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realms_gw

when is it time to collect seeds????

realms
18 years ago

hi, i have planted both, amaranthus, love lies bleeding and tri colour. i am hoping someone can advise me as to what the seed heads should look like when the seeds are ready to be collected. thank you very much in advance for any help you can give me! Lisa

Comments (4)

  • ChlorophyllJill
    18 years ago

    Did a google and came up with this info - hope this helps! I've always wanted to try 'Love Lies Bleeding'!

    Amaranth

    The only seeds we collect while plants are still flowering is amaranth. It is more practical and efficient to get amaranth seeds before the plants die down.

    Amaranth keeps going until hit by the first hard frost. Seed will often ripen many weeks before that, usually after about three months. The best way to determine if seed is harvestable is to briskly shake or rub the flower heads between your hands and see if seeds fall readily. (Numerous small and appreciative birds may give hints as to when to start doing this.)

    An easy way to gather ripe grain is, during dry weather, to bend the plants over a bucket and rub the seedheads between your hands. Our preferred threshing method is to carefully stack bunches of cut flowerheads, then rub them through screening into a wheelbarrow. The finer chaff is then blown away using the air compressor. Cutting and hanging plants to dry indoors does not work very well: the plants become extremely bristly and reluctant to release seeds.

    Harvesting fresh seed from still flowering plants means seeds still have drying to do. ItÂs most important to further dry your crop to ensure it wonÂt mold in storage. We usually leave amaranth seeds on trays for two or three hot days, stirring occasionally until they are as dry as possible. Store seed in air-tight containers in a cool dry place.

  • realms
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    thank you so much for your very educational help!! lisa

  • bakemom_gw
    18 years ago

    They re-seed very generously. I just shake the flower mop over a bowl and little round seeds and some chaff come tumbling out. I generally dry them in a bowl inside for about a week before packaging them up.

    Just grab a bowl, run out to your garden, and give the tops a little shake. Seed is starting to ripen here on my amaranthus.

  • peat_moss
    18 years ago

    Are these the seeds from Strawberry fields? They were alost TOO easy to collect so thought I"d better ask.

    TIA
    Ann
    {{gwi:1251841}}

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