|
Harvesting and
storing seed
It is very satisfying to
harvest seeds from your own garden year after year. Apart from
saving money by not purchasing commercially supplied seeds, it
is a good way of collecting quality seed, producing masses of
your favourite plants, and getting some unusual results from
plants that have cross pollinated. For example about ten years
ago I was given some petunia seeds that were brought back from
Tenerife, having been collected from a particularly vigorous
strain. They were deep purple. Each year I have collected seed
from the resulting plants, and now have a variety of colours
ranging from almost white through to a deepish mauve. They are
extraordinary plants, remarked upon by many visitors.
-
Before you start
harvesting seeds from your garden, there are a few
things to be aware of. If you plan on collecting seed from
plants that you previously planted as "hybrid" seeds, the
results will be inferior. In fact some hybrids are grown to
flower profusely and not produce seed at all. Half the fun
of collecting seeds is to see the unusual colours that
result from cross pollination when plants such as petunias
of varying colours are grown close to each other.
-
By studying the
cultural needs of types of seeds you wish to collect,
you are more likely to have success. For example, seeds of
Astrantia and Hellebores need to overwinter in the ground
before they will germinate, and you may need to mimic these
conditions by putting seeds in the refrigerator for a period
of time, to kick start them into growth. Personally with the
two types I just mentioned, I find they self-seed profusely
if left to their own devices..
-
If you want to
harvest seeds from certain fruit and vegetables, let the
fruit over-ripen on the plant, then harvest it and gently
pull it apart to get the seed, which you will then need to
soak in water for about two days. The seeds that have sunk
to the bottom of the water are the ones to keep, so dry them
thoroughly on a piece of kitchen paper. The seeds that rise
to the top of the water can be discarded as they are either
too dry or infertile.
-
Flower seeds need
to be collected during a dry spell. I find early evening
is a good time when the morning dew has thoroughly dried and
the plants have had the benefit of a day of sunshine. I
usually collect the whole seed head of a plant, especially
if the seeds are a little under ripe, allowing them to
finish the ripening process in dry conditions. For several
years now I have been growing the miniature sunflower "Pacino"
which grows between 24ins and 48ins tall. Each year it
produces perfect, strong plants, and I usually collect one
of the biggest flower heads, overwintering it in the
greenhouse. Who said sunflowers are for kids only?
-
Proper storage is
the key to strong, healthy plants. Place your harvested
seeds onto newspaper or in paper (not plastic) envelopes
until they have thoroughly ripened. Then remove any husks or
seed heads, with a sieve, leaving only the ripe seed, which
can be returned to the paper envelopes. Make sure the
envelopes are correctly labelled and dated, before putting
them in an airtight container such as a biscuit tin, with a
sachet of silica gel or some uncooked rice to absorb any
moisture. Finally store the tin in a cool dry place.
-
Allow for failures
- it is all part of the fun and satisfaction of
experimenting, much the same as taking cuttings, which at
the end of the day, cost nothing..
|
