By Linda G. Tenneson
Wouldn’t it be nice to have the same beautiful flowers next year
that you have this year? This is possible if you collect the seeds
from this year’s plants and plant them next spring to start new
plants. Non-hybrids will come back just the same; hybrids will not.
Seed collecting is most often used for annuals but may be done for
perennials also. Once a flower bloom has been pollinated, it begins
to transform itself into a seed pod. Seed pods ripen and then open
to release the seeds to drop to the ground and then germinate the
following season to produce next year’s plants. Seeds need to dry
thoroughly before storage.
The challenge for the gardener is to locate seed pods on each
plant, figure out when they are ripe and then to collect the seeds
once they are ready but before they are disbursed most commonly by
gravity or the wind.
Hollyhocks are a good plant to begin with to experience seed
collecting. Once each Hollyhock blossom has faded, it collapses and
falls to the ground. The short green leaves that were around the
base of the bloom close up to hold the seeds as they develop. The
seeds mature inside this capsule and are ready to harvest when the
seed capsule turns brown and the seeds appear ready to drop to the
ground. Pick the seed capsule at this point, open it and shake out
the seeds. Each seed capsule may have as many as twenty quarter inch
round flat seeds inside. These should be stored in a dry but not an
air tight container. Seeds need to dry thoroughly before being
stored. Seeds that have not completely dried before storage will
mold and die. Some seeds may be stored indoors all winter while
others need to be chilled, soaked or abraded with sandpaper in order
to germinate.
Seeds vary in size and shape. Nicotiana, pansy and many other
flowers have seeds that are the size of tiny pin heads and are
difficult to catch between maturity and disbursal time. Not all
seeds are the same size or shape. The ageratum bloom has dozens of
tiny colored blades packed close together which eventually turn
brown. Once this color change has taken place, just brush the tiny
brown blades into an envelope. Each tiny blade is capable of growing
into a new plant.
Nasturtium blooms turn into fruit pods that mature and then drop
small round seeds. Marigold blooms turn into long seed pods that open
and display long narrow seeds that are brown with a yellow or orange
end. Cosmos seeds look like pin cushions full of pins. Each seed
stands on end like a pin stuck in a cushion. Bachelor’s buttons
also known as cornflowers have seeds that look like oval shapes with
a fuzzy section on one end. Many flowers have seed pods that
resemble miniature pea pods and the seeds inside the pod vary in size
but all eventually dry and drop out of the then open pod. A few
seeds are poisonous and should be harvested while wearing gloves and
stored where they will not be eaten by mistake.
Junk mail paper envelopes make excellent seed storage
containers particularly those with cellophane windows. The seed
name, variety and harvesting date may be written on the outside of
each envelope. Many seeds remain viable for more than one year.
Reference books on seed collecting and starting will provide details
for identifying, harvesting, storing and growing your specific seeds.
Check for further information on seed collecting on the University
doing a search.
