WHY HARVEST YOUR SEEDS?
Seed harvesting allows you to save your fruits, veggies and annuals for replanting next year or sharing with friends and family by the LOADS!
seeds harvested from the pods on my Canna Lilly tropical annual
Why is it a good idea to collect your own seeds if it takes time? Consider the following benefits:
By collecting seeds from plants you enjoy, you can keep quality under control. You may then control vigor, colour, and form, etc.
1. Spend less money;
2. The seeds you collect will be suited to your geographic location. Parent plants pass on their genetics, such as the type of soil they grew in, the temperature of the location, how they dealt with diseases, and so on.
Canna Lilly seed pods from the flower stalk
WHEN TO HARVEST
It's critical to harvest your seeds at the appropriate time, but it's not difficult. Remember that when a flower is ready to be harvested, it will naturally release its seeds, thus the simplest way to detect if the seeds are ready to be collected is to feel the flower head with your palm. If the seeds easily fall off the plant, it's time to harvest. Another clue is, if you look and notice a darker hue to the plant because it’s dying back, the seed pods will be dark and where the flower was previously present. Alternatively, you can pick the seed pod off the plant and wait for it to dry out inside if you’re u sure about timing. The seeds will be dry and hard when ready to store or sow. When the seeds of a flower, such as a poppy, are ready, you can hear them rattling loosely inside the head.
after my Canna Lilly tropical was done producing her beautiful orange flowers, the stalk dried out like this
HOW TO HARVEST YOUR SEEDS
Harvesting seeds from a variety of plants is recommended to ensure genetic diversity. Here's how you can save seeds from your favorite fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
Allow the flowers on the plant to wilt so that the seeds can mature. Then it'll be crucial to wait for the green seeds in the plant's center to turn brown. This means they're almost ready to harvest.
Vegetables and fruits must be allowed to develop until they are fully mature. The seeds can then be collected and dried once they've been harvested. Collect and store them 15 days after they've been harvested.
before her stalk dried out, this cool green spiky ball came after the flower dropped off
Here are some easy-to-grow veggies and fruits as seedlings:
1. Cucumbers;
2. Tomatoes;
3. Peppers;
4. Eggplants;
5. Melons;
6. Squash.
Collecting the seeds of beans and peas is straightforward. Simply allow the pods to dry completely on the plant before collecting the seeds.
Several other fruits and vegetables must be gathered when they reach seed and then flower. The seeds will ripen over time and be ready to harvest in around 15 days. Here are a few intriguing possibilities: Lettuce, Arugula, Basil, and Parsley.
my beauty queen who keeps on giving all spring, summer and fall long!
SEED STORAGE
Some seeds, such as hellebore, should be sown right away because their vitality decreases with storage. Many species, however, benefit from deferring sowing until a more favourable time of year, such as fall or spring, so gathered seed must be carefully stored until sowing. If you've harvested too much seed, you'll need to store it. Here's how:
1. To eliminate excess moisture, place dry seed in marked paper packets or envelopes in an airtight container.
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2. Seed can degenerate or perish due to fungal disease or rotting if exposed to too much humidity or heat.
3. Certain seeds must not be allowed to dry out because they will be unable to absorb the water required for germination. Walnuts, oaks, and magnolias are examples. These seeds can be kept for several months in a plastic bag with damp vermiculite, sand, or a mix of moist coir and sand.
4. Keep refrigerated at 41°F until ready to use. Most seeds will last for several years in this condition.
this is a stalk that came shooting out of my lettuce plant after some maturity, here I was able to pull seeds out of its tiny fluffy feather-like flowers
here are the seeds that came out of this tiny green lettuce pod
happy harvest & good tidings!