This is perhaps the best book on the subject of raising heirloom plants and then harvesting the seed. It explains in detail procedures for timing, protecting from undesirable cross pollination, and harvesting seed. I would recommend to the author that at the end of every plant type (genus) that a summary chart that is easy to identify be placed. Large plant groups like beans, for instance, had all of the information I needed but sometimes it was difficult to locate quickly. This summary could also list more concisely other plants that might appear to be questionable as companion plants but are actually safe options. For instance the tomato section talks about the potato leaf varieties being okay to mix with others, as there is little chance of crossing but specific names would clarify which is which. Nonetheless, I have gleaned huge amounts of information from this book and it is an exceptional resource for the seed saver.

When I was growing up, my family and extended family bought vegetable and flower seeds every year. I always wondered why we didn't keep any of the seeds to plant the next year instead of buying more. I didn't realize that the seeds of these hybrid varieties would not germinate and produce plants. It's hard to be self-sufficient and self-reliant when you are dependent on seed companies for next year's harvest.

Seed to seed is the answer to the question of self-sustaining food production. This book provides instructions on how to grow vegetables from seeds, control pollination (and avoid unwanted cross-pollination), harvest and preserve seeds from the garden plants, and how to store those seeds for future gardens.

Keep in mind that there is no information on how to obtain fertile seeds from plants raised from seed company seeds. In order to practice the principles taught in this book, a gardener must use seed from open-pollinated varieties. Such seeds are available from seed banks or seed exchanges--like Seed Saver's Exchange, the book's publisher.

I'm sure that this book does not discuss every plant (and does not discuss flowers at all) that gardener may want to grow, but the principles are sound and can be applied to plants that are not found in the book. All in all this is an excellent reference that will help produce self-sufficient gardeners.

This is a major reference book to keep on the gardener's bookshelf. Also, tells me why I should think about open pollinated vegetable plants. I spend easy a hundred dollars a year to get my garden in top form. Using the information in this book, could easily cut the cost down by one half.

Very detailed information about many many individual plants and species. A very complete book. Highly recommended! You must take the time to read carefully, and also store your seeds safely to make this book work, and keep a dog-eared copy near you while working for reference.

This is an excellent book. Well printed and full of useful information. However, as is usually the case, it is written for American farmers, and even goes so far as to waste several pages on listing farmer's addresses and so on for America. It would have been far better had this book been written from an international perspective. Americans only make up 5% of world population.

Great book with lots of recipes and canning details. Glad I made the purchase.

I don't know if there's a better book on the subject of seed saving, but I've found this book frustratingly incomplete. There's certainly a lot of information, but it seems like a lot of really important basics were left out. I would say for a majority of the plants I would like to save seed from this year I can't figure out from the book whether the plants will cross with other things I'm growing or how far to isolate them if they would. I'm trying to figure out right now, for instance, if tabasco peppers (Capsicum frutescens) will cross with bell peppers and other Capsicum annum. The book has about a half a page of information on C. frutescens, which I think is a lot for such a minor species, but it still fails to give me that most basic information. I'd also like to know how many plants of each type I should grow to maintain adequate genetic diversity. The author mentions the importance of this, and there are a couple plants where numbers are given, but in most cases the reader is left without any numbers. I wish all this kind of information were covered more systematically, maybe with a simple chart or short paragraph at the beginning of each of the 20 plant families covered in the book.

I was informed by a noted gardener this was the best book for those that want to save seeds. I am pleased.

I found this book to be very interesting, I found myself wishing that I could talk to the auther about her experiences in growing. I think an in depth description of each growing stage would be helpful but would make the book way too long....But isn't that what a reference tool should be?

I think Ashworth has made a splendid job with this book, especially as there are none like it on the market. There`s a lot of good solid info, and everything you need to save seeds from a vegetable variety is easily found. All in all pretty much as good of a reference book as you can wish for.
A minor thing that irritates me, is that when after every vegetable some regional experts give their advice on growing the vegetable at hand, I get the feeling that even if they have not even tried some plants, they give the advice "They can`t be grown in this climate". I myself am from Finland, and I still grow some of the vegetables they mention every season here!

It's wonderfully complete for seed saving. I've saved my own carrot seeds now! And the squash from last years saved seeds looks just like it should. This book covers all the techniques, issues and risks although I think it's very much geared towards multi-generation saving of entirely pure seed - you don't need to be quite so careful on the isolation if you just want to grow one generation of kale for your own use (mine came out okay in spite of only minor control of nearby brassicas), and saving seed with only two chard plants, not enough genetic diversity to preserve a variety for long, can by themselves produce enough seed so you'll eat chard every day for 5 years.

It's also a great reference for unusual vegetables, it's amazingly complete; you can find out about 4-sided bean or other tropical type vegetables. And it sorts out the different squash and pepper species very well.

The gardening information in each section hasn't impressed me much as useful or accurate; but we are in-between the zones they provide.

