Datura..Nobody warned me..lol

Being a first-time Datura grower, I thought that those thorny seeds pods would dry out first, then I could remove them full of seeds. Well, my surprise today was having 5 pods open by themselves, just showing the goods, even though the pods were still green! They do spill a lot of seeds for one capsule...so now, I'm in the know..lol.
Trish

My pods are all still green, and soon I will be netting the pods that I'll be using for seed saving in order to prevent them splitting and throwing the seeds everywhere. I'd be interested in hearing from others on this issue.

Dave

Thank you Trish,I'll remember that one when I do try a datura' Thanks Dave,the daura sounds lovely,must try one' Sis''Z5(NE KS.)

Trish: When mine have split open like yours are doing. I put a container under the seedpod and take scissors and cut off the seedpod so it drops into the container. Then take the seedpods into the house. Carefully try to pry open seedpod, I use a crochet hook or nut picker or even a sharpened pencil to get the seeds out. Then lay seeds on coffee filters to air dry, then store in air tight container. I wash my hands after handling.
Netting works great, like Dave is doing.

We get our first frost usually beginning of Sept so last year I cut off all the seed pods just before the frost hit us. I left the pods in a cardboard box to absorb the moisture. A month later, most of the pods had split open on their own. I tried germinating them this spring with 0 luck. Yet when I found a pod in the garden and planted some of its seeds, they came up 2 month later. How do you germinate your seeds? I have tons of white datura seeds if someone is interested in doing a trade.

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Confessions of A Brugmansia Grower
Okay-I have grown Datura in the past-long before I knew what a good Brugmansia hybrid was. I just cut the seed pods off a few days before they opened back then and simply let them ripen on a table. The pods would split open and the seeds could then be collected. Easy and fast and no work to it if you have clippers. Metel hybrids seem to be a bit more messy than the stramonium hybrids though as far as the seedpods go.