the time of the year when a lot of summer crops start forming seeds, so sit back allow your plant to die back and put it’s energy into the seeds.

You can learn how to harvest seeds and save them to plant them next year by following this seed saving guide from the University of Minnesota Extension. This will not only save you money, but it will also help you create a more self-sustaining garden with varieties that you like and that thrive in your yard. You can also share them with friends and family, or at your local seed library.

The Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County will be offering a seed saving class on Sept 21 at the Berryesa Library in San Jose.

If you want to learn more about the importance of saving seeds, read this recent article on how seed libraries connect gardens, history and food from the Mercury News.