If I remember correctly this was a bit pricey for the amount of information it contains, but then again it goes to a good cause I believe...I hope seed savers. Anyway, it gives some real particulars like varieties and growing region that I found very helpful. Even a tip about saving tomato seeds I never knew after 38 years of gardening. It explained my low germination rate! If you are going to save seed from year to year it is a must have.

This is an advanced gardening book for the gardener who want to save seeds from non-hybrid plants. The book covers well over a hundred types of plants. However, some plants are not included for some reason. Overall, it is an excellent resource for gardeners.

This is an advanced gardening book for the gardener who want to save seeds from non-hybrid plants. The book covers well over a hundred types of plants. However, some plants are not included for some reason. Overall, it is an excellent resource for gardeners.

This is a good book for an accomplished gardener. A beginner would be lost and bored before they learned anything. There is all the information a person would ever need in it.

This book is very practical and easy to understand. It's more encyclopedic in style rather than conversational, so if you aren't sure that you'll be saving seeds from your garden this year, you'll probably find it kind of boring. If you are slightly interested but unconvinced, I would recommend Carol Deppe's "How to Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties" instead. Her enthusiasm for the subject carries over into her writing style, and she includes lots of entertaining anecdotes and information that will be useful even if you don't decide to save seeds.

But if you know you want to start saving seeds, or enjoy saving seeds and want to get better, this book will be indespensable.

The book is mostly about vegetables, with a few grains and herbs also described. For each type of garden plant, several topics are covered:
--A general description (where it originated, how it is used in different cultures, etc.)
--Botanical classification
--Pollination (such as wind vs. insects), crossing and isolation
--Seed production and harvesting
--Seed statistics (% germination, how many seeds in an ounce, how many varieties offered in major catalouge)
--How to grow the plant from seed
--Regional growing recommendations for 5 very generalized regions (Mid-Atlantic, Southeast/Gulf Coast, Upper Midwest, Southwest, Central West Coast, Maritime Northwest) These are very brief, but useful.

I wish I would have gotten the book sooner, because I don't have too much gardening experience and I would like to have a big garden (well, as big as my yard will allow...) The regional recommendations often include when you should plant a vegetable indoors and when to transplant or direct seed outdoors. It would have been nice to do the last few week's seed starting with a little less guesswork.

great book for anyone who is going into the whole thing in home gardening

This is the complete and definitive seeds saving guide for 160 non-hybrid vegetable crops, with detailed information about each vegetable. It is technical but clearly written so that the reader can understand the intricacies of maintaining varietal purity and proper seed harvesting, drying, cleaning and storing of seeds. Botanical classification, flower structure, pollination method, isolation distances, caging, and hand pollination techniques are included. If you're looking for information on saving ground cherry seeds, you'll find it here. Sources for supplies and seed saving organizations are listed in the back.

This is the definitive source on seed saving and is invaluable to growers interested in conserving unique vegetable varieties. This book should sit on your shelf next to a copy of Carol Deppe's "Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties" because saving seed is the basic method of plant breeding. When you save the seed of your biggest tomatoes rather than your smaller ones, you are practicing plant breeding by selecting what genetic material to perpetuate. The seeds from your big tomato will produce plants that also will produce big tomatoes.

Very informative, clear and easy to understand. I'm very much looking forward to saving seeds from my garden!

This book presents a very holistic view of heirloom plants available by seed saver exchanges. The first few chapters enlighten the reader to the devastating aggricultural practices of commercial farmers. The main point I got was that seeds bought from major big box retailers are "infertile" after one season, forcing you to return next year to buy more seed. What an abhorable practice as this may be the only way to grow in the future if techniques from this book are not practiced. The rest of the chapters/sections are very well organized and present detailed descriptions for various popular varieties of plants on how to grow and subsequently harvest their seeds. The appendix gives further resources on how to obtain heirloom plants and contacts who might be able to help with your struggles and success.

Great book and worth every penny. Take it traveling with you and come home with some great seeds!

Sixty million American gardeners buy their seeds from mail order seed companies. In the period 1984-1987, 54 of the 230 seed companies in the U.S. and Canada went out of business, resulting in 943 non-hybrid varieties becoming unavailable. One answer to the extinction of food crop varieties is Seed Savers Exchange, the publisher of Seed to Seed. Begun in 1975, SSE maintains more than 18,000 rare vegetable varieties at Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa. Another answer is for individual gardeners to save their own seed from non-hybrid varieties. Varieties that grow and taste exceptionally well in specific areas can be planted year after year from home-grown seed. A further advantage is protection from seed price increases. Ashworth provides definitive information on seed gathering, processing and storage techniques. Twenty family entries include taxonomy, pollination characteristics and techniques, general production and processing techniques. Each of the 160 species entries includes botanical classification; pollination, crossing, and isolation; seed production, harvest and processing; seed viability. Ample black-and-white photographs complement the text. Hybrid seeds are in the control of large companies. You can be in control of heirloom varieties that do best in your garden. Happy eating.