Jessica Damian
If you love the flowers in your garden but don't want to spend money on new ones, why not save the seeds for next year?
To ensure new plants are a match for their parents, only harvest seeds from seeds marked "heirloom" or "heirloom." Hybrid seeds, which are the result of crossing two or more strains, will produce plants that resemble one of the plant's parents, so you never know what the result will be.
However, there are no guarantees. Accidental crossings can happen in your garden when wind or insects carry pollen between different cultivars. To avoid this, only plant one species of tree that you want to collect seeds from.
If you don't mind a surprise, stop by; You can create a beautiful new plant.
As with most things in gardening, timing is everything. It is best to collect seeds on a dry, sunny day. And whatever seeds you collect, let them fully mature and dry on the plant. Otherwise they cannot germinate. But wait too long and you might miss something.
After collecting and separating non-seed material such as petals and pods, spread the seeds out in a single layer on a sieve or newspaper and leave to dry for a week.
Then put it in a paper envelope or sealed glass container (I put the envelope in a container) and store in a cool, dry place. A refrigerator is ideal if the seeds can be kept away from the fruit, which will give off ethylene gas that can affect their germination. Adding a packet of silica gel during the first day or two of storage will help prevent mold growth.
Label your envelopes or jars, because no matter how sure you are of remembering what's inside, you probably won't in spring.
Harvested seeds can remain viable for several years if stored properly, but their overall viability will be reduced. For best results, plant cuttings next year.
Also, be sure to leave a few seed heads to feed the birds during the winter. They will reward you with pest control in your garden next year.
Learn more about collecting seeds of different plant species.
While many plants naturally shed their dry seeds, some, like the California poppy, Cleoma, Impatiens, and Texas Bluenet, produce pods that burst at maturity, scattering seeds up to 20 feet. Since it's difficult to say exactly when this will happen, you'll need to keep a close eye on the pods and pick them up when they look like they're about to burst. Be careful; Many types of pods will burst at the slightest touch, and if that happens, good luck finding the scattered seeds.
Instead, tie a small paper bag or specially made mesh bag to collect the seeds when they are almost ripe. If you turn around and explode, there are seeds in the bag.
Other plants, including the Mexican sunflower and echinacea, produce slimy seed heads. To avoid pricking your fingers, cut off the mature head and throw it in a paper bag. Then shake it to loosen and separate the seeds.
In general, seeds from daisy-like flowers like sunflowers, echinaceas, and, well, daisies have a relatively slow germination rate. For insurance reasons, choose whether to plant roughly or extra seed.
Some flowers, like daffodils, produce seeds that attach to rod-like structures on the inside of their tough leaves. To open them, remove any dried petals and open the seed head to free the stems. Then dry, save and plant the entire structure.
Jessica Damiano writes a regular gardening column for the Associated Press. His garden calendar became a 2021 Garden Communicator International Media Awards winner. His weekly newsletter Dirt has twice won the Society of Professional Journalists' PCLI 2021 Media Awards.
