Easy way to separate chaff from seed

Drop them all over the DANG floor!! ARRGG!!!

I feel better now!!!

I was hoping you woul dhave a simpler method. thanks!

Better now, but how do you get up off the floor? (((grimace)))

It wasn't easy!!

LOL that's funny. I just stick mine in a strainer, shake gently and blow gently. I learned the hard way not to breathe during this time or you'll get chaff up your nose and in your throat.

X

X, that just happened to me today!LOL It was almost as bad as swallowing gnats. My next try was to shake and blow gently, then, turn my head quickly.

Deb

LOL, only a gardener would know about swallowing gnats.

I've found that long haired cats are very useful in this process. Put the seeds out on your
kitchen table. Let them dry thoroughly. When ready, send in your cat to roll on them. The
rolling loosens the seeds from the plant material and gets them out of their pods. Once your
cat is finished on the table, be sure he or she heads straight to your best persian carpet. The
thicker the pile, the firmer the seeds are implanted in carpet. Now simply vaccuum & empty
the bag. Viola - seed separated from chaff. Only task left is to separate the seeds from dust.
Tam

LOL Tam!!

How hard was it to train your cat? : )))

Oh she's a natural! LOL

I've discovered a new plant disease... Zephyritis. I find strange
markings on the leaves that are at cat-level. Here's our long-haired
beauty walking amongst an "infested" spider plants. (Her name
is Zephyr BTW).

(edited to correct my bad typing)

This message was edited Oct 1, 2006 2:32 PM

What an excellent lurker she is! ... and pretty too. : ))))

Last weekend I was working on my seeds. Before starting I did a cat check and not one of the little darlings was to be found. I figured I was safe as it was their normal morning nap time. I had all my seeds that I was working on in their various piles. The Lobelia had just started ripening so I had about a tablespoon of that fine seed in a little pile. I had milkweed that I had finished separating from the fluffy stuff and piles and piles of lily seed chafe. I decided to go get a bottle of water and I swear I wasn't gone 2 minutes. When I came back, seed was everywhere and the milkweed fluff that I had been so careful with was floating here and there. Not a cat to be seen in sight. I finally figured out who the culprit was because I found marigold seed in Miki's tail. You can't tell me they don't plan these things!

Tammy - you mean you even have a spider plant with a cat in the house??? I would bring mine out for the summer and a day after I brought it in, it would be eaten to the nub!!!

LOL

Beaker_ch - sounds like Miki is a fine hunter! Stalking her/his prey 'til the moment
of opportunity presented itself.

Anitabryk2 - Every single plant has chew marks on the leaves but she never has
eaten an entire plant.

Tam

To separate seeds from chaff, you use the winnowing method.
Go out in the wind, set a pail on the ground, take your pail of seed or grain, pour it towards the other pail. Seed will go into the pail, other stuff will go with the wind. Continue doing this until all chaff is gone.
Today might be a bit windy eveh for winnowing. Around 30mph today, a "Hold on to your hat day".
Bernie

I've tried something similar to that and have lost the seed too! Some of these flower seeds are so small, and I am not referring to the real small dust like ones.

The serious method I use is to put the seed & stuff in a cookie pan set at an angle longwise and use a credit card to pull the
seed & chaff up to the upper part. Then tap the sheet & the seeds roll to the lower part and the chaff stays put.

Tam

Winnowing in 30 mph winds. A.k.a: wintersowing in the next county.

LOL

I love this thread! Thanks for the information - and the laughs!!