How to Cultivate Pods

Fruit, vegetable and herb plants will create seed pods that can be harvested and cultivated into next year's plants. Cultivating pods from home-grown plants requires time and patience. If seed pods are harvested too soon the seeds will be immature. Immature seeds will result in poor-growing plants or no plants at all. Seeds can be exchanged with friends and neighbors to create variety and save money.

• 1

  Allow the flower to wilt and fall off. Examine the seed pod that's left behind, near the spot where the flower was located. The seed pod will continue to develop without the flower.

• 2

  Deadhead any remaining flowers off of the plant so the plant will put all its growing energy into developing the seed pods.

• 3

  Protect the plant from windy weather until the seed pod turns from green to brown and dries out. Excessive wind can cause the pod to fall off the plant prematurely.

• 4

  Remove the dried pod from the plant. Break the pod open over a piece of wax paper and spread the seeds out on the paper. Position the wax paper in direct sunlight. Allow the seeds to finish drying out.

• 5

  Place the dried seeds in plastic storage bags and store them in a cool, dry place. The temperature shouldn't be any higher than 40 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent the seeds from trying to sprout. They will be ready to plant the following spring.