Harvesting seed.

[Colin]

Hi,

Harvesting seed is new to me and I've just had my first go with Rudbeckia and Anemone seed heads I gathered and these have been kept warm in our front room for over a week.

A keen gardening friend informed me to leave stalks on then I could shake the seeds into an envelope; I tried but it didn't seem to work with the Rudbeckia so I flipped the seed heads using my thumb nail and the seeds came away easily; however the Anemone seed heads sprang a surprise as I removed the seed heads from the envelope; some are now like balls of fluffy cotton wool? Do I let the rest of the Anemone seed heads fluff up?

I'm amazed by the huge number of seeds just one Rudbeckia seed head yields; if I scattered all the Rudbeckia seeds I've harvested from just one plant I'm sure next year I could have our mountainside covered in lovely Rudbeckia flowers?

Due to the dire weather I'm just being a chatterbox but I'm finding gardening to be very interesting and I'm looking forward to next springtime when I can start planting rather than digging as I'm currently doing. The pictures below show Rudbeckia and Anemone.

A few weeks ago whilst Bron and I were watching Gardener's World; Monty was talking to a lady who was demonstrating how she harvested seeds in a way Monty hadn't previously seen; this lady simply snipped seed head stalks and stuck the stalks into the garden where she wanted to grow more of the same plant allowing the seed heads to deposit their seeds naturally?

I'd welcome any tips or advice please regarding harvesting seeds.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[MoonShadows]

Much like you, and I guess most folks, I cut the flower heads off and dry them inside. Then, I just picked them off. Like you, when I first started saving seeds, I was amazed how many one flower held.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks MoonShadows.

As with anything new there is always a learning curve and looking at my past history I make all the mistakes first. I was once informed at work that a learning curve usually consists of 80% learned in the first month the other 20% learned over a lifetime and I'm sure this is correct.

I've just gone ballistic;

Our cable supplier Virgin Media informed me a couple of days ago they were giving us a free speed boost ( Virgin of course increased monthly rental on our package a few months ago so free?). Anyway I'm delighted with the speed as seen above; to think when I first logged on as a dial up customer costing 1P per minute the speed then about 19 years ago was 1 Mbps; WOW how times change so quickly and even with Virgin increasing our bundle bill I still think it excellent value which is highly unusual these days especially for a tight Yorkshireman such as I.

I'm pleased I'm on the right track though in seed harvesting. Bron and I have friends and the husband is quitting his job at Christmas to start being self employed as a gardener; I know only too well gardening can be very hard graft indeed; looking at the seeds I've harvested this morning I wonder if opening a small nursery would be a better option or perhaps combine the two; I'm unsure about starting a gardening business from scratch at Christmas time here in the UK with winter upon us but we wish him the best of luck.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[alp]

Colin. If you had anemones, it might be much easier to tease out the roots and get new plants from there rather than fiddling with the seeds..

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks alp for your excellent suggestion; I don't know where our Anemone came from and for a couple of years I thought it was a self seeding Sycamore tree so I kept chopping it off at ground level; one year I was so busy it rapidly grew and Bron and I were amazed by the spectacular display of flowers; I could as you rightly say take root cuttings but I thought I'd have a go with the seeds just out of interest; I've recently been buying quite a few potted plants and yesterday ordered another six Viburnum Tinis. I wish I was hardy.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[alp]

I am ashamed to tell you how many times I had bought seeds for Japanese anemone.. I really love them. But never any success. In the end, I bought big pots from diy stores at reduced prices and found out that there were nearly a dozen new plants in each pots.. So thrilled.

 

[Verdun]

Shame on me I know but harvesting seed for me is a big no no. Haven't got the patience for it nor the inclination.
Respect though to those who do but I am more into cuttings and new varieties of plants

 

[Colin]

Hi,

I'm completely new to seed harvesting alp and having both the Anemone and Rudbeckia seed heads staring at me I thought why not give it a go out of curiosity. I sowed French Lavender seed about a month ago and now have lots of small seedlings; however at the same time I sowed Ajuga seeds but must have sown these upside down because not a single one has popped its head up although I haven't looked under the plug tray?

I can understand the patience required Verdun in sowing seed and it does require a degree of dedication; like both you and alp though I might resort to cuttings in future for propagation because cuttings are off to a good start with something to immediately see? I've taken about twenty Pachysandra cuttings from two plants; I tried to root these in water as shown on YouTube but without success so I've dipped them in rooting powder and potted them; the leaves still look healthy so I'm in with a chance; I've a lot to learn but now its turned so cold I'll be spending time in the workshop; this morning I plan to sharpen the petrol hedge trimmer blades; not a big job but it will ease me back into the workshop after months of spending time in the garden; I'm happy as long as I keep busy.

Kind regards, Colin,

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Ooooooooooh I love growing most of my flowers from harvested seeds, some don't come true ....but then I like surprises
The Seed Site is very informative

 

[alp]

Despite the weather, I still managed to get seeds from my dahlias.. Seeds are really a bonus. Dahlia seeds area good ones to start with. Shame I didn't get the pompons that I like. I deadheaded them all, just to see bad weather put paid to the formation of seeds from the last flowers, so no seeds at all.