Am I supposed to cut off the heads and let them ripen? Do I leave the heads on (some are really straining under the weight), cover them with cheesecloth and let them ripen, or are they already ripe?? They don't really look like seeds to me on the head itself?????

I wanted to use some for replanting next year, some for eating and some for birdfood.

????

But now I have cut one head off and can't for the life of me visualize how to hang it up???? Has anyone done this? I thought the seeds were ready, but they don't rub out.

Probably the most important point to the whole suggestion is keeping the birds away. Even if you don't know when the seeds are ripe, trust me, the birds do.

jkw, I'll have to use something larger than a paper bag for most of them, since they are quite large!! The biggest one is about 18" across!!

Larry Gene, thanks for the tip about the ones in the center taking longer to ripen.

Here are a couple of photos of the one head that I cut yesterday...maybe you can tell me if I chopped it off way too early!

I just arrange the heads on a piece of newspaper in my sunroom or a sunny windowsill. To winter over, heads go in a paper bag in a closet, allowing seeds to loosen - easier to separate in winter - when it's also time to share with the birds.

The three that have been chopped are in paper bags, LOL, but they are hanging in our back yard where only we can see them. I had fun cutting holes in the bags - they look like something for Halloween!

Anyway, you have encouraged me to remove the other heads.
Thanks, Julie.

I *scattered* MANY seeds in Spring as an experiment, and the birds and squirrels got 'em all! In contrast, all the seed I tucked into the dirt came up. YAY! Starting seed in pots works great too, and young plants make great Gifts or Trades! They transplant just fine after the 2nd set of leaves is there. Set seedlings outside a few days before planting - to acclimate to wind and night temperatures.

On the other question - I'm assuming that just roasting seeds on a cookie sheet (till they smell good) is the method, but I haven't done that yet. I have done it with pumkin seed tho - it's great - and lots of ways to season the seed can be tried. (I'm harvesting cooking punkins already!)

After a heavy rain, however, 2 couple mice snooped around inside and loved the seed heads till i got traps set also! (Garden cats and ants enjoy the suprise of a free hi-protein dinner when that happens!) So now all seed heads are hung high in a paper bag in the sunroom...and traps remain set.

It's a busy seed-drying room now, but I'm thinking now about how to fit all the things in that I plan to try to winter over in that sunroom! Am going to try peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and more! Last year I kept tomatoes ripening there thru December. Appreciate any tips...

I cannot verify it (I've just used the paperbag method), but it looked good.

~Chills

Before bringing drying heads indoors, I like to tickle the faces - and let the flower chaff drop on the ground right there. You'll be able to seed the shiny black seed that way, and drying is quicker, and eventual separation easier and cleaner. Separating seed from the head is done once they are FULLY dry and falling out already. It doesnt hurt em to ruffle up the bag before opening to get that started.

I peel back leaf edges and let seeds drop out as the heads are bent and ruffed up a bit. And no doubt - more tickling gets the remaining seed out!

A friend sets his seed out on a wooden platform when he's going to be around to enjoy watching the birds. He lets soft soil be present underneath - that's a great place to look for natural starts to transplant around the garden. If you get a ton - give em away, or feed em to rabbits - they love em.

My large heads are saggy low, flower petals have fallen off, and the center blooms all rubbed off with only the slightest bit of rubbing. So now I have heads of white "chicken skin"... and green encasements! Are these ready to get cut and laid out inside to dry now? No black on seeds at all yet. What timing are we talking about from 'flower wilt' to actual ready to cut? Days... weeks?

The small ones are already gone... the local squirrel prefers sushi I guess... they were way too early!

Thanks! -Steve

bigler.steve@gmail.com

"The seeds are ready for harvesting when the plant has fully matured. You will know it's time to harvest when you see the following signs:

* The back of the flower head is brown and dry.
* The seeds are black and white striped, and quite plump.
* The once-yellow pedals have begun to turn brown, and fall to the ground.

So now you know your seeds are ripe and ready to pick! Harvesting them is a breeze. Just follow these steps and you'll be snackin' on the freshest seeds around!

1. Cut flower. You want to cut the flower head off while leaving 12" or so of stem connected to it.
2. Allow to dry. If you opt to dry outdoors, you must protect your seeds from birds. This can be done by wrapping the head in a paper or fabric bag. If you chose to dry indoors, you will need to hang the head upside down in a dry and well ventilated location. Wrap with a clean nylon stocking, or tie a bag below to catch any seeds that may fall while hanging to dry.
3. Extract the seeds. Once the seeds have dried, it is time to remove them from the flower head. Simply rub your hand over the head and the seeds will begin to fall. I recommend you allow them to fall into a large bowl or bag placed below.
4. Enjoy. The seeds are now ready to eat. Some people like to roast them, bake them, brine them, etc. That depends upon personal taste. Personally, I enjoy them as they are."