By Tomato Queen

[This is part 2 of two-part article series. View part 1]

Local garden exchanges are a great opportunity to find random treasures that are someone else’s nuisance, as well as to find homes for plants that need thinning out and taking over.

But what about being able to plan for next year’s garden?

When you’re enjoying your harvest, keep a mind toward preserving this year’s favorite seeds for yourself and also to exchange with others.

Seed exchanges are what you call win-win—you can request seeds you want, send out your favorites, and also find an appreciative gardener who can make good use of the seeds from plants you didn’t enjoy that much.

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By Tomato Queen

[This is part 1 of 2 two part series.]

It’s harvest time, and those of you enjoying fresh tomatoes (either from your own gardens or those from diligent farmers) might soon find yourselves with a few extra of your favorite variety threatening to go bad.

Why not save the seeds for next year?

Preserving tomato seeds isn’t rocket science, but it’s messier than you’d think. There are a few considerations when it comes to preparing and preserving your seeds planning for what to do with them.

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[Australian guest blogger, Stuart Robinson from Gardening Tip 'n' Ideas, shares tomato preservation tips from down under at Tomato Casual.]

By Stuart Robinson

While a bumper tomato crop may be the toast of this seasons veggie patch, most of your fruit could end up on the compost heap.

A good harvest is the goal of any home gardener but what do you do when the yields border on over-abundance?

Fortunately for us nature has already provided the solution especially when it comes to tomatoes.

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By Michelle Fabio

A little while ago, we talked about freezing raw tomatoes, and here are some more preservation ideas to make the most of your tomato crop:

Freezing tomato juice.

After washing and trimming the stem ends from the tomatoes, cut into quarters or eighths. Simmer on the stove for about 5-10 minutes, then take off the heat and let sit for about an hour.

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