Morning Glories: IMPORTANT!!! Seed harvesting question ....., 1 by beckygardener

beckygardener wrote:
I hope someone can answer my urgent question:

My seed pods are ripening now. I have been removing very ripe pods and some that are almost ripe. I had a few of the pods burst open and I lost the seeds, so I have been trying to harvest them right before they get to that point.

The ripe seeds are very dark in color, smaller, and very hard. The almost ripe seeds are more plump, more of a medium to dark brown color, and not quite as hard as the more ripened seeds. (See photo. All seeds are from the same vine. The smaller seeds are from a completely ripe pod. The larger seeds are from an almost ripe pod.)

Am I making a mistake to harvest some of the pods before they are completely dried up and ready to drop the seeds? Will the larger seeds continue to dry, shrink, and harden? Are they viable seeds if picked before the pods are ready to split open and drop the seeds?

Thanks for any advice and information in advance! ~Becky~