Question on Harvesting Basil Seeds

Hopefully I did this right. I waited for the flower spikes to dry, and then clipped them and put them in a brown bag for now. What exactly are these supposed to look like? Will they just fall off on their own, into the bag? (that was what I was hoping). If someone has a pic of what they should look like, that would be helpful.

Hi Karrie20x...sounds like you've done good so far..this is seed from lettuce-leaf type of basil...hope it helps. Janet

They are paper thin white things that look like they have little dots in them - similar to the seeds you have shown above. Will they pop out of the paper thin things? (sorry, do not know the terminology)

A good method is to watch closely to see when seed ripens on plant and when seed pods change color, usually to a pale brown color or thereabouts (test by tapping seed head gently to see if a few seeds scatter) then cut off the seedheads on their stalks and dry by tying in small bundles loosely so air can circulate and finish drying them. Hang bunches for a week or two in a dry place, taking care to catch falling seeds or you can loosely tie a paper bag around them sort of like you've done and let them dry. You will need to tap the seed heads gently or rub them inside the bag to extract more seeds. You won't hurt the seeds, just experiment to get the best results. You'll be an old hand at it soon. :p)

Can I jump in here? Does any one have a picture of how the dry seed heads look to show?
I also want to post a basil picture of what was sold to me as 'sweet basil'. To see if it truly is a basil, and what kind it is.Where would the best place be to post it? Plant ID Forum?

This message was edited Aug 24, 2004 9:17 PM

Hi NatureWalker..sorry I don't have a picture but there's several good pictures of Ocimum basilicum, Sweet Basil at this link in the PDB which might help you ID your specimen:

http://davesgarden.com/pdb/go/304/index.html


Then just imagine those flower spikes dried up after they bloom...sorry don't have a picture actuallly dried, but someone else might. If you post, I'd post it on this forum, but start a new thread, so people can see the pic in the thread list.

Ok thanks, Janet.

Robin

Robin...sorry, didn't realize this wasn't the 'Herbs' forum..post it there if you still need to for ID. :p)

blech!

This isn't the herbs forum - it's the seed saving forum.