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YOUR GARDEN THIS MONTH :
OCTOBER
Seed : collecting and storing
GROWING PLANTS FROM SEED IS GENERALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND INEXPENSIVE . IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PLANTS IN YOUR GARDEN FOR FREE . SEED CAN BE SAVED FROM MANY TREES , SHRUBS , PERENNIALS , AQUATIC PLANTS , ALPINES , ANNUALS , BIENNIALS , BULBOUS PLANTS , ORNAMENTAL GRASSES , VEGETABLES , AND HERBS .
When to collect and store seed :
Harvesting your own seed is fun but takes a little understanding and planning :
• Seedheads can ripen quickly , and must be watched carefully in order to collect the seed before they are dispersed .
• As a rough guide , seed is set about two months after flowering .
• Some seed is collected when welldeveloped but immature and green , such as Anemone Nemorosa , Calendula and Ranunculus .
• Berries need to be collected before they are taken by birds .
• The plants from which you collect seed must be healthy and vigorous . This will help ensure good quality seedlings and plants .
• Usually only species “ come true ” from seed – seedlings from a hybrid will be extremely variable .
• Most seed germinates best if sown as soon as it ripens , whereas seed harvested while immature will not germinate .
How to collect seed :
Types of seedheads : Seed comes in many different natural packaging . The most common forms include :
• Berries ( e . g . holly )
• Capsules ( e . g . poppy )
• Catkins ( e . g . birch )
• Cones ( e . g . pine )
• Exploding seed heads ( e . g . Euphorbia Lathyris )
• Nuts ( e . g . hazel )
• Pods ( e . g . sweet peas )
• Winged seed ( e . g . Acer , sycamore )
Collecting seed Collect ripe seed on a dry day , as soon as the seedheads ( e . g . capsules or pods ) ripen . This is often indicated by a colour change from green to brown , black or red , but must be before they open and shed their contents
Pick the seed heads , either singly or on stalks , and lay them out to dry on a greenhouse bench , warm windowsill or in an airing cupboard . This enables seed to be more easily extracted from pods , cones or capsules . If they don ’ t open when dry , gently crush pods and capsules to release the seed .
Collect seed from fleshy fruits and berries by mashing them in a fine sieve and then rinsing away the pulp in cold water . Leave the seed to dry for a few days on paper towels .
Exploding seed heads need checking every few days . Place a bag over them and shake – this will usually cause the ripe seed heads to explode into the bag . Alternatively , remove the seed heads on their stems as they turn brown and place in a labelled paper bag .
Nuts should be collected around the time they would naturally fall either by hand-picking , or by placing a sheet at the base of the tree and shaking the branches until they fall .
After extracting the seed , clean off any surrounding material ( chaff ) attached to them , as this material could rot and lead to the seed damping off . Chaff can harbour moulds , pests and diseases .
Storing seeds :
Some seeds ( e . g . hellebore ) are best sown immediately as their viability reduces with storage . However , for many species , sowing is best delayed
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