Do you know what gazania rigens & dahlia seeds look like?

I have pulled apart the deadheaded flowers but I don't know what I have are seeds. Have you grown either of these? Or know what there seeds look like?

I have posted this on Seeds also but there is more activity here so I thought my chances were greater that maybe someone could help me.

This message was edited Aug 25, 2009 4:32 PM

dahlia seeds http://cgdahlias.com/dahlia_seeds.html

This message was edited Aug 26, 2009 7:53 PM

This message was edited Aug 27, 2009 8:24 AM

Ok, I am convinced that what I have are not dahlia seeds.

However, I am confused about the photo for Gazania seeds. The photo caption says "morning dandelion." ?????

Congrats on becoming one of the fold....sorry about that link....think my brain is overloaded on benedryl...discovered a nest of fire ants the hard way....with my foot.... I have not found a single gazania seed pic. I am sure now, that they grow by spontaneous generation....LOL

LOL You have so many different critters down there!

A regular Noah's ark of pests....grin

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&um=1&sa=1&q=gazania+seeds&btnG=Search+images&aq=f&oq=&aqi=&start=0

Do the dried blossom open and get fluffy like that when they are still on the plant?

Yes, ma'am. That is what the flower stalk looks like after the flower dies and petals fall off...those are ripe seeds attached to a bit of plant silk to give them bouyancy...they float on the wind and grow where they settle...hopefully.

I would assume so. I've never had any luck growing gazanias.

Flowerjen, thanks for pulling up that link....I just noticed the image link on my cpu was turned off....grrr, I hate ants

My stem and petals were dried but the petals were closed. They nearly looked like the buds but crispy.

Did you pull the dried petals away? I wonder if you have a sterile hybrid....wouldn't necessarily set seeds.

Yes, I pulled out the dried petals then I took off part of the green covering. There were beige long narrow things and below that were fuzzy things. I think only some of the fuzzy things looked like the seeds in the photo. If they are seeds, I certainly need a magnifying glass to pick those out from just the plain fuzzy things. That would be a mess to do! I sure wish I had a camera that could take close-ups.

Do you think those are seeds or not?

Yes, just quite possibly not fully developed and ripened yet.

So do you think I should just trash them?

Only the one you have opened. Leave a couple spent blooms on the plant and keep an eye on them. That way you learn the complete cycle from planted seed to collected seed.

I opened quite a few but they are still blooming. I guess I am just too eager. I have always deadheaded my marigolds when the blossoms just start to look a little brown. I have never had a problem saving those for seeds.

Different plants require different lengths of time to set and mature seeds. Some start out green and will only mature on the plant, form and mature as the flower ages and are ready as soon as the flower browns. Even people mature at different rates....GRIN

Moon, you are so wise.

LOL....Thanks, Venice....