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adamm321

Is there a Seed Collecting TIMETABLE?

AdamM321
18 years ago

Hi,

I would just like to get an idea of WHEN to try collecting certain seed from plants. I am in New England and I wondered if there is a website that might give a general idea of when to expect seed to be ripe.

I think I was under the impression that almost all seed wouldn't be ready until just before winter, and that is clearly not the case. MG Milky Way seeds seem to be forming and falling out in a very short period of time and I have already been collecting.

thanks,

Adam

Comments (9)

  • lavendrfem
    18 years ago

    Hi Adam,

    I've just started collecting seeds myself this year. And someone here posted this link and it's helped me a lot. Hope it does for you too.

    Estelle

    Here is a link that might be useful: The Seed Site

  • Nurmey
    18 years ago

    Adam, the one who really knows the timetable is Mother Nature. She is very fickle about letting us plan around her! Last year (a great growing year) I had lots of seed ripe by this time, this year is not so good. Lots of seeds are weeks behind what I harvested last year.

    I have to second the value of The Seed Site as it has tons of information. Of course, GW is the best and you can usually get any information you need.

    Mostly seed saving is just studying your plants, collecting, and learning from experience.

  • AdamM321
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Hello fellow newbie! :-) Thanks for that link Estelle. It looks pretty comprehensive. How is your seed collecting coming along?

    Nurmey, I was wondering what was going on! I have collected some seed every year..the basic easy ones..like Morning glories. I thought things seemed a little late this year. A lot of my seed is still green, which has me concerned that it might not ripen before the winter. Some like zinnias and coneflowers still have a lot of petals on them.

    I realize that you have to wait on mother nature's timetable, but I figured those of you who have been collecting for awhile might be more "tuned in" to mother nature's rythmn than I am. [g] Maybe you collect some of the same seed from year to year and remember whether it was mid summer, late summer or thanksgiving before they were ripe? That was the timetable I meant.

    Adam

  • dancingmoons
    18 years ago

    I really appreciate THE SEED SITE link!! Very helpful, if you know the botanical names of the flowers!! LOL!!
    I am trying to find pics of Japenese Honeysuckle seeds, so i looked up the plant on Google, then looked for the botanical name on the seed site link..didnt have it there :(
    I have two books on seed saving but nothing in there about the honeysuckle either.
    I saved what looked to be fuzzy brown little pods, but am not sure if they are the seeds or not...I would have hundreds to trade if they are!!!..Any other links out there that anyone knows of???...Also, my Scarlet Ohara MG's are going to seed now also, i too thought it would be another couple of weeks before i got seeds!!
    Trish

  • AdamM321
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Hi Trish,

    Exciting isn't it. It is like getting a present when you find seeds..lol. About your Japanese Honeysuckle seeds, I have seen a few people with that on their trade list. If I were you, I would go to the Exchange section and where it said "search for member lists" you can type in the seed or plant you are looking for and when you find someone who has that seed to offer, you could email them and ask them how they collected it.

    Adam
    :-)

  • susanzone5 (NY)
    18 years ago

    Seed saving begins in early summer and continues up through winter. The first plants to set seed in my garden are cynoglossum (forget me nots) and silene, followed by various other early spring annual reseeders. Next up is foxglove, poppies, and so on throughout the summer. It's a continual pleasure, dependent on when each plant blooms. I usually have a few paper plates full of some seeds drying on my kitchen table at any given time.

  • lavendrfem
    18 years ago

    Trish - that's the only problem with the seed site! I have to look up the latin name and then see the pod. But after a while you start to know what to look for instinctively by the type of flower it is.

    Adam! Fellow newbie! Seed saving is going very well. How is yours going? I just went out there and got coneflowers, coreopsis (yellow sunrise I think it is), blue ageratum (the tall kind), some sunflowers, and the hollyhock (dark maroon) are finally ready! I just love this sub-hobby from the main hobby.

    Happy seed hunting everyone!

  • AdamM321
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    susan...I didn't think that I was going to collect seed until most of those early seed were gone by. Next year.. :-) thanks that was just what I was asking for.

    Hi lavendrfern...My seed collecting is stalled a little. For some reason things here are just not ripening very quickly. I am trying to be very careful not to collect too soon. Some seed capsules are still moist and not papery and some are not dry yet. I am "seeing" the seed though, so that is fun. Yes, I also see this as a "subhobby" and was just saying to my kids that I have found a new hobby and it is really fun...

    Once my seed comes in I will be looking for a trade, lavenderfern...[g]

  • lavendrfem
    18 years ago

    Adam,

    Absolutely, I can send you a list!

    Estelle