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Seed Saving
by Hope Bell
For gardeners, fall marks the exciting start of yet another gardening cycle--saving seeds produced by the plants they nurtured all season. Seed saving is a fun and rewarding activity. In addition to saving some to plant in next year's garden you can share some seeds with other gardeners. In late summer and fall, many kinds of annuals and perennials begin to form seed heads. Seeds that can be used for seed starting and in seed exchanges next spring will be collected now, but people are often unsure how to go about collecting seed to start their own plants.
To save seeds, you may have to change a few of your gardening habits. For instance, you'll have to stop “deadheading” your fading flowers late in the season because cutting off the spent blooms usually removes the seed pod. Once flowers die, seeds and/or seed pods form where the flower was. Seeds will look very different and be different sizes for different plants. Flowers disperse these seeds in a variety of ways. Some flowers--such as California poppies and pansies--have seed pods that burst open. Others, like dandelions, have little “umbrellas” that float away in the wind. Plants in the allium family simply open their seed pockets and let the wind shake out the seeds. Read gardening books and pay attention to your flowers to learn what method they use.
Seed pods should begin to change from green to a tan or brownish colour, and develop a brittle or papery texture when the seeds inside are ripe. Gathering too soon may result in non-viable seed. If you wait too long, certain kinds of seeds will drop from the heads or pods, be blown away in the wind or eaten by birds, so watch carefully for just the right moment to harvest.
Once the seed head/pod has begun to dry out, nip or cut the seed head from the plant, holding a bowl or paper bag underneath. Use a separate bag for each variety, labeling them as you go to avoid mix-ups. Let the seed heads dry for seven to ten days, then gently break them open over newspaper or a pie plate; discard the seed coverings and other debris. Kitchen sieves of various sizes are sometimes handy to sift the actual seed from the other dried bits of plant material. Gently blowing the lighter chaff from the seed is an effective way to clean small batches. Store your seeds in paper coin envelopes, home made seed envelopes, recycled film canisters, etc. Label each container with the type and color of flower, and the year it was saved. Place the containers in a larger airtight one, such as a freezer bag. You can also add a sealed envelope containing a teaspoon of silica gel for each envelope of seeds to keep them dry. Store the container in a cool, dry place, but be sure they don’t freeze.
Seeds remain viable for different lengths of time. Some are good for one year, others for several years. Some seeds buried with ancient Egyptian mummies are still viable today.
Hybrid plants do not come true from seed. Seedlings are not likely to resemble the parent plant. Seed saved from a 'Stella de Oro' Daylily, for instance, will probably not produce the same constant-flowering, dwarf plant with yellow flowers. Instead, a range of shades will result and most will not inherit the repeat flowering habit. Plants that result might still be garden-worthy and attractive, so if you're curious to see what might happen, go ahead and try it!
If you planted different-colored blooms of the same variety, such as zinnias, in one area, cross-pollination will usually occur. This means that colors will cross and the flowers from the seeds that you collect will not be the same as your original flowers.
The following seeds tend to be easy to identify on the plant, harvest and grow:
Alcea (Hollyhock), Aquilegia (Columbine), Aster, Campanula, Centaurea (Bachelor Button), Coreopsis (Tickseed), Echinacea (Purple Coneflower), Gaillardia (Blanket Flower), Liatris (Blazingstar), Lupine (best sown directly outside in late spring), Papaver (Poppy), Rudbeckia, Sunflower, Cosmo, Nasturtium, Ornamental wheat, Ornamental corns, Morning Glories, Marigold, and Zinnea
The flowers listed below either will not come true from seed or are so slow it's not usually worth the wait. Peonies, for instance, can take five years or more to reach flowering size from seed. Buy them from a local nursery or trade for good-sized divisions with gardening friends.
Artemisia, Astilbe, Convallaria (Lily-of-the-Valley), Epimedium (Barrenwort), Galium (Sweet Woodruff), Cranesbill Geranium, Daylily, Hosta, Iris, Lilies, Liriope, Solomon's Seal, Peony, Pulmonaria (Lungwort), Thyme, Vinca minor (Periwinkle).
The art of seed saving is not difficult, give it a try. (2005-12-23) |
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